Does Metabolic Dysfunction Affect Liver Fibrosis in Hep B?
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) was prevalent in more than 40% of patients with chronic hepatitis B and was independently associated with advanced fibrosis.
METHODOLOGY:
This cross-sectional study was conducted at 19 specialised hepatology centres across five European countries to assess the prevalence and risk factors for MASLD and fibrosis.
This study included 1709 consecutive patients with chronic hepatitis B (median age, 53 years; 60.7% men; 57.3% White), defined as the persistence of hepatitis B surface antigen for at least 6 months.
MASLD was diagnosed using ultrasound, histology, and/or transient elastography, with a controlled attenuation parameter score ≥ 275 dB/m with at least one metabolic risk factor.
In patients with chronic hepatitis B and MASLD, advanced fibrosis was defined as liver stiffness measurement values ≥ 8 kPa.
TAKEAWAY:
The prevalence of MASLD in patients with chronic hepatitis B was 42.3% and that of advanced fibrosis was 18%. Advanced fibrosis was more common in those with MASLD than in those without MASLD (25.4% vs 13.7%).
In the multivariate analysis, BMI and type 2 diabetes were independently associated with MASLD in patients with chronic hepatitis B (odds ratio [OR], 1.27; P < .001 and OR, 2.60; P = .03, respectively).
Factors associated with advanced fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B included MASLD (OR, 2.78; 95% CI, 1.50-5.05), BMI (OR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.02-1.15), insulin treatment (OR, 13.88; 95% CI, 2.95-65.28), and long-term antiviral treatment (OR, 4.86; 95% CI, 2.40-9.85).
MASLD was more common in patients who were on antiviral treatment than in those who were untreated (49.2% vs 44.2%; P = .046). Screening practices for MASLD varied, with 68.4% of centres screened all patients with chronic hepatitis B and 21.1% screened only those with metabolic syndrome and/or steatosis on ultrasound and abnormal liver function tests.
IN PRACTICE:
"The results from our study might genuinely mirror the increase in MASLD cases in Europe that is also reflected in patients with CHB [chronic hepatitis B]," the authors wrote.
SOURCE:
This study was led by Maria Kalafateli and Roberta Forlano, Imperial College London, London, England. It was published online on July 01, 2025, in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
LIMITATIONS:
This study was retrospective in nature with missing data from some participating centres. The use of liver stiffness measurement to define advanced fibrosis, despite its modest predictive performance, could have influenced the results. The short duration of longitudinal data collection limited the ability to observe long-term effects of MASLD on chronic hepatitis B outcomes.
DISCLOSURES:
The authors declared having no conflicts of interest. This study did not receive any specific funding, but the Division of Digestive Diseases at Imperial College London received financial support from the National Institute for Health and Care Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre and one author was a recipient of a Medical Research Council Clinician Scientist award.
This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Vacuum Blood Collection Tube Market to Hit Valuation of US$ 4.40 Billion By 2033
The vacuum blood collection tube market experiences transformative growth driven by chronic disease management requirements, technological innovations enhancing specimen tracking, and strategic procurement consolidation, while addressing critical challenges in sample wastage reduction and sustainable material adoption across global healthcare networks. Chicago, July 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global vacuum blood collection tube market was valued at US$ 3.24 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach US$ 4.40 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 3.45% during the forecast period 2025–2033. Growing scrutiny by health authorities has made pre-analytical quality a boardroom issue, and that is resonating through the market. The European Union's IVDR, fully enforceable since May 2024, added 168 discrete General Safety and Performance Requirements that vacuum tube makers must document, resulting in a measurable surge in notified-body audit bookings. In the United States, the latest CLSI GP41-A7 guideline obliges laboratories to move away from open blood-draw systems, a shift echoed by recent College of American Pathologists accreditation checklists. China's NMPA simultaneously tightened bioburden limits, compelling domestic producers to requalify gamma-irradiation protocols. Collectively, these converging regulations are prompting hospital groups from Toronto to Taipei to rewrite supplier scorecards in favor of closed, traceable devices, directly underpinning purchase volumes in the vacuum blood collection tube market. Download a Free Sample to Preview the Report: Compliance expectations are translating into procurement mandates. India's CDSCO, for example, now requires a unique device identifier laser-etched on every tube sold to public hospitals, driving barcode-equipment orders by 32 percent in 2023-2024. Latin American reference labs have begun demanding tubes certified under ISO 6710:2022, an update that explicitly addresses hemolysis prevention. Because failed audit findings