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Communication is a core component of a clinician’s role; however, when clinicians conduct research, communicating the emerging findings and recommendations to different types of stakeholders can be unfamiliar territory. Communicating research to advocate for change can be even more challenging. Clinician researchers seeking to be agents for change need to conceive and craft specific, evidence-based messages and communicate these effectively to different stakeholders to negotiate action. As part of a global health research program, we developed and tested a novel game-based model to strengthen the communication skills of clinician researchers, from 4 countries, for improving services for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This model focused on communication with 3 key stakeholder groups for knowledge translation: Patients/carers, healthcare providers and policy makers/healthcare managers. Delivered through a series of facilitated, online meetings, this model consisted of 2 parts: developing and rehearsing advocacy messages with coaching support, and then testing them with a panel of 3 representative stakeholders, and an audience of fellow researchers. All the country teams reported increased confidence in crafting advocacy messages for specific stakeholders and have applied lessons learned from the model. Delivering this model within a global health research program requires mentoring, time, commitment, resources and translation support to address language barriers. It offers an exemplar to build the communication skills of clinician and non-clinician researchers so that they can go beyond dissemination toward translation of evidence into policy and practice.

Abstract Contained vascular injuries (CVI) of spleen include pseudoaneurysms (PSA) and arterio-venous fistulae (AV-fistulae), and their reported prevalence varies. Our purpose was to assess the prevalence of early splenic CVI seen on admission CT in patients with splenic trauma admitted to a single level 1 trauma center in 2013–2021, and its detection in different CT protocols. A retrospective, single-center longitudinal cohort study. Nine-year data (2013–2021) of all patients with suspected or manifest abdominal trauma were retrieved. All patients, > 15 years with an ICD code for splenic trauma (S36.0XX) were included. CT and angiographic examinations were identified. Reports and images were reviewed. Splenic CVI CT criterion was a focal collection of vascular contrast that decreases in attenuation with delayed imaging. Number of CVIs and treatment was based on medical records and/or available angioembolization data. Of 2805 patients with abdominal trauma, 313 patients (313/2805; 11.2%) fulfilled the study entry criteria. 256 patients (256/313; 81.8%) had a CT examination. Sixteen patients had splenectomy before CT, and the final study group included 240 patients (240/313; 76.7%). Median New Injury Severity Score (NISS) was 27 and 87.5% of patients had NISS > 15. Splenic CVI was found in 20 patients, which yields a prevalence of 8.3% (20/240; 95% CI 5.2–12.6%). In those cases with both late arterial and venous phase images available, CVI was seen in 14.5% of cases (18/124, 95% CI 8.6–22.0%). None of the patients with CVI died within 30 days of the injury. The prevalence of early splenic CVI in patients with a splenic trauma was 8.3–14.5% (95% CI 5.2–22.0%). Our data suggests that both arterial and venous phase are needed for CT diagnosis. The 30-day outcome in terms of mortality was good.

Abstract Background Effective stakeholder engagement in health research is increasingly being recognised and promoted as an important pathway to closing the gap between knowledge production and its use in health systems. However, little is known about its process and impacts, particularly in low-and middle-income countries. This opinion piece draws on the stakeholder engagement experiences from a global health research programme on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) led by clinician researchers in Brazil, China, Georgia and North Macedonia, and presents the process, outcomes and lessons learned. Main body Each country team was supported with an overarching engagement protocol and mentored to develop a tailored plan. Patient involvement in research was previously limited in all countries, requiring intensive efforts through personal communication, meetings, advisory groups and social media. Accredited training programmes were effective incentives for participation from healthcare providers; and aligning research findings with competing policy priorities enabled interest and dialogue with decision-makers. The COVID-19 pandemic severely limited possibilities for planned engagement, although remote methods were used where possible. Planned and persistent engagement contributed to shared knowledge and commitment to change, including raised patient and public awareness about COPD, improved skills and practice of healthcare providers, increased interest and support from clinical leaders, and dialogue for integrating COPD services into national policy and practice. Conclusion Stakeholder engagement enabled relevant local actors to produce and utilise knowledge for small wins such as improving day-to-day practice and for long-term goals of equitable access to COPD care. For it to be successful and sustained, stakeholder engagement needs to be valued and integrated throughout the research and knowledge generation process, complete with dedicated resources, contextualised and flexible planning, and commitment.

