We found no evidence in this review to suggest that 5-ASA preparations are superior to placebo for the maintenance of medically-induced remission in patients with Crohn's disease. Therefore it appears that additional randomised trials of this regime are not justified.

Vitamin K1 prophylaxis with 0.2 mg administered intramuscularly maintained adequate vitamin K status of preterm infants until a median age of 25 postnatal days and did not cause early vitamin K1 2,3-epoxide accumulation. In contrast, 0.2 mg administered intravenously and 0.5 mg administered intramuscularly led to vitamin K1 2,3-epoxide accumulation, possibly indicating overload of the immature liver. To protect against late vitamin K1 deficiency bleeding, breastfed preterm infants given a 0.2-mg dose of prophylaxis should receive additional supplementation when feeding has been established.

Sponsored by OPRI with partial funding by Circassia and study drugs provided by TEVA.

Mobility disability in the middle-aged is relatively common. The associated conditions in the middle-aged are similar to those in older people. Lower limb and back pain make dominant population contributions to mobility disability. Prevention of later disability progression may require more attention being paid to mobility difficulties and its causes in the middle-aged.

Objectives. Hip and knee joint replacements are effective, and yet little is known about how closely the need for joint replacement matches supply in different population groups. Our objective was to compare the prevalence of existing joint replacements with that of need in population groups in England. Methods. A total of 7101 people aged 60 yrs or older, representative of the population of England, were interviewed. Participants were asked about both receipt and need for joint replacement, socioeconomic status and co-morbidity. 'Need' classification was based on hip or knee pain and difficulty walking, with adjustment for potential surgical contraindications. Associations between participants' characteristics and both need and receipt were estimated. Results. The prevalence of existing joint replacement (receipt) was 6% [95% confidence intervals (CI) 5, 6], and this was lower in the North than the South [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 0.72, CI 0.53, 0.96]. In contrast, the prevalence of estimated need was higher in the North (OR 1.27, CI 1.03, 1.58). Need was greater in women than men (OR 1.30, CI 1.09, 1.53), and showed an increasing gradient from the wealthiest to poorest quintile (ORs 1.00, 1.52, 2.18, 2.49, 3.23). In contrast, receipt did not differ significantly by sex or socioeconomic group. Conclusions. People living in the North of England, women and the less wealthy experience relatively high levels of need, yet do not receive relatively more hip and knee joint replacements.