Helen talks about new research on prevention of recurrent VTE - and Carl things the evidence goes further, and we can extend prophylaxis for a year.

13.00 - CRP testing for antibiotic prescription in COPD exacerbations, should we start doing it in primary care settings - and what will that mean. We also hear from Chris Butler, one of the trialists, who explains why being very clear about what you actually want to measure is important in study design.

26.50 - Carl wants you to read the Chief Medical Officer’s report, and we hear from Cathrine Falconer, who edited it, about how they put the recommendations together.

32.50 - Helen thinks that a new consultation from the UK government is collecting evidence in an unsystematic way, and that it’s an opportunity for listeners to submit some good evidence.

Reading list:

Long term risk of symptomatic recurrent venous thromboembolism after discontinuation of anticoagulant treatment for first unprovoked venous thromboembolism event

https://www.bmj.com/content/366/bmj.l4363

C-Reactive Protein Testing to Guide Antibiotic Prescribing for COPD Exacerbations

https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa1803185

Chief Medical Officer annual report 2019: partnering for progress

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/chief-medical-officer-annual-report-2019-partnering-for-progress

Advancing our health: prevention in the 2020s – consultation document