Internal medicine journal
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Internal medicine journal · Aug 2021
Impact of Victoria's first dedicated Endocrine Hypertension Service on the pattern of primary aldosteronism diagnoses.
Primary aldosteronism (PA) accounts for 3.2-12.7% of hypertension in primary care but is often diagnosed late, if at all. A delayed or missed diagnosis leads to poor blood pressure control and greater cardiovascular risk. ⋯ The EHS, with its strong component of general practitioner engagement, led to increased primary care referrals and PA detection earlier in the course of hypertension. Referred patients were on fewer antihypertensives and had less end-organ damage which simplified the diagnostic process, allowing targeted treatment to be commenced earlier and patient outcomes optimised.
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Internal medicine journal · Aug 2021
Medical Emergency Team Training - Needs Assessment, Feedback and Learning Objectives (MET-NATLO).
There are no published studies assessing learning needs and attitudes prior to attending a medical emergency team (MET) education programme. ⋯ MET education programme participants overwhelmingly feel that training should be multidisciplinary. However, there are disparities between the perceived learning needs of medical and nursing personnel, and between intensive care team members and medical registrars, which may impact on the design and implementation of a multidisciplinary education programme.
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Internal medicine journal · Aug 2021
Case ReportsHyponatraemia due to the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion in adults with respiratory syncytial virus infection.
We present a case of severe hyponatraemia due to syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone (SIADH) in a patient with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection. A retrospective analysis of all patients admitted to our hospital with RSV in the preceding 3-year period revealed hyponatraemia in 41 (28%) cases, of which 13 (8.9%) were moderate or severe. SIADH was explored and confirmed in five (3.4%) patients, raising this as an important, previously unrecognised, complication of RSV infection in adults. Physician awareness of SIADH as a potential complication of RSV will facilitate early diagnosis and treatment of this potentially fatal disorder.
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Internal medicine journal · Aug 2021
Use of telehealth to increase treatment access for prisoners with chronic hepatitis C.
Prisons remain a priority population in the treatment of hepatitis C (HCV) in Australia. To improve treatment uptake, we created a novel telehealth-based model of care for prisoners with HCV that is both cost-effective and requires minimal infrastructure. ⋯ A large number (29%) of patients was lost to follow up after release from prison - highlighting the vital opportunity for HCV treatment during incarceration. We propose that similar models of care can be used to improve HCV treatment access for other priority populations in Australia.