Exploring melanoma shifts: a two-decade analysis in New Zealand.

Aims: New Zealand melanoma incidence rates are amongst the highest in the world. The study aims to provide information on the incidence of cutaneous melanoma in New Zealand from 2000 to 2022.

Methods: De-identified data were extracted from the New Zealand Cancer Registry using the ICD-10 code for malignant melanoma (C34) and melanoma in situ (MIS) (D03) from 2000 to 2022.

Pharmacists' Attitudes towards Medically Assisted Dying.

Aims: We aimed to explore pharmacists' attitudes and support toward medically assisted dying (MaiD) through the End of Life Choice Act 2019 (EOLC), their willingness to provide services in this area of practice, and the influences on their decisions.

Methods: The study was conducted via an anonymous, online Qualtrics survey of pharmacists. Registered New Zealand pharmacists who agreed to receive surveys from the two Schools of Pharmacy as part of their Annual Practicing Certificate renewal were invited to participate through an email with a Qualtrics URL link.

Intuitive Eating Scale-2-EA: Psychometric properties and factor structure of the adapted IES-2 for early adolescents.

Purpose: Intuitive Eating (IE) is an approach to eating characterised by attunement to intrinsic cues, and using those cues to guide behaviours related to food and eating. Tylka and Kroon Van Diest's (2008) Intuitive Eating Scale (IES-2) is well-validated in adults, but not yet among early adolescents. The current study was designed to adapt and validate a version suited for use in early adolescence (IES-2-EA).

Equity of Māori access to the orthopaedic rehabilitation service of the Bay of Plenty: a cross-sectional survey.

Aims: Examine the access to the Bay of Plenty rehabilitation service for Indigenous Māori patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Identify structural aspects of the rehabilitation service which promote or restrict access for Māori.

Methods: All patients who underwent TKA in publicly funded Bay of Plenty hospitals in 2021 were retrospectively supplied with a survey.

Microglial and Astrocytic Responses in the Human Midcingulate Cortex in Huntington's Disease.

Objective: Patients with Huntington's disease can present with variable difficulties of motor functioning, mood, and cognition. Neurodegeneration occurs in the anterior cingulate cortex of some patients with Huntington's disease and is linked to the presentation of mood symptomatology. Neuroinflammation, perpetrated by activated microglia and astrocytes, has been reported in Huntington's disease and may contribute to disease progression and presentation.

Can the Buffalo Concussion Treadmill Test Be Used as a Prognostic Indicator for Patients With Sport-Related Mild Traumatic Brain Injury?

Objective: To establish whether time to exercise cessation using the Buffalo Concussion Treadmill Test (BCTT) protocol can be used as a prognostic indicator of recovery after sport-related mild traumatic brain injury (SR-mTBI).

Design: Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data.

Setting: Specialist Concussion Clinic.

Effect of Microdoses of Incisional Antibiotics on the Rate of Surgical Site Infections in Skin Cancer Surgery: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Surgical site infections (SSIs) represent a costly and preventable complication of cutaneous surgery. However, there is a paucity of randomized clinical trials investigating antibiotic prophylaxis for reducing SSIs in skin cancer surgery, and evidence-based guidelines are lacking. Incisional antibiotics have been shown to reduce the rate of SSIs before Mohs micrographic surgery, but this represents a small subset of skin cancer surgery.

Operative Autonomy in a Gender-Balanced Cohort of Surgical Trainees.

Background: Gender inequity continues to be a major focus of improvements within surgical education. Female trainees are fewer and experience reduced quality of surgical training. Prior studies have demonstrated that surgical autonomy for female trainees in a range of surgical disciplines is less than that of male trainees.

Process evaluation of in-person, news and social media engagement of a community-based programme Brown Buttabean Motivation (BBM): a research protocol.

Introduction: The community group Brown Buttabean Motivation (BBM) initially began to assist Auckland Pasifika and Māori to manage weight problems, predominantly through community-based exercise sessions and social support. BBM's activities expanded over time to include many other components of healthy living in response to community need. With advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, BBM outreach grew to include a foodbank distributing an increasing amount of donated healthy food to families in need, a community kitchen and influenza and COVID-19 vaccine drives.

The Impact of a Pharmacist-Led Intravenous to Oral Switch of Metronidazole: A Before-and-After Study.

(1) Background. Intravenous (IV) to oral switch (IVOS) of antibiotics can reduce the length of hospitalisation, risk of IV catheter complications, and hospital costs. Pharmacists can play an instrumental role in implementing an IVOS initiative.

The utility of hyperspectral imaging in patients with chronic venous disorders.

Objective: The underlying pathophysiology of lower limb changes in chronic venous disorders (CVD) may involve alteration in microcirculation and tissue oxygenation. Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is a noninvasive tool that is used clinically to measure transcutaneous oxygenation in peripheral artery disease and diabetic foot disease. However, there has been little application in venous disease.

Co-designing an intervention to prevent rheumatic fever in Pacific People in South Auckland: a study protocol.