often trigger repeat testing, administrators calculate that each mislabeled specimen costs between US$ 200 and US$ 400 in avoidable downstream expenses. Consequently, supply contracts increasingly bundle staff training, quality documentation, and data-logging caps, turning what was once a commodity into a regulated, evidence-backed acquisition. This regulatory momentum is expected to keep the market on an upward compliance-driven trajectory through the rest of the decade. Key Findings in Vacuum Blood Collection Tube Market Market Forecast (2033) US$ 4.40 billion CAGR 3.45% Largest Region (2024) North America (36%) By Product Serum Tubes (32%) By Material Plastic (88%) By Application Routine Chemistry (28%) By Distribution Channel Direct Tender (46%) Top Drivers Fourteen billion annual clinical laboratory tests performed in United States Rising prevalence chronic disorders necessitating frequent blood monitoring procedures Increasing blood transfusions worldwide requiring specialized vacuum collection tubes Top Trends Smart tubes incorporating RFID tags enabling automated sample tracking Automation manufacturing processes producing over 500 million tubes annually Direct consumer diagnostic services expanding home blood collection markets Top Challenges FDA expanded medical device shortage list including collection tubes Tubes collect excess blood volumes causing significant sample wastage Complex disposal regulations varying across regions increasing operational costs Multiplex Diagnostics Boom Accelerates Color-Coded Tube Material Science Advancements Worldwide The explosive rise of syndromic test panels is reshaping workflow requirements inside clinical chemistry labs, pushing the vacuum blood collection tube market toward greater cap differentiation and additive precision. Between 2020 and 2024, the average number of distinct test panels processed daily by top U.S. reference labs climbed from 33 to 52, with many panels demanding paired serum and plasma samples. To prevent pre-analytical mix-ups, manufacturers expanded cap color assortments; SKU counts at three leading suppliers rose from 14 to 21 over the same period. Advanced pigments with higher spectral reflectance are enabling automated sorters to reach 99.98 percent cap recognition accuracy at belt speeds above 300 tubes per minute. Material science is also advancing faster. Newly commercialized bromobutyl rubber stoppers now exhibit sub-0.3 millimeter self-sealing diameters, minimizing aerosol generation during secondary access and aligning with National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) guidelines. Concurrently, serum-separator gel chemistries have shifted toward thixotropic silicones that remain stable after 72-hour sample transport, critical for decentralized clinical trial logistics. Industry analysts cite these hardware innovations as a core driver behind the next wave of product launches in the vacuum blood collection tube market. The same trend is visible in Europe, where bundling agreements increasingly stipulate photometric transparency thresholds to facilitate optical-based clot detection in high-throughput analyzers, demonstrating how diagnostic complexity is exerting granular influence on tube design choices. Emerging Markets Modernize Phlebotomy Infrastructure Through Localized Procurement Strategies Today Public-sector modernization programs are filtering directly into purchasing behavior across emerging economies, strengthening regional importance within the vacuum blood collection tube market. Brazil's Unified Health System injected targeted capital to replace glass syringes with closed vacuum sets in 85 percent of tertiary hospitals by March 2024, cutting needlestick injuries by an estimated 41,000 incidents annually. Indonesia followed with a National Health Insurance procurement guideline that favors locally assembled PET tubes, enabling domestic output to triple within two years while reducing lead times from twelve to four weeks. Such localization satisfies both import-substitution policies and the need for just-in-time inventory amid exchange-rate volatility. These upgrades are paired with large-scale workforce training. Nigeria's Center for Disease Control certified 4,600 new phlebotomists on vacuum collection protocols in 2023 alone, supported by e-learning modules translated into Hausa and Yoruba. Meanwhile, India's Ayushman Bharat program includes digital dashboards that monitor per-capita blood-draw ratios state by state, offering granular consumption data previously unavailable to suppliers. For manufacturers, the implication is clear: product portfolios must accommodate tropical storage profiles, variable electricity reliability, and multilingual labeling. Companies that have co-invested in local molding and rubber-stopper lines report 27 percent lower logistics costs and faster regulatory clearances, strengthening competitive position within the vacuum blood collection tube market. Rapid Shift Toward Recyclable PET Vacuum Tube Bodies Reshaping Market Dynamics Healthcare systems are under pressure to cut carbon intensity, and that pressure now extends sharply into the vacuum blood collection tube market. Global hospitals generate an estimated nine million kilograms of plastic waste every day, prompting sustainability officers to target high-volume disposables first. Leading suppliers responded in 2024 with