Internal medicine journal
-
Internal medicine journal · Dec 2024
Prevalence and associations of cerebral microbleeds in an Australian memory clinic cohort.
Cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) are small brain haemorrhages, identified by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). They indicate potential for cognitive decline and mortality in memory clinic attendees. The presence of more than four CMBs is exclusionary for some clinical trials of disease-modifying therapies for Alzheimer's disease (AD). The prevalence and clinical relevance of CMBs in Australian memory clinic populations has not been reported. ⋯ CMBs are common in an Australian memory clinic population and are associated with poorer cognitive performance. "Real world" prevalence of CMBs may limit accessibility to disease-modifying therapies for many people.
-
Internal medicine journal · Dec 2024
Healthcare burden of public hospital gout admissions in New South Wales, Australia.
In New Zealand, the Māori and Pacific Islander population has a higher rate of hospital admissions for gout; however, we lack data for these population groups who reside in Australia. This study examined the pattern of hospital gout admissions in New South Wales (NSW), the most populous state of Australia, with a particular focus on the Māori and Pacific Islander population. ⋯ This study highlights the ethnic and geographical disparities in gout hospital admissions in NSW, with the Māori and Pacific Islander population of Western and South Western Sydney disproportionately affected. Culturally appropriate gout management strategies may be needed in the Māori and Pacific Islander population to address the large number of gout cases in western and southwestern Sydney.
-
Internal medicine journal · Dec 2024
ReviewCharting the course: a scoping review on telehealth research trends in Australia.
This review of telehealth research describes the landscape of Australian digital health and telehealth research from 1999 to 2022, focusing on outlining past, present and future trends. A scoping review was conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and PRISMA extension for scoping reviews framework, which identified 495 primary research studies of digital or telehealth interventions aimed at improving health outcomes. ⋯ Despite increasing interest in digital and telehealth interventions, the rural and remote populations that stand to benefit the greatest are under-represented in the literature. Future research should focus on these groups, using both emerging and established technologies, and digital and telehealth interventions should be adopted by a wider breadth of health professions.
-
Internal medicine journal · Dec 2024
ReviewExcipient induced allergies in oral medications: unravelling the covert threat - a systematic review.
Excipients have been identified as 'inert' substances that often enhance the non-pharmacological aspects of a medication. However, recent clinical evidence elucidates their potential in inducing anaphylaxis and indicates that they are often overlooked as potential allergens in routine clinical practice. The aim of the study was to assimilate published evidence on excipient-induced allergies associated with the use of oral medications and to underline their potential as potent allergens. ⋯ Most patients recovered spontaneously after withdrawal of the offending agent with less than half necessitating additional drug interventions and only a single instance of reported fatality, which cannot be attributed to the excipient alone. Despite being labelled as inert, excipients pose a significant threat for the development of allergic reactions. Simple measures such as increased awareness among patients and healthcare professionals, comprehensive history taking, reviewing medication compositions and improved patient awareness regarding potentially allergenic excipients can aid in avoiding these readily preventable reactions.
-
Internal medicine journal · Dec 2024
Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors reduce albuminuria in patients with Fabry disease: a real-world case series.
Fabry disease is a rare X-linked multisystem disease, with progressive proteinuric kidney disease contributing significantly to morbidity and mortality of these patients. Evidence shows that sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2Is) can reduce proteinuria and slow progression to end-stage kidney disease in both diabetic and non-diabetic kidney disease. ⋯ These results suggest SGLT2Is can significantly reduce albuminuria in a portion of patients with Fabry-related kidney disease and offer additional treatment for Fabry nephropathy. Given the nature of the study design and small case numbers, further long-term controlled studies are required to evaluate the long-term efficacy of this medication class in both cardiac and renal outcomes in Fabry disease.