Highlights from the British Thoracic Society Winter Meeting 2016
Monthly Archives: January 2017
Persistent low back pain: can screening predict risk?
In order to provide the most effective treatment for low back pain and to treat those most in need, screening instruments can be used to best allocate care; however there is uncertainty over their prognostic performance. Published today in BMC Medicine, a new systematic review looks to assess how accurately screening instruments can classify those with an episode of low back pain who will have a poor outcome. Here author, Emma Karran, tells us more.
2One month, no alcohol – give your liver a rest for Dry January
Many who have overindulged over Christmas and New Year may be tempted to give up alcohol entirely for January. In this blog ISRCTN looks at recently registered research about ‘the demon drink’.
Short physical performance battery in the era of frail population
The Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) is an established tool used to assess the physical performance of a patient’s lower extremities. Published in BMC Medicine, a meta-analysis looks at whether a patient’s SPPB score can be used a predictor for all cause mortality. Here, lead author of the study, Rita Pavasini, tells us more.
Capitalizing placebo effects to improve outcome in cardiac surgery
Published today in BMC Medicine a new study looks at the placebo effect and how it can be utilized to improve the long-term outcome in heart surgery patients. In this blog the authors of the study discuss their findings and explore how patient expectations are a major mechanism that causes the placebo effect.
1Good vibrations in the intensive care unit
Published today in Critical Care, a new clinical trial investigates whether whole-body-vibration, which has been used in rehabilitation care; professional athletics and even on astronauts, could be used in intensive care units to protect against muscle wasting. Here, the authors of the paper tell us more.