Sterile water injections for back pain in labour
Recent recommendations by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)1 regarding the use…
Author: British Medical Journal
Moves to limit prison custody for pregnant and postnatal women are welcome—and long overdue
Pregnancy, birth, and the postnatal period can be difficult, complex, and anxious times for any…
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Why digital innovation may not reduce healthcare’s environmental footprint
Healthcare is becoming increasingly digitalised through innovations in information and communication technologies as well as…
Advances in diagnosis and management of cancer of the esophagus
AbstractEsophageal cancer is the seventh most common malignancy worldwide, with over 470 000 new cases…
Can I have a side hustle as a doctor?
Act with honesty and professionalismEllie Mein, Medical Defence Union medicolegal adviser, says, “MDU hears from…
When I use a word . . . The languages of medicines—trade names, proprietary names, or brand-names
Naming medicinesAs I have previously outlined,1 a medicine can have up to four types of…
Gaza: Just one working hospital remains in Rafah, as healthcare worker death toll reaches 500
Civilians in Rafah, in southern Gaza, are “once again in search of safety that doesn’t…
Bird flu: US confirms first case with respiratory symptoms
The US has recorded the first person with H5N1 flu to have respiratory symptoms, in…
Private clinics are told not to prescribe puberty blockers
The government has introduced an emergency ban on private clinics’ prescribing and supplying of puberty…
India heatwave: Delhi records its highest ever temperature
New Delhi recorded a temperature of over 50°C on 26 May—its highest ever—with 37 cities…
Medical institutions must treat the Cass review as a significant event and act upon it
Publication of the Cass review in April 2024 was a seminal moment in contemporary medicine….
Promises to shift care from hospitals to community have not been matched by transfer of spending, analysis finds
Repeated promises by successive governments to move more care and health resources from hospitals to…
Pandemic treaty: panel calls for “reset” to talks as negotiators miss deadline
Negotiations of a World Health Organization (WHO) global pandemic accord need a “reset” after member…
Doctor is struck off for trying to sell unproven treatments to patient with advanced cancer
A doctor in private practice who tried to sell unproven treatments to a patient with…
Reducing the use of proton pump inhibitors in infants with reflux symptoms
What you need to knowRegurgitation and fussiness are common and transient symptoms in infancy and…
Former cardiovascular surgery lead is charged with 14 counts of sexual assault
The former head of the cardiovascular surgery department at Blackpool Victoria Hospital has been charged…
Better use of data can help to prevent future deaths
In 1611, in the wake of the bubonic plague, King James I chartered the Company…
May top picks: politics, psychological safety, and creativity
As a teenager, I was always a little “too political.” If I hadn’t studied medicine,…
Medical tourism facilitators walk a tightrope between ethics and business
When Marie Gopaul,* a 71 year old Mauritian, needed a hip replacement she and her…
In vitro diagnostic tests need to be better regulated, say statisticians
Statisticians have called for better regulation of in vitro diagnostic (IVD) tests—which typically test samples…
Labour’s pledge to clear NHS waiting list within five years will be tough to achieve, say leaders
The Labour Party’s general election campaign pledge to clear the backlog of NHS patients waiting…
Sudan: Aid workers describe “bloodbath” in Darfur as hospitals are repeatedly attacked
Sudan’s South Hospital in El Fasher (also known as Al-Fashir), the capital city of North…
Junior doctors in England announce five day walkout ahead of general election
Junior doctors in England have announced new strike dates ahead of the general election on…
GPs could threaten mass resignation over NHS contract
GP representatives around the UK have told the BMA to “use the threat of mass…
New WHO guidance can support transparent and informed engagement with the private sector
It has become increasingly common to refer to the corporate playbook when describing industry strategy…
Does platelet rich plasma (PRP) treatment really work?
When a woman visited a spa in New Mexico in summer 2018 the last thing…
Reusable devices to apply cold sensation in the assessment of regional anaesthesia
What you need to knowCold sensation is commonly used to assess the effectiveness of regional…
Sex diversity in surgical teams is linked to better postoperative outcomes for patients, research finds
Patients have better postoperative outcomes when surgery is carried out by surgical and anaesthetic teams…
US state classifies mifepristone and misoprostol as dangerous controlled substances
The southern US state of Louisiana passed legislation on 25 May that classified mifepristone and…
US doctor convicted of murder is freed from prison after pardon secured by doctor who took over his practice
A Virginia prison has released Vince Gilmer, a family practitioner convicted 19 years ago of…
Forget about replacing doctors with AI—ȷust get our computers to work
Much of the excitement around using artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare lies in the promise…
Covid-19: South African disclosures reveal secretive world of nations’ vaccine contracts
Documents detailing negotiations between covid vaccine manufacturers and the South African government show how drug…
Effect of exercise for depression: systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
In this paper by Noetel and colleagues (BMJ 2024;384:e075847, doi:10.1136/bmj-2023-075847, published 14 February 2024), the…
Smartphones, social media, and teenage mental health
The tragic deaths of two UK teenagers continue to raise debate about the challenges that…
Tislelizumab plus chemotherapy versus placebo plus chemotherapy as first line treatment for advanced gastric or gastro-oesophageal junction adenocarcinoma: RATIONALE-305 randomised, double blind, phase 3 trial
AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of tislelizumab added to chemotherapy as first line (primary)…
Improving infection prevention could avoid 750 000 deaths a year, say experts
Over 750 000 deaths associated with antimicrobial resistance could be prevented in low and middle…
Homelessness is a health emergency: criminalising homeless people will only make it worse
A few weeks ago, we gave evidence to an international inquiry convened by the UN…
Man arrested after GP is stabbed at practice in Sidcup
A Kent GP has been admitted to hospital after being stabbed in the arm, the…
GP leaders reȷect “venomous” language that “condemns” physician associates
Local GP leaders have persuaded their peers to reject “venomous” and “patronising” language that “condemns”…
Sixty seconds on . . . prepping
Batch cooking can be helpful?Not if there’s a power cut. Anyhow, this isn’t about cooking,…
GPs share stories of patient violence amid calls for tougher sanctions against perpetrators
GP leaders have called for tougher sanctions for patients who perpetrate violence against doctors and…
Physician associates should not be regulated by the General Medical Council, and doctors should tell it so
McCartney’s conclusions about physician associates (PAs)—that, in general practice, costs and activity will increase and…
Covid inquiry: What have we learnt about Northern Ireland’s response?
DUP WhatsApp messages expose Executive tensionsWhatsApp messages from high ranking Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) politicians…
Patients should be able to self-refer to ADHD and other neurodiversity services, LMCs say
Patients should be able to refer themselves directly to attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other…
“Start private, end private”—a principle that could help protect the NHS from subsidising private care
With public satisfaction with the NHS at its lowest,1 the increasing use of private healthcare…
Gender medicine in the US: how the Cass review failed to land
The newly released Cass review on transgender care for under 18s has had a seismic…
SAS and locally employed doctors deserve more support and respect
The medical workforce contains many doctors who are not consultants and who are not part…
The untold health toll of voting
Supriyanto, 54, passed out in the polling booth he was managing in West Java, Indonesia,…
A rare cardiac mass
A new systolic heart murmur was identified in a woman in her mid-60s during a…
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Up to 6% of UK adults might have a food allergy, says report
As many as 6% of the UK adult population—around 2.4 million people—might have a clinically…