RSS Parrot

Discrimination persists for ethnic minority and non-UK doctors throughout career, says GMC

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj.q2283.short?rss=1

Published: October 17, 2024 07:26

“Persistent and pernicious” inequality remains embedded in medicine despite some progress, with doctors from ethnic minorities and international medical graduates facing discrimination throughout their careers, the General Medical Council has said.The…

Doctors as patients and boiled frogs

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj.q2269.short?rss=1

Published: October 17, 2024 06:01

Are doctors good patients? Or are they a danger to themselves? Doctors, as legend has it, are apt to downplay or mistreat their own symptoms. Stories abound of cardiologists self-diagnosing heartburn and dying from a heart attack, general surgeons…

Iridescent crystals in the eye

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj-2022-074280.short?rss=1

Published: October 17, 2024 02:21

These multi-coloured crystals were found in the vitreous cavity of the left eye of a woman in her 40s at a routine diabetic screening examination (fig 1). She was asymptomatic but had a history of proliferative diabetic retinopathy with recurrent vitreous…

How to get started in medical leadership

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj-2024-080576.short?rss=1

Published: October 17, 2024 02:21

Leadership is a core component of the work of any practising doctor. Good medical leadership is essential to the successful delivery of optimal clinical care,1 and is associated with better team functioning, improved patient outcomes, and positive cultural…

The often forgotten element: a key differential diagnosis for eczema, allergy, or infection

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj-2023-078847.short?rss=1

Published: October 17, 2024 02:16

A five month old ex-26 week premature infant presented to the emergency department with a five week history of a rash, irritability, and diarrhoea. The rash consisted of erythematous, scaly, crusted skin lesions involving the head (fig 1), neck, perineal,…

Negative colonoscopy . . . and other stories

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj.q2217.short?rss=1

Published: October 17, 2024 02:15

Dizziness and fallsNo one will be surprised to learn that older adults who experience dizziness are at increased risk of falling. Any lingering doubt is resolved by a systematic review of 29 studies with data on 100 000 participants (Age Ageing…

Flu nudges … and other research

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj.q2253.short?rss=1

Published: October 17, 2024 02:15

Flu nudgesAs the popular saying goes, there are two certainties in life, death and taxes. To these two, I’d add another: flu. And yet, persuading our most vulnerable patients into getting a flu jab is an annual headache for many GPs.In this trial of nearly…

Are covid-19 tests still working?

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj.q2070.short?rss=1

Published: October 17, 2024 02:15

The summer of 2024 has seen a wave of covid-19 infections spreading across the globe, causing a noticeable increase in reported covid-19 cases and, in some places, hospital admissions.1 Wastewater surveillance indicates that the true level of exposure is…

Seven days in medicine: 9-15 October 2024

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj.q2256.short?rss=1

Published: October 16, 2024 22:30

CancerNew funding for early diagnosis projectsThe UK government announced £11m in funding for six projects aimed at increasing early diagnosis of cancer, including a blood test that promises to detect 12 common cancers. Mionco is a multicancer early…

Achieving a smoke-free country—a best buy for the UK chancellor

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj.q2231.short?rss=1

Published: October 16, 2024 15:30

The UK government has set out a bold mission to improve the nation’s health. This is an urgent and essential task, not just to improve individual wellbeing, but because poor health is a huge drain on the economy. The mission will require action across all…

Brian Reginald Wilkey

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj.q2210.short?rss=1

Published: October 16, 2024 05:51

bmj;387/oct16_14/q2210/FAF1faBrian Wilkey was born in Bristol in 1934 and attended Bristol Grammar School before going to Exeter College, Oxford. He graduated in 1958. He continued his medical career at University College Hospital (UCH), where he met his…

Hugh Michael Wieselberg

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj.q2223.short?rss=1

Published: October 16, 2024 05:51

bmj;387/oct16_15/q2223/FAF1faMichael graduated from Cambridge and St George’s Hospital in 1969. He trained at the Bethlem Royal and Maudsley hospitals and was subsequently lecturer in child psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry in London and visiting…

James Ciaran Stone

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj.q2221.short?rss=1

Published: October 16, 2024 05:46

bmj;387/oct16_13/q2221/FAF1faJim was born in Park, in rural County Derry (Londonderry), the son of two schoolteachers. He completed his medical training at Queen’s University Belfast in 1972. He returned to Derry for house jobs at Altnagelvin Hospital…

Prioritising primary care patients with unexpected weight loss for cancer investigation: diagnostic accuracy study (update)