Abstract Background Surgical treatment of pelvic and acetabular fractures is an advanced intervention with a high risk of subsequent complications. These patients are often polytrauma patients with multiple injuries in several organ systems. The optimal timing for the definitive surgery of these fractures has been debated. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the influence of timing of definitive surgery on the rate of unplanned reoperations. Secondary aims included its influence on the occurrence of adverse events and mortality. Methods All patients from 18 years with a surgically treated pelvic or acetabular fracture operated at the Karolinska University Hospital in Sweden during 2010 to 2019 were identified and included. Data was collected through review of medical records and radiographs. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate factors associated with unplanned reoperations and other adverse events. Results A total of 419 patients with definitive surgical treatment within 1 month of a pelvic (n = 191, 46%) or an acetabular (n = 228, 54%) fracture were included. The majority of the patients were males (n = 298, 71%) and the mean (SD, range) age was 53.3 (19, 18–94) years. A total of 194 (46%) patients had their surgery within 72 h (early surgery group), and 225 (54%) later than 72 h (late surgery group) after the injury. 95 patients (23%) had an unplanned reoperation. There was no difference in the reoperation rate between early (n = 44, 23%) and late (n = 51, 23%) surgery group (p = 1.0). A total of 148 patients (35%) had any kind of adverse event not requiring reoperation. The rate was 32% (n = 62) in the early, and 38% (n = 86) in the late surgery group (p = 0.2). When adjusting for relevant factors in regression analyses, no associations were found that increased the risk for reoperation or other adverse events. The 30-day mortality was 2.1% (n = 4) for the early and 2.2% (n = 5) for the late surgery group (p = 1.0). The 1-year mortality was 4.1% (n = 8) for the early and 7.6% (n = 17) for the late surgery group (p = 0.2). Conclusions Early (within 72 h) definitive surgery of patients with pelvic or acetabular fractures seems safe with regard to risk for reoperation, other adverse events and mortality.

Abstract Introduction In 2019, smoking prevalence in North Macedonia was one of the world’s highest at around 46% in adults. However, access to smoking cessation treatment is limited and no co-ordinated smoking cessation programmes are provided in primary care. Methods We conducted a three parallel-armed randomised controlled trial (n = 1368) to investigate effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of lung age (LA) or exhaled carbon monoxide (CO) feedback combined with very brief advice (VBA) to prompt smoking cessation compared with VBA alone, delivered by GPs in primary care in North Macedonia. All participants who decided to attempt to quit smoking were advised about accessing smoking cessation medications and were also offered behavioural support as part of the “ACT” component of VBA. Participants were aged ≥ 35 years, smoked ≥ 10 cigarettes per day, were recruited from 31 GP practices regardless of motivation to quit and were randomised (1:1:1) using a sequence generated before the start of recruitment. The primary outcome was biochemically validated 7-day point prevalence abstinence at 4 weeks (wks). Participants and GPs were not blinded to allocation after randomisation, however outcome assessors were blind to treatment allocation. Results There was no evidence of a difference in biochemically confirmed quitting between intervention and control at 4wks (VBA + LA RR 0.90 (97.5%CI: 0.35, 2.27); VBA + CO RR 1.04 (97.5%CI: 0.44, 2.44)), however the absolute number of quitters was small (VBA + LA 1.6%, VBA + CO 1.8%, VBA 1.8%). A similar lack of effect was observed at 12 and 26wks, apart from in the VBA + LA arm where the point estimate was significant but the confidence intervals were very wide. In both treatment arms, a larger proportion reported a reduction in cigarettes smoked per day at 4wks (VBA + LA 1.30 (1.10, 1.54); VBA + CO 1.23 (1.03, 1.49)) compared with VBA. The point estimates indicated a similar direction of effect at 12wks and 26wks, but differences were not statistically significant. Quantitative process measures indicated high fidelity to the intervention delivery protocols, but low uptake of behavioural and pharmacological support. VBA was the dominant intervention in the health economic analyses. Conclusion Overall, there was no evidence that adding LA or CO to VBA increased quit rates. However, a small effect cannot be ruled out as the proportion quitting was low and therefore estimates were imprecise. There was some evidence that participants in the intervention arms were more likely to reduce the amount smoked, at least in the short term. More research is needed to find effective ways to support quitting in settings like North Macedonia where a strong smoking culture persists. Trial registration The trial was registered at http://www.isrctn.com (ISRCTN54228638) on the 07/09/2018.

