Internal medicine journal
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Internal medicine journal · Jun 2012
A variant in microRNA-196a2 is not associated with susceptibility to and progression of colorectal cancer in Chinese.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs with regulatory functions as tumour suppressors and oncogenes. Although single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in miRNA regions have been reported to be rare and unlikely to be functionally important, recent evidence suggested that rs11614913 SNP in miR-196a2 was associated with the susceptibility of lung cancer, breast cancer, congenital heart disease and shortened survival time of non-small-cell lung cancer. ⋯ Our results suggest that miR-196a2 polymorphism is not associated with both an increased risk and progression of CRC in Chinese.
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Internal medicine journal · Jun 2012
Point-prevalence study of inappropriate antibiotic use at a tertiary Australian hospital.
A point-prevalence study at a tertiary Australian hospital found 199 of 462 inpatients (43%) to be receiving antibiotic therapy. Forty-seven per cent of antibiotic use was discordant with guidelines or microbiological results and hence considered inappropriate. Risk factors for inappropriate antibiotic prescribing included bone/joint infections, the absence of infection, creatinine level >120 µmol/L, carbapenem or macrolide use and being under the care of the aged care/rehabilitation team. In the setting of finite antimicrobial stewardship resources, identification of local determinants for inappropriate antibiotic use may enable more targeted interventions.
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Internal medicine journal · Jun 2012
Preliminary evaluation of the prevalence of falls, pain and urinary incontinence in remote living Indigenous Australians over the age of 45 years.
To report on the prevalence of falls, urinary incontinence, pain and associated factors in remote living Indigenous Australians over the age of 45 years. ⋯ Falls, urinary incontinence and pain are common and reported for the first time in older indigenous people living in remote regions. The presence of these syndromes in ages over 45 may be due to accumulation of health insults during the life course.
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Internal medicine journal · Jun 2012
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyComparison of empirical continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment versus initial portable sleep monitoring followed by CPAP treatment for patients with suspected obstructive sleep apnoea.
Polysomnography is labour-intensive for diagnosing obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). We compared two algorithms for initiating continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment for patients with suspected OSA. ⋯ An ambulatory approach with portable sleep monitoring for diagnosing OSA before a CPAP trial can identify more patients who would adhere to CPAP at 6 months than empirical CPAP treatment alone.