Pregnancy and neonatal characteristics of opioid-dependent Indigenous Australians: a rural and metropolitan comparison.

Aims: To identify maternal, obstetric and neonatal characteristics of opioid-dependent Indigenous Australians in rural and metropolitan settings.

Methods: Retrospective cohort study of 232 metropolitan and 67 rural infants born to mothers maintained on methadone throughout pregnancy for the treatment of opiate dependency, between January 2000 and December 2006. Medical records of identified mother/infant dyads were reviewed by evaluating 20 different maternal, obstetric and neonatal parameters.

A ten-year retrospective study of unplanned hospital readmissions to a regional Australian hospital.

Objective: To examine the trend in unplanned readmissions (URs) to Dubbo Base Hospital (DBH) over the period 1996-2005 and assess possible correlations with basic demographic data.

Results: URs increased over the study period, both as a total number and as a proportion of total admissions (from 4.7 to 5.

Harnessing a university to address rural health workforce shortages in Australia.

Objective: To describe the efforts of health faculties at the University of Sydney to contribute to the recruitment and retention of rural health professionals and examine for opportunities that would benefit from an institutional-led response.

Design: Cross-sectional survey.

Setting: The University of Sydney as a leading institution for health science education in New South Wales, which produces approximately 40% of all health science graduates in the state each year.