Ethical considerations for universal newborn hearing screening in the Pacific Islands: a Samoan case study.

Permanent congenital and early-onset hearing impairment (PCEOHI) is the most common sensory disorder among newborns. The WHO recommends newborn and infant hearing screening for all member states to facilitate early identification and intervention for children with PCEOHI. Ethical implications of newborn/infant hearing screening in low-income and middle-income countries should be considered.

Ethical issues for large-scale hearing aid donation programmes to the Pacific Islands: a Samoan perspective.

The Pacific Islands are estimated to have among the highest global burdens of hearing loss, however, hearing health services are limited throughout this region. The provision of hearing aid is desirable, but should be delivered in accordance with WHO recommendations of appropriate and locally sustainable services. Large-scale hearing aid donation programmes to the Pacific Islands raise ethical questions that challenge these recommendations.

A case report of ganglion cell complex change in incipient nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy.

Background: Incipient nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy is a heavily underdiagnosed ophthalmic condition due to its nature of being asymptomatic. Only a handful of cases have been reported and, therefore, limited information is available in respect to it. To date, incipient nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy has been viewed as threatened nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, which does not cause any symptoms or structural change to the affected eye.

Gender, ethnicity and smoking affect pain and function in patients with rotator cuff tears.

Background: This study is a collation of baseline demographic characteristics of those presenting for rotator cuff repair in New Zealand, and exploration of associations with preoperative function and pain. Data were obtained from the New Zealand Rotator Cuff Registry; a multicentre, nationwide prospective cohort of rotator cuff repairs undertaken from 1 March 2009 until 31 December 2010.

Methods: A total of 1383 patients were included in the study.

Causes of pain and loss of function in rotator cuff disease: analysis of 1383 cases.

Background: The New Zealand Rotator Cuff Registry is a multicentre, nationwide prospective study of rotator cuff repairs established in March 2009.

Methods: A total of 1383 rotator cuff repairs were included in this study, all with completed baseline Flex-SF scores, pain scores and standardized operative forms.

Results: Increasing tear size and tear retraction, over 4 cm, were associated with decreasing Flex-SF scores but not pain.

Prevalence of hepatitis C among injecting drug users attending drug clinics.

Background: Chronic hepatitis C (HCV) infection is an important public health issue in New Zealand, and an increasing cause of advanced liver disease.

Method: This study examined the 2015 data on hepatitis C serology in patients on opiate substitution at four Alcohol and Drug Services, as well as rates of referral and responses to treatment for HCV.

Results: Among 579 patients tested, 439 (76 %) were positive for HCV antibody.

Acute acalculous cholecystitis caused by Hepatitis C: A rare case report.

Introduction: Acute acalculous cholecystitis (AAC) is rarely encountered in clinical practice and has a high morbidity and mortality. AAC caused by viral hepatitis, with hepatitis A, B and EBV infections are rare, but well documented in the literature. Hepatitis C virus has not been reported as cause of AAC.

Introduction of continuous regional analgesia via wound catheters in a peripheral hospital.

Purpose: To review the effectiveness of continuous regional analgesia (CRA) via wound catheters after abdominal surgery in a district general hospital (Wanganui, New Zealand).

Methods: Retrospective review of postoperative analgesia after CRA via wound catheters was introduced (April 2008 to December 2008). Pain scores, HDU stay, opiate use and complications were recorded.

A rare late complication of spilled gallstones.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the treatment of choice for symptomatic gallstones. A complication that is often overlooked is that related to lost intraabdominal gallstones as a consequence of intraoperative gallbladder perforation. This is a case report of a patient presenting with a colovesical fistula due to lost gallstones from laparoscopic cholecystectomy performed 14 years previously.

Consumption of antibiotics in a small Pacific island nation: Samoa.

High levels of antibiotic use contribute to development of antibiotic resistance. There is little known about levels of antibiotic use in Samoa, although anecdotally, there are high levels of use, and a strain of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus may have developed there. The study aimed to gather basic data on levels of antibiotic use in Samoa.

Acute idiopathic pulmonary haemorrhage in infancy: case report and review of the literature.

This report presents the case of a 4-month-old male infant with recurrent bouts of haemoptysis for which no cause could be detected after extensive investigation. Literature reports of this condition from other geographic locations around the world are reviewed, together with epidemiologic studies attempting to provide a link with certain environmental exposures, toxic and infectious. A diagnostic entity of acute idiopathic pulmonary haemorrhage in infancy has recently been proposed.

Using quality-of-life instruments to measure outcome after laparoscopic fundoplication.

Aim: This article describe the symptomatic outcome of antireflux surgery in 56 consecutive patients in a single-centre, single-surgeon study--measured by previously validated, generic, and disease-specific quality-of-life instruments.

Methods: In this retrospective study, data was collected from the case records of patients and postal questionnaires. The quality-of-life instruments used were the global quality of life (GQOL) scale; gastroesophageal reflux disease health related quality of life (GERD-HRQL) scale; and the gastrointestinal symptom rating score (GSRS), self-administered version.

Rectus sheath haematoma (RSH) mimicking acute intra-abdominal pathology.

Aim: Rectus sheath haematoma (RSH) is a rare cause of acute abdomen. We present a case series of patients seen at Wanganui Hospital, North Island, New Zealand.

Methods: A retrospective survey of patients developing RSH over a 2-year period (from 2002 to 2004) in our hospital was carried out.

The Nova-T 200 intrauterine contraceptive device: a 12 year study.

Aim: To evaluate the long term clinical performance of the Schering Nova-T 200 intrauterine contraceptive device.

Method: From 1982 to 1990, 446 women were fitted with their first Nova-T IUD's and followed up until December 1994. By this cut off data, 21 (4.

Significance of short tau inversion recovery magnetic resonance sequence in the management of skeletal injuries.

The conventional radiographs and urgent short tau inversion recovery (STIR) magnetic resonance image (MRI) examinations of 27 consecutive patients with occult bony injuries were prospectively analysed over a 12 month period. A STIR MRI study was undertaken where the plain films were normal (n = 15) or inconclusive (n = 12) and where the patients' clinical setting was highly suggestive of an underlying bony injury. In six patients, MRI only revealed soft-tissue injuries or joint effusions and did not demonstrate any bony injury but in the remainder fractures or bone contusions were shown to be present.

Time-dependent error in the APACHE II scoring system.

Using the APACHE II scoring system, the risk of death was calculated for 189 patients in the Wanganui Intensive Care Unit and 194 patients in the Harare Intensive Care Unit. Using tables of actual and predicted outcome, the predictive power of the system was compared in patients grouped according to the length of time that they spent in the ICU. The predictive error increased from 15% in those patients staying less than six days, to 38% in those staying six days or more (P less than 0.