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This week
What's the best imaging strategy in patients with abdominal pain? How can clinicians avoid errors in clinical reasoning? How should hepatitis C infection be managed? To find out more about this week's BMJ print issue, read Jane Smith's editor's choice, The rhythm method, and the print issue contents. All articles have already appeared on bmj.com as part of our continuous publication policy.
Research
Public perceptions, anxiety, and behaviour change in relation to the swine flu outbreak
The results of this cross sectional telephone survey of nearly 1000 people in England, Scotland, and Wales suggest that, in the early stages of the swine flu outbreak, public responses were muted despite widespread media coverage and a government campaign. Anxiety about the outbreak was low and behaviour changes were also limited.
Research
Household ownership and use of insecticide treated nets in Tanzania
According to this cross sectional study, the Tanzania National Voucher Scheme was associated with significant increases in the coverage of insecticide treated nets over a two year period. Gaps in coverage remain, however, especially in the poorest groups. A linked editorial says an effective and equitable strategy that reaches rural populations and maintains high coverage will need a combination of delivery systems, especially in poor rural areas. Photo: Andy Crump, SPL.
News
UK government predicts 100 000 new A/H1N1 flu cases a day by September
The UK government is planning for a rapid rise in the number of cases of A/H1N1 flu and is limiting provision of antiviral drugs to people with symptoms, while excluding asymptomatic contacts of infected people. Laboratory based diagnosis of swine flu is to be stopped, and diagnosis should instead be made clinically by GPs. The government advises doctors to stop routine swabbing and tracing of contacts.
Also published on 3 July:
Comment
Heat waves and dehydration in elderly people
Older people who live in big cities that are not prepared for heat waves have the highest risk of heat related morbidity. Recognising the early warning signs of dehydration, which is the key pathophysiological problem, can save lives, say editorialists Marcel G M Olde Rikkert, René J F Melis, and Jurgen A H R Claassen. Nationally, implementation of preventive measures - such as electronic alerting systems, education of populations at risk, introduction of reflective paving and roofing systems, and increased planting of urban vegetative cover - can reduce heat related mortality.
Education
Measuring patients' experiences and outcomes
Increasing importance is being given to patients' views of the humanity and effectiveness of their care. Nick Black and Crispin Jenkinson consider the challenge of using them to evaluate interventions and assess the quality of services
Also published on 2 July:
BMA Meeting
News from the ARM
The Annual Representative Meeting of the British Medical Association has been taking place from 28 June to 2 July in Liverpool. For full coverage of the meeting see our news stories:
- Blog: Medical workforce planning
- Ban on consultant to consultant referrals must be lifted, doctors insist
- Representatives say medical associations should speak out against denial of medical services to civilians
- BMA chairman calls for end to market in health care
- NHS doctors must not be "muzzled," BMA chairman says
- Day of action in support of NHS fails to get enough support at BMA conference
- More than three quarters of people think NHS funds should be protected from spending cuts
- BMA representatives vote to end prescription charges in England
- Doctors vote against protecting relatives who accompany people abroad for help with dying
- Doctors support minimum price for unit of alcohol
- Doctors urge government to lower age limit for cervical cancer screening
Research
Dementia and marital status
People living in a couple relationship at mid-life have a reduced risk of cognitive impairment later in life, according to this population based cohort study from Finland. The accompanying editorial says that a potential application of the findings entails collecting and using data about patients' marital status in the primary care setting and targeting people without a partner for preventive strategies.
Education
Endgames
This week's instalment of our new weekly educational clinical quiz is now live. Compiled from peer reviewed contributions from readers, it covers clinical medicine and statistics. There's also a prize quiz, pulled from the BMJ's sister product OnExamination.
This week's Endgames articles:
Blog
Daily swine flu update
Tom Nolan is the clinical community editor of doc2doc, the BMJ's professional networking community, and a trainee GP. In his new swine flu blog, he provides updates and insights into the situation as it evolves.
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