Journal articles

Background: Central venous catheterization (CVC) is a frequently performed procedure in anesthesia and critical care settings. Modern procedures have improved significantly, particularly with increasingly sophisticated venous verification methods and ultrasound guidance. While the associated historical complication rates reflect this improvement, complications such as inadvertent arterial puncture, arterial cannulation, pneumothorax, deep vein thrombosis, and catheter-associated infection […]

Electronic cigarette (EC) use, especially among younger members of society, has grown to concerning levels in many countries, including Australia and New Zealand. Uptake in the general population, driven by technological and pharmacological innovations, and accelerated by aggressive tobacco/vaping industry marketing, has outpaced medical research. As the harms of EC use become increasingly evident, the […]

Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA ECMO) for the management of refractory cardiogenic shock (CS) has been widely used in recent years. Increased left ventricular (LV) afterload induced by retrograde flow remains a limiting factor, which is particularly evident during peripheral VA ECMO support. The concomitant use of the intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) is an established […]

CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed significant variation in OPAT practice. Further study is needed to understand the reasons for these differences and whether better alignment of practice could improve patient outcomes, antimicrobial stewardship practice and resource utilization.

No abstract

CONCLUSIONS: Patients receiving procedural sedation for endoscopic procedures may experience heat loss comparable to the initial phase of general or neuraxial anesthesia. Active warming and continuous temperature monitoring are yet to be implemented in this population.

CONCLUSIONS: The use of the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 administered by neonatal nurses can help identify potential signs of parental stress or trauma. Further research must assess whether early screening and referral improve parental outcomes.

No abstract

This technical report describes the development and use of a system for performing routine quality assurance (QA) of real-time adaptive radiotherapy treatments delivered using the Accuray Radixact Synchrony platform. Established international guidelines recommend the use of a dynamic phantom to verify real-time target tracking and the use of 2D dosimetry to verify the accuracy of […]

The palliative ambulance management plan (AMP) is a document that assists paramedics in the acute care of patients with life-limiting illness. We retrospectively examined ambulance attendances for 111 patients with an AMP in the Hutt Valley, New Zealand. Ambulances attended 46 patients on 67 occasions with 40% transported to an acute hospital. Transport preferences were […]

Management of malignant insulinoma (MI) presents dual management challenges of hypoglycaemia and tumour control. This study aims to analyse long-term outcomes of PRRT for treatment of MI. We retrospectively reviewed consecutive patients with MI treated with [177Lu]Lu-DOTATATE (LuTATE) at two Australian NET centres between 2004-2022. Follow-up for hypoglycaemia, molecular imaging, radiologic and biochemical responses, treatment-related […]

Background Nationally, the increase in syphilis notifications over recent years has demonstrated persistent bridging across to wider populations, particularly women of reproductive age. Populations experiencing adverse social determinants, caught in a cycle of marginalisation and social exclusion through mental ill-health, alcohol and drug misuse, and economic and housing stress, have increasingly become susceptible. Methods The […]

The UK Biobank (UKB) is a population-based resource of genetic, health, lifestyle, sociodemographic, and linked clinical data for ~500,000 volunteers. Previous analyses of health determinants have shown that the UKB is not representative of the population from which it is drawn. However, representativeness from a general health-outcomes perspective is unknown, but could be assessed using […]

CONCLUSION: Germline BRCA testing may not be cost-effective when limited to patients with localised PCa but demonstrates value for money when extended to FDRs.

Linear endobronchial (EBUS) guided sampling of accessible mediastinal lesions is well established as a first-choice modality for lung cancer mediastinal staging. Parenchymal lung lesions, however, are routinely accessed by either a percutaneous (CT-guided) or a bronchoscopic approach. Direct comparisons between the percutaneous approach and bronchoscopy, or EBUS and mediastinoscopy are sparse in regard to diagnostic […]