The Medical journal of Australia
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Multicenter Study
Characteristics of the community-level diet of Aboriginal people in remote northern Australia.
To describe the nutritional quality of community-level diets in remote northern Australian communities. ⋯ Very poor dietary quality continues to be a characteristic of remote Aboriginal community nutrition profiles since the earliest studies almost three decades ago. Significant proportions of key nutrients are provided from poor-quality nutrient-fortified processed foods. Further evidence regarding the impact of the cost of food on food purchasing in this context is urgently needed and should include cost-benefit analysis of improved dietary intake on health outcomes.
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To determine the prevalence of susceptibility to measles, mumps, rubella, varicella and hepatitis B virus (HBV) among New South Wales prison entrants and to compare results for prison entrants with those of a community sample. ⋯ Prison entrants are susceptible to a number of vaccine-preventable diseases. We recommend a cost-benefit analysis of implementing routine vaccination for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella and an exploration of options for improving uptake of HBV vaccination.
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To review cases of nosocomial influenza and compare the epidemiology, clinical characteristics and outcomes with community-acquired cases. ⋯ Nosocomial influenza is uncommon but may be associated with severe disease. It may be partially preventable as patients frequently have comorbidities for which influenza vaccination is recommended. Patients, particularly those at high risk of complications, and their contacts (including health care workers) should be vaccinated to prevent severe disease.
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The tale of dabigatran sounds some cautionary notes about proper critical appraisal of new randomised controlled trials,care in deciding on the generalisability of results, judicious screening of patients and lessons about the politics around increasingly lucrative drugs. The old lesson of caveat utilitor still holds: let the user beware!
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A working party (WP) from the Australasian Association of Clinical Biochemists, Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists, Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia and Royal Australasian College of Physicians recommends the following: *mass units should be used for reporting therapeutic drug concentrations in Australia and New Zealand; and the litre (L) should be used as the denominator when expressing concentration. Examples of these units are mg/L and μg/L Exceptions to these principles include: *drugs for which there is current uniformity of reporting and supporting information using molar units, notably lithium (mmol/L) and methotrexate (μmol/L); *drugs that are also present as endogenous substances, where the units used routinely should continue to be used. This applies to many substances, including minerals (eg, iron; μmol/L), vitamins (eg, vitamin D; nmol/L) and hormones (eg, thyroxine; pmol/L). *drugs for which the denominator is not a 198 of fluid and there is international uniformity of reporting (eg, thiopurine metabolites; per 109 red blood cells). ⋯ Other substances, such as drugs of misuse, heavy metals or environmental toxins, were not considered by the WP and are thus not covered by this document. These recommendations should also be applied to other supporting documentation such as published guidelines, journal articles and websites. The implementation of these recommendations in New Zealand is subject to local confirmation.