Abstract In Brazil, prevalence of diagnosed COPD among adults aged 40 years and over is 16% although over 70% of cases remain undiagnosed. Hypertension is common and well-recorded in primary care, and frequently co-exists with COPD because of common causes such as tobacco smoking, therefore we conducted a cross-sectional screening test accuracy study in nine Basic Health Units in Brazil, among hypertensive patients aged ≥40 years to identify the optimum screening test/combinations to detect undiagnosed COPD. We compared six index tests (four screening questionnaires, microspirometer and peak flow) against the reference test defined as those below the lower limit of normal (LLN-GLI) on quality diagnostic spirometry, with confirmed COPD at clinical review. Of 1162 participants, 6.8% (n = 79) had clinically confirmed COPD. Peak flow had a higher specificity but lower sensitivity than microspirometry (sensitivity 44.3% [95% CI 33.1, 55.9], specificity 95.5% [95% CI 94.1, 96.6]). SBQ performed well compared to the other questionnaires (sensitivity 75.9% [95% CI 65.0, 84.9], specificity 59.2% [95% CI 56.2, 62.1]). A strategy requiring both SBQ and peak flow to be positive yielded sensitivity of 39.2% (95% CI 28.4, 50.9) and specificity of 97.0% (95% CI 95.7, 97.9). The use of simple screening tests was feasible within the Brazilian primary care setting. The combination of SBQ and peak flow appeared most efficient, when considering performance of the test, cost and ease of use (costing £1690 (5554 R$) with 26.7 cases detected per 1,000 patients). However, the choice of screening tests depends on the clinical setting and availability of resources. ISRCTN registration number: 11377960.

Abstract Background Thoracic injuries are common among trauma patients. Studies on trauma patients with thoracic injuries have reported considerable differences in morbidity and mortality, and there is limited research on comparison between trauma patients with and without thoracic injuries, particularly in the Scandinavian population. Thoracic injuries in trauma patients should be identified early and need special attention since the differences in injury patterns among patient population are important as they entail different treatment regimens and influence patient outcomes. The aim of the study was to describe the epidemiology of trauma patients with and without thoracic injuries and its influence on 30-day mortality. Methods Patients were identified through the Karolinska Trauma Register. The Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) system was used to find patients with thoracic injuries. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate factors [age, gender, ASA class, GCS (Glasgow Coma Scale), NISS (New Injury Severity Score) and thoracic injury] associated with 30-day mortality. Results A total of 2397 patients were included. Of those, 768 patients (32%) had a thoracic injury. The mean (± SD, range) age of all patients (n = 2397) was 46 (20, 18–98) years, and the majority (n = 1709, 71%) of the patients were males. There was a greater proportion of patients with rib fractures among older (≥ 60 years) patients, whereas younger patients had a higher proportion of injuries to the internal thoracic organs. The 30-day mortality was 11% (n = 87) in patients with thoracic injury and 4.3% (n = 71) in patients without. After multivariable adjustment, a thoracic injury was found to be associated with an increased risk of 30-day mortality (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.3–3.0); as was age ≥ 60 years (OR 3.7, 95% CI 2.3–6.0), ASA class 3–4 (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.4–3.6), GCS 1–8 (OR 21, 95% CI 13–33) and NISS > 15 (OR 4.2, 2.4–7.3). Conclusion Thoracic injury was an independent predictor of 30-day mortality after adjustment for relevant key variables. We also found a difference in injury patterns with older patients having a higher proportion of rib fractures, whilst younger patients suffered more internal thoracic organ injuries.

