Developmental Origins of Health and Disease: the relevance to developing nations.

Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), particularly those in sub-Saharan Africa, are experiencing rapid increases in the prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which may not be fully explained by urbanization and associated traditional risk factors such as tobacco smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, poor diet or physical inactivity. In this commentary, we draw attention to the concept of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD), where environmental insults in early life can contribute to long-term risk of NCDs, the impact of which would be particularly important in LMICs where poverty, malnutrition, poor sanitation and infections are still prevalent

Connecting the complex chemistry of space in medical education

No abstract available

Burnout in Israeli medical students:a national survey

INTRODUCTION: Professional burnout is characterized by loss of enthusiasm for work, cynicism, and a low sense of personal efficacy. Burnout may adversely affect medical professionalism. Burnout is common in clinicians and varying rates have been reported in medical students. No data exist regarding the prevalence of burnout among Israeli medical students. The aims of this study were to assess the rate of burnout in Israeli medical students and to identify students who were particularly susceptible to burnout. METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire design was employed, gathering data from medical students in all years of study across three medical schools. Burnout was measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory Student Survey (MBI-SS), translated into Hebrew. RESULTS: Of the 2160 students in the participating medical schools, 966 (44.7%) completed MBI-SS and demographic questionnaires. The overall burnout rate was 50.6%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis yielded that female gender, age under 25, advanced year of study, studying at a specific medical school and not being a parent are all significantly correlated with higher levels of burnout. CONCLUSIONS: A high rate of burnout was found. The identification of young women who are not parents during advanced years of studies as being at-risk is important, in order to guide the development of burnout prevention interventions

Can a GP be a generalist and a specialist? Stakeholders views on a respiratory General Practitioner with a special interest service in the UK

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Adverse pregnancy outcomes associated with moderate elevations in blood pressure or blood glucose in Ugandan women; a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The association between overt hypertension and diabetes and adverse pregnancy outcomes is well documented. Recent evidence suggests that even moderate elevations in blood pressure or blood glucose may confer a significant risk in a dose-dependent manner. However, these studies have primarily been undertaken in white populations in high-income settings. Hypertension and diabetes are emerging as major public health issues in sub-Saharan Africa as the region undergoes rapid urbanization. It is therefore important to understand how such noncommunicable conditions contribute to pregnancy outcomes in these populations. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the association between stage 1 hypertension or fasting blood glucose in the gestational diabetes mellitus-range and adverse pregnancy outcomes in Uganda, and to describe the effects of other contributing factors such as maternal obesity. STUDY DESIGN: This was a prospective cohort study of 2857 women at 5 major hospitals in urban and semiurban central Uganda. Women were enrolled at 24 to 28 weeks' gestation. Data about the maternal demographics, anthropometrics, fasting venous blood glucose, blood pressure, and pregnancy outcomes were collected. Moderate elevations in blood pressure and blood glucose were defined using the latest American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association definition of stage 1 hypertension and the World Health Organization's criteria for fasting blood glucose in the gestational diabetes mellitus-range. The primary outcomes of interest were perinatal death and large birthweight for gestational age, and the secondary outcomes were preterm birth, cesarean delivery, and neonatal admission. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was used. RESULTS: Stage 1 hypertension increased the odds of perinatal death by more than 2-fold (adjusted odds ratio, 2.68; 95% confidence interval, 1.36-5.29), with a positive but insignificant association with preterm birth. Hyperglycemia in the gestational diabetes mellitus-range was associated with cesarean delivery only (adjusted odds ratio, 1.65; 95% confidence interval, 1.20-2.27). Maternal obesity increased the risk of having large birthweight babies (adjusted odds ratio, 2.30; 95% confidence interval, 1.74-3.02), a cesarean delivery (adjusted odds ratio, 2.75; 95% confidence interval, 2.17-3.48), and neonatal admission (adjusted odds ratio, 1.63; 95% confidence interval, 1.16-2.30). CONCLUSION: Moderate elevations in blood pressure and maternal obesity are stronger predictors of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes than moderate elevations in blood glucose levels and should be the focus of intervention in these resource-poor settings. Further research is needed to determine the cost-effectiveness of identifying and managing moderate elevations in blood pressure and maternal obesity

