A cost analysis of the anaesthetic management of patients with confirmed or suspected coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a tertiary referral hospital in Queensland, Australia.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Australia resulted in significant additional infection control precautions for consumers and the health workforce. Prior to widespread vaccine availability, substantial changes were made to the operating theatre management of patients presenting for surgery with suspected or diagnosed COVID-19. This study aimed to calculate the actual costs of operating theatre care for patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19.

An absolute abstraction of person in person-centred care: A contemporary issue.

Background: Extensive nursing literature exists on the term person-centred care. Nevertheless, there is scant literature defining or explicating the concept. Rather, necessary contextual pre-conditions are often presented under the guise of explicit definitions.

Safety, clinical activity, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics of IMU-856, a SIRT6 modulator, in coeliac disease: a first-in-human, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 1 trial.

Background: IMU-856 is an orally available and systemically acting small molecule modulator of sirtuin 6 (SIRT6), a protein that serves as a transcriptional regulator of bowel epithelium regeneration. We aimed to evaluate the safety, clinical activity, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics of IMU-856 in healthy participants and in patients with coeliac disease.

Methods: This study reports the results from a completed first-in-human, three-part, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, clinical trial of IMU-856 in healthy participants and patients with coeliac disease done in Australia and New Zealand.

Health-related quality of life and utility of maternity health states amongst post-partum Australians.

Background: This study aimed to measure patient-reported health-related quality of life amongst post-partum women in Queensland, Australia.

Methods: Patient-reported health-related quality of life data was prospectively collected from 134 post-partum women using the EQ-5D-5L at weekly intervals during the first six weeks following birth. Data across the five health domains of the EQ-5D-5L was converted to a single health utility value to represent overall health status.

Urinary chloride excretion in critical illness and acute kidney injury: a paediatric hypothesis-generating cohort study post cardiopulmonary bypass surgery.

Renal chloride metabolism is currently poorly understood but may serve as both a diagnostic and a treatment approach for acute kidney injury. We investigated whether plasma chloride, ammonia and glutamine as well as urinary chloride, ammonium and glutamine concentrations may serve as markers for acute kidney injury in paediatric patients. We conducted a prospective observational trial in a tertiary care paediatric intensive care unit.

Evaluating the tailored implementation of a multisite care navigation service for mental health in rural and remote Australia (The Bridging Study): protocol for a community-engaged hybrid effectiveness-implementation study.

Background: A dramatic decline in mental health of people worldwide in the early COVID-19 pandemic years has not recovered. In rural and remote Australia, access to appropriate and timely mental health services has been identified as a major barrier to people seeking help for mental ill-health. From 2020 to 2021 a care navigation model, Navicare, was co-designed with rural and remote communities in the Greater Whitsunday Region of Central Queensland in Australia.

Spatial dynamics of tertiary lymphoid aggregates in head and neck cancer: insights into immunotherapy response.

Background: Recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC) generally has a poor prognosis for patients with limited treatment options. While incorporating immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has now become the standard of care, the efficacy is variable, with only a subset of patients responding. The complexity of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and the role of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) have emerged as critical determinants for immunotherapeutic response.

Spatial resolution of the head and neck cancer tumor microenvironment to identify tumor and stromal features associated with therapy response.

Head and neck cancer (HNC) is the seventh most common cancer globally, resulting in 440 000 deaths per year. While there have been advancements in chemoradiotherapy and surgery, relapse occurs in more than half of HNCs, and these patients have a median survival of 10 months and a 2-year survival of < 20%. Only a subset of patients displays durable benefits from immunotherapies in metastatic and recurrent HNC, making it critical to understand the tumor microenvironment (TME) underpinning therapy responses in HNC.

Dementia Friendly Communities: Micro-processes and practices observed locally in Queensland Australia.

Having the choice to stay living in one's home and community for as long as possible is a desire of people living with dementia. Yet, for many, this is not a reality due to a lack of appropriate support, unsuitable housing and built environments, social exclusion, and stigma. The global movement called Dementia Friendly Communities aims to address such barriers and bring about positive change.

Establishing Methods to Assess Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative Compliance Using the Global Standards and Women's Self-Reported Experiences.

The World Health Organization recommends assessing compliance with key clinical practices of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI; Steps 3-9) using birthing women's self-reports. Globally, compliance is mainly assessed using health staff reports, and the use of women's self-reports in selected countries has deviated from the Global Standards for the BFHI. Therefore, we aimed to provide insight into the appropriate method of incorporating women's self-reports in assessing compliance with Steps 3-9 of the BFHI.

