Disparities in acute in-hospital cardiovascular care for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal South Australians.

Objectives: To assess differences in the rates of angiography and subsequent revascularisation for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal South Australians who presented with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS); to explore the reasons for any observed differences.

Design: Analysis of administrative data with logistic regression modelling to assess the relationship between Aboriginal status and the decision to undertake diagnostic angiography. A detailed medical record review of Aboriginal admissions was subsequently undertaken.

Enrollment of intensive care unit patients into clinical studies: a trinational survey of researchers' experiences, beliefs, and practices.

Background: As critical care practice increases in scope, size, and complexity, enrollment of critically ill patients into clinical studies is increasing.

Objective: To understand the experiences, beliefs, and practices of the Canadian Critical Care Trials Group and Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Clinical Trials Group regarding enrollment of critically ill children and adults into clinical studies.

Methods: Survey items generated by the research team were formatted in four domains: experiences, beliefs, practices, and demographics.

Matching nurse skill with patient acuity in the intensive care units: a risk management mandate.

Aim: This paper aims to highlight the need for the traditional concept of nursing skill mix to be reconfigured within a new concept of skill matching.

Background: Substantive literature describes staff deployment and patient-dependency models. However, limited information exists as to what informs decision making regarding nurse skill assessment and subsequent patient allocation in intensive care units.

Acquired isolated factor VII deficiency associated with severe bleeding and successful treatment with recombinant FVIIa (NovoSeven).

Acquired isolated FVII deficiency not due to vitamin K deficiency or liver disease is rare and often associated with severe bleeding. We present a case of transient acquired factor VII deficiency associated with major bleeding, successfully treated with twice daily intermittent intravenous recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa) (NovoSeven; Novo Nordisk). The severe transient reduction in factor VII coagulant activity (FVII:C) levels, unresponsive to fresh frozen plasma and vitamin K administration, raise the possibility of an acquired inhibitor to factor VII.