Real world delays in antivenom administration: patient, snake or hospital factors (ASP-33).

Objective: Early antivenom administration is essential for effective treatment. We investigated the delays in antivenom administration.

Methods: We reviewed snakebites from the Australian Snakebite Project (2006-2021) given antivenom, presenting to hospital within 12 h.

The Operative Treatment of Sternoclavicular Joint Dislocations in Adults: A Systematic Review.

This systematic review aimed to assess the literature on the treatment modalities used for acute sternoclavicular joint (SCJ) dislocation injuries. We aimed to review the clinical outcomes following these modalities by assessing functional scores, range of motion (ROM), patient satisfaction, complications, and revisions. A thorough literature search was conducted on four databases (Cochrane Library, Embase, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar) for studies published from January 2000 to May 2024 that focused on surgical treatment of sternoclavicular joint dislocation in patients over the age of 18 years.

Isometric shoulder strength: Normative Australian population data and associated factors.

Background: Age and sex are known predictors of isometric shoulder strength and therefore must be accounted for when noting strength values or administering assessments such as the Constant Score. Given the popularity of the Constant Score, it is important to ensure protocols and values remain clinically relevant and are representative of the intended population.

Method: Isometric shoulder strength was recorded for 511 participants without shoulder pathology using the Chatillon hand-held dynamometer.

Effect of patient-contextual skin images in human- and artificial intelligence-based diagnosis of melanoma: Results from the 2020 SIIM-ISIC melanoma classification challenge.

Background: While the high accuracy of reported AI tools for melanoma detection is promising, the lack of holistic consideration of the patient is often criticized. Along with medical history, a dermatologist would also consider intra-patient nevi patterns, such that nevi that are different from others on a given patient are treated with suspicion.

Objective: To evaluate whether patient-contextual lesion-images improves diagnostic accuracy for melanoma in a dermoscopic image-based AI competition and a human reader study.

Cognitive behavioural therapy versus other interventions on mental health in people with sensory impairments: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Sensory impairments can negatively affect people's quality of life and daily functioning, including anxiety and depression symptoms. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) could be an effective intervention to alleviate these, however its effectiveness compared to other interventions have not been examined. The aim of this review was to examine the effectiveness of CBT versus other interventions on anxiety and depression symptoms in people with hearing, visual, and other sensory impairments.

"You need to be supported": An integrative review of nurses' experiences after death in neonatal and paediatric intensive care.

Background: The death of a child can have a profound impact on critical care nurses, shaping their professional practice and personal lives in diverse, enduring ways. Whilst end-of-life care is recognised as a core component of critical care nursing practice and a research priority, evidence about nurses' experiences after death in neonatal and paediatric intensive care is poorly understood.

Research Question: What is the experience of the nurse after death of a patient in neonatal and/or paediatric intensive care?

Method: Following registration with Open Science Framework, an integrative review of the empirical literature was undertaken.

RESILIENCE (Retrospective Linkage Study of Autoimmune Encephalitis): protocol for an Australian retrospective cohort study of outcomes in autoimmune encephalitis using data linkage techniques.

Introduction: The autoimmune encephalitides (AE) are a heterogeneous group of neurological disorders with significant morbidity and healthcare costs. Despite advancements in understanding their pathophysiology, uncertainties persist regarding long-term prognosis and optimal management. This study aims to address these gaps, focusing on immunotherapeutic strategies, neoplastic associations and functional outcomes.

Uncovering language deficits in focal epilepsy: Beyond the limits of noun naming and verbal fluency.

Background: A range of language impairments have been reported in people with epilepsy both pre- and post-surgically, however language is not routinely comprehensively assessed in epilepsy clinics. When language is assessed, this is typically as part of a broader neuropsychological battery of assessment, often limited to tests of noun naming and/or verbal fluency, despite evidence to suggest these tests are not sufficiently sensitive to detect the often-subtle deficits present in chronic focal epilepsy. Many areas of language function, including the production of connected speech, have also not been adequately explored in this population, and research relating to subjective report of language and communication difficulties is limited.

Clinical Applicability of 2-Field High-Resolution and Extended HLA-Allele Typing in Deceased Donor Kidney Allocation.

