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News Article
Patient suffered diagnosis delay after junior doctor missed 'red flags' in A&E
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
A patient suffering from a perforated bowel had their diagnosis delayed after a junior doctor missed “red flags” during an assessment in A&E. After arriving at the emergency department of an NHS Forth Valley hospital, the patient was initially assessed by a junior doctor who ordered various tests and investigations. They were later moved to the acute assessment unit and diagnosed with a perforated bowel. The patient developed sepsis after undergoing emergency surgery. The patient’s child complained to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) about their parent’s treatment. Specifically, they complained about the delay in identifying their parent’s condition, which they believe led to a worse outcome. NHS Forth Valley acknowledged that a more senior doctor may have identified the cause quicker, but that the care provided was reasonable, and that the complaint had led to learning and ongoing development. In putting together their report, the SPSO took independent advice from an emergency medicine consultant. It found that there were “a number of red flags” when the patient was admitted and that it did “not appear” they had been reviewed by a senior clinician. Issues were also found in the patient’s documentation; no intimate examination was recorded, and there was a “lack” of documentation around the interpretation of an X-ray. Overall, the report concluded that the initial assessment delayed diagnosis of the perforated bowel and was likely to have had a “significant effect” on the patient’s outcome. Read full story Source: STV News, 29 April 2025- Posted
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Content Article
Wrist-based wearables in the US have been FDA approved for atrial fibrillation (AF) detection. However, the health behaviour impact of false AF alerts from wearables on older patients at high risk for AF are not known. In this work, the authors analysed data from the Pulsewatch (NCT03761394) study, which randomised patients with history of stroke or transient ischemic attack to wear a patch monitor and a smartwatch linked to a smartphone running the Pulsewatch application vs to only the cardiac patch monitor over 14 days. At baseline and 14 days, participants completed validated instruments to assess for anxiety, patient activation, perceived mental and physical health, chronic symptom management self-efficacy, and medicine adherence. The authors used linear regression to examine associations between false AF alerts with change in patient-reported outcomes. Receipt of false AF alerts was related to a dose-dependent decline in self-perceived physical health and levels of disease self-management. The authors developed a novel convolutional denoising autoencoder (CDA) to remove motion and noise artifacts in photoplethysmography (PPG) segments to optimize AF detection, which substantially reduced the number of false alerts. A promising approach to avoid negative impact of false alerts is to employ artificial intelligence driven algorithms to improve accuracy.- Posted
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News Article
Nine in 10 women don’t know signs of heavy periods, research says
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
As few as one in ten women can pinpoint signs of heavy menstrual bleeding, as one of the UK’s top women’s health doctors says women and girls were “suffering in silence” from period problems, despite the availability of potential treatments. Research by the charity Wellbeing of Women found that one in two women (51%) said their period negatively impacts their life, and the same proportion avoid exercise when on their period while nearly three in five (57%) experienced problems at work because of their period. A Censuswide survey of 3000 people, commissioned by the charity, found that half of women also said their period symptoms had been dismissed, and just under a quarter said they felt their symptoms had been dismissed by a healthcare professional. On Tuesday, the charity launched a new period symptom checker to help women and girls understand more about their menstrual cycle, which could help women talk to their GP about receiving better treatment. The checker, which takes just four minutes to complete, asks various questions about health and reproductive symptoms, and at the end of the checker drafts a letter for women to give to their GP which can help open discussions about symptoms. Wellbeing of Women said many women are "putting up with" disabling levels of pain and heavy bleeding, waiting for an average of two years before seeking help. Professor Dame Lesley Regan, who was appointed as the first-ever Women's Health Ambassador for England under the Conservative government and is the chairwoman of Wellbeing of Women, said: "It is shocking that women are still suffering severe period pain and heavy bleeding in silence. "A variety of medical treatments could be offered to girls and women with these distressing conditions. "We hope that our new Period Symptom Checker will encourage women to speak up and seek help for their period problems. "It aims to promote better engagement with GPs and other community healthcare professionals by creating a letter that outlines how their symptoms are affecting their everyday lives." Read full story Source: The Independent, 11 February 2025- Posted
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Content Article
This prospective, observational cohort study examined data from 13,647 adults participating in the Researching Covid to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER-Adult) study. It aimed to update the research index for classifying symptomatic Long Covid and five symptom subtypes that differ in associated demographic features and quality of life. The researchers believe this update may help researchers identify people with symptomatic Long Covid and its symptom subtypes. Refinement of the index will be needed as research advances and the understanding of Long Covid deepens. Listen to a short podcast about the update of the RECOVER-Adult study.- Posted
