Internal medicine journal
-
Internal medicine journal · Mar 2023
ReviewHow toxic is an old friend? A review of the safety of hydroxychloroquine in clinical practice.
Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and its close relative chloroquine (CQ) were initially used as antimalarial agents but are now widely prescribed in rheumatology, dermatology and immunology for the management of autoimmune diseases. HCQ is considered to have a better long-term safety profile than CQ and is therefore more commonly used. ⋯ Debate around toxicity of HCQ in COVID-19 has challenged those who regularly prescribe HCQ to discuss its potential toxicities. Accordingly, we have reviewed the adverse effect profile of HCQ to provide guidance about this therapeutic agent in clinical practice.
-
Internal medicine journal · Mar 2023
Ethiological, Clinical and Therapeutic Prognostic Factors for the Evolution of Deep Vein Thrombosis Followed-Up by Serial Venous Doppler Ultrasound.
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a dynamic process that can be followed up with Doppler ultrasound (DUS). ⋯ DVT evolution can last up to 24 months. Older age, strong VTE RF, proximal DVT localisation and late start of therapy constitute unfavourable evolutive prognosis. These cases need closer clinical and DUS monitoring to prevent complications.
-
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.
-
Internal medicine journal · Mar 2023
Mortality outcomes for MĀori requiring renal replacement therapy during critical illness: A single unit audit in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Māori in New Zealand (NZ) are disproportionately affected by chronic kidney disease (CKD) and experience lower life expectancy on community dialysis compared with non-Māori. We previously identified a higher renal replacement therapy (RRT) requirement for Māori in our intensive care unit (ICU), the tertiary referral centre for NZ's Te Manawa Taki region. ⋯ Increased RRT requirement among Māori in our ICU is due to higher representation among ESRD. We did not demonstrate excess mortality by ethnicity in any stratum. AKI-RRT had higher in-ICU mortality than ESRD, but this reversed at 1 year.