Abstract COPD is increasingly common in China but is poorly understood by patients, medications are not used as prescribed and there is no access to recommended non-pharmacological treatment. We explored COPD patients’ and general practitioners’ (GPs) knowledge of COPD, views on its management and the acceptability of a flexible lung health service (LHS) offering health education, exercise, self-management, smoking cessation and mental health support. Using a convergent mixed methods design, data were collected from patients and GPs using focus groups (FGs) in four Chinese cities, questionnaires were also used to collect data from patients. FGs were audio-recorded and transcribed. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively, thematic framework analysis was used for the qualitative data. Two-hundred fifty-one patients completed the questionnaire; 39 patients and 30 GPs participated in ten separate FGs. Three overarching themes were identified: patients’ lack of knowledge/understanding of COPD, current management of COPD not meeting patients’ needs and LHS design, which was well received by patients and GPs. Participants wanted COPD education, TaiChi, psychological support and WeChat for social support. 39% of survey responders did not know what to do when their breathing worsened and 24% did not know how to use their inhalers. 36% of survey respondents requested guided relaxation. Overall, participants did not fully understand the implications of COPD and current treatment was sub-optimal. There was support for developing a culturally appropriate intervention meeting Chinese patients’ needs, health beliefs, and local healthcare delivery. Further research should explore the feasibility of such a service.

Background and purpose: Trauma causes over 4 million annual deaths globally and accounts for over 10% of the global burden of disease. Trauma patients often sustain multiple injuries in multiple organ systems. We aimed to investigate the proportion and distribution of musculoskeletal injuries in adult trauma patients. Patients and methods: This is a register-based study using data from the national Swedish trauma register (SweTrau) collected in 2015–2019. By categorizing Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) codes into different injury types, we provide a detailed description of the types of musculoskeletal injuries that occurred in trauma patients. Results: 51,335 cases were identified in the register. After exclusion of 7,696 cases that did not have any trauma diagnosis (AIS codes) registered from the trauma and 6,373 patients aged < 18, a total of 37,266 patients were included in the study. 15,246 (41%) had sustained musculoskeletal injury. Of the patients with musculoskeletal injuries, 7,733 (51%) had more than 1 such injury. Spine injuries were the most common injury location (n = 7,083 patients, 19%) followed by lower extremity injuries (n = 5,943 patients, 16%) and upper extremity injuries (n = 6,273 patients, 17%). Fractures were the dominating injury type with 30,755 (87%) of injuries being a fracture. Conclusion: 41% of the trauma patients had at least 1 musculoskeletal injury. A spine injury was the most common injury location. Fractures was the dominating injury type constituting 87% of all injuries. We also found that half the patients (51%) with spine or extremity injuries had ≥ 2 such injuries.

Purpose: This study investigated the use of surface guided radiotherapy (SGRT) in combination with a tomotherapy treatment mode using discrete delivery angles for deep inspiration breath hold (DIBH) treatments of breast cancer (bc). We aimed to assess the feasibility and dosimetric advantages of this approach. Materials and methods: We evaluated camera occlusion in the Radixact treatment system bore and the stability of DIBH signals during couch movement. The SGRT system's ability to maintain signal and surface image accuracy was analyzed at different depths within the bore. Dosimetric parameters were compared and measured for 20 left‐sided bc patients receiving TomoDirect (TD) tangential radiotherapy in both DIBH and free breathing (FB). Results: The SGRT system maintained surface coverage and precise DIBH‐signal at depths up to 40 cm beyond the treatment center. Camera occlusion occurred in the clavicular and neck regions due to the patient's morphology and gantry geometry. Nonetheless, the system accurately detected respiratory motion for all measurements. The DIBH plans significantly (p < 0.001) reduced mean heart and left anterior descending artery (LAD) radiation doses by up to 40%, with a 50% reduction in near‐maximum heart and LAD doses, respectively. No significant dosimetric differences between DIBH and FB were observed in other investigated parameters and volumes. Conclusions: Camera occlusion and couch movement minimally impacted the real‐time surface image accuracy needed for DIBH treatments of bc. DIBH reduced heart and LAD radiation doses significantly compared to FB, indicating the feasibility and dosimetric benefits of combining these modalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Rotational deformities following intramedullary (IM) nailing of tibia has a reported incidence of as high as 20%. Common techniques to measure deformities following IM nailing of tibia are either based on clinical assessment, plain X-rays or Computed Tomography (CT) comparing the treated leg with the uninjured contralateral side. All these techniques are based on examiners manual calculation inherently subject to bias. Following our previous rigorous motion analysis and symmetry studies on hemi pelvises, femurs and orthopaedic implants, we aimed to introduce a novel fully digital technique to measure rotational deformities in the lower legs. Following formal institutional approval from the Imperial College, CT images of 10 pairs of human lower legs were retrieved. Images were anonymized and uploaded to a research server. Three dimensional CT images of the lower legs were bilaterally reconstructed. CT-based motion analysis (CTMA) was used and the mirrored images of the left side were merged with the right side proximally as stationary and distally as moving objects. Discrepancies in translation and rotation were automatically calculated. Our study population had a mean age of 54 ± 20 years. There were six males and four females. We observed a greater variation in translation (mm) of Centre of Mass (COM) in sagittal plane (95% CI − 2.959–.292) which was also presented as rotational difference alongside the antero-posterior direction or Y axis (95% CI .370–1.035). In other word the right lower legs in our study were more likely to be in varus compared to the left side. However, there were no statistically significant differences in coronal or axial planes. Using our proposed fully digital technique we found that lower legs of the human adults were symmetrical in axial and coronal plane. We found sagittal plane differences which need further addressing in future using bigger sample size. Our novel recommended technique is fully digital and commercially available. This new technique can be useful in clinical practice addressing rotational deformities following orthopaedic surgical intervention. This new technique can substitute the previously introduced techniques.