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Content Article
This review from Davis et al. summarises the biology and consequences of menopause, the role of supportive care, and the menopause-specific therapeutic options available to women.- Posted
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Content Article
Symptoms of group B Strep infection in babies
Patient_Safety_Learning posted an article in Maternity
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Falsified, potentially harmful Ozempic and Saxenda products have been found in the UK. This drug safety update from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) asks healthcare professionals to remind patients using these products to always obtain prescription medicines from a qualified healthcare provider and not to use products they suspect are falsified as this may lead to serious health consequences. Healthcare professionals must also remain vigilant for symptoms linked to hypoglycaemia in patients who may have obtained a falsified product containing insulin. Read the full update and advice for healthcare professionals and the public via the link below. -
Content Article
A NIHR-funded study has reached an agreement amongst researchers and patients on how best to measure improvement in Long Covid. Researchers have identified a Core Outcome Measure Set (COMS). This is designed to help researchers and clinicians measure the severity and impact of Long COVID. COMS specify key things that should be measured in all patients. This improves how data can be compared and summarised. Researchers say this will speed up the development of treatments for Long Covid. The research is published in Lancet Respiratory Medicine. It was co-led by the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London and in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO). The research included close collaboration with Long Covid patients and organisations. Symptoms that persist or develop after Covid-19 are known as Long Covid. They are also described by other names such as post Covid-19 condition, post acute sequelae of Covid-19 (PASC) or post-Covid syndrome. Common symptoms include: fatigue shortness of breath pain exercise intolerance cognitive dysfunction (brain fog). But, patients can experience a wide range of other symptoms across all bodily systems. This makes it hard to identify the key symptoms and decide how to measure them. The COMS agreed in this study will help solve this challenge.- Posted
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This checklist has been developed by the Alzheimer’s Society to allow patients to check symptoms that could be a possible sign of dementia. Endorsed by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), it is a simple tool to help patients and their families clearly communicate their symptoms and concerns to a GP or other healthcare professional. It is not a diagnostic tool, but aims to provide a basis for helpful conversations.- Posted
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News Article
Long Covid: MRI scans reveal new clues to symptoms
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
People living with long Covid after being admitted to hospital are more likely to show some damage to major organs, according to a new study. MRI scans revealed patients were three times more likely to have some abnormalities in multiple organs such as the lungs, brain and kidneys. Researchers believe there is a link with the severity of the illness. It is hoped the UK study will help in the development of more effective treatments for Long Covid. The study, published in Lancet Respiratory Medicine, looked at 259 patients who fell so ill with the virus that they were admitted to hospital. Five months after they were discharged, MRI scans of their major organs showed some significant differences when compared to a group of 52 people who had never had Covid. The biggest impact was seen on the lungs, where the scans were 14 times more likely to show abnormalities. MRI scans were also three times more likely to show some abnormalities in the brain - and twice as likely in the kidneys - among people who had had severe Covid. Dr Betty Raman, from the University of Oxford and one of the lead investigators on the study, says it is clear that those living with long Covid symptoms are more likely to have experienced some organ damage. She said: "The patient's age, how severely ill they were with Covid, as well as if they had other illnesses at the same time, were all significant factors in whether or not we found damage to these important organs in the body." Read full story Source: BBC News, 23 September 2023- Posted
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News Article
Brain fog after Covid linked to blood clots - study
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Blood clots in the brain or the lungs might explain some common symptoms of "Long Covid", including brain fog and fatigue, a UK study suggests. In the study, of 1,837 people admitted to hospital because of Covid, researchers say two blood proteins point to clots being one cause. It is thought 16% of such patients have trouble thinking, concentrating or remembering for at least six months. But the research team, from the universities of Oxford and Leicester, stress: Their findings are relevant only to patients admitted to hospital. They are "the first piece of the jigsaw" but further research is needed before they can propose or test any potential treatments. They tracked cognitive problems at six and 12 months only and through tests and questionnaires, which may "lack sensitivity". Identifying predictors and possible mechanisms was "a key step" in understanding post-Covid brain fog, study author Prof Paul Harrison, from the University of Oxford, said. Leicester's professor of respiratory medicine, Chris Brightling, said: "It's a combination of someone's health before, the acute event itself and what happens afterwards that lead on to physical and mental health consequences." Read full story Source: BBC News, 31 August 2023- Posted
