Vitreoretinal interface abnormalities in middle-aged adults with visual impairment in the UK Biobank study: prevalence, impact on visual acuity and associations

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of vitreoretinal interface abnormalities (VRIA), the degree of visual impairment and associations with VRIA among adults, aged 40–69 years, in the UK Biobank study. Methods and analysis: Colour fundus photographs and spectral domain optical coherence tomography images were graded for 25% of the 8359 UK Biobank participants with mild visual impairment or worse (LogMAR >0.3 or Snellen <6/12) in at least one eye. The prevalence and contribution of VRIA to visual impairment was determined and multinomial logistic regression models were used to investigate association with known risk factors and other predetermined socioeconomic, biometric, lifestyle and medical variables for cases and matched controls. Results: The minimum prevalence of any VRIA was 17.6% and 8.1% in the eyes with and without visual impairment, respectively. VRIA were identified as the primary cause of visual impairment in 3.6% of eyes. Although epiretinal membrane and vitreomacular traction were the most common VRIA, the degree of visual impairment was typically milder with these than with other VRIA. Visual impairment with a VRIA was positively associated with increasing age (relative risk ratio (RRR) 1.22 (95% CI 1.07 to 1.40)), female gender (RRR 1.28; 1.08 to 1.52) and Asian or Asian British ethnicity (RRR 1.60; 1.10 to 2.32). Conclusions: VRIA are common in middle-aged adults in the UK Biobank study, especially in eyes with visual impairment. VRIA were considered to be the primary cause of visual impairment in 3.6% of all eyes with visual impairment, although there was variation in the degree of visual impairment for each type of VRIA

Geographical inequalities in uptake of NHS funded eye examinations: Poisson modelling of small-area data for Essex, UK.

Background: Small-area analysis of National Health Service (NHS)-funded sight test uptake in Leeds showed significant inequalities in access among people aged <16 or ≥60. Methods: Data were extracted from 604 126 valid General Ophthalmic Services (GOS)1 claim forms for eye examinations for Essex residents between October 2013 and July 2015. Expected GOS1 uptake for each lower super output area was based on England annual uptake. Poisson regression modelling explored associations in GOS1 uptake ratio with deprivation. Results: People aged ≥60 or <16 living in the least deprived quintile were 15% and 26%, respectively, more likely to have an NHS funded eye examination than the most deprived quintile, although all are equally entitled. GOS1 uptake is higher in the more deprived quintiles among 16-59-year old, as means tested social benefits are the main eligibility criteria in this age-group. Inequalities were also observed at local authority level. Conclusions: Inequalities in access among people ≥60 years were not as large as those reported in Leeds, although inequalities in <16-year old were similar. However, demonstrable inequalities in this data set over a longer time period and a larger and more diverse area than Leeds, reinforce the argument that interventions are needed to address eye examination uptake inequalities

Summary Report on 2018 Residue Monitoring of Irish Farmed Finfish & 2018 Border Inspection Post Fishery Product Testing undertaken at the Marine Institute

On behalf of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM), the Marine Institute carries out monitoring of chemical residues in finfish for aquaculture sector. This monitoring is set out in the annual National Residue Control Plan, which is approved by the European Commission, and is an important component of the DAFM food safety controls and is implemented under a service contract with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. Since 1999, the Marine Institute has implemented the National Residues Monitoring Programme for aquaculture. This is carried out on behalf of the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority, which is the responsible organisation for residue controls on farmed finfish. In 2018, in excess of 920 tests and a total of 2,611 measurements were carried out on 171 samples of farmed finfish for a range of residues. Implementation of the Aquaculture 2018 Plan involves taking samples at both farm and processing plant: • 123 target samples taken at harvest: 110 farmed salmon and 13 freshwater trout. • 48 target samples were taken at other stages of production: 40 salmon smolts and 8 freshwater trout. All 2018 samples were compliant. For target sampling of farmed fish, a summary table of the residue results from 2005 - 2018 is outlined in Table 1. Overall, the outcome for aquaculture remains one of consistently low occurrence of residues in farmed finfish, with no non-compliant target residues results for the period 2006-2014, 0.11% and 0.10% non-compliant target residues results in 2015 and 2016 respectively and no non-compliant target results in 2017 and 2018

Implementation of influenza point-of-care-testing and patient-cohorting during a high-incidence season: a retrospective analysis of impact on infection prevention and control and clinical outcomes.

BACKGROUND: During high-incidence influenza seasons, a robust infection prevention and control policy is imperative to reduce nosocomial transmission of influenza. AIM: To assess the impact of Emergency Department (ED) influenza point-of-care-testing (POCT) and influenza-ward patient-cohorting on infection prevention and control and clinical outcomes. METHODS: Influenza POCT was operational in our adult ED from 21st January 2018 and an influenza-ward from 25th January 2018. A retrospective 'before-after' analysis was performed with pre-intervention defined as 1st November 2017-20th January 2018 and post-intervention 21st January-30th April 2018. Primary outcome was rate of hospital-acquired influenza (HAI). Secondary outcomes included antiviral prescription and length of stay. The length of time inpatients remain influenza RNA detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was also analysed

