Internal medicine journal
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Internal medicine journal · Mar 2023
Putting the best foot forward when treating newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.
Multiple myeloma (MM) remains an incurable disease. In Australia, patients receive sequential lines of novel agent (NA)-based lines of therapy (LOTs), including proteasome inhibitors, immunomodulatory drugs and CD38-targeting monoclonal antibodies within the constraints of the pharmaceutical benefits scheme. We propose that induction with a quadruplet incorporating all three drug classes and dexamethasone at diagnosis is the best approach to gain disease control.
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Internal medicine journal · Mar 2023
Multicenter StudyBurden of primary influenza and respiratory syncytial virus pneumonia in hospitalized adults: insights from a two-year multi-centre cohort study (2017-2018).
Viral community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a potentially serious illness, particularly in adult patients with underlying chronic conditions. In addition to the most recent SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are considered the most relevant causes of viral CAP. ⋯ The increased knowledge of influenza-A/B and RSV pneumonia burden may contribute to a better management of patients with viral CAP.
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Internal medicine journal · Mar 2023
Allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplant services in Australia and New Zealand in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic: A report from Australia and New Zealand Transplant and Cellular Therapies.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major disruption to health systems, with allogeneic haemopoietic cell transplant (alloHCT) services a particularly vulnerable area. Ongoing provision of alloHCT has required dynamic responses at national and local levels. In Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), a high reliance on unrelated donors from overseas registries has posed an additional challenge. ⋯ A strong public health response and coordinated transplant community activities allowed for safe provision of alloHCT in ANZ; however, our data suggest that the timely delivery of allogeneic transplants was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Continued dedicated efforts are required to minimise further impacts.
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Internal medicine journal · Mar 2023
LetterSociodemographic determinants of telehealth utilisation in general practice during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.
This analysis assessed the sociodemographic characteristics of telehealth utilisation during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic from March 2020 to August 2021 in Australia. Drawing on 860 general practice providers among 3 161 868 patients, 24 527 274 consultations were recorded. Telehealth accounted for 37.6% of the consultations, with 2.4% through videoconferencing and 35.2% through phone consultations. Our multivariate regression analyses indicated low utilisation of videoconferencing compared with phone consultations among older adults, those living in rural communities and migrants from non-English speaking countries.