Objectives To assess the feasibility of delivering a culturally tailored pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) programme and conducting a definitive randomised controlled trial (RCT).Design A two-arm, randomised feasibility trial with a mixed-methods process evaluation.Setting Secondary care setting in Georgia, Europe.Participants People with symptomatic spirometry-confirmed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease recruited from primary and secondary care.Interventions Participants were randomised in a 1:1 ratio to a control group or intervention comprising 16 twice-weekly group PR sessions tailored to the Georgian setting.Primary and secondary outcome measures Feasibility of the intervention and RCT were assessed according to: study recruitment, consent and follow-up, intervention fidelity, adherence and acceptability, using questionnaires and measurements at baseline, programme end and 6 months, and through qualitative interviews.Results The study recruited 60 participants (as planned): 54 (90%) were male, 10 (17%) had a forced expiratory volume in 1 second of ≤50% predicted. The mean MRC Dyspnoea Score was 3.3 (SD 0.5), and mean St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) 50.9 (SD 17.6). The rehabilitation specialists delivered the PR with fidelity. Thirteen (43.0%) participants attended at least 75% of the 16 planned sessions. Participants and rehabilitation specialists in the qualitative interviews reported that the programme was acceptable, but dropout rates were high in participants who lived outside Tbilisi and had to travel large distances. Outcome data were collected on 63.3% participants at 8 weeks and 88.0% participants at 6 months. Mean change in SGRQ total was −24.9 (95% CI −40.3 to –9.6) at programme end and −4.4 (95% CI −12.3 to 3.4) at 6 months follow-up for the intervention group and −0.5 (95% CI −8.1 to 7.0) and −8.1 (95% CI −16.5 to 0.3) for the usual care group at programme end and 6 months, respectively.Conclusions It was feasible to deliver the tailored PR intervention. Approaches to improve uptake and adherence warrant further research.Trial registration number ISRCTN16184185.

Background and purpose — Fractures of the pelvis and femur are serious and potentially lethal injuries affecting primarily older, but also younger individuals. Long-term trends on incidence rates and mortality might diverge for these fractures, and few studies compare trends within a complete adult population. We investigated and compared incidence and mortality rates of pelvic, hip, femur shaft, and distal femur fractures in the Swedish adult population. Patients and methods — We analyzed data on all adult patients ≥ 18 years in Sweden with a pelvic, hip, femur shaft, or distal femur fracture, through the Swedish National Patient Register. The studied variables were fracture type, age, sex, and 1-year mortality. Results — While incidence rates for hip fracture decreased by 18% (from 280 to 229 per 105 person-years) from 2001 to 2016, incidence rates for pelvic fracture increased by 25% (from 64 to 80 per 105 person-years). Incidence rates for femur shaft and distal femur fracture remained stable at rates of 15 and 13 per 105 person-years respectively. 1-year mortality after hip fracture was 25%, i.e., higher than for pelvic, femur shaft, and distal femur fracture where mortality rates were 20–21%. Females had an almost 30% lower risk of death within 1 year after hip fracture compared with males. Interpretation — Trends on fracture incidence for pelvic and femur fractures diverged considerably in Sweden between 2001 and 2016. While incidence rates for femur fractures (hip, femur shaft, and distal femur) decreased or remained constant during the studied years, pelvic fracture incidence increased. Mortality rates were different between the fractures, with the highest mortality among patients with hip fracture.