PET tube bodies weighing just 6.4 grams—about 30 percent lighter than legacy soda-lime glass alternatives—yet achieving identical vacuum retention for 18 months. The reduced resin mass translates to appreciable CO₂ savings; a 500-bed hospital switching entirely to the new format eliminates roughly 14 metric tons of annual transport emissions. Equally compelling are developments in circular packaging. Denmark's national procurement agency now awards up to 10 percent tender points for return-to-manufacturer recycling schemes that achieve a minimum 70 percent post-use material recovery rate. To comply, vendors embed near-infrared tracer pigments that allow facility-level sorters to distinguish between PET tube bodies and polyisoprene stoppers, thereby improving recycling yield without manual separation. Lifecycle assessments show the revised design cuts cradle-to-grave environmental impact scores by 38 points on the commonly used ReCiPe 2016 scale. These quantifiable, verifiable gains are quickly becoming negotiating leverage in the vacuum blood collection tube market, where environmentally conscious buyers increasingly link contract renewal to documented sustainability metrics rather than price alone. Automation Ready Racks and Robots Redefine High-Volume Blood Collection Workflows Clinical laboratories pursuing 'smart lab' status are re-engineering specimen flow, and automation-friendly packaging is now a decisive purchasing criterion within the vacuum blood collection tube market. More than 60 percent of large North American core labs commissioned track-based automation between 2021 and 2024, according to International Federation of Clinical Chemistry survey data. These systems insert tubes into driverless carts at speeds exceeding 500 units per hour, demanding consistently square-cut, burr-free rims to avoid jamming. Engineers therefore adopted precision injection-molding gates and optical inspection that can detect deviations as small as five microns, raising overall first-pass yield to 99.6 percent. Racks are evolving as well. The latest 50-well carriers feature RFID chips that log lot numbers and expiration dates, allowing middleware to quarantine expired stock automatically. When integrated with Athenahealth or EPIC LIS modules, sample-level traceability eliminates an average of 17 manual barcode scans per patient visit—saving nearly two minutes per draw and lowering ergonomic strain. As a result, capital equipment vendors include 'tube compatibility matrices' in bids, explicitly listing which brands guarantee uninterrupted conveyance. Diagnostics mega-labs now embed such matrices into supply contracts, edging out generic imports and channeling share toward innovation-oriented players in the vacuum blood collection tube market. Pandemic Aftermath Broadens Adoption of Decentralized Community Phlebotomy Service Models COVID-19 left a durable legacy: patients expect diagnostic services closer to home, and this preference reshapes volume flows inside the vacuum blood collection tube market. Across the United States, retail clinics inside pharmacies handled 78 million venipuncture episodes in 2023, up from 42 million pre-pandemic. Similar momentum emerged in Europe where the UK National Health Service funded 237 community phlebotomy hubs, each outfitted with messenger-tube logistics to nearby laboratories. Because these settings operate without the central vacuum manifolds common in hospitals, demand has shifted toward single-use, evacuated tubes with integrated safety needles and pre-attached holders. Mobile services are expanding even faster. India fielded more than 12,000 GPS-tracked phlebotomy vans by mid-2024; each vehicle carries miniature 4 °C compressors powered by rooftop solar panels, allowing specimens to remain within temperature range for eight hours. Such decentralized collection raises new technical considerations: tube wall strength must withstand vibration over unpaved roads, and printed labels must resist 95 percent relative humidity. Vendors meeting these criteria are enjoying higher reorder frequency, confirming decentralization as a structural, not transitory, growth vector for the vacuum blood collection tube market. As telehealth continues to drive at-home monitoring programs for oncology and chronic disease, tubes compatible with finger-prick micro-collection devices are expected to achieve double-digit unit growth, reinforcing the sector's post-pandemic evolution. Competitive Landscape Reconfigures As Cross-Border Manufacturing Alliances Become Mainstream Today Competitive dynamics within the market have pivoted sharply toward strategic alliances and technology licensing. Rather than erecting wholly owned plants, multinational brands are partnering with regional molders able to meet Class 8 clean-room standards in underused industrial parks. Southeast Asia saw eight such alliances inked in 2024, slashing lead times by 40 days compared with import models. In exchange, local partners receive access to proprietary coating chemistries that reduce platelet adhesion, elevating them from contract producers to innovation contributors. Private-label opportunities are also rising. U.S. group purchasing organizations awarded three-year contracts to hybrid manufacturers that blend European gel formulations with Latin American plastics, demonstrating how cross-border synergies win on both cost and