Internal medicine journal
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Internal medicine journal · Jan 2025
Rationale, objectives and design of a national prospective database for idiopathic inflammatory myopathies: the Australian Myositis Registry.
Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) are a group of autoimmune diseases characterised by inflammation of skeletal muscle and other organ systems. They have high morbidity and mortality but, in part because of their rarity and heterogeneity, improving understanding and outcomes remains challenging. To address these problems, numerous IIM registries exist globally, but no national registry yet exists in Australia. ⋯ The AMR is the first nationwide registry in Australia for patients with IIMs and one of the very few national registries for IIMs globally. It aims to provide valuable insight into the epidemiology and clinical experience of IIMs in Australia to help address multiple research agendas.
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Internal medicine journal · Jan 2025
Observational StudyA retrospective examination of risk factors for central line-associated bloodstream infections in home parenteral nutrition patients from a Queensland tertiary hospital.
Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) are a potential complication for home parenteral nutrition (HPN) patients. ⋯ In this cohort of patients, regular opioid use was associated with increased risk of developing CLABSI. Based on our findings, an empiric antimicrobial regime of vancomycin, cefepime and caspofungin will provide adequate coverage for most HPN-related CLABSIs in Australian IF units with a similar antimicrobial distribution and resistance pattern.
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Internal medicine journal · Jan 2025
Safety of abdominal paracentesis in hospitalised patients receiving uninterrupted therapeutic or prophylactic anticoagulants.
Abdominal paracentesis is a frequently performed procedure in hospitalised patients with ascites. Concurrently, most hospitalised adult patients receive pharmacologic anticoagulation, either for therapeutic purposes or prophylactically to prevent venous thromboembolism. Despite this, minimal evidence exists to guide management of anticoagulant therapy pre- and post-paracentesis. ⋯ Performance of abdominal paracentesis in patients receiving therapeutic or prophylactic anticoagulation appears to be safe regardless of whether anticoagulation was interrupted periprocedurally, with low rates of bleeding complications, thrombotic complications or need for red blood cell transfusions post-paracentesis.
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Internal medicine journal · Jan 2025
Comparative StudyComparison of cardiovascular risk prediction in type 1 diabetes: an Australian viewpoint.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a significant burden in individuals with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Yet the optimal method of CVD risk stratification remains uncertain. We found that the new Australian CVD risk calculator could overestimate risk category compared with the Steno Type 1 Risk Engine and underestimate risk category compared with the new Swedish/Scottish prediction tool, both of which were validated for T1DM. More research is needed to derive a CVD risk assessment pathway for individuals with T1DM in Australia.