May Review

Here are the most interesting articles / stories I've heard about from the BMJ in May:
- New consensus on screening has recommended that all patients over the age of 55 years should have a flexible sigmoidoscopy as part of the national bowel cancer screening programme. This could be done by doctors or specialist nurses. This test has been shown to catch two thirds of colorectal cancers.
- In Spain, surgeons worked for 24 hours to carry out the first 'full' face transplant.
- Regarding viewing the body after a traumatic death, relatives should be informed of the choice and given the option. The decision should rest with the relative.
- The national patient safety agency reports more than one incident in the past year where leaving a tourniquet on has led to people losing digits - beware!
- The Australuian government has decided to remove branding from all cigarette packaging as of 2012 to reduce marketing advertising of cigarette brands.
- A new way of labelling and packaging foods known as the 'traffic light system' is in the process of being passed through the European courts. Some supermarkets in the UK have already adopted the scheme but it is being held up at present by arguments that some foods which should be included from time to time as part of a balanced diet eg margerine / cooking oils.
- Screening again, a study was carried out recently to find out whether sending 'informed choice' letters inviting people to screening would lead to less uptake than the 'standard invitation' for screening. Informed choice tells people about some of the disadvantages of screening. The result was that there was no difference in the number of people who attended (approx 60%). What was apparent however was that the most significant marker of a person's likelihood to attend for screening was their socio-economic status.
- What will the legacy of the 2012 Olympic games be (and other major sporting events). New research shows that politician's promises of long term health benefits for the host nation / city are largely unfounded. Quality of evidence of health improvement is low, most measures are of economic improvements. With the 2012 games around the corner, perhaps more work should be done to evaluate the effects of the games.