performance. Meanwhile, corporate venture arms are seeding start-ups focused on AI-guided visual inspection; one Israeli firm claims its deep-learning camera systems catch 99.9 percent of micro-cracks at full production speed, a specification now referenced in three supply tenders. These maneuvers reveal a maturing but still fragmented competitive set in the vacuum blood collection tube market, where intellectual property, geographic proximity, and digital manufacturing are coalescing into a new success formula. Speak with a Subject Matter Expert Before You Decid: Digital Traceability and Predictive Analytics Define Future Procurement Decision Frameworks Digital transformation is moving from analyzers to consumables, and that shift is rewriting expectations across the vacuum blood collection tube market. Hospitals adopting RFID-enabled tubes report a 42 percent reduction in mislabeling events within 12 months, according to data collated by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Cloud dashboards aggregate scan data every five minutes, enabling inventory systems to flag impending stockouts seven days sooner than manual counts. The predictive edge is tangible: one Midwestern health network avoided an estimated US$ 1.2 million in courier overtime after algorithms diverted surplus tubes among its 18 sites before a winter storm. Regulators are taking notice. The U.S. FDA's Unique Device Identification final rule extension to Class I consumables, published in late 2024, means every evacuated tube must carry scannable production data by 2027. Forward-thinking suppliers are embedding QR codes printed with solvent-resistant inks that survive centrifugation at 5,000 g. Laboratories can therefore reconcile electronic medical record time stamps with centrifuge run logs, unlocking real-time chain-of-custody validation. As procurement committees increasingly rank suppliers by data interoperability, the vacuum blood collection tube market will likely reward vendors capable of bundling hardware, software, and analytics into cohesive, outcome-oriented solutions. The convergence of digital traceability and predictive analytics thus sets the stage for the industry's next competitive leap. Vacuum Blood Collection Tube Market Major Players: Advin Health Care AdvaCare Pharma Biota SEKISUI CHEMICAL CO., LTD. Becton, Dickinson and Company Cardinal Health Hindustan Syringes & Medical Devices Ltd Greiner AG MB Plastic Industries Other Prominent Players Key Segmentation: By Product Type Serum Tubes Plasma Separation Tubes Heparin Tubes EDTA Tubes Glucose Tubes ESR Tubes Others (Thrombin Tubes, Trace Element Tubes, etc.) By Material Plastic Glass By Application Routine Chemistry Blood Sugar Testing Coagulation Testing Lipid Profile Infectious Disease Testing Others By End User Hospitals Diagnostic Laboratories Blood Banks Ambulatory Surgical Centers Others (Academic Institutes, Research Labs) By Distribution Channel Direct Tender Retail Sales Online Sales Distributors By Region North America Europe Asia Pacific Middle East Africa South America Looking for Country-Level or Section-Wise Data? Customize This Report: About Astute Analytica Astute Analytica is a global market research and advisory firm providing data-driven insights across industries such as technology, healthcare, chemicals, semiconductors, FMCG, and more. We publish multiple reports daily, equipping businesses with the intelligence they need to navigate market trends, emerging opportunities, competitive landscapes, and technological advancements. With a team of experienced business analysts, economists, and industry experts, we deliver accurate, in-depth, and actionable research tailored to meet the strategic needs of our clients. At Astute Analytica, our clients come first, and we are committed to delivering cost-effective, high-value research solutions that drive success in an evolving marketplace. Contact Us:Astute AnalyticaPhone: +1-888 429 6757 (US Toll Free); +91-0120- 4483891 (Rest of the World)For Sales Enquiries: sales@ Follow us on: LinkedIn | Twitter | YouTube CONTACT: Contact Us: Astute Analytica Phone: +1-888 429 6757 (US Toll Free); +91-0120- 4483891 (Rest of the World) For Sales Enquiries: sales@ Website: in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
New York Post
6 hours ago
- New York Post
Husband drains bank account, divorces sick wife via text
A husband who text messaged his cancer-stricken wife to say he was leaving and had taken all their money has exposed a horrific divorce act only men commit. Marie took to social media to share her horror that her husband had walked out on her after she was diagnosed with a brain tumour. As if that wasn't bad enough, he had also cleared out their joint bank account, money she claims she needs for her medical treatment. Advertisement 5 A screenshot of a text exchange between a woman and her husband, who drained her bank account after her brain cancer diagnosis TikTok/Reddit 'My husband of 6 years up and vanished, drained our mutual account and sent me this when I asked what the hell was going on,' the post, shared on TikTok and Reddit, stated. 'My condition is foul, I've had multiple surgeries, treatments, etc … But I've always been faithful, I still cooked him dinners up until this happened. He's pretty convinced I'm dead to rights, I personally think I have a chance …' Alongside her post is an MRI scan of Marie's brain showing the tumour, and the text her husband sent her explaining his reasons for leaving. Advertisement 'Listen, it's been hard, I can't handle watching you die,' the text starts. 