Prevalence, Nature, Severity and Risk Factors for Prescribing Errors in Hospital Inpatients : Prospective Study in 20 UK Hospitals

Funding This study was funded by the General Medical Council (GMC). The study funders had no role in the study design, in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, in the writing of this manuscript or in the decision to submit the article for publication. Acknowledgements The EQUIP team would like to thank the following people: Members of the Expert Reference Group (Graham Buckley, Gary Cook, Dianne Parker, Lesley Pugsley and Mike Scott); Members of the Error Validation Group (Lindsay Harper, Katy Mellor, Steven Williams, Keith Harkins, Steve McGlynn, Ray George, Tim Dornan, Penny Lewis); Tribal Consulting Ltd. (Heather Heathfield, Emma Carter) for database design; Study co-ordinators at hospitals (Linda Aldred, Deborah Armstrong, Isam Badhawi, Kathryn Ball, Neil Caldwell, Vanya Fidling, Nicholas Fong, Heather Ford, Andrea Gill, Lindsay Harper, Jean Holmes, Sally James, Christopher Poole, Sally Shaw, Heather Smith, Julie Street, Atia Rifat, David Thornton, Tracey Thornton, Jane Warren, Steven Williams), and all pharmacists at the study sites who collected data for this study.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Summary Report on 2019 Residue Monitoring of Irish Farmed Fish & 2019 Border Inspection Post Fishery Product Testing undertaken at the Marine Institute

On behalf of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM), the Marine Institute carries out monitoring of chemical residues in finfish for aquaculture sector. This monitoring is set out in the annual National Residue Control Plan, which is approved by the European Commission, and is an important component of the DAFM food safety controls and is implemented under a service contract with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. Since 1999, the Marine Institute has implemented the National Residues Monitoring Programme for aquaculture. This is carried out on behalf of the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority, which is the responsible organisation for residue controls on farmed finfish. In 2019, in excess of 912 tests and a total of 2,601 measurements were carried out on 176 samples of farmed finfish for a range of residues. Implementation of the Aquaculture 2019 Plan involves taking samples at both farm and processing plant: *118 target samples taken at harvest: 105 farmed salmon and 13 freshwater trout. * 58 target samples were taken at other stages of production: 50 salmon smolts and 8 freshwater trout. All 2019 samples were compliant. For target sampling of farmed fish, a summary table of the residue results from 2005 - 2019 is outlined in Table 1. Overall, the outcome for aquaculture remains one of consistently low occurrence of residues in farmed finfish, with no non-compliant target residues results for the period 2006-2014, 0.11% and 0.10% non-compliant target residues results in 2015 and 2016 respectively and no non-compliant target results for the period 2017 to 2019

Assessing the impact of care farms on quality of life and offending: a pilot study among probation service users in England

OBJECTIVES: To assess the feasibility of conducting a cost-effectiveness study of using care farms (CFs) to improve quality of life and reduce reoffending among offenders undertaking community orders (COs). To pilot questionnaires to assess quality of life, connection to nature, lifestyle behaviours, health and social-care use. To assess recruitment and retention at 6 months and feasibility of data linkage to Police National Computer (PNC) reconvictions data and data held by probation services. DESIGN: Pilot study using questionnaires to assess quality of life, individually linked to police and probation data. SETTING: The pilot study was conducted in three probation service regions in England. Each site included a CF and at least one comparator CO project. CFs are working farms used with a range of clients, including offenders, for therapeutic purposes. The three CFs included one aquaponics and horticulture social enterprise, a religious charity focusing on horticulture and a family-run cattle farm. Comparator projects included sorting secondhand clothes and activities to address alcohol misuse and anger management. PARTICIPANTS: We recruited 134 adults (over 18) serving COs in England, 29% female. RESULTS: 52% of participants completed follow-up questionnaires. Privatisation of UK probation trusts in 2014 negatively impacted on recruitment and retention. Linkage to PNC data was a more successful means of follow-up, with 90% consenting to access their probation and PNC data. Collection of health and social-care costs and quality-adjusted life year derivation were feasible. Propensity score adjustment provided a viable comparison method despite differences between comparators. We found worse health and higher reoffending risk among CF participants due to allocation of challenging offenders to CFs, making risk of reoffending a confounder. CONCLUSIONS: Recruitment would be feasible in a more stable probation environment. Follow-up was challenging; however, assessing reconvictions from PNC data is feasible and a potential primary outcome for future studies

Predictors of response to anti-TNF therapy in ankylosing spondylitis: results from the British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register

Objective. Few data exist on the use of anti-TNF drugs for AS during routine clinical use in the UK. This report describes an improvement in Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI) after 6 months of therapy in 261 patients enrolled in a national prospective observational register

Fish Health Unit Report of Activities Undertaken in 2022

This report summarises the activities undertaken by the Fish Health Unit of the Marine Institute in 2022. Regulation (EU) 2016/429 lays down the rules for the prevention and control of animal diseases which are transmissible to animal or humans and the Marine Institute is the Competent Authority responsible for implementation of this regulation in Ireland. The purpose of this report is to provide all stakeholders with an improved understanding of the operations of the Marine Institute in fish health, and the findings encountered by the Fish Health Unit in 2022