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To identify the source of ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections after 4 weeks of lockdown and to characterise the presentation of COVID-19 in the elderly, who represent the highest risk group. Design Retrospective observational cohort study of 115 patients at one acute district general hospital with a catchment population of approximately 500,000 people, during weeks 5 and 6 of the UK lockdown. Results More than 2 in 3 of the overall cohort had had contacts with the health and social care system prior to diagnosis. This figure rose to 85% in those 70 years and over. In the older cohort, the most common reasons for presentation were shortness of breath or falls, and 1 in 3 had neither cough nor fever. Conclusion COVID-19 can present differently in the elderly, overlapping with many common presentations, so focusing testing on those with a cough or fever will miss at least 1 in 3 cases in those over the age of 70. A high degree of vigilance, suspicion and repeated testing is required if streaming into high and low risk areas is to succeed, allowing safe restarting of services such as elective surgery and cancer care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 69-year-old woman presented with a cortical hand syndrome progressing over several weeks. MRI brain showed characteristic appearances of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), confirmed by detection of the JC virus in CSF, despite the absence of any evidence of immunosuppression. Treatment with mirtazapine, mefloquine and cidofovir did not affect the progression of the disease, which was fatal within 7 months of presentation. This report adds to the small case literature that suggests that PML can occur in immunocompetent people, albeit extremely rarely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enterovirus D68 has been associated with a poliomyelitis-like illness, notably during an outbreak in 2014, and particularly affecting children in the USA. We report a case of acute segmental flaccid paralysis with respiratory involvement in an adult in the UK, with enterovirus D68 detected in a sputum sample. MR imaging of cervical spinal cord showed a longitudinally extensive T2 hyperintensity in the anterior cord. Cerebrospinal fluid showed an elevated white cell count, predominantly lymphocytic, with otherwise normal constituents and negative viral PCRs. His respiratory function improved after intravenous immunoglobulin, suggesting that this may be useful in such cases. Clinicians should consider enterovirus D68 infection in the differential diagnosis of Guillain-Barrä syndrome, particularly the pharyngeal--cervical--brachial variant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: AO Spine RECODE-DCM was a multi-stakeholder priority setting partnership (PSP) to define the top ten research priorities for degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM). Priorities were generated and iteratively refined using a series of surveys administered to surgeons, other healthcare professionals (oHCP) and people with DCM (PwDCM). The aim of this work was to utilise word clouds to enable the perspectives of people with the condition to be heard earlier in the PSP process than is traditionally the case. The objective was to evaluate the added value of word clouds in the process of defining research uncertainties in National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) James Lind Alliance (JLA) Priority Setting Partnerships. Methods: Patient-generated word clouds were created for the four survey subsections of the AO Spine RECODE-DCM PSP: diagnosis, treatment, long-term management and other issues. These were then evaluated as a nested methodological study. Word-clouds were created and iteratively refined by an online support group of people with DCM, before being curated by the RECODE-DCM management committee and expert healthcare professional representatives. The final word clouds were embedded within the surveys administered at random to 50% of participants. DCM research uncertainties suggested by participants were compared pre- and post-word cloud presentation. Results: A total of 215 (50.9%) participants were randomised to the word cloud stream, including 118 (55%) spinal surgeons, 52 (24%) PwDCM and 45 (21%) oHCP. Participants submitted 434 additional uncertainties after word cloud review: word count was lower and more uniform across each survey subsections compared to pre-word cloud uncertainties. Twenty-three (32%) of the final 74 PSP summary questions did not have a post-word cloud contribution and no summary question was formed exclusively on post-word cloud uncertainties. There were differences in mapping of pre- and post-word cloud uncertainties to summary questions, with greater mapping of post-word cloud uncertainties to the number 1 research question priority: raising awareness. Five of the final summary questions were more likely to map to the research uncertainties suggested by participants after having reviewed the word clouds. Conclusions: Word clouds may increase the perspective of underrepresented stakeholders in the research question gathering stage of priority setting partnerships. This may help steer the process towards research questions that are of highest priority for people with the condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is