Internal medicine journal
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Internal medicine journal · Apr 2022
VEXAS syndrome: lessons learnt from an early Australian case series.
VEXAS is a newly recognised adult-onset autoinflammatory syndrome resulting from a somatic mutation in the UBA1 gene. Herein, we present three cases of VEXAS syndrome in Sydney, Australia, that capture key clinical features and the refractory nature of the condition. They highlight the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration for early diagnosis and the need for new therapeutic options.
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Internal medicine journal · Apr 2022
Diabetes in ischaemic stroke in a regional Australian hospital - uncharted territory.
Stroke and diabetes mellitus (DM) are significant interrelated healthcare issues but there is a dearth of data on the prevalence of DM among Australia's regional stroke population. ⋯ Almost one-third of IS/TIA patients had DM, with a significant proportion showing poor glycaemic control. The DM prevalence in our cohort was comparable with reported rates from other developed countries. Although we found no association between DM and a particular stroke type or mechanism, it is likely a reflection of our cohort size. Our study demonstrated that DM, as a significant risk factor in IS, warrants early detection and better management strategies.
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Internal medicine journal · Apr 2022
Complementary and alternative medicine use in an Australian kidney transplant recipient population.
The prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use in kidney transplant recipients in Australia is unknown. Chronic transplant recipients completed a questionnaire, and participants who did not report CAM use also had medical chart audits. Among 127 participants, CAM use was reported by 26.8%, considerably lower than the general population. These findings may reflect underreporting due to misperception about what constitutes CAM (commonly vitamin use was not reported by the group denying CAM use), or perhaps a motivated population who are receptive to education efforts from the transplant team.
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Internal medicine journal · Apr 2022
Factors associated with the development of acute general surgical pathology in medical in-patients.
Medical inpatients can develop acute general surgical conditions. However, this is rare. The presence of multiple acute pathologies delays diagnosis and these patients have poorer prognoses. ⋯ The development of acute surgical pathology in medical inpatients is rare but associated with longer inpatient stays and higher mortality. We have identified risk-factors associated with the development of surgical pathology, which can be used to identify patients at risk of surgical pathology.