Abstract Background Surgical site infections (SSI) after distal radius fracture (DRF) surgery have not previously been studied as the primary outcome in a large population with comparative data for different surgical methods. The aims of this study were 1) to compare SSI rates between plate fixation, percutaneous pinning and external fixation, and 2) to study factors associated with SSI. Methods We performed a nation-wide cohort study linking data from the Swedish national patient register (NPR) with the Swedish prescribed drug register (SPDR). We included all patients ≥18 years with a registration of a surgically treated DRF in the NPR between 2006 and 2013. The primary outcome was a registration in the SPDR of a dispensed prescription of peroral Flucloxacillin and/or Clindamycin within the first 8 weeks following surgery, which was used as a proxy for an SSI. The SSI rates for the three main surgical methods were calculated. Logistic regression was used to study the association between surgical method and the primary outcome, adjusted for potential confounders including age, sex, fracture type (closed/open), and a dispensed prescription of Flucloxacillin and/or Clindamycin 0–8 weeks prior to DRF surgery. A classification tree analysis was performed to study which factors were associated with SSI. Results A total of 31,807 patients with a surgically treated DRF were included. The proportion of patients with an SSI was 5% (n = 1110/21,348) among patients treated with plate fixation, 12% (n = 754/6198) among patients treated with percutaneous pinning, and 28% (n = 1180/4261) among patients treated with external fixation. After adjustment for potential confounders, the surgical method most strongly associated with SSI was external fixation (aOR 6.9 (95% CI 6.2–7.5, p

