Sun-Protective Clothing Worn Regularly during Early Childhood Reduces the Number of New Melanocytic Nevi: The North Queensland Sun-Safe Clothing Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

Numerous pigmented moles are associated with sun exposure and melanomarisk. This cluster randomized controlled trial aimed to determine if sun-protective clothing could prevent a significant proportion of the moles developing in young children (ACTRN12617000621314; Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry. Twenty-five childcare centers in Townsville (19.

Effect of a Single Preoperative Dose of Oral Antibiotic to Reduce the Incidence of Surgical Site Infection Following Below-Knee Dermatological Flap and Graft Repair.

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) rates for below-knee dermatological surgery are unacceptably high, particularly following complex flap and graft closures. The role of antibiotic prophylaxis for these surgical cases is uncertain.

Objective: To determine whether SSI following complex dermatological closures on the leg could be reduced by antibiotic prophylaxis administered as a single oral preoperative dose.

Association Between Energy Prices and US Hospital Patient Outcomes.

Objective: To evaluate associations between changing energy prices and US hospital patient outcomes.

Methods: Generalized estimating equations were used to analyze relationships between changes in energy prices and subsequent changes in hospital patient outcomes measures for the years 2008 through 2014. Patient outcomes measures included 30-day acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, and pneumonia mortality rates, and 30-day acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, and pneumonia readmission rates.

Diarrheal Diseases and Climate Change in Cambodia.

The DRIP-SWICCH (Developing Research and Innovative Policies Specific to the Water-related Impacts of Climate Change on Health) project aimed to increase the resilience of Cambodian communities to the health risks posed by climate change-related impacts on water. This article follows a review of climate change and water-related diseases in Cambodia and presents the results of a time series analysis of monthly weather and diarrheal disease data for 11 provinces. In addition, correlations of diarrheal disease incidence with selected demographic, socioeconomic, and water and sanitation indicators are described, with results suggesting education and literacy may be most protective against disease.

Cluster randomised controlled trial: educational self-care intervention with older Taiwanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus--impact on blood glucose levels and diabetic complications.

Aims: To investigate whether self care behaviours, medical outcomes and quality of life of Taiwanese elderly with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) can be improved by delivery of an educational health care package.

Background: DM is a major health problem in developed and developing countries, with older adults constituting about half of the diabetic population. Type 2 DM is the most rapidly increasing chronic disease in Taiwan.

Indigenous Australians' participation in pre-registration tertiary nursing courses: a mixed methods study.

Indigenous nurses have the potential to improve access to health services for Indigenous people by ensuring that services are culturally safe and respectful of Indigenous peoples' needs. Therefore, developing a well-educated Indigenous nursing workforce is one way to improve the poor health outcomes of Indigenous Australians. A mixed methods study was undertaken to determine the current rates of enrollment, progression and completion of Indigenous nursing students in Australia and to explore student and staff perceptions of barriers to completion and strategies for success.

Women's decision satisfaction and psychological distress following early breast cancer treatment: a treatment decision support role for nurses.

This prospective cross-sectional study investigated Australian women's (n = 104) decision satisfaction with cancer treatment decision for early breast cancer as well as their psychological distress 3-4 months following surgery. Women's satisfaction was surveyed using the Treatment Decision Satisfaction Questionnaire, and the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 was used to measure psychological distress. Women who were living alone, who worked as professionals and who were not involved in the decision-making process by their doctors were less likely to be satisfied with their decision process, outcome and their overall treatment decision.

Tick paralysis in spectacled flying-foxes (Pteropus conspicillatus) in North Queensland, Australia: impact of a ground-dwelling ectoparasite finding an arboreal host.

When a parasite finds a new wildlife host, impacts can be significant. In the late 1980s populations of Spectacled Flying-foxes (SFF) (Pteropus conspicillatus), a species confined, in Australia, to north Queensland became infected by paralysis tick (Ixodes holocyclus), resulting in mortality. This Pteropus-tick relationship was new to Australia.

Time to stabilisation of the cervical spine when supported by a pillow in side lying.

Unlabelled: Currently, there is little information to guide consumers, retailers and health professionals about the length of time it takes for the cervical spine to stabilise when resting on a pillow. The aim of this study was to determine the time required to achieve stabilisation of the cervical spine when supported by a polyester pillow and innerspring mattress in side lying. Twenty-four asymptomatic females rested in a standardised side lying position during the capture of 3D data from markers placed over cervical landmarks.

Does taping torso scars following dermatologic surgery improve scar appearance?

Background: Studies show that patients are significantly less satisfied with torso scars than scars elsewhere. Though not an uncommon practice, it is unknown if application of adhesive tapes following dermatological surgery help improve cosmesis.

Objective: To determine the effect of taping sutured torso wounds on overall scar appearance, scar width and patient satisfaction with the scar.

Changing the risky beliefs of post-partum women about therapeutic sun-exposure.

Background: Many post-partum women hold risky beliefs about perceived therapeutic benefits of sun-exposure in the post-partum period and infancy.

Question: Can a maternity hospital based educational intervention reduce the prevalence of such beliefs among post-partum women?

Methods: In this outcome evaluation of an interventional study, two groups of healthy post-partum women (hospital inpatients) were interviewed, 1-4 days following delivery. The first cross-section (106 women) was recruited prior to in-services for maternity staff; the second (203 women) was recruited after completion of the in-services.

