Research output of radiologists in Australia and New Zealand: Strengths, weaknesses and future directions.

Introduction: Clinical radiology is a popular career. However, academic radiology in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) has not traditionally been a strength of the specialty which has a focus on clinical medicine and has been influenced by corporatisation of the specialty. The aim of this study was to review the source(s) of radiologist-led research in Australia and New Zealand, to identify areas of relative deficiency and propose plans to improve research output.

Venous anomalies and thromboembolism.

Patients with venous anomalies are at increased risk of developing venous thromboembolism (VTE) and subsequent complications, but they are often under-recognised. While unprovoked VTE may trigger testing for inherited thrombophilias and malignancy screening, anatomic variants are considered less often. Venous anomalies increase the risk due to venous flow disturbance, resulting in hypertension, reduced flow velocity and turbulence.

Validation of the Intensive Care Unit Early Warning Dashboard: Quality Improvement Utilizing a Retrospective Case-Control Evaluation.

Introduction: Risk stratification with the Modified Early Warning System (MEWS) or electronic cardiac arrest trigger (eCART) has been utilized with ward patients to preemptively identify high-risk patients who might benefit from enhanced monitoring, including early intensive care unit (ICU) transfer. In-hospital mortality from cardiac arrest is ∼80%, making preventative interventions an important focus area. ICUs have lower patient to nurse ratios than wards, resulting in less emphasis on the development of ICU early warning systems.

FTO influences on longitudinal BMI over childhood and adulthood and modulation on relationship between birth weight and longitudinal BMI.

SNP rs9939609 within the fat mass and obesity associated gene (FTO) is strongly associated with adult body mass index (BMI). However, influences of FTO on longitudinal BMI change from childhood to adulthood have not been examined. Knowledge is limited on FTO, modulating the association between birth weight and longitudinal change of BMI.