Publications by authors named "Tess Evans"
Article Synopsis
- The lower gastrointestinal tract microbiome is complex and often gets disrupted during critical illness, particularly in patients who are in intensive care for extended periods.
- A systematic review of 13 studies involving 177 patients aimed to understand microbiome changes and their relationship to clinical outcomes in these patients, showing reduced diversity but unclear links to overall health outcomes.
- The review found that while certain patterns of microbiome disruption were common, only the relative abundance of specific microorganisms correlated with clinical outcomes, highlighting the prevalence and potential impact of microbiome changes in long-term ICU patients.
Clinical informatics is a cornerstone in the delivery of safe and quality critical care in Australia and New Zealand. Recent advances in the field of clinical informatics, including new technologies that digitise healthcare data, improved methods of capturing and storing these data, as well as innovative analytic methods using machine learning and artificial intelligence, present exciting new opportunities to leverage data for improving the delivery of critical care and patient outcomes. However, ICU training in Australian and New Zealand does not adequately address capability gaps in this area, potentially leaving future intensivists without the necessary skills to provide leadership in the application of informatics within ICUs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To investigate in-hospital mortality among people admitted to Australian intensive care units (ICUs) with conditions other than coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Design: National, multicentre, retrospective cohort study; analysis of data in the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Centre for Outcome and Resource Evaluation (ANZICS CORE) Adult Patient Database.
Setting, Participants: Adults (16 years or older) without COVID-19 admitted to Australian ICUs, 1 January 2016 - 30 June 2022.
Lower gut dysbiosis and mortality in acute critical illness: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Intensive Care Med Exp
February 2023
Background: The human gastrointestinal tract harbours a complex multi-kingdom community known as the microbiome. Dysbiosis refers to its disruption and is reportedly extreme in acute critical illness yet its clinical implications are unresolved. The review systematically evaluates the association between gut dysbiosis and clinical outcomes of patients early in critical illness.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Several non-motor features of Parkinson's disease (PD) are known to adversely affect patient health-related quality of life (HRQL). However, the specific impact of neuropsychiatric complications, such as impulsive behaviour, is yet to be elucidated.
Objectives: The present cross-sectional, observational study aimed to investigate the effects of heightened trait impulsivity on HRQL in individuals with PD.
Background: Heightened impulsivity has been reported in a subset of people with Parkinson's disease (PwP) and is considered a risk factor for the development of impulse control disorders (ICDs). However, at present, there are no recognised biochemical markers of heightened impulsivity.
Objectives: To determine if ceruloplasmin, a serum marker involved in the regulation of iron and copper homeostasis, is associated with trait impulsivity in PwP.
Introduction: Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) commonly experience cognitive deficits and some also develop impulse control disorders (ICDs); however, the relationship between impulsivity and cognitive dysfunction remains unclear. This study investigated whether trait impulsivity associates with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or is altered in a PD patient cohort with MCI.
Methods: A total of 302 patients with idiopathic PD were recruited sequentially from three Australian Movement Disorder clinics.
Background: Infusional 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) has been the standard radiation sensitizer in patients undergoing preoperative long-course chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for locally advanced rectal cancer in Australia. Capecitabine (Xeloda) is an oral 5-FU prodrug of comparable pharmacodynamic activity, currently preferred in place of 5-FU infusion, its established counterpart in neoadjuvant CRT for rectal cancer. The few studies quantifying pathological complete response (pCR) of Xeloda versus 5-FU have produced inconsistent results.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To evaluate a modified extended Timed Up and Go (extended-TUG) assessment against a panel of validated clinical assessments, as an indicator of Parkinson's disease (PD) severity and cognitive impairment.
Methods: Eighty-seven participants with idiopathic PD were sequentially recruited from a Movement Disorders Clinic. An extended-TUG assessment was employed which required participants to stand from a seated position, walk in a straight line for 7m, turn 180° and then return to the start, in a seated position.
Background: Natural genetic variation contributes towards athletic performance in various strength/power and endurance based sports. To date, no studies have explored the genetic predisposition towards skill and athletic performance in Australian Football (AF) players.
Methods: The present pilot study recruited 30 sub-elite AF players who completed tests of endurance, power and technical skill.