The New Zealand medical journal
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To determine if primary care clinicians would report medication errors using a new web-based system, and to obtain data illustrating the potential of the information collected to improve medication safety. ⋯ Primary care clinicians who volunteered for the pilot were willing and able to use the MERP system to report medication errors. The standardised data obtained through MERP enables rapid analysis and has the potential to inform initiatives for improving patient safety.
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We report a case of cephalic tetanus which initially presented with acute lower motor neurone facial weakness. Tetanus is a rare diagnosis in the developed world but sporadic cases do occur. People born before 1960 in New Zealand are less likely to be immune. Judicious use of human tetanus immunoglobulin (TIG) and immunisation prevents the development of tetanus following injury and should always be considered in the elderly who are less likely to have immunity.
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Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in scleroderma (SSc) patients is a devastating complication with high mortality if untreated. Early recognition and specific treatment of PAH may improve outcome. Regular interval screening for PAH is generally recommended in scleroderma patients especially with the availability of emerging new therapies. The aim of this study is to determine the self-reported screening and treatment practices for SSc-PAH amongst rheumatologists in New Zealand (NZ). ⋯ This study has shown a wide variability of how NZ rheumatologists screen for PAH in scleroderma patients. The development of a PAH-SSc guideline for screening and diagnosis may help standardise treatment practices in NZ.
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Biography Historical Article
Desmond Alexander McQuillan: MBChB, DA(RCS,RCP), FFARACS, MRCGP, Dip Obst, FANZCA;1925-2014.