Abstract Background Distal radius fractures are the most common of all fractures. Optimal treatment is still debated. Previous studies report substantial changes in treatment trends in recent decades. Few nation-wide studies on distal radius fracture epidemiology and treatment exist, none of which provide detailed data on patient and injury characteristics, fracture pattern and mortality. The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiology, fracture classification, current treatment regimens and mortality of distal radius fractures in adults within the context of a large national register study. Methods We performed a descriptive study using prospectively registered data from the Swedish fracture register. Included were all non-pathological distal radius fractures registered between January 1st 2015 and December 31st 2017 in patients aged 18 years and above. Nominal variables were presented as proportions of all registered fractures. Results A total of 23,394 distal radius fractures in 22,962 patients were identified. The mean age was 62.7 ± 17.6 years for all, 65.4 ± 16.0 for women and 53.6 ± 20.0 for men. A simple fall was the most common cause of injury (75%, n = 17,643/23,394). One third (33%, n = 7783/21,723) of all fractures occurred at the patients’ residence. 65% (n = 15,178/23,394) of all fractures were classified as extra-articular AO-23-A, 12% (n = 2770/23,394) as partially intra-articular AO-23-B and 23% (n = 5446/23,394) as intra-articular AO-23-C. The primary treatment was non-surgical for 74% (n = 17,358/23,369) and surgical for 26% (n = 6011/23,369) of all fractures. Only 18% of the AO-23-A fractures were treated surgically, compared to 48% of the AO-23-C fractures. The most frequently used surgical method was plate fixation (82%, n = 4954/5972), followed by pin/wire fixation (8.2%, n = 490/5972), external fixation (4.8%, n = 289/5972) and other methods (4.0%, n = 239/5972). The overall 30-day mortality was 0.4% (n = 98/23,394) and the 1-year mortality 2.9% (n = 679/23,394). Conclusion This nation-wide observational study provides comprehensive data on the epidemiology, fracture classification and current treatment regimens of distal radius fractures in a western European setting. The most common patient was an eldery woman who sustained a distal radius fracture through a simple fall in her own residence, and whose fracture was extra-articluar and treated non-surgically.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a major contributor to morbidity, mortality and health service costs but is vastly underdiagnosed. Evidence on screening and how best to approach this is not clear. There are also uncertainties around the natural history (prognosis) of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and how it impacts on work performance. Objectives: Work package 1: to evaluate alternative methods of screening for undiagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in primary care, with clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness analyses and an economic model of a routine screening programme. Work package 2: to recruit a primary care chronic obstructive pulmonary disease cohort, develop a prognostic model [Birmingham Lung Improvement StudieS (BLISS)] to predict risk of respiratory hospital admissions, validate an existing model to predict mortality risk, address some uncertainties about natural history and explore the potential for a home exercise intervention. Work package 3: to identify which factors are associated with employment, absenteeism, presenteeism (working while unwell) and evaluate the feasibility of offering formal occupational health assessment to improve work performance. Design: Work package 1: a cluster randomised controlled trial with household-level randomised comparison of two alternative case-finding approaches in the intervention arm. Work package 2: cohort study – focus groups. Work package 3: subcohort – feasibility study. Setting: Primary care settings in West Midlands, UK. Participants: Work package 1: 74,818 people who have smoked aged 40–79 years without a previous chronic obstructive pulmonary disease diagnosis from 54 general practices. Work package 2: 741 patients with previously diagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease from 71 practices and participants from the work package 1 randomised controlled trial. Twenty-six patients took part in focus groups. Work package 3: occupational subcohort with 248 patients in paid employment at baseline. Thirty-five patients took part in an occupational health intervention feasibility study. Interventions: Work package 1: targeted case-finding – symptom screening questionnaire, administered opportunistically or additionally by post, followed by diagnostic post-bronchodilator spirometry. The comparator was routine care. Work package 2: twenty-three candidate variables selected from literature and expert reviews. Work package 3: sociodemographic, clinical and occupational characteristics; occupational health assessment and recommendations. Main outcome measures: Work package 1: yield (screen-detected chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and cost-effectiveness of case-finding; effectiveness of screening on respiratory hospitalisation and mortality after approximately 4 years. Work package 2: respiratory hospitalisation within 2 years, and barriers to and facilitators of physical activity. Work package 3: work performance – feasibility and acceptability of the occupational health intervention and study processes. Results: Work package 1: targeted case-finding resulted in greater yield of previously undiagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease than routine care at 1 year [n = 1278 (4%) vs. n = 337 (1%), respectively; adjusted odds ratio 7.45, 95% confidence interval 4.80 to 11.55], and a model-based estimate of a regular screening programme suggested an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of £16,596 per additional quality-adjusted life-year gained. However, long-term follow-up of the trial showed that at ≈4 years there was no clear evidence that case-finding, compared with routine practice, was effective in reducing respiratory admissions (adjusted hazard ratio 1.04, 95% confidence interval 0.73 to1.47) or mortality (hazard ratio 1.15, 95% confidence interval 0.82 to 1.61). Work package 2: 2305 patients, comprising 1564 with previously diagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and 741 work package 1 participants (330 with and 411 without obstruction), were recruited. The BLISS prognostic model among cohort participants with confirmed airflow obstruction (n = 1894) included 6 of 23 candidate variables (i.e. age, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Assessment Test score, 12-month respiratory admissions, body mass index, diabetes and forced expiratory volume in 1 second percentage predicted). After internal validation and adjustment (uniform shrinkage factor 0.87, 95% confidence interval 0.72 to 1.02), the model discriminated well in predicting 2-year respiratory hospital admissions (c-statistic 0.75, 95% confidence interval 0.72 to 0.79). In focus groups, physical activity engagement was related to self-efficacy and symptom severity. Work package 3: in the occupational subcohort, increasing dyspnoea and exposure to inhaled irritants were associated with lower work productivity at baseline. Longitudinally, increasing exacerbations and worsening symptoms, but not a decline in airflow obstruction, were associated with absenteeism and presenteeism. The acceptability of the occupational health intervention was low, leading to low uptake and low implementation of recommendations and making a full trial unfeasible. Limitations: Work package 1: even with the most intensive approach, only 38% of patients responded to the case-finding invitation. Management of case-found patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in primary care was generally poor, limiting interpretation of the long-term effectiveness of case-finding on clinical outcomes. Work package 2: the components of the BLISS model may not always be routinely available and calculation of the score requires a computerised system. Work package 3: relatively few cohort participants were in paid employment at baseline, limiting the interpretation of predictors of lower work productivity. Conclusions: This programme has addressed some of the major uncertainties around screening for undiagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and has resulted in the development of a novel, accurate model for predicting respiratory hospitalisation in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and the inception of a primary care chronic obstructive pulmonary disease cohort for longer-term follow-up. We have also identified factors that may affect work productivity in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as potential targets for future intervention. Future work: We plan to obtain data for longer-term follow-up of trial participants at 10 years. The BLISS model needs to be externally validated. Our primary care chronic obstructive pulmonary disease cohort is a unique resource for addressing further questions to better understand the prognosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Trial registration: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN14930255. Funding: This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Programme Grants for Applied Research programme and will be published in full in Programme Grants for Applied Research; Vol. 9, No. 13. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