Comparative analysis of novel esophageal pressure monitoring catheters versus commercially available alternatives in a biomechanical model of the thoracic cavity.

Transpulmonary pressure can be estimated using esophageal balloon (EB) catheters, which come in a variety of manufacturing configurations. We assessed the performance of novel polyurethane EB designs, Aspisafe NG and NG+, against existing alternatives. We created a biomechanical model of the chest cavity using a plastic chamber and an ex-vivo porcine esophagus.

Care navigation addresses issues of tele-mental health acceptability and uptake in rural and remote Australian communities.

Introduction: People living in rural and remote areas face substantial barriers to accessing timely and appropriate mental health services. In the Bowen Basin region of Queensland, Australia, barriers include: limited local providers, long waiting lists, unreliable telecommunication, and reluctance to trial telehealth. Isaac Navicare is a new, community co-designed care navigation service which addresses these barriers by coupling care navigation with supported telehealth, and referrals to mental health providers and other supports.

Flexible bronchoscopy insufflated and high-flow nasal oxygen pilot trial (BUFFALO protocol pilot trial).

Background: Hypoxaemia occurs in approximately 30% of children during anaesthesia for flexible bronchoscopy. High-flow nasal oxygen (HFNO) can prolong safe apnoea time and be used in children with abnormal airways. During flexible bronchoscopy, there is limited evidence if HFNO confers advantages over current standard practice in avoiding hypoxaemia.

Gut Symptoms, Gut Dysbiosis and Gut-Derived Toxins in ALS.

Many pathogenetic mechanisms have been proposed for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Recently, there have been emerging suggestions of a possible role for the gut microbiota. Gut microbiota have a range of functions and could influence ALS by several mechanisms.

Barriers and enablers to implementing police mental health co-responder programs: A qualitative study using the consolidated framework for implementation research.

Background: Police and mental health co-responder programs operate internationally and can be effective in providing timely and appropriate assessment, brief intervention, and referral services for people experiencing mental health crises. However, these models vary greatly, and little is known about how the design and implementation of these programs impacts their effectiveness.

Method: This study was a qualitative, post hoc implementation determinant evaluation of mental health co-responder units in Brisbane, Australia, comprising of verbal or written interviews with police and mental health staff with an on-road role in the co-responder units, and their managers.

A systematic review of the cost-effectiveness of maternity models of care.

Objectives: In this systematic review, we aimed to identify the full extent of cost-effectiveness evidence available for evaluating alternative Maternity Models of Care (MMC) and to summarize findings narratively.

Methods: Articles that included a decision tree or state-based (Markov) model to explore the cost-effectiveness of an MMC, and at least one comparator MMC, were identified from a systematic literature review. The MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL and Google Scholar databases were searched for papers published in English, Arabic, and French.

Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of an electronic mindfulness-based intervention to improve maternal mental health in the peripartum: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Perinatal women are highly vulnerable to developing mental health issues and particularly susceptible to a recurrence of psychiatric illness. Poor mental health during the perinatal period can have long-term impacts on the physical and psychiatric health of both mother and child. A potentially useful strategy to improve women's mental health is through a mobile application teaching mindfulness, an evidence-based technique helping individuals focus on the present moment.

Alpha cell receptor for advanced glycation end products associate with glucagon expression in type 1 diabetes.

Hypoglycemia in type 1 diabetes associates with changes in the pancreatic islet α cells, where the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) is highly expressed. This study compared islet RAGE expression in donors without diabetes, those at risk of, and those with type 1 diabetes. Laser-dissected islets were subject to RNA bioinformatics and adjacent pancreatic tissue were assessed by confocal microscopy.

Factor structure of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale in a large population-based sample of fathers.

Background: Paternal perinatal distress is receiving increasing attention. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is the predominant screening tool for paternal perinatal distress. Research using the large Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort demonstrated that a three-factor EPDS structure is appropriate among mothers, with anhedonia, anxiety and depression factors emerging consistently across perinatal timepoints.

The fallopian tube microbiome: implications for reproductive health.

Objective: There is a paucity of data characterizing the microbiota of the female upper genital tract, which controversially is described as a sterile site. We examine whether the fallopian tube harbours an endogenous microbial community.

Design: This prospective study collected from women undergoing total hysterectomy or salpingectomy-oophorectomy.

A role for the endometrial microbiome in dysfunctional menstrual bleeding.

This study aimed to characterise the microbial community within the endometrial cavity and endocervix in women with menorrhagia or dysmenorrhea. Paired endocervical and endometrial biopsy samples were collected from women undergoing operative hysteroscopy and/or laparoscopy. Samples were cohorted based on pathology, indications for surgery, and histological dating of the endometrium.