The Medical journal of Australia
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To assess emergency department (ED) presentation numbers in Queensland during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic to mid-2021, a period of relatively low COVID-19 case numbers. ⋯ The COVID-19 pandemic and related public restrictions were associated with profound changes in health care use. Pandemic plans should include advice about continuing to seek care for serious health conditions and health emergencies, and support alternative sources of care for less urgent health care needs.
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To examine e-cigarette use by adults who smoke or have recently quit, and demographic characteristics associated with their use; to assess reasons for using e-cigarettes. ⋯ The increase between 2016 and 2020 in the proportions of young adults who smoke or have recently quit who use e-cigarettes undermines claims that these products are designed for older smokers who have struggled to quit using other methods.
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To determine the prevalence in Australia of bone health assessment of men with prostate cancer by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), from six months before to twelve months after initiation of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). ⋯ For about 80% of men with prostate cancer commencing ADT in Australia, therapy initiation was not accompanied by DXA assessment of bone health. Given the excellent long term prognosis for men with prostate cancer and the availability of bone protective therapy, bone health monitoring should be a routine component of prostate cancer care for men receiving ADT.