'I feel alone, I feel trapped, I'm not sure where or what I'm going to do … I've invested a lot during your treatment so I'm recouping what I put in plus extra for my future. I can still have one.' He went on to apologise for the fact his wife was dying and urged her to 'be happy for me, that I can live for us both'. 5 The woman's MRI scan that shows her brain tumour TikTok/Reddit Advertisement Understandably, people are outraged. But the horrendous exchange is tragically not a one-off case – it's a common occurrence for wives facing serious health battles. Men more likely to leave sick partner New data shows men are more likely to leave their wives after a cancer diagnosis than vice versa. The 2025 study assessed more than 25,000 heterosexual couples aged 50 and older across 27 European countries during an 18-year period and concluded that divorce was more likely when the wife is ill. Advertisement In contrast, if it was the husband who had health problems, the couple was no more likely to split than if both were healthy. This was echoed in an earlier paper, published in 2015, that saw researchers track 2701 marriages and watch what happened when someone became unwell. 5 According to new data, men are more likely to leave their wives after a cancer diagnosis than vice versa Yakobchuk Olena – While only 6 per cent of cases ended in divorce, they were all instigated by men. Another study from 2009 found the strongest predictor for separation or divorce for patients with brain cancer was whether or not the sick person was a woman. Women cop the bad end of the deal – even in death That same study showed that men were seven times more likely to leave their partner than the other way around if one of them got brain cancer, according to The Guardian. Professor Alex Broom, a Professor of Sociology and the Director of the Sydney Centre for Healthy Societies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Sydney, explained that the data shows a telling reflection on the inequity in modern marriages. 'Research has often shown than women bear the brunt of caring responsibilities at both ends of life – the early years and the twilight years. But also, that the men in their lives can be ill equipped to provide them with care and support when they need it – whether in the context of serious illness or at the end of life,' he told Advertisement 'I'm sure many people at this point will say, 'not all men' or 'not my partner'. And it is true, men come in many shapes and forms. But the reality is, women do a disproportionate amount of informal caring, and receive less, on average, themselves, often at critical moments.' Professor Alex Broom stressed that while 'we may think we live in an equitable society, we do not', with women – particularly married ones – still copping the bad end of the deal even when they are sick. 5 Research shows that women often bear the brunt of caring responsibilities, whether in the context of serious illness or at the end of life Africa Studio – 'The increase in women's participation in the workforce has increased women's paid income and assets but not necessarily equalised the distribution of informal caring responsibilities,' he said. Advertisement 'For instance, household surveys have found men now do slightly more domestic work than they used to, but women still do much more, in average, than men despite paid work. That is, patriarchal ideas about care and responsibility still lurk in the background of our society. 'The 'caring gap', as we may call it, may explain why some men 'jump' when faced with difficult scenario. The social norms binding them to the social contract of care is weaker than it is for women.' In Marie's case, she felt particularly hard done by as she had stuck by her husband, even when he wasn't doing great in life. 'We met in high school, I supported him financially during his degree, I was there when his sister died,' she explained. Advertisement 'Now I'm just sitting in our apartment, unsure where to go next. That money was there for future treatments, it was money I helped accrue … To take it all. I just can't.' 'Men leave when they are no longer getting what they want' Paul Brunson, a relationship counsellor and British TV host, recently discussed the disturbing phenomenon on an episode of 'Diary of a CEO' with Steven Bartlett, describing it as 'alarming' and 'shocking'. 5 Relationship experts describe this pattern of behaviors from men as 'alarming' and 'shocking' Kirsten D/ – 'What these men say is that they're no longer getting their emotional or physical intimacy needs met, and as a result of no longer getting this thing, they're out,' he explained. Advertisement 'There's a disproportionate amount of the relationship that is placed on the physical side.' Reaction to the Marie's situation, and the shocking statistics surrounding sick women, has been overwhelming as many women express disgust but not shock. 'You WILL beat the cancer, and you will thrive agaï¸in. What goes around comes around,' one commented. 'I'm not surprised, there's not a single man in the comments showing support,' another added. As one remarked: 'I'm just shocked that it's not higher a higher percentage of men.'
