Hypertension
The 2018 European Guidelines for the treatment of high blood pressure
2018 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and European Society of Hypertension (ESH) Joint Guidelines for the Management of Arterial Hypertension.
Keyword: guidelines
Pathology testing
The right tests – for the wrong reasons?
Figures show that the rates of pathology testing are continuing to rise despite a backdrop of financial constraint within the NHS. General practitioner (GP) Dr Jessica Watson has expressed concern that some tests are being carried out for the wrong reasons – often for a non-medical purpose – and that unnecessary tests are causing increased anxiety and uncertainty rather than offering…
GCCA/GBCA safety
Gadolinium @ ECR 2018 – diverse and “disunited”?
Gadolinium-containing/gadolinium-based contrast agents (GCCAs/GBCAs) and their usage was a major topic at ECR 2018. Fuelled by the current debate a number of presentations focused on possible impact, risks and necessities. Some were highly specific, others took a broader view. The only consensus, however, seems to be the need for more research and the focus on safety. Three ECR speakers, Joseph…
Pediatrics
New risk staging for children with kidney disease
Experts in pediatric kidney disease have published a new staging system to help doctors better predict the length of time until a child with chronic kidney disease (CKD) will need to undergo a kidney transplant or start receiving dialysis. Although this type of prognostic guide exists for adults, this is the first such tool specific to children. “We designed a clinically useful, data-driven…
ACE inhibitor side effects
Lowering blood pressure comes at a price
The recent ACC/AHA Guidelines have increased the number of patients said to have hypertension by up to 40 percent (new 130/80 mmHg). The international recommendation is to treat hypertension with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs). These drugs, however, have significant adverse effects: Often a chronic dry cough leads to patients withdrawing from treatment. On rare occasions, ACEIs…
Leveling intensity
Even two minutes of activity can reduce death risk
Walking 10,000 steps a day or a doing a quick workout from a phone app - all of those tactics could work to reduce risk of disease and death, according to new research. The study found that even brief trips up and down stairs would count toward accumulated exercise minutes and reducing health risks so long as the intensity reaches a moderate or vigorous level. The most dramatic improvements in…
Lesbian, gay, bi, trans
Should all patients be asked about their sexual orientation?
In late 2017, NHS England released guidelines recommending that health professionals ask all patients about their sexual orientation in order to improve services for non-heterosexual patients, but should they? Experts debate the issue in The BMJ today. After decades of campaigning from lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) charities, sexual orientation is now a protected characteristic that is…
PSA screening
New prostate cancer risk score could help guide screening decisions
A new score for predicting a man’s genetic risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer could help guide decisions about who to screen and when, say researchers in The BMJ today. Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in males in developed countries, with over a million new cases and over 300,000 associated deaths estimated worldwide in 2012. Screening for prostate specific…
Disease classification
A 'gaming disorder' code in ICD-11? Not so fast
Even if the World Health Organization finalizes ICD-11 in May, it will take years for U.S. doctors to start using the next classification system. Hospital executives and staff reading that the next iteration of the International Classification of Diseases system will contain a new code for diagnosing patients with so-called gaming disorder might get a chuckle from it. They may laugh a little more…
Power up your brain
Exercising may improve thinking ability and memory
Exercising twice a week may improve thinking ability and memory in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), according to a guideline released by the American Academy of Neurology. The recommendation is an update to the AAN’s previous guideline on mild cognitive impairment and is published in the online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The…
Emergency medicine
Ultrasound can save lives
‘Ultrasound plays a key role in diagnosis and monitoring of treatment in the A&E department,’ emphasises Professor Joseph Osterwalder, Medical Director of the Cantonal Hospital in Appenzell, Switzerland. ‘I cannot imagine emergency medicine without ultrasound.’
Point-of-care testing
Moving towards deeper diagnostics with POCT
Just two decades ago, even though promising, point-of-care testing (POCT) was only used in hospitals and surgeries by a small number of specialists. Today POCT is in use throughout healthcare.
