Introduction And Hypothesis: Previous work has suggested that refractory detrusor overactivity (DO) was commonly associated with urinary tract infection (UTI), which can lead to inflammatory changes in the bladder. This study aimed to investigate the concentrations of urinary cytokines in a large sample of women with refractory detrusor overactivity (DO) and age matched controls.
Methods: The urinary concentration of 27 cytokines in 140 women (95 with refractory DO and 45 age matched controls (women without urge incontinence)) was determined using the Human Cytokine 27-plex Assay.
Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common however the widespread use of antibiotics has led to a rise in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) amongst uropathogens, rendering a significant proportion of infections resistant to first line treatment. AMR in UTIs may differentially affect men and women, younger and older patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate MDR (multi-drug resistance) and AMR in males and females in an Australian health district.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Urinary symptoms of urgency, frequency, and pain are thought to be the result of inflammation in several bladder pathologies although the cause of these symptoms remains uncertain. Extracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) released from the bladder urothelium during normal bladder stretch is believed to bind to purinergic receptors on afferent nerves to signal bladder sensation. This study examined pro-inflammatory cytokines in the urine of women with detrusor overactivity (DO) with or without urinary tract infection (UTI) compared to controls and then determined the effect of pro-inflammatory cytokines on ATP signaling (release and breakdown) from the urothelium.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUrinary tract infections (UTIs), primarily caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC), have an unclear impact on bladder mucosal physiology. This study investigates UPEC's effects on the urothelium and lamina propria using an ex vivo porcine bladder model. Bladder mucosal strips were analysed for contractile responses to acetylcholine, serotonin, and neurokinin A.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDoctors who work in areas of workforce shortage, such as regional, rural and remote areas or areas of low socioeconomic means need to be more self-motivated, adaptable and self-directed than their metropolitan counterparts. This study aimed to examine the goal orientation and learning characteristics of students recruited into two medical programmes, one from the Northern hemisphere and one from the Southern hemisphere; both with a commitment to producing doctors to practice medicine in rural locations. Three survey tools were administered to 263 medical students: 1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Med Educ
August 2024
Background: The global discourse on future health care emphasises that learning to collaborate across professions is crucial to assure patient safety and meet the changing demands of health care. The research on interprofessional education (IPE) is diverse but with gaps in curricula design and how IPE is enacted in practice.
Purpose And Aims: This research project will identify.
ObjectiveThis study aimed to examine changes in the demographics and regions of work of Australian doctors over a period of 9years.MethodsA retrospective study of Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) registration data was performed. Data were sourced from the Health Workforce Dataset Online Data Tool which was derived from annual registration data from AHPRA for 2013-2022.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMJ Nutr Prev Health
February 2024
Background: Significant research, regulatory bodies and even governmental resolutions have identified meaningful nutrition education for medical and other healthcare professionals as a priority. Doctors are well placed to provide nutrition care, yet nutrition education in medicine remains inadequate regardless of country, setting, or year of training. There remains a need to establish an accepted benchmark on nutrition competencies for medicine, as without consensus standards there is little likelihood of uniform adoption.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Many women are embarrassed to discuss pelvic floor exercises with health professionals during pregnancy; instead they search the internet for information on pelvic floor exercises.
Aims: This project investigated the quality and health literacy demand in terms of readability, understandability and actionability of information available on the internet relating to pelvic floor exercises.
Materials And Methods: An analysis was conducted on 150 websites and 43 videos obtained from three consecutive Google searches relating to pelvic floor exercises.
Introduction: The distribution of health care workers differs greatly across Australia, which is likely to impact health delivery.
Objective: To examine demographic and workplace setting factors of doctors, nurses and midwives, and allied health professionals across Modified Monash Model (MMM) regions and identify factors associated with shortfalls in the health care workforce.
Design: Descriptive cross-sectional analysis.