Medscape
7 hours ago
- Medscape
PICU Mortality Higher for Deprived, Minority Children
Children from deprived and ethnic minority backgrounds are more likely to die following admission to paediatric intensive care units (PICU), according to a UK study. The research analysed 245,099 admissions to PICUs between 2008 and 2021, covering 163,163 children across the UK. Overall, 63·1% of PICU admissions were unplanned. Among children for whom ethnicity data were available, 61.4% of admissions were children of White ethnicity, 9.2% Asian, 4.4% Black, 2.8% multiple ethnicities, and 2.4% were classed as 'other'. The study was conducted by a team from Imperial College London, University College London, and the universities of Leicester, Leeds, and Bristol. Poverty Increases PICU Mortality Odds The research, published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health , revealed that children living in areas with higher levels of poverty were more likely to be admitted to PICUs, were more severely ill on arrival, and were less likely to survive than children from the least deprived areas. Overall PICU mortality across planned and unplanned admissions was 3.7%. This ranged from 3.1% for children in the least deprived quintile to 4.2% among children in the most deprived. Children living in the most deprived areas had 13% higher odds of death after PICU admission than those living in the least deprived areas. Mortality Highest Among Asian Children Children of ethnic minority backgrounds were more likely than White children to have longer PICU stays (average 66 versus 52 hours) and unplanned readmission to PICU within 60 days of discharge (9% versus 6.8%). Asian children had the highest crude mortality rate at 5.1%, compared with 3.2% for White children. Children of multiple and 'other' ethnicities also had higher odds of dying, with odds ratios of 1.23 and 1.20 respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in mortality between Black and White children (OR 1.04). The researchers noted that although ethnicity was known to contribute to differences in mortality and other health inequalities in children, their study was the first to report worse intensive care outcomes among children from more deprived backgrounds. They concluded that targeted community and hospital-based interventions are needed to improve PICU outcomes. Early Disparities Highlighted Dr Hannah Mitchell Lead researcher Dr Hannah Mitchell, from the Department of Surgery and Cancer at Imperial College London (ICL), said that the disparities mirror those seen in adults, but emerge much earlier, with 44% of children admitted to PICU under 1 year old and 70% under 5 years old. "This suggests that the effects of deprivation and systemic inequality begin very early in life, long before adult risk factors come into play," she told Medscape News UK . Mitchell said that the research team had secured funding to explore why children from more deprived areas, and those of Asian ethnicity, often arrive in PICU more unwell and may continue to deteriorate after admission. A further study would investigate how this might be prevented, she said. Professor Padmanabhan Ramnarayan Senior author Professor Padmanabhan Ramnarayan, also from ICL, described the findings as "worrying". He warned that PICU use is likely to rise as more children develop complex chronic conditions. Dr Helen Stewart, officer for health improvement at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said that the study revealed the "deeply alarming" depth of child poverty in the UK. "As a paediatrician, I am increasingly disturbed by the rising number of children presenting with poverty-related illnesses," she told Medscape News UK . Stewart added that 'poverty is a key determinant of health, shaping children's wellbeing and elevating mortality risk in areas of greatest deprivation'. Experts Call for Urgent Action The study followed recent findings from the National Child Mortality Database (NCMD), which reported that over half (54%) of the 9517 deaths in children aged 0 to 17 in England occurring between 1 April 2019 and 31 March 2022 involved children with life-limiting conditions. Karen Luyt, a professor in neonatal medicine at the University of Bristol, and NCMD programme lead, told Medscape News UK: "A plausible hypothesis would be that underlying life limiting conditions might explain the higher mortality rate of Asian children on UK PICUs." The research was commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) through its national paediatric intensive care audit network (PICANet).
