Internal medicine journal
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Internal medicine journal · Sep 2024
ReviewANZTCT practice statement: sinusoidal obstruction syndrome/veno-occlusive disease diagnosis and management.
Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome/veno-occlusive disease (SOS/VOD) is a life-threatening complication which can develop after haemopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and some antibody-drug conjugates. Several SOS/VOD diagnostic and management guidelines exist, with the most recent and refined being the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation adult and paediatric guidelines. ⋯ In Australia and New Zealand, there is variability in clinical practice and access to SOS/VOD therapies. This review aims to summarise the current evidence for SOS/VOD diagnosis, prevention and treatment and to provide recommendations for SOS/VOD in the context of contemporary Australasian HSCT clinical practice.
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Internal medicine journal · Sep 2024
ReviewPrevalence of pulmonary nodules detected incidentally on noncancer-related imaging: a review.
Pulmonary nodules are common incidental findings requiring surveillance. Follow-up recommendations vary depending on risk factors, size and solid or subsolid characteristics. This review aimed to evaluate the prevalence of clinically significant nodules detected on noncancer-dedicated imaging and the prevalence of part-solid and ground-glass nodules. ⋯ The overall risk of bias was low in seven studies and moderate in 17 studies. While current literature frequently reports incidental nodules on cardiovascular-related CT, there is minimal reporting of subsolid characteristics. Unclear quantification of smoking history and heterogeneity of imaging protocol also limits reliable evaluation of nodule prevalence in nonscreening cohorts.
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Internal medicine journal · Sep 2024
Predictive accuracy of the ASIG algorithm in a prospective systemic sclerosis cohort undergoing annual screening for pulmonary arterial hypertension.
The Australian Scleroderma Interest Group (ASIG) algorithm for screening pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in systemic sclerosis (SSc) requires only respiratory function tests and serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide as first-tier tests, and is recommended in international guidelines. In this communication, we present the findings of the application of the ASIG screening algorithm to a Singaporean cohort undergoing prospective annual screening for PAH, which shows a high negative predictive value. The ASIG algorithm may offer an alternative to more complex and costly SSc-PAH screening algorithms.
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Internal medicine journal · Sep 2024
Examining capillary ketone testing in hospitalised patients: indications and outcomes.
Elevated blood ketone levels (ketosis) in inpatients with diabetes can herald diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). However, ketosis can also occur in individuals without diabetes in certain settings. It is unclear what proportion of inpatients with ketosis are in DKA and which patients are at the highest risk of DKA. This study determined that many ketone tests are performed in individuals at low risk of DKA, and a β-hydroxybutyrate <1.0 mmol/L had a low incidence of DKA and less need for escalation in their management.
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Internal medicine journal · Sep 2024
A retrospective review of the short Synacthen test in Queensland hospitals.
The short Synacthen test (SST) is widely used to investigate adrenal insufficiency, but it can be time-consuming, costly and labour-intensive to perform and is not without risk of adverse events. ⋯ There was wide variability in requesting patterns and practices for SSTs across Queensland. More than one in six SSTs could have been avoided if a static morning cortisol had been performed prior. Clinician education and the adoption of a structured referral form may improve testing practices.