The Medical journal of Australia
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Bacteriophage (phage) therapy is re-emerging a century after it began. Activity against antibiotic-resistant pathogens and a lack of serious side effects make phage therapy an attractive treatment option in refractory bacterial infections. ⋯ Combinations of fully characterised, exclusively lytic phages prepared under good manufacturing practice are limited in their availability. Safety has been demonstrated but randomised controlled trials are needed to evaluate efficacy.
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To examine the prevalence of psychotropic medicine dispensing before and after older people enter residential care. ⋯ Dispensing of psychotropic medicines to older Australians is high before they enter residential care but increases markedly soon after entry into care. Non-pharmacological behavioural management strategies are important for limiting the prescribing of psychotropic medicines for older people in the community or in residential care.
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Observational Study
SmartStartAllergy: a novel tool for monitoring food allergen introduction in infants.
To estimate the proportion of infants introduced to peanut and other common food allergens by 12 months of age; to collect information about parent-reported reactions to food. ⋯ Infant feeding practices in Australia have changed over the past decade; a large majority of infants are now fed peanut before 12 months of age. The SmartStartAllergy program allows monitoring of infant feeding practices in primary care, as well as of parent-reported reactions to food in infants.
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Sexual dysfunction is a frequent, potentially distressing, adverse effect of antidepressants and a leading cause of medication non-adherence. Sexual function should be actively assessed at baseline, at regular intervals during treatment, and after treatment cessation. ⋯ Post-SSRI sexual dysfunction has been recently identified as a potential, although rare, adverse effect of SSRIs and SNRIs. Consider the possibility of post-SSRI sexual dysfunction in patients in whom sexual dysfunction was absent before starting antidepressants but develops during or soon after antidepressant treatment and still persists after remission from depression and discontinuation of the drug.