Internal medicine journal
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Internal medicine journal · Sep 2020
How COVID-19 has pushed us into a medical education revolution.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on society and higher education in Australia. In just a few weeks, entire courses have been re-structured and are now delivered online. The need to adapt rapidly has prompted many innovative changes that will ultimately have long-term benefits for medical education in Australia and New Zealand.
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Internal medicine journal · Sep 2020
Where are our patients? Retrospective cohort study of acute medical unit admissions during and prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Admissions to hospital have declined markedly during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. This may be due to patients not presenting with acute illness or managing their chronic illness at home. ⋯ This may lead to worse outcomes for those not presenting, as well as those presenting late. We recommend a public health campaign to encourage Australians to present to hospital if unwell.
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Internal medicine journal · Sep 2020
Does the evidence justify routine transfer of residents of aged care facilities for CT scan after minor head trauma?
In 2014, the South Australian coroner recommended that residents of residential aged care facilities (RACF) who had sustained a head injury should be transported to emergency departments (ED) for assessment and a head CT scan, with the view to preventing mortality. The evidence base for the recommendation is unclear. ⋯ The rate of emergent intervention for ICH in patients from RACF who sustained a minor head trauma but had their normal cognitive function was <1%. None underwent neurosurgical intervention. The low rate of intervention seriously challenges the appropriateness of routine transfer and CT for this patient group.
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The corrected QT (QTc) interval is a strong predictor of ischaemic heart disease and cardiovascular mortality. It may trigger lethal arrhythmias and sudden death. Risk factors include electrolyte disorders, medications, prior cardiovascular disease and genetic predisposition. We previously demonstrated that QTc intervals are prolonged in patients hospitalised with pneumonia, regardless which antibiotics were given. It is unclear whether QTc prolongation is associated with pneumonia itself or whether it occurs with other infections. ⋯ We found no association between hospitalisation due to infection and prolongation of the QTc interval.
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Internal medicine journal · Sep 2020
Exercise testing and exercise training within cystic fibrosis centres across Australia and New Zealand: what is considered important and what is current practice?
Within Australian and New Zealand cystic fibrosis (CF) centres, exercise testing and exercise training are common components of clinical care, but current practices regarding these components have not been reported. ⋯ This survey captures the current practices of exercise testing and training in CF centres across Australia and New Zealand.