Antenatal management and maternal/fetal outcomes associated with hyperglycaemia in pregnancy (HIP) in Uganda; a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Hyperglycaemia in pregnancy (HIP) is associated with complications for both mother and baby. The prevalence of the condition is likely to increase across Africa as the continent undergoes a rapid demographic transition. However, little is known about the management and pregnancy outcomes associated with HIP in the region, particularly less severe forms of hyperglycaemia. It is therefore important to generate local data so that resources may be distributed effectively. The aim of this study was to describe the antenatal management and maternal/fetal outcomes associated with HIP in Ugandan women. METHODS: A prospective cohort study of 2917 pregnant women in five major hospitals in urban/semi-urban central Uganda. Women were screened with oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) at 24-28 weeks of gestation. Cases of gestational diabetes (GDM) and diabetes in pregnancy (DIP) were identified (WHO 2013 diagnostic criteria) and received standard care. Data was collected on maternal demographics, anthropometrics, antenatal management, umbilical cord c-peptide levels, and pregnancy outcomes. RESULTS: Two hundred and seventy-six women were diagnosed with HIP (237 classified as GDM and 39 DIP). Women had between one and four fasting capillary blood glucose checks during third trimester. All received lifestyle advice, one quarter (69/276) received metformin therapy, and one woman received insulin. HIP was associated with large birthweight (unadjusted relative risk 1.30, 95% CI 1.00-1.68), Caesarean delivery (RR 1.34, 95% CI 1.14-1.57) and neonatal hypoglycaemia (RR 4.37, 95% CI 1.36-14.1), but not perinatal mortality or preterm birth. Pregnancy outcomes were generally worse for women with DIP compared with GDM. CONCLUSION: HIP is associated with significant adverse pregnancy outcomes in this population, particularly overt diabetes in pregnancy. However pregnancy outcomes in women with milder forms of hyperglycaemia are similar to those with normoglycaemic pregnancies. Intervention strategies are required to improve current monitoring and management practice, and more research needed to understand if this is a cost-effective way of preventing poor perinatal outcomes

BHPR research: qualitative1. Complex reasoning determines patients' perception of outcome following foot surgery in rheumatoid arhtritis

Background: Foot surgery is common in patients with RA but research into surgical outcomes is limited and conceptually flawed as current outcome measures lack face validity: to date no one has asked patients what is important to them. This study aimed to determine which factors are important to patients when evaluating the success of foot surgery in RA Methods: Semi structured interviews of RA patients who had undergone foot surgery were conducted and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis of interviews was conducted to explore issues that were important to patients. Results: 11 RA patients (9 ♂, mean age 59, dis dur = 22yrs, mean of 3 yrs post op) with mixed experiences of foot surgery were interviewed. Patients interpreted outcome in respect to a multitude of factors, frequently positive change in one aspect contrasted with negative opinions about another. Overall, four major themes emerged. Function: Functional ability & participation in valued activities were very important to patients. Walking ability was a key concern but patients interpreted levels of activity in light of other aspects of their disease, reflecting on change in functional ability more than overall level. Positive feelings of improved mobility were often moderated by negative self perception ("I mean, I still walk like a waddling duck”). Appearance: Appearance was important to almost all patients but perhaps the most complex theme of all. Physical appearance, foot shape, and footwear were closely interlinked, yet patients saw these as distinct separate concepts. Patients need to legitimize these feelings was clear and they frequently entered into a defensive repertoire ("it's not cosmetic surgery; it's something that's more important than that, you know?”). Clinician opinion: Surgeons' post operative evaluation of the procedure was very influential. The impact of this appraisal continued to affect patients' lasting impression irrespective of how the outcome compared to their initial goals ("when he'd done it ... he said that hasn't worked as good as he'd wanted to ... but the pain has gone”). Pain: Whilst pain was important to almost all patients, it appeared to be less important than the other themes. Pain was predominately raised when it influenced other themes, such as function; many still felt the need to legitimize their foot pain in order for health professionals to take it seriously ("in the end I went to my GP because it had happened a few times and I went to an orthopaedic surgeon who was quite dismissive of it, it was like what are you complaining about”). Conclusions: Patients interpret the outcome of foot surgery using a multitude of interrelated factors, particularly functional ability, appearance and surgeons' appraisal of the procedure. While pain was often noted, this appeared less important than other factors in the overall outcome of the surgery. Future research into foot surgery should incorporate the complexity of how patients determine their outcome Disclosure statement: All authors have declared no conflicts of interes