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War waged on superbugs
Due to a combination of illegal practices and poor education, the prevalence of drug-resistant bacteria has reached a new peak throughout the countries of the GCC. Greg Noone talks to Dr Manaf Al Qahtani, a consultant infectious diseases and clinical microbiologist at the Royal Medical Services, Bahrain Defence Force Hospital, about the regional situation and how his antibiotic stewardship programme is slowly reclaiming ground in the fight against superbugs.
Better tests for Lyme disease
The majority of laboratory tests performed for the diagnosis of Lyme disease are based on detection of the antibody responses against Borrelia Burgdorferi in serum. As the sensitivity of such tests increase with the duration of the infection, patients early in their illness are more likely to register a false-negative result. The testing algorithm for the condition needs to be simplified – improving sensitivity in early disease, while maintaining high specificity. We speak to Dr Adriana Marques from the National Institutes of Health about how this might be accomplished.
Genetic sequencing to diagnose rare diseases
Rare diseases are surprisingly common – about 30 million EU citizens are currently living with them. As each condition typically only affects a handful of people, reaching a conclusive diagnosis can be akin to finding a needle in a haystack. Sarah Williams discusses the challenges and opportunities of genetic sequencing for diagnosing such conditions with Lucy Jenkins, interim director of the Regional Genetics Laboratories and consultant clinical scientist at the North East Thames Regional Genetics Service at Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Digital future of the NHS
NHS patients with long-term illnesses could soon be able to be monitored remotely through high-tech gadgets that will link directly to their medical records. Within five years, patients across the UK should be able to speak to their GP online via videolink, order prescriptions or see their entire health record instantly. Nic Paton speaks to Beverley Bryant, NHS England director of strategic systems and technology, about the progress made in digital innovation in the NHS so far, and what changes will need to be made to meet this target.
Robotic surgeons
Robot-assisted surgery has come a long way from being a futuristic fantasy; at Bradford Royal Infirmary, it’s a frequent occurrence and a successful form of treatment. Sophie Peacock speaks to Dr Sanjai Addla about the crucial impact robotics have had on keyhole surgery, and how financial and technological obstacles are still being overcome.
X-ray imaging shows success of cystic fibrosis drugs
Keeping cystic fibrosis patients in relative health relies upon keeping airways clear and infection-free to avoid fatal lung complications but, currently, it can take several months to measure how effective a treatment is. However, scientists at Monash University, Australia, have now developed a new X-ray imaging method to allow researchers to view soft tissue structures and monitor the success of drugs. Sarah Williams speaks to Dr Kaye Morgan about the project.