Lancet
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About 50% of UK patients with beta-thalassaemia major die before the age of 35 years, mainly because conventional iron-chelation therapy is too burdensome for full adherence. Patients require an individually-tailored treatment plan incorporating new, more tolerable approaches.
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Biography Historical Article
The Nobel chronicles. 1993: Richard John Roberts (b 1943) Phillip A Sharp (b 1944).
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There is evidence of a decline in semen quality in some countries, including Britain, in recent decades. This retrospective cohort study examined the hypothesis that biological fertility had also declined. The trend in couple fertility was assessed by means of time to pregnancy (TTP--a sensitive and validated measure of fertility. ⋯ The findings could not be explained by trends in age at first birth, increased treatment of subfertility, or changes in oral contraceptive use. If a decline in male fertility has occurred, it has been more than compensated for by a countervailing increase in couple fertility.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Early use of non-invasive ventilation for acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on general respiratory wards: a multicentre randomised controlled trial.
Within the intensive-care unit, non-invasive ventilation (NIV) can prevent the need for intubation and the mortality associated with severe episodes of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this study was to find whether the introduction of NIV, early after the admission on a general respiratory ward, was effective at reducing the need for intubation and the mortality associated with acute exacerbations of COPD. ⋯ The early use of NIV for mildly and moderately acidotic patients with COPD in the general ward setting leads to more rapid improvement of physiological variables, a reduction in the need for invasive mechanical ventilation (with objective criteria), and a reduction in in-hospital mortality.