Internal medicine journal
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Internal medicine journal · Feb 2023
CommentUsefulness and yield of routine electroencephalography: a retrospective study.
The electroencephalogram (EEG) is a common diagnostic tool used to investigate patients for various indications including seizure disorders. ⋯ Our findings suggest that careful selection of patients based on appropriate indications for EEG referral would likely improve the yield of an EEG. Depending on the indication, a normal EEG result can be of similar usefulness to an abnormal EEG demonstrating epileptiform abnormalities.
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Internal medicine journal · Feb 2023
Observational StudyThe impact of continuous glucose monitoring in youth with type I diabetes aged 15-21.
People with type 1 diabetes (T1D) aged <21 years are eligible for subsidised continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) products under the Australian National Diabetes Services Scheme. There are few real-world published studies to evaluate the benefits of CGM in young adults. ⋯ There are high rates of discontinuation in CGM use among youth with T1D. At 6 months of CGM use, there was no significant change in glycaemic control, although HbA1c in non-users deteriorated significantly. Worry of hypoglycaemia was significantly decreased among those who continued CGM.
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Internal medicine journal · Feb 2023
Assessment of respiratory function and exercise tolerance at 4-6 months after COVID-19 infection in patients with pneumonia of different severity.
The evaluation of COVID-19 systemic consequences is a wide research field in which respiratory function assessment has a pivotal role. However, the available data in the literature are still sparse and need further strengthening. ⋯ Lung function tests and 6-MWT are highly informative tools for monitoring the negative consequences of COVID-19 pneumonia, which were more frequent and more complex in patients discharged from ICU.
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Internal medicine journal · Feb 2023
When research becomes practice: the concept of the therapeutic misconception and challenges to consent in clinical trials.
Many factors influence patients' decisions to participate in clinical trials. For many, the primary motivation is the possibility that they might derive some benefit from participation. This is particularly true for patients with limited treatment options, such as patients with advanced cancer. ⋯ This is becoming increasingly problematic as clinical trial designs become more complex, as clinical trials become more embedded in routine clinical care, and as trials are increasingly used by patients and clinicians to access new diagnostic platforms and therapies. We outline some of these recent trends, focusing on the cancer clinical trials landscape as this provides a good case study of the phenomenon. We conclude by making preliminary suggestions that changes to the consent process, perhaps using 'dynamic consent' platforms, might help to mitigate the therapeutic misconception and note the need for further research to guide strategies for improving communication and decision-making.
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While many of the maladies of the 20th century are steadily coming under control, the march of neurodegenerative disorders continues largely unchecked. Dementias are an exemplar of such disorders; their incidence and prevalence continue to rise, in large part due to a steadily ageing population worldwide. They represent a group of chronic, progressive and, ultimately, fatal neurodegenerative diseases. ⋯ The sheer number and complexity of needs of patients with dementia, from the physical to the psychosocial and spiritual, necessitates the engagement of a wide range of medical disciplines, nursing and allied health professionals. One of those disciplines, as highlighted in the recent Australian Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, is palliative care. This paper shall expand upon that role in the overall context of care for those with dementia.