Inherited heart conditions commonly misdiagnosed


A SURVEY conducted by the British Heart Foundation has found that six in 10 patients living with inherited heart conditions were initially misdiagnosed, with symptoms attributed to other conditions like stress, anxiety and epilepsy. Failure to make a diagnosis and start


treatment puts such patients at increased risk of sudden cardiac death, but the BHF acknowledges the challenges involved. “A patient suffering from symptoms like difficulty breathing, palpitations, chest tightness and a racing heart rate could have an inherited heart condition, or they could have a completely unrelated problem.” Around 620,000 people in the UK could


have the genes which cause serious inherited heart conditions and many will not have been diagnosed. In the survey, 17 per cent of respondents said that genetic testing helped with their diagnosis compared to 67 per cent who were eventually diagnosed through an ECG or echocardiogram. Dr Mike Knapton, Associate Medical


Director at the British Heart Foundation, commented: “These results show that it can be extremely difficult to correctly diagnose people, meaning it’s vital that we raise awareness about the symptoms and diagnostic tests for those most at risk of inherited heart conditions.”


Emergency sepsis care improving


AN audit of sepsis care has shown improvement in the proportion of patients receiving basic interventions within the first hour of arriving at emergency departments. The report published by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) presents findings from an audit of 13,129 adults presenting to 196 emergency departments (EDs). It shows a steady improvement in the Sepsis Six, an initial resuscitation bundle designed to offer basic interventions within the first hour of arriving at an ED. Particular progress has been made in emergency antibiotic treatment, with 44 per cent of at-risk patients now receiving them within an hour of arrival. But the report also found that RCEM standards are not yet being met by all EDs. Dr Taj Hassan, President


of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said: “Sepsis continues to be a leading cause of death in


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patients admitted to hospital as an emergency. It is vital therefore that staff in the Emergency Department are able to rapidly assess, recognise, risk stratify and treat such patients with proven evidence-based therapy. “Studies have repeatedly shown the power of the Sepsis-Six resuscitation bundle in improving patient care if delivered in a timely fashion.”


Too few dental visits for toddlers


AROUND 80 per cent of one to two year olds in England did not visit an NHS dentist in the last year despite the fact that dental care for children is free, according new figures collated by the Faculty of Dental Surgery (FDS) at the Royal College of Surgeons. The figures also show that 60 per cent of children aged one to four did not have a dental check-up in the same period up to 31 March 2017. The Faculty believes that there is “widespread misunderstanding” among parents and some health professionals about when a baby should first visit the dentist. Children should have regular dental check- ups starting from when their first teeth appear at around six months of age, according to accepted guidance. Over 9,200 tooth extractions were performed


in 2015/16 on children aged one to four in hospitals in England. Many of these cases can be attributed to tooth decay which is largely preventable through good oral hygiene with regular check-ups. Professor Nigel Hunt, dean of the FDS, said: “In a nation which offers free dental care for under-18s, there should be no excuse for these statistics. Yet we know from parents we speak to that there is widespread confusion, even in advice given


to them by NHS staff, about when a child should first visit the dentist.”


HOLISTIC DENTISTRY CONFERENCE The Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK) will be hosting a conference with the theme of Holistic Dentistry – Putting the Mouth Back into the Body on 3 November at the National Motorcycle Museum in Solihull, West Midlands. The FGDP(UK) celebrates its 25th anniversary this year and the conference aims to provide an insight into the complex inter-relationship between oral diseases and general patient health in all age groups. Find out more at http://holisticdentistry. eventbrite.com


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ANTIDEPRESSANT PRESCRIPTIONS IN ENGLAND RISE AGAIN Antidepressants saw the greatest numeric rise in prescription items in England for the fourth successive year – increasing by 6 per cent in 2016 as reported in new statistics released by NHS Digital. The number of antidepressant items dispensed has more than doubled in the last decade. Drugs used in diabetes cost the most in 2016 (for the tenth year running) at £984.2 million and the most prescription items dispensed were to treat hypertension and heart failure


q CONSCIOUS SEDATION IN DENTAL PRACTICE A new edition of Conscious Sedation in Dentistry has been published by The Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme (SDCEP). The guidance has been subject to a thorough update using a NICE-accredited methodology and is formally endorsed by the dental faculties of the Royal Colleges.


MDDUS INSIGHT / 7


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