Publications
Environmental and occupational exposures in interstitial lung disease
Purpose of review
We highlight recent advances in the understanding of how environmental and occupational exposures increase the risk of developing interstitial lung disease (ILD), and how to evaluate a patient for potential exposures.
Recent findings
Comparison of COPD primary care in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland
Currently the National Asthma and COPD audit programme (NACAP) only undertakes audit of COPD primary care in Wales due to its near complete data coverage. We aimed to determine if the quality of COPD primary care in the other UK nations is comparable with Wales.
'NEWS2’ as an Objective Assessment of Hospitalised COPD Exacerbation Severity
Introduction: There is currently no accepted way to risk-stratify hospitalised exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We hypothesised that the revised UK National Early Warning Score (NEWS2) calculated at admission would predict inpatient mortality, need for non-invasive ventilation (NIV) and length-of-stay.
Neurological disorders in Northern Tanzania: A 6-year prospective hospital-based case series
Profile of Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific CD4 T cells at the site of disease and blood in pericardial tuberculosis
Our understanding of the immune response at the site of disease in extra-pulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) is still limited. In this study, using flow cytometry, we defined the pericardial fluid (PCF) cellular composition and compared the phenotypic and functional profile of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb)-specific T cells between PCF and whole blood in 16 patients with pericardial TB (PCTB). We found that lymphocytes were the predominant cell type in PCF in PCTB, with a preferential influx of CD4 T cells.
Blood and site of disease inflammatory profiles differ in HIV-1-infected pericardial tuberculosis patients
Development of a north-west London paracentesis simulation course for core medical trainees
We designed, implemented and evaluated a near-peer simulation training programme teaching diagnostic and therapeutic abdominal paracentesis to core medical trainees (CMTs). We taught diagnostic and therapeutic abdominal paracentesis to 77 north-west London CMTs over 8 training days over 4 years, 2015 to 2019. The programme was optimised by use of plan, do, study, act (PDSA) cycles and the content was evaluated by anonymous pre- and post-course questionnaires.
The impact of artificial intelligence on clinical education: Perceptions of postgraduate trainee doctors in London (UK) and recommendations for trainers
Assessment and outcomes of firefighter applicants with possible asthma
Retrospective diagnostic accuracy study of Abbott RealTime MTB against Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra and Xpert MTB/RIF for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis and susceptibility to Rifampin and Isoniazid treatment
High-throughput centralized testing for tuberculosis (TB) and drug resistance is important, but comparative data are limited. In this retrospective cross-sectional study, participants were recruited from Johannesburg, South Africa, and Tbilisi, Georgia. The index tests, Abbott RealTime MTB (RT-MTB) and RealTime MTB RIF/INH (RT-MTB RIF/INH), were performed on specimens stored frozen for an extended period of time (beyond manufacturer-validated specifications) and compared to paired Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra (Xpert Ultra) and Xpert MTB/RIF (Xpert) results obtained with fresh specimens.
