Internal medicine journal
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Internal medicine journal · Dec 2010
Comparative StudyThe potential value of faecal lactoferrin as a screening test in hospitalized patients with diarrhoea.
Nosocomial diarrhoea is common and its investigation carries a significant healthcare cost. This study aimed to determine the utility of faecal lactoferrin (FL), a readily measurable marker of intestinal inflammation, in hospitalized patients with diarrhoea. ⋯ In hospitalized patients, a normal FL effectively excludes inflammatory diarrhoea and is proposed as a screening test prior to microbiological assessment of faeces. Prospective evaluation of this approach is warranted.
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Internal medicine journal · Nov 2010
Comparative StudyReferral patterns to a palliative care service in rural Australia servicing indigenous Australians.
Territory palliative care (TPC) of the Northern Territory covers a population of 150000 over 400000 km² in urban, rural and remote settings. Thirty-two per cent of the population are indigenous Australians. There is little documentation of palliative services to the indigenous Australians. ⋯ These data showed major differences from the largest Australian study published so far, based on a population of predominantly non-indigenous Australians. This study identifies for the first time how TPC needs to have an encompassing service plan and delivery model to cater for indigenous patients and people in remote locations.