Background And Objectives: Doctors are well placed to facilitate nutrition care to support dietary improvements due, in part, to their regular contact with their patients. Limited literature exists which explores the perspective of patients regarding the nutrition care provided by medical professionals across the continuum of care. This article explores the perspective of patients regarding perceptions of nutrition advice and care received from doctors and expectations of this care, including key skills and attributes the patients perceive as important.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUlcerative Colitis (UC), a type of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), is a chronic, relapsing gastrointestinal condition with increasing global prevalence. The gut microbiome profile of people living with UC differs from healthy controls and this may play a role in the pathogenesis and clinical management of UC. Probiotics have been shown to induce remission in UC; however, their impact on the gut microbiome and inflammation is less clear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: The main function of the urinary tract is to form an impermeable barrier against urinary solutes and bacteria. However, this barrier can be compromised by urinary tract infections, most commonly caused by uropathogenic (UPEC). This can result in damage to the epithelial barrier, leading to decreased epithelial thickness, loss of tight junctions, loss of epithelial integrity, and apoptosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: The shortfall in medical workers in rural and remote Australia has led to health discrepancies in these regions. The University of Wollongong's medical program was designed to encourage graduates to work in these regions to address this shortfall.
Objective: To compare rural and regional locations of work and choices of speciality between University of Wollongong's graduates and graduates from all Australian universities.
Introduction: Addressing the imbalance of the health workforce between metropolitan and rural areas requires a clear understanding of trends in choices of work location of health care staff.
Objective: Here, we provide an automated and highly reproducible protocol to examine the location of health care workers over multiple years using medical graduates as a case study.
Design: Data linkage cohort study.
Urinary tract infection (UTI) afflicts millions of patients globally each year. While the majority of UTIs are successfully treated with orally administered antibiotics, the impact of oral antibiotics on the host microbiota is under close research scrutiny and the potential for dysbiosis is a cause for concern. Optimal treatment of UTI relies upon the selection of an agent which displays appropriate pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PK-PD) properties that will deliver appropriately high concentrations in the urinary tract after oral administration.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe use of antibiotics in the treatment of UTIs is contributing to resistance. Hence, the outcome of human clinical trials of nonantibiotic remedies for preventing or treating UTI is of significant interest. This systematic review aimed to identify, summarise and evaluate the evidence for the outcomes of different nonantibiotic options including cranberry, D-mannose and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common debilitating condition whereby uropathogens are able to survive within the urinary tract. In this study, we aimed to determine if the common uropathogens , , and Group B Streptococcus possessed virulence mechanisms that enable the invasion of urothelial cells. Urothelial cells were isolated from women with detrusor overactivity and recurrent UTIs; the intracellular localisation of the uropathogens was determined by confocal microscopy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Poor diet is implicated in multiple chronic diseases. Although doctors may be well placed to facilitate nutrition care, nutrition remains a low priority in medical education internationally. Consensus is required on nutrition competencies as a benchmark for education with a regulatory framework to ensure implementation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOveractive bladder (OAB) is a clinical syndrome defined by urinary urgency, increased daytime urinary frequency and/or nocturia, with or without urinary incontinence, that affects approximately 11% of the western population. OAB is accepted as an idiopathic disorder, and is charactersied clinically in the absence of other organic diseases, including urinary tract infection. Despite this, a growing body of research provides evidence that a significant proportion of OAB patients have active bladder infection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPatients undergoing chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide experience cystitis due to excretion of a toxic metabolite, acrolein. Cystitis, an inflammation of the bladder, is associated with damage to the integrity of the urothelial barrier. The purinergic P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) is increasingly recognized for its role in inflammation and cell death.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCompetency framework development in health professions has downstream implications for all relevant stakeholders, from the professionals themselves, to organisations, and most importantly end users of services. However, there is little guidance related to what stakeholders might be involved in the competency development process, and when. This review aimed to systematically review literature related to competency framework development methodology in health, to identify the breadth and purpose of key stakeholders commonly involved in the process.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInflammatory conditions of the urinary bladder have been shown to be associated with urothelial damage and loss of function. The purinergic P2X7 receptor has been implicated in several inflammatory conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the P2X7 receptor in acrolein-induced inflammatory damage using the porcine urinary bladder.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Poor diet is a leading cause of death worldwide. Doctors are well placed to provide dietary advice, yet nutrition remains insufficiently integrated into medical education. Enforcement of curriculum or accreditation requirements such as nutrition requires relevant regulatory frameworks.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFor men with newly diagnosed prostate cancer the decisions about treatment options are complex and difficult. The aim of this study was to investigate any association between the extent to which men wanted to be involved in the decision making process, their satisfaction with that process, and their levels of decision regret after treatment. The study population consisted of men diagnosed with prostate cancer at a regional center in Australia.
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