The Medical journal of Australia
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To assess the prevalence of bronchiectasis among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) adults in the Top End of the Northern Territory, and mortality among Indigenous adults with bronchiectasis. ⋯ The prevalence of bronchiectasis burden among Indigenous adults in the Top End of the NT is high, but differed by health district, as is all-cause mortality among adults with bronchiectasis. The socio-demographic and other factors that contribute to the high prevalence of bronchiectasis among Indigenous Australians should be investigated so that interventions for reducing its burden can be developed.
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To evaluate the effectiveness of maternal pertussis vaccination for preventing pertussis infections in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infants under seven months of age. ⋯ During 2015-17, maternal pertussis vaccination did not protect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infants in the NT, Queensland, and WA against infection. Increasing the pertussis vaccination rate among pregnant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women requires culturally appropriate, innovative strategies co-designed in partnership with Indigenous organisations and communities.
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Clinicians must make decisions amid the uncertainty that is ubiquitous to clinical practice. Uncertainty in clinical practice can assume many forms depending on its source, such as insufficient personal knowledge or scientific evidence, limited practical understanding or competence, challenging interpersonal relationships, and complexity and ambiguity in clinical encounters. ⋯ Clinicians vary in their tolerance of uncertainty, and maladaptive responses may adversely affect patient care and clinician wellbeing. Various strategies can be used to minimise and manage, but not eliminate, uncertainty and to share uncertainty with patients without compromising the clinician-patient relationship or clinician credibility.
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Observational Study
The Alfred Health post-COVID-19 service, Melbourne, 2020-2022: an observational cohort study.
To determine the uptake of the Alfred Health Post-COVID service among people hospitalised with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) or referred by general practitioners; to describe their characteristics and symptoms at eight weeks and the clinical services they required. ⋯ After acute COVID-19 that required hospital admission or was followed by persistent symptoms in community care, a small proportion of people (5.7%) reported symptoms that required medical and allied health specialist assessment and management. Our findings may assist planning services for people with long COVID.
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Meta Analysis Observational Study
The burden of occupational injury attributable to high temperatures in Australia, 2014-19: a retrospective observational study.
To assess the population health impact of high temperatures on workplace health and safety by estimating the burden of heat-attributable occupational injury in Australia. ⋯ An estimated 2.3% of the occupational injury burden in Australia is attributable to high ambient temperatures. To prevent this burden increasing with global warming, adaptive measures and industry-based policies are needed to safeguard workplace health and safety, particularly in heat-exposed industries, such as agriculture, transport, and construction.