Wildfires have escalated into a global threat with profound impacts on health, society, and the environment. The increasing frequency and intensity of these disasters, influenced by climate change and urban expansion, necessitate a comprehensive understanding of their direct health consequences.

This study conducted a retrospective analysis of global wildfire disasters from January 2000 to December 2023, utilizing data from the Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT). The analysis focused on the direct health outcomes—mortalities and injuries—excluding indirect effects such as smoke inhalation. Data were meticulously cleaned, categorized, and analyzed using quantitative methods, with statistical tests employed to validate the findings.

The study identified 309 significant wildfire disasters, with forest fires accounting for 80% of these events. These incidents resulted in 1890 fatalities and 14 360 injuries, with the highest tolls observed in Southern Europe, Northern America, and the Australia-New Zealand region. A notable rise in wildfire incidents was observed over the study period, underscoring the critical intersections between climate change, urban expansion, and wildfire risks. The analysis highlighted significant geographical and temporal patterns, emphasizing the regions and factors contributing to heightened wildfire vulnerability.

The findings underscore the urgent need for robust disaster preparedness and effective mitigation strategies. Integrating advanced early warning systems and Traditional Ecological Knowledge into wildfire management practices is essential. The study calls for proactive public health measures and interdisciplinary approaches to address the multifaceted challenges posed by wildfires. Continuous research and policy formulation are crucial to protect vulnerable communities and mitigate the increasing threat of wildfires globally.

Bone conduction hearing implants are a well-established method of hearing rehabilitation in children and adults. This study aimed to review any changes in provision in England.

The total number of bone conduction hearing implantations performed was analysed from 2012 to 2021 utilising Hospital Episode Statistics data for England.

The total number of procedures has increased by 58 per cent. One-stage bone conduction hearing implantations in adults accounts for the largest proportion of this increase (93 per cent of the total). The number performed in children has remained stable and accounts for 73 per cent (n = 433) of all two-stage procedures.

The data show that bone conduction hearing implant surgery is becoming increasingly popular, particularly in adults. This has correlated with the increase in availability, national recommendations and choice of devices.

People with severe mental illness (SMI) die prematurely, mostly due to preventable causes.

To examine multimorbidity and mortality in people living with SMI using linked administrative datasets.

Analysis of linked electronically captured routine hospital administrative data from Northern Ireland (2010–2021). We derived sex-specific age-standardised rates for seven chronic life-limiting physical conditions (chronic kidney disease, malignant neoplasms, diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic heart failure, myocardial infarction, and stroke) and used logistic regression to examine the relationship between SMI, socio-demographic indicators, and comorbid conditions; survival models quantified the relationship between all-cause mortality and SMI.

Analysis was based on 929,412 hospital patients aged 20 years and above, of whom 10,965 (1.3%) recorded a diagnosis of SMI. Higher likelihoods of an SMI diagnosis were associated with living in socially deprived circumstances, urbanicity. SMI patients were more likely to have more comorbid physical conditions than non-SMI patients, and younger at referral to hospital for each condition, than non-SMI patients. Finally, in fully adjusted models, SMI patients had a twofold excess all-cause mortality.

Multiple morbidities associated with SMI can drive excess mortality. While SMI patients are younger at referral to treatment for these life-limiting conditions, their relatively premature death suggests that these conditions are also quite advanced. There is a need for a more aggressive approach to improving the physical health of this population.

Individuals with bipolar disorders (BD) are at risk of premature death, mainly due to medical comorbidities. Childhood maltreatment might contribute to this medical morbidity, which remains underexplored in the literature.

We assessed 2891 outpatients with BD (according to DSM-IV criteria). Childhood maltreatment was assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Lifetime diagnoses for medical disorders were retrospectively assessed using a systematic interview and checked against medical notes. Medical morbidity was defined by the sum of medical disorders. We investigated associations between childhood maltreatment (neglect and abuse) and medical morbidity while adjusting for potential confounders.

One quarter of individuals had no medical comorbidities, while almost half of them had at least two. Multivariable regression showed that childhood maltreatment (mainly abuse, but also sexual abuse) was associated with a higher medical morbidity. Medical morbidity was also associated with sex, age, body mass index, sleep disturbances, lifetime anxiety disorders and lifetime density of mood episodes. Childhood maltreatment was associated with an increased prevalence of four (i.e. migraine/headache, drug eruption, duodenal ulcer, and thyroid diseases) of the fifteen most frequent medical disorders, however with no difference in terms of age at onset.

This large cross-sectional study confirmed a high medical morbidity in BD and its association with childhood maltreatment. The assessment of childhood maltreatment in individuals with BD should be systematically included in routine care and the potential impact on physical health of psycho-social interventions targeting childhood maltreatment and its consequences should be evaluated.