Internal medicine journal
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Internal medicine journal · Feb 2015
Epidemiology, disease burden and outcomes of cirrhosis in a large secondary care hospital in South Auckland, New Zealand.
Liver cirrhosis is an important cause of morbidity and mortality; however, little is known about its impact in New Zealand. ⋯ The number of cirrhotic patients in secondary care is increasing steadily. Cirrhosis complications and mortality rates are also rising, particularly the incidence and mortality of HCC.
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Internal medicine journal · Feb 2015
ReviewDeep brain stimulation for Parkinson disease in Australia: current scientific and clinical status.
There is currently no cure for Parkinson disease (PD). Disease management is directed primarily at motor symptom relief, but the impact of non-motor symptoms associated with PD should not be underestimated. Medical and surgical treatment options aim to increase functional independence and quality of life. ⋯ Traditional PD treatment is focused on improvement of motor symptoms, but the disorder is also characterised by non-motor symptoms, often undiagnosed or undisclosed, that have the potential to impact quality of life to a greater extent than motor symptoms. It is essential to identify and routinely monitor for non-motor symptoms as they can emerge at all stages of the disease or can result from treatment. Many of these current advances require long-term monitoring of treatment outcomes to improve future clinical practice, refine patient selection and ensure best patient outcomes.
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Internal medicine journal · Feb 2015
Comparative StudyPrevalence of prediabetes in patients with acute coronary syndrome: impact on in-hospital outcomes.
Prediabetes is a serious condition that is associated with an increase in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. ⋯ Prediabetes is common in patients presenting with ACS who are not previously known to have diabetes. Prediabetic patients had worse in-hospital clinical outcomes compared with patients without diabetes.
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Internal medicine journal · Feb 2015
Characteristics favouring a delayed disposition decision in the emergency department.
The working hours of a hospital affects efficiency of care within the emergency department (ED). Understanding the influences on ED time intervals is crucial for process redesign to improve ED patient flow. ⋯ Extrinsic to the patients themselves and in addition to ED overcrowding, the working hours of the hospital affected efficiency of care within the ED. Not only should the whole of the hospital be involved in improving efficient and safe transit of patients through an ED, but the whole of the day and every day of the week deserve attention.