The carbon footprint of Australian ambulance operations.

Objective: To determine the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the energy consumption of Australian ambulance operations, and to identify the predominant energy sources that contribute to those emissions.

Methods: A two-phase study of operational and financial data from a convenience sample of Australian ambulance operations to inventory their energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions for 1 year. State- and territory-based ambulance systems serving 58% of Australia's population and performing 59% of Australia's ambulance responses provided data for the study.

Reducing barriers to testing for Chlamydia trachomatis by mailed self-collected samples.

Background: Chlamydia trachomatis (chlamydia) is the most commonly notified sexually transmissible bacterial infection in Australia, where distance to health services can be a barrier. This study investigated the acceptability of a self-collection kit for chlamydia testing (sent by mail) and assessed the risk profiles of participants with respect to locality.

Methods: In total, 2587 self-collection kits were distributed opportunistically or sent directly to participants upon request, as was a self-administered questionnaire.

The energy burden and environmental impact of health services.

Objectives: We reviewed the English-language literature on the energy burden and environmental impact of health services.

Methods: We searched all years of the PubMed, CINAHL, and ScienceDirect databases for publications reporting energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, or the environmental impact of health-related activities. We extracted and tabulated data to enable cross-comparisons among different activities and services; where possible, we calculated per patient or per event emissions.

Metachronous carcinomas in colorectum and its clinicopathological significance.

Purpose: The study was designed to examine the significance of colorectal metachronous carcinoma in a large cohort of patients.

Methods: Over a mean follow-up period of 10 years, the clinicopathological features, microsatellite instability (MSI) and clinical follow-up of 56 patients with metachronous colorectal carcinoma were analysed.

Results: The prevalence of metachronous colorectal carcinoma was 2.

Risk factors for surgical site infection after dermatological surgery.

Objectives:   Surgical site infection (SSI) following minor surgery contributes to patient morbidity and compromises cosmetic outcomes. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of and risk factors for SSI after dermatological surgery in general practice.

Methods:   A prospective, observational study which assessed infection among 972 patients was conducted in regional north Queensland, Australia.

Investigating changes in quality of life and function along the lifespan for people with spinal cord injury.

Objective: To track changes in quality of life and function for people with spinal cord injury (SCI) along the lifespan.

Design: A wave panel design in which data were collected annually over 5 years across 6 strata that represented different periods since injury.

Setting: Telephone interviews with participants in their home environment.

Prognosis of sentinel node staged patients with primary cutaneous melanoma.

Background: This study investigated survival probabilities and prognostic factors in sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) staged patients with cutaneous melanoma (CM) with the aim of defining subgroups of patients who are at higher risk for recurrences and who should be considered for adjuvant clinical trials.

Methods: Patients with primary CM who underwent SLNB in the Department of Dermatology, University of Tuebingen, Germany, between 1996 and 2009 were included into this study. Survival probabilities and prognostic factors were evaluated by Kaplan-Meier and multivariate Cox proportional hazard models.

Dermoscopy improves diagnosis of tinea nigra: a study of 50 cases.

Background/objectives: Tinea nigra is a relatively uncommon dematiaceous fungal infection of the palms and soles, which clinically may mimic a melanocytic lesion. We sought to ascertain how frequently misdiagnosis of this infection occurred and whether the use of dermoscopy helped in its diagnosis.

Methods: Fifty consecutive cases of tinea nigra diagnosed at a dermatopathology laboratory were examined with regard to the clinical diagnosis, use of dermoscopy and the mode of management.

Hazard rates for recurrent and secondary cutaneous melanoma: an analysis of 33,384 patients in the German Central Malignant Melanoma Registry.

Background: Knowledge about the risk for recurrence and secondary cutaneous melanoma (CM) is an important basis for patient counseling and planning of follow-up examinations.

Objectives: This study aimed to analyze stage- and time-dependent hazard rates (HR) and discusses current surveillance recommendations.

Methods: Follow-up data of 33,384 patients with incident CM in stages I to III (American Joint Committee on Cancer 2002) were recorded by the German Central Malignant Melanoma Registry in 1976 through 2007.

Improving Chlamydia trachomatis retesting rates by mailed self-collection kit.

Background: To assess a mailed self-collection kit for chlamydia testing as an intervention to increase post-treatment retesting rates.

Methods: This prospective intervention study took place at a sexual health clinic in Townsville, North Queensland (Australia) between 2006 and 2008. The intervention consisted of offering to mail a self-collection kit for retesting 3 months after treatment.

Vitamin D status of adults from tropical Australia determined using two different laboratory assays: implications for public health messages.

We measured serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels of ambulatory adults in tropical Australia to determine whether it is appropriate to continue promoting sun-safety in this population. In August 2006 (winter), self-administered questionnaires were completed by 145 Meals-on-Wheels volunteers (49.3% male; mean age 57.

Melanoma of unknown primary is correctly classified by the AJCC melanoma classification from 2009.

Few studies have focused on the prognosis of melanoma of unknown primary (MUP). This study aimed (i) to determine prognostic factors for patients with MUP and (ii) to investigate whether the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) 2009 classification is suitable for MUP. Among 8897 patients with melanoma attending the university department of dermatology, Tuebingen, Germany, 172 (1.