Aspirin after completion of standard adjuvant therapy for colorectal cancer (ASCOLT): an international, multicentre, phase 3, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Aspirin is a simple, globally available medication that has been shown to reduce the incidence of colorectal cancer. We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of aspirin in the secondary prevention of colorectal cancer.

Methods: This phase 3, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted at 66 centres across 11 countries and territories (ten in Asia-Pacific; one in the Middle East).

Negative impact of self-reported executive problems in patients with functional/dissociative seizures: Results from a prospective long-term observational study.

Objective: Functional/dissociative seizures (FDS) are common and pose a considerable burden on both individual patients and healthcare systems. Cognitive complaints are frequent in patients with FDS. Previous studies on cognitive function in patients with FDS have yielded mixed results.

Recommencing anticoagulation treatment in surgically managed patients with intracerebral haemorrhage and mechanical heart valves: An Aotearoa-New Zealand analysis.

Purpose: Intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) is an absolute contraindication for therapeutic oral anticoagulation therapy (OAT). Re-bleeding carries significant risk of morbidity and mortality. Patients with prosthetic heart valves are at higher risk of thromboembolic complications when OAT is withheld.

Epidemiology of watersport related traumatic spinal cord injuries in New Zealand (2007-2021).

Background: To investigate the incidence, demographic characteristics, etiologies, surgical interventions, hospital stays, and neurologic outcomes associated with watersport-related traumatic spinal cord injuries (TSCI) in New Zealand.

Methods: Retrospective study collected data from New Zealand's two spinal rehabilitation units, the Auckland Spinal Rehabilitation Unit (ASRU) and the Burwood Spinal Unit (BSU). It included adults aged over 16 years, between January 2007 and December 2021 with new TSCI secondary to traumatic watersport activities.

Mortality in ischaemic stroke patients without standard modifiable risk factors: An analysis of the Riksstroke registry.

Introduction: Little is known of the long-term prognosis of patients with acute ischaemic stroke in the absence of standard modifiable stroke risk factors (SMoRFs). In acute coronary syndromes, patients without modifiable risk factors have a higher mortality rate. We analysed data from the Swedish Stroke Register to determine survival of patients without SMoRFs following an ischaemic stroke.

Assessment of the quality of life comparison between open and endovascular aortic arch surgery: a pilot study.

Background: Advancement in endovascular endografts have paved the way to the possibility of performing endovascular aortic arch repair in recent years. This has started to supersede the need for open aortic arch surgery. There remains a paucity of data looking into the quality of life comparison between open aortic arch surgery and endovascular aortic arch repair.

Anaesthetic and corticosteroid response immediately following epidural injection in patients with MRI confirmed lumbar disc herniation.

Objectives: To describe a rapid, community-based assessment, referral and management system for acute symptomatic LDH. To identify and describe specific local anaesthetic and corticosteroid patterns of pain intensity change during the first week post-epidural injection.

Setting: Private practice, specialist physiotherapy clinic, community-based radiology facility.

The Surgical Education Checklist as an Adjunct to Training in the Operating Theatre: The Surgeons' Experience.

Background: An important aspect of surgical training occurs within the operating theatre. However, access to learning opportunities in this environment has been compromised by issues including reduced working hours and the COVID pandemic. Every training opportunity that does exist, therefore, needs to be maximized.

Long term surgical outcomes following renal transplantation in Aotearoa New Zealand: the South Island Chapter.

Background: Over the last decade, there has been a steady increase in the number of patients diagnosed with end stage renal failure (ESRF). Renal transplant remains the best available treatment for ESRF. The aim of this study is to assess the surgical outcomes following renal transplantation in a single tertiary centre in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Determining the time to cholangiocarcinoma in pediatric-onset PSC-IBD.

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a risk factor for cholangiocarcinoma. When a child is diagnosed with both PSC and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), evidence-based information on counseling families and risk management of developing cholangiocarcinoma is limited. In this case series (PubMed/collaborators), we included patients with PSC-IBD who developed cholangiocarcinoma and contacted authors to determine an event curve specifying the time between the second diagnosis (IBD or PSC) and a diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma.

Evaluating the effect of making the indication field compulsory in electronic prescriptions: A pre-post study in a hospital prescribing system.

Aims: Recording the indication for a medicine in the prescription supports communication. In May 2023, our district hospitals made the free-text indication field in prescriptions compulsory for all medicines in the inpatient prescribing system. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of introducing a compulsory indication field in an inpatient prescribing system.

Determinants of Time to Diagnosis in Young-Onset Dementia.

Timely diagnosis of young-onset dementia (YOD) is critical. This study aimed to identify factors that increased time to diagnosis at each stage of the diagnostic pathway. Participants were patients diagnosed with YOD (n = 40) and their care partners (n = 39).

Acute Severe Ulcerative Colitis: An International Delphi Consensus on Clinical Trial Design and Endpoints.

Background & Aims: Interventional clinical trials in acute severe ulcerative colitis (ASUC) are characterized by substantial heterogeneity due to a lack of consensus in several key areas of trial design-this impedes clinical research efforts to identify novel therapies. The objective of this initiative was to achieve the first consensus and provide clear position statements on ASUC trial design.

Methods: A modified Delphi consensus approach was employed with a panel of 20 clinicians with international representation and expertise in ASUC trial design and delivery.

The Correlation between Age at Implant, Consistent Device Use, and Language Outcomes for Children Implanted under 18 Months.

Introduction: Research suggests deaf children who receive cochlear implants (CIs) at an early age can achieve age-appropriate language. Recent studies suggest age at full-time CI use is a better predictor of language outcomes than age at implant. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there are correlations between age at implantation, establishing consistent device use, and language outcomes in a cohort of young children in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Surgical pathology and sustainable development: international landscape and prospects.

The healthcare sector significantly contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions, with surgical pathology (SP) playing a notable role. This review explores the ecological transformation of SP, offering a global overview of existing challenges and sustainable initiatives worldwide.While some countries, such as the UK and France, have developed national strategies to reduce the carbon footprint of healthcare, including SP, many regions remain at an early stage of implementing green practices.