Objective: To assess the quality of applied pelvic binders using three dimensional computer tomography (3D CT).Methods: A local trauma registry was used to identify patients with pelvic fractures after high-energy trauma during 2011-2015. A 3D CT reconstruction was made from the initial trauma computer tomography images to assess the level of application, symmetricity of the binder and achieved fracture reduction. An acceptable application of the pelvic binder was deemed if it was at the trochanteric level, symmetric and minimized residual displacement.Results: We found 73 patients with a pelvic fracture and a pelvic binder on the initial trauma CT-scan. The mean (±SD) age of the patients was 46±17 years and 40% (n=29) were females. The median ISS score was 38 (IQR;29-50), the mean systolic blood pressure on arrival was 106±46 mmHg and the median GCS on arrival was 14 (IQR;7-15). We found that 59% (n=43) of the binders were correctly applied (symmetric at the trochanteric level, symmetrical and with acceptable residual displacement of the fracture). The 30-day mortality was higher in patients with non-correct application 17% (n=5/30) compared to patients with correct application of the pelvic binder 9.3% (n=4/43) however this was not statistically significant (p=0.562).Conclusion: A substantial number of patients had non-correct application of pelvic binders. Future studies using 3D technique are encouraged to further investigate clinical impacts of non-appropriate application of pelvic binders.

Introduction The latest chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) epidemiology survey in China estimated that there were 99 million potential COPD patients in the country, the majority of whom are undiagnosed. Screening for COPD in primary care settings is of vital importance for China, but it is not known which strategy would be the most suitable for adoption in primary care. Studies have been conducted to test the accuracy of questionnaires, expiratory peak flow meters and microspirometers to screen for COPD, but no study has directly evaluated and compared the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of these methods in the Chinese setting.Methods and analysis We present the protocol for a multicentre cross-sectional study, to be conducted in eight community hospitals from four cities among Chinese adults aged 40 years or older to investigate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of different case-finding methods for COPD, and determine the test performance of individual and combinations of screening tests and strategies in comparison with quality diagnostic spirometry. Index tests are screening questionnaires (COPD Diagnostic Questionnaire (CDQ), COPD Assessment in Primary Care To Identify Undiagnosed Respiratory Disease and Exacerbation Risk Questionnaire (CAPTURE), symptom-based questionnaire, COPD Screening Questionnaire (COPD-SQ)), microspirometer and peak flow. Each participant will complete all of these tests in one assessment. The primary analysis will compare the performance of a screening questionnaire with a handheld device. Secondary analyses will include the comparative performance of each index test, as well as a comparison of strategies where we use a screening questionnaire and a handheld device. Approximately 2000 participants will be recruited over 9 to 12 months.Ethics and dissemination The study has been approved by Peking University Hospital and University of Birmingham. All study participants will provide written informed consent. Study results will be published in appropriate journal and presented at national and international conferences, as well as relevant social media and various community/stakeholder engagement activities.Trial registration number ISRCTN13357135.