Risk assessment of patients with underlying health conditions who present for IVF treatment.

The increasing number of women with underlying health conditions seeking in vitro fertilization (IVF) necessitates a comprehensive risk assessment framework tailored to their needs. This review aims to provide a practical framework for IVF specialists to systematically assess and manage the risks associated with medically complex patients. The GRASP mnemonic (Genetics, Retrieval, Anaesthetics, Stimulation, Pregnancy) is introduced to facilitate a thorough risk assessment process.

Response of the VCMVet viscoelastic coagulation monitor to veterinary environmental simulation challenges.

Background: Traditional viscoelastic clotting tests are significantly impacted by the operator and environmental variation. The VCMVet coagulation monitor could provide a more user-friendly alternative for veterinary practices.

Objectives: We aimed to determine if environmental vibration commonly encountered in veterinary practice alters the results of a point-of-care viscoelastic device, the VCMVet.

Creating local estimates from a population health survey: practical application of small area estimation methods.

Regular health surveys can produce reliable estimates at higher geographic levels but not for small areas. Alternatives are to aggregate data over several years or use model-based methods. We created and evaluated model-based estimates for four health-related outcomes by gender, for 153 Local Government Areas using data from the New South Wales Population Health Survey.

Instantaneous VO2 from a wearable device.

We present a method for calculating instantaneous oxygen uptake (VO2) through the use of a non-invasive and non-obtrusive (i.e. without a face mask) wearable device, together with its clinical evaluation against a standard technique based upon expired gas calorimetry.

CareTrack: Toward Appropriate Care for Low Back Pain.

Study Design: Retrospective medical record review to assess compliance with low back pain (LBP) care indicators.

Objective: To establish baseline estimates of the appropriateness of LBP care in the general Australian population provided by a range of healthcare providers in various real-world settings.

Summary Of Background Data: LBP is a costly condition and accounts for the greatest burden of disease worldwide, yet the care provided is often at variance with guidelines.

Assessing the appropriateness of prevention and management of venous thromboembolism in Australia: a cross-sectional study.

Objectives: The prevention and management of venous thromboembolism (VTE) is often at variance with guidelines. The CareTrack Australia (CTA) study reported that appropriate care (in line with evidence-based or consensus-based guidelines) is being provided for VTE at just over half of eligible encounters. The aim of this paper is to present and discuss the detailed CTA findings for VTE as a baseline for compliance with guidelines at a population level.

A novel method for non-invasive respiration monitoring.

In this paper we present an atypical method for measuring respiration volume. We infer heart rate variability (HRV) from an electrocardiogram (ECG) and present results from a pilot study of 6 participants to validate measuring respiration volume from HRV in comparison to the Cosmed K4b(2). We show a qualitative correlation and trend between the known respiration volume as measured by the Cosmed K4b(2) and the new method for measuring lung volume.

A guide to managing anaphylaxis for General Duties Medical Officers.

Anaphylaxis is a severe, life-threatening, generalised hypersensitivity reaction. It affects 1 in 1,333 (~0.08%) of the English population during their lives, with 1% of cases being fatal.

Surgical site infection-a population-based study in Australian adults measuring the compliance with and correct timing of appropriate antibiotic prophylaxis.

Prophylaxis for surgical site infection (SSI) is often at variance with guidelines, despite the prevalence of SSI and its associated cost, morbidity, and mortality. The CareTrack Australia study, undertaken by a number of the authors, demonstrated that appropriate care (in line with evidence- or consensus-based guidelines) was provided at 38% of eligible SSI healthcare encounters. Here, we report the indicator-level CareTrack Australia findings for SSI prophylaxis.

Are women birthing in New South Wales hospitals satisfied with their care?

Background: Surveys of satisfaction with maternity care have been conducted using overnight inpatient surveys and dedicated maternity surveys in a number of Australian settings, however none have been used to report on satisfaction with maternity care among women in New South Wales. The aims of this study were to investigate the association between: 1) parity (first and subsequent births) and patient experience of hospital care at birth, and 2) other patient, birth and hospital characteristics and experience of hospital care at birth.

Methods: Data were from the New South Wales (NSW) Ministry of Health surveys of overnight hospital inpatients, including maternity patients, between 2007 and 2011.

Effect of comorbidity on relative survival following hospitalisation for fall-related hip fracture in older people.

Aim: To assess the effect of comorbidity on relative survival after hip fracture.

Methods: Relative survival analysis was undertaken in 16 838 fall-related hip fracture hospitalisations in New South Wales, Australia. Comorbidity was measured on the basis of additional diagnosis codes on the same hospital separation as the hip fracture using the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI).

CareTrack: assessing the appropriateness of health care delivery in Australia.

Objective: To determine the percentage of health care encounters at which a sample of adult Australians received appropriate care (ie, care in line with evidence-based or consensus-based guidelines).

Design, Setting And Participants: Computer-assisted telephone interviews and retrospective review of the medical records (for 2009-2010) of a sample of at least 1000 Australian adults to measure compliance with 522 expert consensus indicators representing appropriate care for 22 common conditions. Participants were selected from households in areas of South Australia and New South Wales chosen to be representative of the socioeconomic profile of Australians.

Improving the safety of patient transfer from AMU using a written checklist.

Unsafe patient transfers are one of the top reasons for incident reporting in hospitals. Criteria guiding safe transfer have been issued by the NHS Litigation Authority. To meet this standard, a "transfer check list" was redesigned for all patients leaving the Acute Medical Unit (AMU) in the Heartlands Hospital.

Relative survival after hospitalisation for hip fracture in older people in New South Wales, Australia.

Unlabelled: Survival after hospitalisation for hip fracture by age group and sex relative to survival in the general population was assessed in people aged 65+. Men had double the risk of death compared with women to 1 year, but age effects lasted only to 3 months. Clinical outcomes need to be improved.

Understanding partial hospitalization through a continuity-of-care model.

This paper discusses the role of a partial hospital program for neurologically impaired children and adolescents on a continuum of service delivery. The effectiveness of a partial program in assisting transitions across treatment and community settings is critical in establishing and maintaining treatment gains. This innovative approach and model are reviewed and discussed within the context of an integrated system of care.

Bipolar illness preceded by anorexia nervosa in identical twins.

Concordant bipolar illness in a set of identical twins, preceded in one twin by anorexia nervosa, is described. The literature on monozygotic twins discordant for anorexia nervosa and on the relationship between anorexia nervosa and affective illness is briefly reviewed. It is concluded that familial affective disorders can predispose adolescent females to develop anorexia nervosa.