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News Article
Mysterious new long Covid symptom identified by scientists
Patient-Safety-Learning posted a news article in News
A new symptom of long Covid has been revealed by scientists at the University of Leeds. Though most people who contract Covid recover within a few days or weeks of experiencing initial symptoms, some people can experience longer, more persistent symptoms – termed Long Covid or post Covid-19 syndrome by the NHS. Until now, the most commonly identified symptoms have included extreme tiredness, loss of smell, muscle aches and shortness of breath. Others include memory problems, chest pain, insomnia, heart palpitations, dizziness, joint pain, tinnitus and depression and anxiety. Now, a new study has revealed a previously unidentified symptom of long Covid. Published in The Lancet medical journal, the research detailed a new symptom of the condition after a 33-year-old man was referred to the specialists’ clinic. The patient had a six-month history of what the authors describe as a “rapid purple discolouration” on his legs. When standing, he remarked that they would feel progressively heavier and become “tingly, itchy and dusky” in colour. He added that a rash would occasionally appear on his feet, but that the mysterious symptoms would disappear when laying down. The disorder is known as acrocyanosis or persistent and extreme blue or cyanotic discolouration. It typically occurs in the hands and feet but can also appear across the nose and ears. “This was a striking case of acrocyanosis in a patient who had not experienced it before his Covid-19 infection”, said co-author Dr Manoj Sivan, associate clinical professor and honorary consultant in rehabilitation medicine at the University of Leeds. “Patients experiencing this may not be aware that it can be a symptom of Long Covid and dysautonomia, and may feel concerned about what they are seeing. Similarly, clinicians may not be aware of the link between acrocyanosis and Long Covid. We need to ensure that there is more awareness of dysautonomia [malfunctioning of the nervous system] in Long Covid so that clinicians have the tools they need to manage patients appropriately.” Read full story Source: The Independent, 15 August 2023- Posted
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News Article
Long Covid blood clues could prompt future trials
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
People with long Covid have evidence of continuing inflammation in their blood, which could help understanding of the condition and how it may be treated, a UK study suggests. It found the presence of certain proteins increased the risk of specific symptoms, such as fatigue, in people sick enough to need hospital treatment. It is unclear whether milder cases of Covid have the same effect on the body. A test remains a long way off - but the findings may prompt future trials. Read full story Source: BBC News, 8 April 2024 Related reading on the hub: Top picks: 12 research papers on Long Covid- Posted
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News Article
‘Alarming’ rise in Americans with Long Covid symptoms
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Some 6.8% of American adults are currently experiencing long Covid symptoms, according to a new survey from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), revealing an “alarming” increase in recent months even as the health agency relaxes Covid isolation recommendations, experts say. That means an estimated 17.6 million Americans could now be living with long Covid. “This should be setting off alarms for many people,” said David Putrino, the Nash Family Director of the Cohen Center for Recovery From Complex Chronic Illness at Mount Sinai. “We’re really starting to see issues emerging faster than I expected.” When the same survey was conducted in October, 5.3% of respondents were experiencing long Covid symptoms at the time. The 1.5 percentage-point increase comes after the second-biggest surge of infections across the US this winter, as measured by available wastewater data. More than three-quarters of the people with long Covid right now say the illness limits their day-to-day activity, and about one in five say it significantly affects their activities – an estimated 3.8 million Americans who are now experiencing debilitating illness after Covid infection. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 15 March 2024- Posted
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News Article
‘Brain fog’ from Long Covid has measurable impact, study suggests
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
People experiencing Long Covid have measurable memory and cognitive deficits equivalent to a difference of about six IQ points, a study suggests. The study, which assessed more than 140,000 people in summer 2022, revealed that Covid-19 may have an impact on cognitive and memory abilities that lasts a year or more after infection. People with unresolved symptoms that had persisted for more than 12 weeks had more significant deficits in performance on tasks involving memory, reasoning and executive function. Scientist said this showed that “brain fog” had a quantifiable impact. Prof Adam Hampshire, a cognitive neuroscientist at Imperial College London and first author of the study, said: “It’s not been at all clear what brain fog actually is. As a symptom it’s been reported on quite extensively, but what our study shows is that brain fog can correlate with objectively measurable deficits. That is quite an important finding.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 29 February 2024- Posted
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News Article
Long Covid ‘brain fog’ may be due to leaky blood-brain barrier, study finds
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
