Aust Fam Physician
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Water as a fast acting wax softening agent before ear syringing.
Dispute exists over the best treatment for softening occlusive earwax. Some require the patient to go away for days before returning for syringing. Some syringe immediately with no preparation. ⋯ Prior installation of water before syringing seems to be an effective and simple method of reducing the number of attempts required to clear the ear of occlusive wax.
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People with intellectual disability, as well as people with dementia or mental health disability, are vulnerable to sexual abuse and may lack the capacity to give valid consent to medical treatment. Their reproductive choices may be limited by their support needs, by social pressures or by sterilisation at a young age. ⋯ People with intellectual disability require education to help them resist abuse, and advocacy to ensure that their environment protects them. They require support and education when making reproductive choices and health care decisions. In cases where they do not have the capacity for informed consent, a substitute decision maker is required.
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Comparative Study
Childhood asthma diagnosis and use of asthma medication.
To determine the burden of asthma in children. ⋯ We confirm a high prevalence of asthma and medication use for asthma. The high proportion of children diagnosed asthmatic at 2 years or under (when asthma cannot be diagnosed reliably) suggests overdiagnosis of asthma may contribute to the apparent high prevalence.