a common and progressive neurological condition caused by injury of the cervical spinal cord by degenerative spinal pathology. Delayed diagnosis leading to avoidable and irreversible disability is a major current problem limiting patient outcomes. Lack of sufficient representation of DCM in undergraduate and postgraduate medical curricula may contribute to poor recognition of DCM by non-specialist doctors. The objective of this study was to assess the DCM teaching provision in UK medical schools and the DCM knowledge of UK medical students. UK medical students completed a web-based survey distributed nationally through university social media pages, university email bulletins and the national student network of Myelopathy.org. The survey comprised a 19-item questionnaire capturing data on student demographics, myelopathy teaching and myelopathy knowledge. Advertisements were repeated monthly over a 12-month recruitment period and participation was incentivised by entry into an Amazon voucher prize draw. Ethical approval for the study was granted by the Psychology Research Ethics Committee, University of Cambridge (PRE.2018.099). A total of 751 medical students from 32 British medical schools completed the survey. Medical students from all year groups participated. Most students (520; 72%) had not received any medical school teaching about DCM. When students had received DCM teaching, the duration of teaching was minimal (75% < 1 h). A total of 350 students (47%) reported conducting private study on DCM. Modal student self-rating of their own knowledge of DCM was 'terrible' (356; 47%). There was no correlation between a student's subjective rating of their knowledge and their answers to objective questions. A total of 723 (96%) of students expressed interest in learning more about DCM, with lectures the preferred format. DCM appears to be a neglected condition in medical education which has implications for clinical practice. However, student enthusiasm to undertake private study suggests future teaching interventions will be well-received. Future work is necessary to characterise the format of DCM teaching that is most effective and to subsequently measure how educational interventions translate into clinical benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: AO Spine REsearch objectives and Common Data Elements for Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy [RECODE-DCM] is a multi-stakeholder consensus process aiming to promote research efficiency in DCM. It aims to establish the top 10 research uncertainties, through a James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership [PSP]. Through a consensus process, research questions are generated and ranked. The inclusion of people with cervical myelopathy [PwCM] is central to the process. We hypothesized that presenting PwCM experience through word cloud generation would stimulate other key stakeholders to generate research questions better aligned with PwCM needs. This protocol outlines our plans to evaluate this as a nested methodological study within our PSP.Methods: An online poll asked PwCM to submit and vote on words associated with aspects of DCM. After review, a refined word list was re-polled for voting and word submission. Word clouds were generated and an implementation plan for AO Spine RECODE-DCM PSP surveys was subsequently developed.Results: Seventy-nine terms were submitted after the first poll. Eighty-seven refined words were then re-polled (which added a further 39 words). Four word clouds were generated under the categories of diagnosis, management, long-term effects, and other. A 1:1 block randomization protocol to assess word cloud impact on the number and relevance of PSP research questions was generated.Conclusions: We have shown it is feasible to work with PwCM to generate a tool for the AO Spine RECODE-DCM nested methodological study. Once the survey stage is completed, we will be able to evaluate the impact of the word clouds. Further research will be needed to assess the value of any impact in terms of stimulating a more creative research agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the evolution of the rapid access neurology clinic (established in 1995) at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge. Annualised attendance data demonstrate an ever increasing demand, with primary headache disorders now accounting for more than 40% of referrals. Secondary causes of headache (including intracranial tumours, idiopathic intracranial hypertension, carotid or vertebral artery dissection and subdural haematomas) remain infrequent. In all such cases, there were additional diagnostic clues. The number of patients referred with problems related to chronic neurological diseases has fallen considerably, reflecting the roles of specialist nurses and clinics. Imaging investigation of choice shifted from computerised tomography scan (45 to 16%) towards magnetic resonance imaging (17 to 47%). Management is increasingly on an outpatient basis, often without the need for a follow-up appointment. The experience presented here should inform further development of rapid access neurology clinics across the UK and suggests the need for acute headache services, in line with those for transient ischaemic attack and first seizure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]