Recommendations
First European advice on deep vein thrombosis
The first comprehensive European advice on deep vein thrombosis is published in the current issue of European Heart Journal. The recommendations were produced by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Working Group on Aorta and Peripheral Vascular Diseases and Working Group on Pulmonary Circulation and Right Ventricular Function.
ESC Congress 2017
Entering the future of cardiology
With 4,500 accepted abstracts, 600 sessions and 30,000 expected attendees, ESC Congress 2017 is undoubtedly the world’s largest cardiovascular event. On healthcare-in-europe.com, Dr Stephan Achenbach, Congress Program Committee Chairperson, gives an overview of issues and events unfolding in Barcelona from August 26-30.
Missing guidelines
Demand to regulate oncologic hyperthermia
Unlike the USA, Italy, Germany or the Netherlands, Spain does not include hyperthermia in its national health catalogue. Worse, many non-medical centres are increasingly offering hyperthermia as an alternative treatment, a situation that infuriates Spanish oncologic radiotherapists.
Oncotype
Updated breast cancer guidelines reinforce genomic testing
Genomic Health announced that the 15th St. Gallen International Breast Cancer Conference Expert Panel endorsed the use of genomic tests in early-stage breast cancer and recognised the Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score test for its prognostic ability as well as its value in guiding treatment decisions on adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with early-stage, endocrine sensitive, invasive breast…
Guidelines
Reprocessing - staff qualifications are vital
The reprocessing of medical devices in Europe is very inconsistent, according to a European Commission survey that was carried out in the 27 EU member states among politicians, medical device manufacturers and reprocessing companies, as well as doctors, hospitals and related professional parties
The BMJ launches series to get the latest trial evidence into practice
This week, The BMJ launches a new series called ‘Rapid Recommendations,’ a collaboration with an international group of researchers and doctors, working together with patients, to quickly and reliably transform research evidence into clinical practice recommendations.
Epidemic
Global spread of Zika "of utmost concern"
The President of the World Federation of Neurology (WFN) Prof Raad Shakir (London), said today that following the first confirmed Zika-related case of microcephaly on US territory, in Puerto Rico, and the ever-growing number of sexually-transmitted Zika infections in Europe, “it is increasingly obvious that the Zika epidemic has long assumed global proportions.” As the opening of the Olympics…
Ebola: Guidelines for treating infected children
When the Ebola virus outbreak erupted in West Africa in 2014, children infected with the virus — particularly those under age 5 — faced overwhelming challenges. Not only was there a high death rate among young children infected with the disease, they often were isolated from their families, leaving them feeling distressed and without the intensive care they needed.
EKF Diagnostics guide
Anemia and Hemoglobin testing
EKF Diagnostics, the global in vitro diagnostics company, announces the publication of its new guide, "Anemia and hemoglobin testing". Available to download for free, the in-depth hematology guide provides a review of the symptoms and causes of anemia, through to methods for testing hemoglobin and hematocrit, as well as factors that may influence these measurements.
Hygiene standards
A case for better safety guidelines
In recent years a number of hygiene incidents concerning medical practices or hospitals have worried patients across Europe. However, every incident has become a learning experience and heightened awareness of the importance of thorough hygiene.
Clinical practice guidelines
Temperature management during heart surgery
The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists, and the American Society of ExtraCorporeal Technology have released a set of clinical practice guidelines to address management of a patient's temperature during open heart surgery. The guidelines appear in the August issue of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery and were published simultaneously in two other journals.
Quality Control
DGKL goes quality and standardisation
The DGKL publishes a Translation of the Quality Standards for Medical Laboratories of the German Chamber of Physicians (RiLiBÄK). Report: Prof. Dr. Michael Neumaier
Who benefits from a catheter - and who does not?
A new detailed guide gives doctors and nurses information to help decide which hospital patients may benefit from a urinary catheter - and which ones do not. That should help spare patients the pain, embarrassment, and potentially serious side effects that can come with having a catheter placed - which may bring more risk than benefit to the patient.