Internal medicine journal
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Internal medicine journal · Sep 2019
Assessment, incidence and factors associated with urinary incontinence in older Aboriginal Australians.
Little is known about urinary incontinence in older Aboriginal Australians. ⋯ The prevalence and incidence of urinary incontinence in Aboriginal Australians is high with risk factors of older age and female sex. The modified ICIQ and self-report appear to be appropriate incontinence screens. Further research to understand causes and treatments within this population is urgently required.
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Internal medicine journal · Sep 2019
Historical ArticleCommunal responsibility: a history of health collectives in Australia.
Healthcare encompasses multiple discourses to which health professionals, researchers, patients, carers and lay individuals contribute. Networks of patients and non-professionals often act collectively to build capacity, enhance access to resources, develop understanding and improve provision of care. This article explores the concept of health collectives and three notable examples that have had an enduring and profound impact in the Australian context.
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Internal medicine journal · Sep 2019
Protocol for psychosocial screening of adolescents and young adults with chronic illness.
One in five adolescents and young adults (AYA) has a chronic health condition necessitating on-going engagement with healthcare systems. Despite increasing prevalence there remains limited understanding of the burden of illness they experience. Living with a chronic illness can challenge healthy adolescent development, with the unique health and developmental issues affecting AYA requiring different responses from the healthcare system. ⋯ The commonalities and differences between conditions will be examined to facilitate efficiencies of scale for systems and supports. Further iterations including quantifying access to allied health services will facilitate studying the impact of such interventions on treatment adherence and improving psychosocial functioning, quality of life and disease outcomes.
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Internal medicine journal · Sep 2019
Inpatient healthcare-associated bloodstream infections in older people.
This retrospective study describes inpatient healthcare-associated bloodstream infections (HABSI) in older adults and explores whether urinary catheters (presence/insertion/removal) were related to HABSI events. One hundred and sixty-seven HABSI events were identified, predominantly (124, 74%) with Gram-negative bacteria. HABSI was attributed to a urinary source in 110 patients (66%), with over half (63, 57%) of these associated with urinary catheters. Catheter-associated HABSI may be avoidable and potential preventative strategies are discussed.
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Expedition medicine in Antarctica requires a broad spectrum of clinical competencies ranging from resuscitation medicine and trauma care to treating minor illness, safety awareness and safety induction. It remains a challenging environment to practise as a single unassisted physician is required to assess, acutely treat (medications, procedures) and complete follow-up consultation.