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Studies how surveys which measure tobacco and alcohol use vary from one culture group to the next, within the United Kingdom, and concludes that the surveys use inconsistent data sets which, in turn, affects the credibility of the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimates the cumulative incidence of AIDS in hemophiliacs in Great Britain. Analysis of data from ongoing national surveys; Relations of rate of progression ot AIDS and age; Examination of trends in mortality statistics among unmarried men infected with HIV.

Presents a study on injuries to pedestrians in road traffic accidents in Oxford region in Great Britain. Comparison of incidence of death in pedestrians and car occupants or motorcyclists; Determinants of vehicular death; Accidents to young pedestrians.

Presents a study on a group of patients known to be injecting drug users in order to establish current drug taking in Great Britain. Descriptive design of the study; Lists of outcome measures, HIV status and demographic variables; Clinical and public health implications. INSET: Clinical and public health implications.

Presents several correspondence on health care in Great Britain. Contamination of urine and fecal specimens by using unsterile containers; Efficacy of glucagon as treatment of hypoglycemia; Number of deaths caused by tobacco smoking.

Investigates the frequency and characteristics of asthma attacks in Great Britain. Comparison of actual management with recommended guidelines for attack management; Inclusion of nebulized bronchodilators and systemic steroids for acute severe asthma treatment; Need of relevant goals for the management of acute asthma attacks.

Analyzes the statistical techniques for assessing observer variability in clinical measures in Great Britain. Importance of assessing lack of consistency between observers; Difference between rheumatologist A and rheumatologist B's readings plotted against mean measurement for patients; Variability in measurement and classification.

Focuses about medical issues in Great Britain. Errors in the police computer records of HIV status; Work related disorders of the upper limb; Treatment of hypertension in the elderly.

Reports developments on various issues related to medicine as of January 1992. Use of gene therapy to treat patients with life threatening diseases in Great Britain; Prevalence of family violence in the United States; Information on HIV infected people in Sri Lanka.

Objective To analyse the number of voluntary and involuntary (detentions underthe Mental Health Act 1983) admissions for mental disorders between 1996 and 2006 in England. Design Retrospective analysis. Setting England. Main outcome measures Number of voluntary and involuntary admissions for mental disorders in England's health service, number of involuntary admissions to private beds, and number of NHS beds for patients with mental disorders or learning disabilities. Results Admissions for mental disorders in the NHS in England peaked in 1998 and then started to fall. Reductions in admissions were confined to patients with depression, learning disabilities, or dementia. Admissions for schizophrenic and manic disorders did not change whereas those for drug and alcohol problems increased. The number of NHS psychiatric beds decreased by 29%. The total number of involuntary admissions per annum increased by 20%, with a threefold increase in the likelihood of admission to a private facility. Patients admitted involuntarily occupied 23% of NHS psychiatric beds in 1996 but 36% in 2006. Conclusions Psychiatric inpatient care changed considerably in the decade from 1996 to 2006, with more involuntary admissions to fewer NHS beds. The case mix has shifted further towards psychotic and substance misuse disorders, which has changed the milieu of ¡npatient wards. Increasing proportions of involuntary patients were admitted to private facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents commentary by a medical statistician on the datasets used in the study on the administration of parenteral penicillin to children diagnosed with meningococcal disease. The author states that in most datasets analysed it is important to quantify if the effect observed is due to chance. In the case of this study one key statistical decision determined whether the best estimate of the effect of the parenteral penicillin given was a modest benefit or caused substantial harm. The statistician involved in the previous study in Great Britain on which current clinical policy is based, took the opposite view. This statistical effect is related to Simpson's paradox, also called the Yule-Simpson effect.

Focuses on issues attributing to the erosion of public confidence in official statistics in Great Britain. Manipulation and suppression of the release of unfavorable statistic forecasts by the government; Survey on the maligned initiatives of government statisticians; Proposals of establishing a National Statistical Council.

Examines the variance on the relation between fertility and legal abortion rate in Great Britain. Mathematical methods implied for calculating for the total period fertility and abortion rates; Comparisons of rates in different districts; Aspects of total period fertility and abortion rate for improving family planning services.

Studies the trends in rates and the seasonal distribution of sudden infant deaths in England and Wales, 1988-1992. Sleeping position; Infant care practices; Effect of the campaign launched in October 1991 in the Great Britain encouraging parents to avoid putting infants to sleep on their fronts, smoking near them and overheating them.

