The Medical journal of Australia
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Comment Letter Case Reports
Community-acquired Klebsiella pneumoniae liver abscesses--an "emerging disease" in Australia.
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To test the hypothesis that lower 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels in late pregnancy are associated with poorer glucose control in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). ⋯ Lower 25(OH)D levels are independently associated with poorer glycaemic control. Future randomised trials are needed to determine whether vitamin D plays a role in glycaemic control in GDM. Regardless, maternal vitamin D insufficiency has adverse effects including neonatal hypocalcaemia and rickets. The 41% prevalence of inadequate 25(OH)D levels in the women in our study is unacceptably high. We propose routine 25(OH)D testing of all pregnant women at screening for GDM or earlier, and treatment of women who are found to be deficient.
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To determine the predictive validity of the Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission Test (UMAT) for academic performance at university. ⋯ Our findings suggest that UMAT has limited predictive validity for academic performance.
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Australia is developing a national performance framework aimed at measuring health outcomes across the health system. Clinical registries provide a clinically credible means of monitoring health care processes and outcomes, yet only five Australian registries currently have national coverage. At a national level, clinical registry development should be prioritised to target conditions or procedures that are suspected of being associated with large variations in processes or outcomes of care and that impact significantly on health care costs and patient morbidity. Registries should also aim to capture information across care interfaces and to monitor the medium and long-term safety and effectiveness of specific devices, procedures and drugs.