From forgetfulness to difficulties concentrating, many people who have Long Covid experience “brain fog”. Now researchers say the symptom could be down to the blood-brain barrier becoming leaky. The barrier controls which substances or materials enter and exit the brain. “It’s all about regulating a balance of material in blood compared to brain,” said Prof Matthew Campbell, co-author of the research at Trinity College Dublin. “If that is off balance then it can drive changes in neural function and if this happens in brain regions that allow for memory consolidation/storage then it can wreak havoc.” Writing in the journal Nature Neuroscience, Campbell and colleagues report how they analysed serum and plasma samples from 76 patients who were hospitalised with Covid in March or April 2020, as well 25 people before the pandemic. Among other findings, the team discovered that samples from the 14 Covid patients who self-reported brain fog contained higher levels of a protein called S100β than those from Covid patients without this symptom, or people who had not had Covid. This protein is produced by cells within the brain, and is not normally found in the blood, suggesting these patients had a breakdown of the blood-brain barrier. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 22 February 2024- Posted
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Event
Long COVID Physio International Forum
Sam posted an event in Community Calendar
untilLong COVID Physio will host the Long COVID Physio International Forum in partnership with Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions and Fisiocamera, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente and Realize Canada. The two day online forum will bring the lived experience to Long COVID, disability and rehabilitation. The Long COVID Physio International Forum is suitable for any audience, including health and social care professionals, people living with or affected by Long COVID or other conditions, academics, service providers, policymakers, students of allied health and rehabilitation professions, and people wanting to learn more. The Long COVID Physio International Forum programme will be released soon. Programme content will be delivered live and available on demand, covering three different streams: Science - learn the most up to date research from leaders in the field. Discussion - the hot discussions and debates on the topics we all want. Workshop - share knowledge and skills that make a difference. Registration will open June 15th 2022. Further details can be found here.- Posted
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News Article
Hospitals across the country are preparing for a significant increase in children needing treatment for a rare disease triggered by coronavirus. Paediatric departments across the NHS are recalling children’s nurses who have been redeployed to help care for adult patients as well as freeing up specialist intensive care beds to be ready for more cases of the rare condition first identified after the first wave last year. Because of how widespread COVID-19 infections have become in the last month, with the numbers of patients in hospital peaking at almost 40,000, experts believe they will see a larger number of children affected by the disease called Paediatric Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (PIMS). Modelling by London’s Evelina Children’s Hospital, which treated around 110 children with PIMS during the first wave of the virus, suggested for every 200 adults admitted to hospital across London, there was one child admitted with PIMS at the Evelina. This modelling cannot be used to predict admissions across the country, but paediatric experts believe they will begin to see a larger number of children with the condition with a peak expected in the next three weeks. It is thought COVID-19 triggers an inflammatory response among a very small minority of children – of all children infected with COVID-19, less than half of one per cent went on to develop PIMS. Those that do suffer severe inflammation in their blood vessels and can have damage to their heart. Symptoms of PIMS include a rash, fever and abdominal pain. Read full story Source: The Independent, 4 February 2021 -
News Article
Covid coughing study suggests NHS staff at far greater risk than thought
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The NHS has been urged to rethink safety for thousands of frontline staff after new research suggested that Covid patients’ coughing is putting them at far greater risk of catching the virus than previously thought. The study found that coughing generated at least 10 times more infectious “aerosol” particles than speaking or breathing – which could explain why so many NHS staff have fallen ill during the pandemic. The research has led to fresh demands that anyone caring for someone with Covid-19, or suspected Covid-19, should be provided with the most protective equipment – including FFP3 respirator masks – and that hospital ventilation should be improved. Health workers are up to four times more likely to contract coronavirus than the general population, with infection rates among those on general hospital wards approximately double those of intensive care unit (ICU) staff – who do have access to the most protective PPE. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 3 January 2021 -
News Article
UK variant less associated with loss of taste and smell
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
People infected with the new variant of coronavirus that first emerged in the UK are less likely to report a loss of taste or smell, but more likely to report “classic” symptoms, such as coughing, sore throat or fatigue, a survey has found. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the symptom of impaired taste and smell in those with COVID-19 was “significantly less common” in people who tested positive for the new variant compared with those who had other variants. However, there was no evidence of any difference in symptoms related to shortness of breath or headaches, according to the provisional data published in the organisation’s infection survey. The data also indicated that people infected with the new variant were more likely to report having symptoms. These were self-reported and not professionally diagnosed, and cover the period between 15 November and 16 January. Read full story Source: The Independent, 27 January 2021 -
News Article
