The New Zealand medical journal
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When people in industry or government burnout, the resulting inefficiencies and logjams may frustrate and even harm the citizenry. However, the stakes are higher in health care. ⋯ In our respective roles as former Health and Disability Commissioner (HDC), and chairman of the Medical Council, we have seen the harm caused by burnout in the medical profession. In this article, we seek to describe the problem and suggest some strategies to address it.
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Comparative Study
Molecular epidemiology and susceptibility profiles of Clostridium difficile in New Zealand, 2009.
The aim of this study was to provide baseline information on the molecular epidemiology and the antimicrobial susceptibility of Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) clinical isolates from patients throughout New Zealand. ⋯ There is a wide range of C. difficile PCR-ribotypes circulating in New Zealand and antimicrobial resistance is uncommon. Ongoing surveillance for hypervirulent strains of C. difficile is essential to prevent the dissemination of these strains within New Zealand hospitals.
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Comparative Study
Return visits to the emergency department and related hospital admissions by people aged 65 and over.
To describe the factors most commonly associated with re-presentation to the emergency department (ED) and related hospital admissions by those aged 65 years and over in one New Zealand district health board (DHB) region. ⋯ Better documentation about changes in levels of function, both prior to presentation and on discharge, is needed to ensure that patients are physically able to manage at home. Specific interventions could be targeted to improve function if needs have been identified. The frequency of cardiovascular comorbidities and cardiac discharge diagnoses suggest that those aged 65 years and over re-present with an acute illness and not because of failure to cope at home. Findings support early primary healthcare follow-up since the majority of re-presentations occur within 2 weeks.