Internal medicine journal
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Internal medicine journal · Aug 2023
Machine learning models automate classification of penicillin adverse drug reaction labels.
There is a growing interest in the appropriate evaluation of penicillin adverse drug reaction (ADR) labels. We have developed machine learning models for classifying penicillin ADR labels using free-text reaction descriptions, and here report external and practical validation. ⋯ These models have practical applications in detecting individuals suitable for penicillin ADR evaluation. Implementation studies are required.
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Internal medicine journal · Aug 2023
Historical epidemics of scrub typhus in Queensland and Papua New Guinea.
Undifferentiated febrile diseases (e.g., Mossman fever) from northern Queensland were eventually partially attributed to mite-transmitted rickettsial infections known as scrub typhus or tsutsugamushi fever. Scrub typhus became a major medical threat to military operations in Papua New Guinea during the Second World War and killed more Australian soldiers than malaria in the pre-antibiotic era. ⋯ Occasional small epidemics of scrub typhus still occur during military exercises in Queensland, but as scrub typhus is not a reportable disease, its presence in the civilian community is largely unknown. Increased use of serological testing in patients with fever and rash illnesses after exposure in northern Queensland is likely to show that scrub typhus is a modern infection that remains treatable with antibiotics once it is identified.
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Internal medicine journal · Aug 2023
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyCryobiopsy with Radial-EBUS (Cryo-Radial) has comparable diagnostic yield with higher safety in comparison to CT- guided transthoracic biopsy for Peripheral Pulmonary Lesions. An Exploratory Randomised Study.
Computed tomography-guided transthoracic biopsy (CT-TTB) is the 'gold standard' biopsy for lung nodules. Radial-endobronchial ultrasound (R-EBUS) bronchoscopy is another recommended biopsy but carries a lower diagnostic yield. Addition of cryobiopsy with R-EBUS (Cryo-Radial) has shown promising results. There are no studies comparing CT-TTB with Cryo-Radial biopsy. ⋯ Cryo-Radial is comparable in diagnostic yield and ability to perform EGFR testing with a significantly lower risk of pneumothorax, compared with CT-TTB. Cryo-Radial has the additional advantage of mediastinal staging during the same procedure with Linear-EBUS and is a promising first-line tool in the diagnostic method of lung cancer.
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Internal medicine journal · Aug 2023
Exploring assessment of balance using virtual reality in patients at risk of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common dose-limiting toxicity for people treated for cancer. Impaired balance and falls are functional consequences of CIPN. Virtual reality (VR) technology may be able to assess balance and identify patients at risk of falls. ⋯ While VR balance assessment was no better at identifying CIPN than existing measures, it is a potential surrogate method to assess patients at risk of falls from CIPN.