New research has suggested there are specific molecular responses found in some COVID-19 patients which could be used to determine their likelihood of suffering from severe or long Covid symptoms, very early on following infection. Researchers, supported by NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, had set out to increase our understanding of the relationship between the immune response and COVID-19 symptoms by recruiting individuals who tested positive for the virus into a cohort of the NIHR BioResource. Studying 207 people who had tested positive for COVID-19 over a three-month period, taking blood samples and measuring their symptoms, then comparing to samples taken from 45 healthy people, the researchers were able to uncover a number of interesting new findings. Their research showed that people with either an asymptomatic or mild case of COVID-19 mounted a robust immune response to the virus soon after getting infected. These individuals produced a greater number of T cells, B cells and antibodies than patients with more severe COVID-19 infections and within the first week of infection - after which these numbers rapidly returned to normal. The study also showed there was no evidence in these patients of widespread inflammation which can lead to damage in multiple organs. In contrast, people with severe COVID-19 who required hospitalisation showed an impaired immune response, which led to a delayed and weakened attempt to fight the virus and widespread inflammation from the time of symptom onset. In patients requiring admission to hospital, the early immune response was delayed, and profound abnormalities were present in a number of immune cells. Read full story Source: NHE, 22 January 2021 -
News Article
My ‘Long Covid’ nightmare: Still sick after 6 months
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
A Times reporter caught the coronavirus during the New York City outbreak last April. But the acute phase of the illness was just the beginning. Laura recounts her experience of Covid nearly 3 months after first being diagnosed. "I remember the second time I thought I would die." Read full story Source: The New York Times, 21 January 2021- Posted
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Younger people who think they are “invincible” need to be aware of the shocking life-changing reality of long Covid, according to health professionals who are living with the condition. Long Covid, also known as post-Covid syndrome, is used to describe the effects of COVID-19 that continue for weeks or months beyond the initial illness. Speaking at the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Coronavirus, Dr Nathalie MacDermott, 38, said neurologists believe Covid has damaged her spinal cord and she can only walk about 200 metres without some form of assistance. She said the damage has affected her bladder and bowel too, causing urinary tract infections, and she gets pain in her arms and has weakness in her grip. Dr MacDermott, a clinical doctor sub-specialising in paediatric infectious diseases in the NHS, told MPs there needs to be “better recognition” from employers that long Covid is a “genuine condition” and that people may need to be off work for a significant period of time. She added: “And I think we need better recognition in the public, particularly the younger public who think that they’re invincible. “I’m 38 and I wonder if I’ll ever be able to walk properly without crutches again. Will this continue to get worse? Will I end up in a wheelchair?” Read full story Source: 12 January 2021, Lancashire Post -
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Coronavirus: one in ten patients have symptoms lasting three months or more
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
One in 10 people infected with the coronavirus experience symptoms that last for three months or longer, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has said. A new analysis aimed at determining the extent of the “long Covid” problem among infected patients also found that one in five reported having symptoms that lasted for five weeks or longer. The ONS said it estimated that during the week ending on 28 November, there were about 186,000 people in England living with COVID-19 symptoms that had lasted between five and 12 weeks. This number could be as high as 221,000, the ONS warned. It said the data was experimental and based on the findings from its infection survey of households. Read full story Source: The Independent, 16 December 2020- Posted
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COVID-19: Lung damage 'identified' in study
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
COVID-19 could be causing lung abnormalities still detectable more than three months after patients are infected, researchers suggest. A study of 10 patients at Oxford University used a novel scanning technique to identify damage not picked up by conventional scans. It uses a gas called xenon during MRI scans to create images of lung damage. Lung experts said a test that could spot long-term damage would make a huge difference to Covid patients. The xenon technique sees patients inhale the gas during a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. Prof Fergus Gleeson, who is leading the work, tried out his scanning technique on 10 patients aged between 19 and 69. Eight of them had persistent shortness of breath and tiredness three months after being ill with coronavirus, even though none of them had been admitted to intensive care or required ventilation, and conventional scans had found no problems in their lungs. The scans showed signs of lung damage - by highlighting areas where air is not flowing easily into the blood - in the eight who reported breathlessness. The results have prompted Prof Gleeson to plan a trial of up to 100 people to see if the same is true of people who had not been admitted to hospital and had not suffered from such serious symptoms. He is planning to work with GPs to scan people who have tested positive for COVID-19 across a range of age groups. The aim is to discover whether lung damage occurs and if so whether it is permanent, or resolves over time. Read full story Source: BBC News, 1 December 2020