Experiences of stigma and subsequent reduced access to health care among women who inject drugs.

Introduction: Research into stigma and injecting drug use has typically involved predominantly male participants, with limited research about the unique experience of women who inject drugs.

Methods: This study used survey methods to assess reduced access to health care due to stigma among a sample of women who inject drugs. Women (n = 232) completed a survey as part of a broader national study of people who inject drugs.

Awareness of HCV Status and Preferences for Testing and Treatment among People with Recent Injecting Drug Use at a Peer-Led Needle and Syringe Program: The TEMPO Pilot Study.

Background: New technologies and therapies allow the possibility of a single-visit test and treat model for hepatitis C virus (HCV), addressing some of the barriers to care faced by people who inject drugs.

Methods: The TEMPO Pilot Study was an interventional cohort study evaluating a single-visit test and treat intervention among people with recent injecting drug use at a one peer-led needle and syringe program (NSP) in Sydney, Australia between September 2019 and February 2021. This analysis evaluated awareness of HCV status and agreement of self-report with HCV RNA test results.

Barriers to help-seeking among music festival attendees in New South Wales, Australia.

Introduction: Prompt help-seeking behaviour by music festival attendees can reduce risks associated with drug use; however, little is known about perceived barriers to help-seeking when experiencing or witnessing illness at music festivals. We explored potential barriers and their association with festivalgoer characteristics.

Methods: We conducted an on-site cross-sectional survey of attendees at New South Wales music festivals in 2019/2020.

The Overdose Response with Take Home Naloxone (ORTHN) project: Evaluation of health worker training, attitudes and perceptions.

Introduction: Naloxone is a life-saving medication that reverses opioid overdose; naloxone can be provided on a 'take-home' basis so naloxone can be administered outside of the health-care setting. The Overdose Response and Take Home Naloxone (ORTHN) project established a model of care for take-home naloxone (THN) interventions across alcohol and other drug and harm reduction services in NSW, Australia. This paper evaluates the staff training and credentialing program, and examines staff attitudes and perspectives regarding the provision of THN interventions in these settings.

Correlates of higher-risk drug-related behaviours at music festivals in New South Wales, Australia.

Introduction: There are few contemporary data on illicit drug use at music festivals. We describe drug use patterns and prevalence of specific higher-risk drug-related behaviours, and their associations with festivalgoer characteristics.

Methods: We approached attendees at six major music festivals in New South Wales, Australia, from November 2019 to March 2020.

Wastewater analysis for psychoactive substances at music festivals across New South Wales, Australia in 2019-2020.

Introduction: Implementation of wastewater surveillance at music festivals has been limited to date. We aimed to use wastewater analysis and a self-report survey to determine the range of psychoactive substances being used during a music festival season in New South Wales, Australia.

Methods: We sampled six single-day music festivals requiring a music festival license in New South Wales from March 2019 to March 2020; between 15% and 100% of portaloos (temporary, un-fixed toilet facilities) were sampled at each festival.

A Systematic Review of Interventions Used to Increase Blood Donor Compliance with Deferral Criteria.

Background And Objectives: Pre-donation screening of potential blood donors is critical for ensuring the safety of the donor blood supply, and donor deferral as a result of risk factors is practised worldwide. This systematic review was conducted in the context of an expert review convened by the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood in 2013 to consider Lifeblood's injecting drug use (IDU)-related policies and aimed to identify studies assessing interventions to improve compliance with deferral criteria in blood donation settings.

Materials And Methods: MEDLINE/PubMed, OVID Medline, OVID Embase, LILACS, and the Cochrane Library (CENTRAL and DARE) databases were searched for studies conducted within blood donation settings that examined interventions to increase blood donor compliance with deferral criteria.

Care, agency and criminality: Making sense of authorised extended distribution in the accounts of key stakeholders.

Introduction: One of the current harm reduction debates in Australia concerns the legalisation of the extended distribution of sterile needles and syringes, a practice that is currently unlawful in most Australian settings.

Methods: We used data from a unique pilot program of authorised extended distribution to document the opinions held by 22 key stakeholders -service staff, drug users and police - about the risks and benefits of authorisation, and to analyse the ways in which drug users were understood within these.

Results: Opinions were strongly in favour of authorising extended distribution, based on the belief that this would reduce the transmission of hepatitis C.

Perceptions of people who inject drugs towards HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis in Australia.

Unlabelled: Background People who inject drugs (PWID) are a priority for HIV prevention. This study aimed to determine perceptions, potential eligibility and willingness to use PrEP among PWID in Sydney.

Methods: Clients completed a cross-sectional survey to collect data on demographics, perceived risk of HIV and willingness to use PrEP, which were then analysed.

Patterns of Peer Distribution of Injecting Equipment at an Authorized Distribution Site in Sydney, Australia.

Background: Extended distribution refers to the practice whereby people who inject drugs pass on sterile injecting equipment to their networks and can be a means to access people who inject drugs who do not attend state-sanctioned needle and syringe programs. While it is legal, to possess a sterile syringe for the purpose of injecting drugs in New South Wales, Australia, it is a criminal offence to pass this equipment on for others to use. In 2013 a pilot project was established to trial the authorization of "extended" peer distribution.

Gonorrhoea testing and positivity in non-remote Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services.

Unlabelled: Background Gonorrhoea occurs at high levels in young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in remote communities, but there are limited data on urban and regional settings. An analysis was undertaken of gonorrhoea testing and positivity at four non-remote Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services participating in a collaborative research network.

Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of clinical encounter data derived from electronic medical records at participating services.

Markers of hepatitis B infection and immunity in patients attending Aboriginal community controlled health services.

Objective: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, who have high rates of infection compared with non-Indigenous Australians. We aimed to increase the evidence base around HBV in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through an analysis of routine clinical encounter data.

Design: A cross-sectional study of de-identified records from electronic patient systems over 5 years (8 January 2009 to 11 July 2013).

The role of specialist nurses in improving treatment adherence in children with a chronic illness.

Adherence to medical treatment is an ongoing challenge for families and young people with chronic medical conditions. One factor that is likely to influence treatment success is the quality of professional relationships both within the health care team and between the family, child and professionals. This paper explores the topic of professional relationships and adherence and provides an example of how a multidisciplinary team can improve the health and quality of life of paediatric patients.

Antivirals in the management of an influenza pandemic.

The Australian Government has an extensive stockpile of antivirals (neuraminidase inhibitors) to be used if an influenza pandemic occurs. Neuraminidase inhibitors reduce the duration of the symptoms of seasonal influenza infection by 1 day on average, when used as treatment within 48 hours of disease onset. Neuraminidase inhibitors prevent infection in up to 74% of people when administered as prophylaxis.

Handwashing practice and policy variability when caring for central venous catheters in paediatric intensive care.

It has been estimated that there may be as many as 150,000 healthcare associated infections (HCAI) in Australia each year, contributing to 7,000 deaths, many of which could be prevented through the implementation of appropriate infection control practices. Contact with contaminated hands is a primary source of HCAI. Intensive care staff have been identified as one of the least adherent groups of health care professionals with handwashing; they are less likely to practise hand antisepsis before invasive procedures than staff working in other patient care specialties.

Central venous access and handwashing: variability in policies and practices.

This study examined variability in handwashing policy between hospitals, variability in handwashing practices in nurses and how practice differed from policy in tertiary paediatric hospitals in Australia and New Zealand. Eight of the possible nine major paediatric hospitals provided a copy of their handwashing and/or central venous access device (CVAD) policies, and 67 nurses completed a survey on their handwashing practices associated with CVAD management. A high degree of variability was found in relation to all the questions posed in the study.