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj-2024-080199.short?rss=1

Published: October 16, 2024 03:01

AbstractObjectiveTo quantify the predictive value of unexpected weight loss for cancer according to patient’s age, sex, smoking status, and concurrent clinical features (symptoms, signs, and abnormal blood test results).DesignDiagnostic accuracy study…

Sexual misconduct: New NHS system enables anonymous reporting of incidents at work

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj.q2268.short?rss=1

Published: October 16, 2024 01:11

NHS staff in England will now be able to anonymously report incidents of sexual misconduct at work after the launch of a new system to improve safety for staff.A new framework issued to local hospitals and available to adopt from 16 October outlines how…

Food industry executives are called on to commit to healthier, more sustainable products

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj.q2265.short?rss=1

Published: October 16, 2024 01:01

Four former food company executives, nutrition experts, and campaigners have written an open letter to food business leaders calling for them to clamp down on the production of ultra-processed and other unhealthy foods for the sake of public health and the…

Talha Mohammad Al-Shawaf: advocated for fertility management as a routine part of cancer therapy for young people

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj.q2224.short?rss=1

Published: October 15, 2024 08:46

bmj;387/oct15_13/q2224/FAF1faThe fact that younger patients with cancer are now offered the chance to have their eggs, embryos, or semen preserved before chemotherapy or radiotherapy is largely down to the efforts of Talha Al-Shawaf.In 2008 Al-Shawaf, who…

Pandemics are no longer “rare” and now pose constant threat, global preparedness board warns

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj.q2267.short?rss=1

Published: October 15, 2024 07:51

The world remains “acutely vulnerable” to the next pandemic threat, despite improvements in surveillance and pandemic response capacity being “better than ever,” the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board has said.1The board’s report, launched at the 15th…

Government action is needed to tackle the “turmoil” in the public health system highlighted by the Darzi review

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj.q2263.short?rss=1

Published: October 15, 2024 06:41

In August 2020, five months after the World Health Organization had declared a global pandemic, the UK government announced its decision to scrap England’s national public health agency, Public Health England.1 The announcement provoked criticism because…

Intense simplified strategy for newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes in patients with severe hyperglycaemia: multicentre, open label, randomised trial

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj-2024-080122.short?rss=1

Published: October 15, 2024 02:16

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate whether the intense simplified strategy, which comprises short term intensive insulin therapy (SIIT) followed by subsequent oral antihyperglycaemic regimens, could improve long term glycaemic outcomes in patients with newly…

Psychiatrists urge the government to reform the immigration system

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj.q2258.short?rss=1

Published: October 14, 2024 07:46

The Labour government has an opportunity to not only reverse the harmful immigration legislation introduced by the previous government, but implement reforms to protect the mental health of those seeking sanctuary, the Royal College of Psychiatrists…

Creating workplace boundaries: a strategy to reduce burnout

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj.q2214.short?rss=1

Published: October 14, 2024 07:21

Creating workplace boundaries can be extremely challenging.1 Most of us go into the profession because we want to help others, and throughout training we are often rewarded when we overextend ourselves.2 This can make it incredibly difficult to say “no”…

Covid inquiry: Ethnic minority doctors felt vulnerable and afraid to raise concerns

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj.q2247.short?rss=1

Published: October 11, 2024 07:31

Learning that the first 10 doctors in the UK to die from covid-19 were of ethnic minority origin sent “shockwaves” through this community, a senior consultant psychiatrist told the UK Covid-19 Inquiry on 8 October.1JS Bamrah, a member of the Federation of…

Gosport Hospital: Police identify 24 suspects over opioid deaths

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj.q2245.short?rss=1

Published: October 11, 2024 04:51

Police investigating the deaths of hundreds of patients who died after being given opioid painkillers at Gosport War Memorial Hospital in Hampshire have identified 24 suspects.Police told families they had identified 21 people suspected of alleged gross…

Physician associates must do only work delegated by a GP, says royal college

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj.q2242.short?rss=1

Published: October 11, 2024 03:31

Physician associates (PAs) must only see patients in general practice who have been triaged by a GP and only undertake work delegated to them, and agreed with, their named GP supervisor, says new guidance from the Royal College of General Practice.1The…

Biden administration unveils plan to remove all US lead service lines by 2037

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj.q2241.short?rss=1

Published: October 11, 2024 02:56

All lead pipes on public land in the US will be replaced by 2037 under a new rule established by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Biden administration has announced.The new rule also reduces the quantity of lead allowable in tap water…

How to make the most of a research project placement as a medical student

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj.q2036.short?rss=1

Published: October 11, 2024 02:26

To begin, you’ll need to find a principal investigator who is willing to take you under their wing. You might have a specific project or supervisor in mind, but if you’re not sure who to approach, check your university website for a list of academics by…

What’s it like to be a patient as a doctor?