HLA-compatibility remains an important triage test for deceased donor kidney allocation. Low-intermediate resolution donor HLA-typing is typically available at allocation, but its accuracy in assigning pre-transplant donor-specific anti-HLA antibody (DSA) and HLA mismatches compared to 2-field high-resolution typing is poorly characterised. Consecutive deceased donor/recipient pairs from a single centre between 2016 and 2020 were included.

Regional hotspots for chronic kidney disease: A multinational study from the ISN-GKHA.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) disproportionately affects certain populations as demonstrated by well-established subnational geographic hotspots of CKD in Central America and South Asia. Using data from the third iteration of the International Society of Nephrology Global Kidney Health Atlas (ISN-GKHA), we aimed to systematically identify sub-national geographic or population clusters with high prevalence of CKD. The ISN-GKHA survey was conducted from July to September 2022, and included questions regarding whether a regional CKD hotspot existed in the respondents' country and possible contributors.

Sarcopenia in interstitial lung disease.

Background: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) encompasses a heterogeneous group of chronic lung conditions with considerable variability in prognosis and response to treatment. People with reduced muscle mass and function, known as sarcopenia, have a higher risk of mortality and adverse clinical outcomes both in the general population and in other chronic disease states. The importance of sarcopenia across the spectrum of patients with ILD is not well established.

Antipsychotic medications and risk of respiratory failure in the respiratory high dependency unit.

Background: There is a high incidence of serious mental illness (SMI) and antipsychotic use in the respiratory high dependence unit (HDU) compared with the general population. However, there is a paucity of data in the extant literature evaluating the relationships between respiratory failure and antipsychotics.

Aims: To investigate the relationship between antipsychotics and respiratory failure in people admitted to a respiratory HDU, and to gain a better understanding of the potential impact of antipsychotic medications on respiratory outcomes.

Compassionate access to virus-specific T cells for adoptive immunotherapy over 15 years.

Adoptive T-cell immunotherapy holds great promise for the treatment of viral complications in immunocompromised patients resistant to standard anti-viral strategies. We present a retrospective analysis of 78 patients from 19 hospitals across Australia and New Zealand, treated over the last 15 years with "off-the-shelf" allogeneic T cells directed to a combination of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), BK polyomavirus (BKV), John Cunningham virus (JCV) and/or adenovirus (AdV) under the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration's Special Access Scheme. Most patients had severe post-transplant viral complications, including drug-resistant end-organ CMV disease, BKV-associated haemorrhagic cystitis and EBV-driven post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder.

Falls on an inpatient brain injury rehabilitation unit … What are the consequences?

Background and objectives Falls research has explored the characteristics of patients with a brain injury who experienced falls and the nature of these falls. However, the characteristics of falls with consequence have not yet been investigated. This study aimed to explore the consequences of patient falls in inpatient brain injury rehabilitation.

The development of the Cough Hypersensitivity Questionnaire for chronic cough.

Introduction: Chronic cough is considered a disorder of neuronal hypersensitivity in which patients frequently report abnormal laryngeal and chest sensations, and excessive triggers. To facilitate clinical assessment, we developed the Cough Hypersensitivity Questionnaire (CHQ).

Methods: Candidate questionnaire items were developed following interviews with patients with refractory chronic cough (n=10, United Kingdom), and review by a multidisciplinary team.

Landscape of kidney replacement therapy provision in low- and lower-middle income countries: A multinational study from the ISN-GKHA.

In low- and lower-middle-income countries (LLMICs), delivering equitable kidney care presents substantial challenges, resulting in significant disparities in disease management and treatment outcomes for people with kidney failure. This comprehensive report leveraged data from the International Society of Nephrology-Global Kidney Health Atlas (ISN-GKHA), to provide a detailed update on the landscape of kidney replacement therapy (KRT) in LLMICs. Among the 65 participating LLMICs, reimbursement for KRT (publicly funded by the government and free at the point of delivery) was available in 28%, 15%, and 8% for hemodialysis (HD), peritoneal dialysis (PD), and kidney transplantation (KT), respectively.