Internal medicine journal
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Internal medicine journal · Dec 2022
Telemedicine to Timor-Leste: implementing an international cardiac telehealth service during population dislocation, floods and COVID-19.
The East Timor Hearts Fund has provided cardiac services in Timor-Leste since 2010, conducting three clinics yearly. ⋯ Our pilot telehealth clinics indicate that capacity-building telemedicine can be rapidly implemented in an emergency setting internationally. Clinic design benefits from careful identification and resolution of challenges to optimise flow. Cardiac patients in Timor-Leste have a significant burden of disease amenable to intervention.
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Internal medicine journal · Dec 2022
Low mortality in vaccinated immunocompromised haematology patients infected with SARS-CoV-2.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection in patients with haematological neoplasms has been associated with increased mortality; however, many studies in this patient group were reported early in the pandemic. The authors evaluated outcomes of COVID-19 infection in patients with haematological conditions following widespread vaccination, newer viral variants and increasingly effective antiviral therapies. A 4% mortality rate was found and contemporary risk factors for hospitalisation including older age, nonvaccination or partial COVID-19 vaccination status and infection with non-Omicron strain were identified.
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Internal medicine journal · Dec 2022
Rate of early hospital readmission amongst cirrhotic patients is high in Australia: experience from a single liver transplant centre.
The 30-day hospital readmission rate in cirrhotic patients has been demonstrated to be up to 40% in international studies, but is not well studied in Australia. The aim of the current study was to report on the rate and cause of 30-day hospital readmission from a single liver transplant referral centre, including a cost analysis of readmissions. ⋯ The 30-day hospital readmission rate of 46% is higher than previously reported and almost half of cases were caused by either fluid overload or infection.
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Internal medicine journal · Dec 2022
Smoking cessation program in hospitalized patients due to acute respiratory disease.
Hospital environment is generally propitious to smoking cessation for several reasons, such as a legal ban on smoking in hospital facilities, greater vulnerability facing acute illness and the continuous contact with healthcare professionals. ⋯ Smoking cessation counselling behaviour programmes during hospitalisation, with regular follow up after hospital discharge, contribute to an increase in smoking cessation rate.