Studies the prevalence of HIV infection in pregnant women in London and elsewhere in England. Inclusions of the study; Methodologies and results; Impact of the study on women.

Focuses on the launch of Official Health Statistics Users Group by Government Statistical Service in Great Britain. Aim of the group; Collection of statistics for users needs; Cause of user unfriendliness of government statistics.

The article reports that researchers from the British charity Cancer Research U.K. predict a fall in the cancer death rates for both men and women in Great Britain from 2003 to 2023. The largest predicted fall for men was for deaths due to stomach cancer. Lifestyle changes and better treatments and screening programmes contributed to the decline.

Presents recent medical news. Increase in stomach cancer chances due to salt intake; Ban of ephedra by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; Shortage of psychiatrists in Britain; No smoking ban yet in the Republic of Ireland; Teens in the U.S. who are the most obese worldwide.

Presents medical news briefs. Review of health response to SARS outbreaks; Report finding that older people are less likely to be hit by cars but are more likely to die if hit; Norwegian research which suggests that parents of ADHD children are more likely to have psychosocial disorders; Statistics on hepatitis C in Australia; A study showing that "old age" is rarely given as a cause of death; More.

Presents news briefs related to medicine as of February 9, 2002. Plans to introduce stricter controls on the use of mechanical restraints for mentally ill patients in the Netherlands; Statistics showing an increase in survival rates among British cancer patients; Decision of the German parliament to allow the import of stem cells; Others.

Reports on the increase in condom use in Great Britain between 1975 and 2000. Statistics for the number of people attending family planning clinics who choose condoms over other forms of contraception; Decline in the use of the contraceptive pill among British women since 1975; Trends in the use of emergency contraception.

Reports on the decreasing death rate from breast cancer in Great Britain during the 1990s. Overview of worldwide breast cancer incidence during the 1980s; Impact of adjuvant treatments after surgery, such as tamoxifen and chemotherapy, on improved survival rates; Outlook for the continued decline in death rates.

Discusses the potential impact of General Medical Council (GMC) patient confidentiality guidelines on the effectiveness of Great Britain's national cancer registries. Details of the GMC guidance, which requires patient consent before the transfer of medical records to the registries; Effect of the rule on the monitoring of cancer survival rates; Importance of linking cancer data to individuals.

Looks at the increasing numbers of waiting lists for hospital admission of the National Health Services (NHS) since the beginning of the Labour Party administration in 1998. Reason for the lengthening of the NHS waiting list; Figures on the increased waiting lists as presented by NHS; Statement of British health secretary Frank Dobson on the issue.

Focuses on the failure of family planning services causing high rates of abortion in Great Britain. Reduction of the time limit for termination of pregnancy; Statistics of women that had abortion; Need to prioritize maintenance and improvement of family planning services.

Presents a survey result on volatile substance abuse in Great Britain. Percentage of deaths caused by gas fuels and glue solvents; Effect of aerosol reformulation on sniffers; Replacement of chlorofluorocarbons with butane.

Presents the views of professor Adrian Smith on why Great Britain needs a statistics office which is independent of ministers. Implications of the controversy surrounding the National Health Service's withdraw of a document showing the decline of government spending; Problems with the structure of the statistical services.

Compares the infant mortality rate between army families and the general population in Great Britain. Obtainment of two controls chosen for each case; Use of a statistical analysis to match cases and controls; Factors behind the increased incidence of neonatal deaths among army families.

Focuses on the estimated cost spent by people with smoking related diseases in Great Britain. Number of deaths attributable to smoking, Average of the percentage of people with smoking related diseases; Distinction of the proportion of deaths due to smoking.

Reports on the policy limiting undergraduate enrolment of medical students in Canada. Implication of foreign graduate doctors prevalence for medicine practice; Assessment on undergraduate enrolment relative to population growth; Concern on rationalization of residency places.

Reports the inadequacy of statistics on the dissemination of medical information in Great Britain. Indication of the increase of waiting list on the number of patients; Importance of the schedule management application; Addresses to the administrative management efficiency.

Reports on abortion in Great Britain. Rate of abortion in women aged 15-44 years old; Response of the government to abortion; Comparison of abortion rate between Britain and other countries.