Background: Rheumatic fever is an autoimmune condition that occurs in response to an untreated Group A Streptococcus throat or skin infection. Recurrent episodes of rheumatic fever can cause permanent damage to heart valves, heart failure and even death. Māori and Pacific people in Aotearoa New Zealand experience some of the highest rates globally, with Pacific children 80 times more likely to be hospitalised for rheumatic fever and Māori children 36 times more likely than non-Māori, non-Pacific children.

Nitrates in drinking water and cancers of the colon and rectum: a meta-analysis of epidemiological studies.

Background: some recent studies have suggested that the risks of colon and rectal cancer increase with exposure to higher concentrations of nitrates in drinking water. This study is a meta-analysis of relevant studies.

Methods: literature published up to June 2021 was accessed and final results abstracted.

Age-Adjusted Reference Values for Prostate Specific Antigen - A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objectives: To systematically evaluates the evidence on ethnic differences in age-adjusted reference values of PSA.

Materials And Methods: In concordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis statement, a review of English articles using Medline, Embase and Cochrane databases, from inception to December 2019 was conducted. Studies that reported the PSA upper reference value as 95th percentile of the cohort distribution, in healthy men aged 40 to 79, were included.

Design and implementation of a Pacific intervention to increase uptake of urate-lowering therapy for gout: a study protocol.

Background: Gout is a painful chronic disease which disrupts work and family life and can lead to chronic joint damage. Pacific people in Aotearoa/New Zealand experience significant inequities, with over three times the gout prevalence of the non-Pacific non-Māori populations. Pacific people receive less regular urate-lowering drugs to prevent gout flare-ups, and have nine times the hospitalisation from gout compared with non-Pacific non-Māori people.

Intuitive Eating Scale-2: psychometric properties and clinical norms among individuals seeking treatment for an eating disorder in private practice.

Purpose: Intuitive Eating (IE) is an approach to eating designed to facilitate a positive relationship with food. Its use in clinical settings and in the community is rapidly growing in popularity. The Intuitive Eating Scale 2 (IES-2) is a widely used measure that indexes intuitive eating motivations and behaviour, however evidence of its validity in populations with clinical eating disorders remains scarce.

The effect of age and sex on the expression of GABA signaling components in the human hippocampus and entorhinal cortex.

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the nervous system. The GABA signaling system in the brain is comprised of GABA synthesizing enzymes, transporters, GABAA and GABAB receptors (GABAR and GABAR). Alterations in the expression of these signaling components have been observed in several brain regions throughout aging and between sexes in various animal models.

Morbidity following thyroid and parathyroid surgery: Results from key performance indicator assessment at a high-volume centre in New Zealand.

Background: Complications following thyroid/parathyroid surgery include recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury, hypocalcaemia and return to theatre for haematoma evacuation. Rates of these form the basis of key performance indicators (KPI). An endocrine database, containing results from 1997, was established at the North Shore Hospital in Auckland, New Zealand.

Primary medication non-adherence to analgesics and antibiotics at Counties Manukau Health Emergency Department.

Aim: To measure primary medication non-adherence to antibiotics, paracetamol and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in patients discharged from Counties Manukau Health Emergency Department (CMH-ED).

Method: A retrospective observational study based on 1,600 discharged patients' data collected between 28 April-6 May and 28 July-9 August 2014. Data were included for patients who were residents within the Auckland Regional Public Health Service boundaries, presented to CMH-ED and were discharged with a prescription.

Clinical factors associated with successful embolization of lower gastrointestinal bleeding.

Aim: To develop a model of clinical factors that may predict: (1) technically and clinically successful embolization of a bleeding vessel at digital subtraction angiography (DSA) for lower gastrointestinal bleed (LGIB); (2) a negative DSA in the presence of positive CT-mesenteric angiography (CTMA) for LGIB.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study of all DSAs conducted with intent for embolization for acute LGIB over a 10-year period was undertaken. Pre-procedural and intra-procedural clinical variables were evaluated using uni- and multi-variate analysis.

Survey protocol for exploring video and phone use in Aotearoa New Zealand general practice: considerations for future telehealth.

Introduction: Telehealth became the most practical option for general practice consultations in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) as a result of the national lockdowns in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. What is the consumer experience of access to telehealth and how do consumers and providers perceive this mode of care delivery going forward?

Methods And Analysis: A national survey of general practice consumers and providers who used telehealth services since the national lockdowns in 2020 will be distributed. It is based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology framework of technology acceptance and the access to care framework.

A systematic review of illness perception interventions in type 2 diabetes: Effects on glycaemic control and illness perceptions.

Aims: This systematic review sought to synthesize the evidence regarding the effectiveness of illness perception interventions compared with control conditions at changing illness perceptions and improving glycaemic control in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: Seven electronic databases were searched between October 2018 and May 2020. Randomized controlled trials that tested interventions informed by the Common-Sense Model in adults with type 2 diabetes, and measured illness perceptions and glycaemic control at pre- and post-intervention were included.

Emergency department crowding and mortality for patients presenting to emergency departments in New Zealand.

Objective: The association between ED crowding and mortality has been established internationally, but not in New Zealand. The aim was to determine which measures of crowding were associated with mortality for new patients presenting to New Zealand EDs. The primary outcome was mortality for patients within 7 days of arrival in the ED.