Bacterial infections of the oropharynx and deep neck spaces: an investigation of changes in presentation patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate whether changes in practice during the COVID-19 pandemic altered clinical presentation characteristics among adults with bacterial throat infections.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted that included adult patients presenting with bacterial oropharyngeal infections to a tertiary level hospital in Melbourne, Australia. All patients presenting during the first phase of COVID-19 lockdown in Melbourne (1st April- 1st July in 2020), and those from the same period 12-months prior, were included.

Planning for a pandemic: Mitigating risk to radiation therapy service delivery in the COVID-19 era.

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has rapidly impacted all of our lives following its escalation to pandemic status on 11 March 2020. Government guidelines and restrictions implemented to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 community transmission have forced radiation therapy departments to promptly adjust to the significant impact on our ability to deliver best clinical care. The inherent nature of our tri-partied professions relies heavily on multidisciplinary teamwork and patient-clinician interactions.

Review of epiglottitis in the post Haemophilus influenzae type-b vaccine era.

Background: This study reviewed the demographics, presentation, management, complications and outcomes of acute epiglottitis post Haemophilus influenzae type-b vaccine introduction in Australia.

Methods: Retrospective review of acute epiglottitis at four Victorian tertiary centres from 2011 to 2016 was conducted. Patient characteristics, presentation, investigations, management, complications and outcomes were recorded.

A fingerprint orientation model based on 2D Fourier expansion (FOMFE) and its application to singular-point detection and fingerprint indexing.

In this paper, we have proposed a fingerprint orientation model based on 2D Fourier expansions (FOMFE) in the phase plane. The FOMFE does not require prior knowledge of singular points (SPs). It is able to describe the overall ridge topology seamlessly, including the SP regions, even for noisy fingerprints.