Journal of paediatrics and child health
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J Paediatr Child Health · May 2012
Case mix in paediatric rheumatology: implications for training in Australia.
Despite a move towards the provision of specialist training in Australia in settings that extend beyond the public hospital system, formal comparisons of case mix between public and private specialty clinics have rarely been performed. It is therefore unclear for many specialties how well training in one setting prepares trainees for practice in the other. ⋯ The case mix in private paediatric rheumatology clinics closely mirrors that of public clinics at our centre. Training in either setting would provide sufficient case-mix exposure to prepare trainees for practice in the other.
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J Paediatr Child Health · May 2012
Comparative Study Clinical TrialComparison of body mass index and triceps skinfold at 5 years and young adult body mass index, waist circumference and blood pressure.
To examine which measure of obesity at 5 years, body mass index (BMI) or triceps skinfold thickness, is most strongly associated with 21-year risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), including BMI, waist circumference (WC), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). ⋯ In children with overweight/obesity, BMI rather than triceps skinfold is the preferred epidemiological measure for identifying young adult CVD risk markers of BMI, WC and blood pressure.
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J Paediatr Child Health · Apr 2012
ReviewMedical management of paediatric burn injuries: best practice.
Burns commonly occur in children and their first aid remains inadequate despite burn prevention programmes. While scald injuries predominate, contact and flame burns remain common. ⋯ The heterogeneous nature of burn wounds, coupled with the difficulties associated with the early clinical assessment of burn depth, has stimulated the application of novel technologies to predict burn wound outcome. This review explores current best practice in the management of paediatric burns, with a focus on prevention, optimal first aid, resuscitation, burn wound prediction and wound management strategies.
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Aboriginal women in the remote Fitzroy Valley region in Western Australia's Kimberley were concerned about high rates of alcohol use in pregnancy and its possible impact on child development. They successfully lobbied for restricted access to alcohol in 2007. In 2009 they developed a strategy for the diagnosis and prevention of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and the support of parents and carers of affected children. ⋯ This commenced in 2010 following extensive community consultation and receipt of community consent. Data from this study are still being collected and will be used by the community to advocate for improved services and new models of health care. Prevention of FASD is important to optimise health and development for future generations of Aboriginal children and to ensure the transfer of culture and language from one generation to the next.
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J Paediatr Child Health · Mar 2012
Novel inpatient surveillance in tertiary paediatric hospitals in New South Wales illustrates impact of first-wave pandemic influenza A H1N1 (2009) and informs future health service planning.
To document the impact of pandemic influenza A H1N1 (2009) in New South Wales (NSW) children's hospitals. ⋯ PAEDS is a valuable surveillance tool that documented the impact of the H1N1 (2009) pandemic in NSW children's hospitals. High numbers of complications, often in previously well children, suggest an important role for early diagnosis, antiviral therapy and influenza vaccination. Observed regional differences identify areas potentially at greater risk in a subsequent wave.