News items that focus on evidence based practice
This theme explores what it means to practise in line with best available evidence. It highlights evidence based practice guidelines, research and other tools and updates on evidence based techniques and processes from across the UK. International content from credible resources is also included.
NHS Choices
Psychological therapies are the treatment of choice for people with mild to moderate depression, yet referrals are very low. This review looked at 27 studies that used interviews or discussion groups with GPs and community nurses to explore how they manage depression in older people. The review discussed the main themes identified. Many healthcare professionals felt that depression in older people was often associated with social isolation and physical decline.
NHS Choices
A group of researchers from the US took specialist brain scans from nearly 200 healthy adults aged between 20 and 80. They used the scans to calculate what they termed the "metabolic age" of the brain. Essentially they found that the estimated metabolic age and actual age were closely aligned across all individuals. However, women's metabolic brain age tended to be about 4 years younger than men.
NICE guideline
This guideline sets out an antimicrobial prescribing strategy for acute cough associated with an upper respiratory tract infection or acute bronchitis in adults, young people and children. It aims to limit antibiotic use and reduce antibiotic resistance.
NICE guideline
This guideline covers the care that healthy women and their babies should be offered during pregnancy. It aims to ensure that pregnant women are offered regular check-ups, information and support.
NICE quality standard
This quality standard covers sexual health, focusing on preventing sexually transmitted infections (STIs). It describes high-quality care in priority areas for improvement. It does not cover harmful sexual behaviour or contraception.
NICE
People showing erythema migrans, the characteristic skin rash associated with Lyme disease, can be diagnosed without the need for blood tests, NICE says in new guidance.
NICE Talks
What is chronic heart failure and how can it be managed? Nick from heart failure charity Pumping Marvellous run us through how the condition affects thousands of people in the UK and Dr Clare Taylor explains NICE’s most recent recommendations on the topic.
NIHR Signal
Opening blood donation centres on weekday evenings and at weekends is a cost-effective way of increasing the blood supply used by hospitals in the UK. Allowing donors to give blood more often could increase supplies in the short term, but it isn’t clear if it would be cost-effective in the long-term.
NIHR Signal
After a six month trial including more than 3,000 adult stroke patients recruited at 103 UK hospitals, researchers concluded that fluoxetine should not be used to promote recovery from stroke-related disability, or routinely prescribed to prevent depression after stroke.
NIHR Signal
For adults with psychosis, such as schizophrenia, who are taking antipsychotic medication, a carefully designed 12-month group diet and exercise programme did not lead to clinically important weight loss after 12 months.
NIHR Signal
Antidepressants are likely to provide more than a placebo effect for those with symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Antidepressants improve symptoms in about 60% of those taking them, but two-thirds of that effect may be due to placebo.
