Adherence to secondary prevention of rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease in young people: an 11-year retrospective study.

Objectives: To evaluate the secondary prevention of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in the Townsville region, Australia.

Methods: Adherence to benzathine benzylpenicillin G (BPG) was determined for 196 children and young adults aged under 22 years between January 2009 and December 2019, and factors associated with BPG adherence were analysed. Secondary outcomes included attendance at specialist reviews and echocardiograms.

Can I breastfeed my baby with Down syndrome? A scoping review.

Aim: To summarise existing evidence about barriers and enablers to breastfeeding babies with Down syndrome (DS) in peer-reviewed literature.

Methods: Ovid Medline, CINAHL, Scopus and Ovid Emcare were searched. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were used to screen yielded articles and those meeting the criteria were included for data extraction.

Rheumatic heart disease in pregnancy and neonatal outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: Associations between rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in pregnancy and fetal outcomes are relatively unknown. This study aimed to review rates and predictors of major adverse fetal outcomes of RHD in pregnancy.

Methods: Medline (Ovid), Pubmed, EMcare, Scopus, CINAHL, Informit, and WHOICTRP databases were searched for studies that reported rates of adverse perinatal events in women with RHD during pregnancy.

Lessons to be learned: Using National Immunisation strategies to improve adherence to acute rheumatic fever secondary prophylaxis.

Rheumatic heart disease, as a result of a single or recurrent episode of acute rheumatic fever (ARF), remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in northern and remote Australia; ARF has a peak incidence among 5-14-year-old Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Long-term regular benzathine penicillin G injections are the only currently successful secondary prevention strategy; however, rates of adherence remain critically low. In contrast, rates of adherence to immunisations on the National Immunisation Program (NIP) Schedule are high, even among this target population.

Benefits of simulated General Practice clinics in the preparation of medical students for primary healthcare.

The James Cook University (JCU) medical school has a mission to produce doctors who are willing to work across northern Australia and may choose generalist rather than specialist careers. In addition to real-life placements in primary healthcare settings, the medical school has developed simulated General Practice (GP) clinics (simGPclinic) for Year 5 (Y5) students. This study compares the simGPclinic with actual GP placements for authenticity, teaching clinical skills, and preparation for real-life primary healthcare settings.

Diabetic ketoacidosis incidence in children at first presentation of type 1 diabetes at an Australian regional hospital: The effect of health professional education.

Background: Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is an acute life threatening, resource intensive preventable complication of type 1 diabetes which has major biopsychosocial effects on patients and families. Incidence of pediatric DKA has been studied nationally and internationally in metropolitan centers. This study analyzed the DKA incidence at first presentation of type 1 diabetes at Townsville Hospital, before and after an educational intervention.

Who paints the picture? Images of health professions in rural and remote student resources.

Introduction: Rural and remote Australia has a severe shortage of health professionals and the health of its people is relatively poor. For decades, national and international studies have demonstrated that health professionals who grow up in rural areas are more likely to practise in rural areas when compared with health professionals raised in the city. However, an often unrecognised consequence of the severe shortage of health professionals is the severe shortage of role models to inspire rural and remote school students to go on to become health professionals.