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj.q1486.short?rss=1

Published: October 11, 2024 02:21

For many doctors who start their medical careers as young, fit, healthy people, it can feel as though there’s an abyss between them and their patients. Doctors are the well; patients are the unwell. For most doctors, however, there will come a moment of…

Artificial intelligence and global health equity

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj.q2194.short?rss=1

Published: October 11, 2024 02:16

Artificial intelligence (AI) could help achieve global health equity by extending efficient and cost effective healthcare to historically underserved patients.123 However, biases ingrained in AI tools can reduce equity and cause harm unless their creation,…

Health information for all: do large language models bridge or widen the digital divide?

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj-2024-080208.short?rss=1

Published: October 11, 2024 02:15

Key messagesLarge language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT could have a role in narrowing the health information digital divide, democratising access to healthcareBut evidence indicates that LLMs might exacerbate the digital disparity in health information…

Doctor suicide: “All I could see were tasks mounting, appointments being booked, and people constantly knocking on my door”

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj.q2239.short?rss=1

Published: October 11, 2024 01:46

A incorrect statistic in this feature article (BMJ 2024;386:q1879, doi:10.1136/bmj.q1879, published 17 September 2024) that was taken from a cited article (reference 1) has been corrected in both the source article and here: “one doctor dies by suicide…

Sixty seconds on . . . headspin hole

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj.q2229.short?rss=1

Published: October 11, 2024 01:11

Is that a what3words location?No, it’s a medical condition that breakdancers are at risk of developing if they do too many headspins. Doctors have warned in the journal BMJ Case Reports1 that repetitive headspin manoeuvres may cause a “headspin…

US abortion: Supreme Court allows Texas to continue to ban emergency abortions

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj.q2234.short?rss=1

Published: October 10, 2024 07:36

The US Supreme Court has ruled that Texas hospitals can continue to deny emergency abortion care to women experiencing miscarriages, despite a federal law that requires hospitals to care for people in emergencies.1 The court did not accept a challenge by…

Climate change: defeating misinformation with trusted knowledge

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj.q2211.short?rss=1

Published: October 10, 2024 05:21

Finland’s first planetary health physician is prescribing “walking home barefoot through nature” (doi:10.1136/bmj.q2093).1 Meanwhile, only 27% of Republicans who are registered to vote in the forthcoming US election say that they prefer a candidate who…

Physician associates: BMA backs family’s legal challenge to GMC over “blurring of lines”

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj.q2228.short?rss=1

Published: October 10, 2024 04:11

The BMA has offered financial support to a family that is pursuing a legal challenge against the General Medical Council over how it distinguishes between doctors and physician associates.In the latest development over the controversial issue of physician…

Good health is more than just healthcare

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj.q2205.short?rss=1

Published: October 10, 2024 03:16

We have known for a long time that a person’s environment, lifestyle, and social circumstances have a considerable effect on their health and wellbeing. Public health pioneers such as John Snow, Rudolf Virchow, Archie Cochrane, Douglas Black,1 and Michael…

Prostate cancer screening … and other research

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj.q2192.short?rss=1

Published: October 10, 2024 02:51

Biopsy strategies for prostate cancerProstate cancer screening may be less controversial if we could reduce overdiagnosis of low risk disease. A new study suggests that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-targeted biopsy could help achieve this. Over 13 000…

A parasitic cause of abdominal pain

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj-2023-079047.short?rss=1

Published: October 10, 2024 02:50

This is a double balloon enteroscopic image of the small intestine of a man in his 40s who presented with recurrent periumbilical pain (fig 1). Blood test results for liver function, urea and electrolytes, and full blood count were normal except for a…

Climate change, health, and the US election

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj.q2183.short?rss=1

Published: October 10, 2024 02:41

On 5 November US voters will head to the polls and make decisions that have far reaching consequences for climate change and health, at home and abroad. Climate change is a public health emergency1 that will disproportionately affect vulnerable…

Rising to the challenge: next steps in The BMJ’s climate commitments

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj.q2197.short?rss=1

Published: October 10, 2024 02:20

In February 2024, the world’s five largest listed oil companies were reported to have made record profits of $281bn since the start of the war in Ukraine.12 While oil companies benefited from steep rises in oil and gas prices because of the war, millions…

Tectonic plates . . . and other stories

http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj.q2152.short?rss=1

Published: October 10, 2024 02:20

West Nile virusMore than 700 cases of West Nile virus infection have been recorded across Europe so far this year, all locally acquired (Naturedoi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-03031-y). As it’s a mosquito borne disease, climate change seems the obvious culprit.…