Research

While improvements in drinking behaviour are apparent from the results of this study, women who are at high risk of having babies with alcohol-related birth defects need public health policies and programs that will reach them.

Cate M Cameron PhD, MPH, BSocWk(Hons) · Tamzyn M Davey PhD, MPH, BPsych(Hons) · Elizabeth Kendall BA, DipPsych, PhD · Andrew Wilson MB BS, PhD, FRACP · Roderick J McClure MB BS, BA, PhD

More than 40% of women taking parental leave during their specialist training experienced negative comments about their leave in the workplace, and more than 25% reported being questioned about their intentions for future pregnancies in relation to job applications.

Caroline M de Costa PhD, FRANZCOG, FRCOG · Michael Permezel MD, MRCP(UK), FRANZCOG · Louise M Farrell MB BS, FRANZCOG, FRCOG · Anne E Coffey MB BS, FRANZCOG · Ajay Rane PhD, MD, FRANZCOG

A new tutorial support program delivered face-to-face and by distance is helping specialist international medical graduates in anaesthesia prepare for their College examinations.

Niall S Higgins GDipeH, PhD · Kersi Taraporewalla MB BS, MClinEd, FANZCA · Sisira Edirippulige GCertHigherEd, MSc, PhD · Robert S Ware PhD · Michael Steyn MB ChB, MSc, FANZCA · Marcus O Watson BSc(Hons), MSc, PhD

Objectives: To characterise management of suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in Australia and New Zealand, and to assess the application of recommended therapies according to published guidelines.Design, setting and patients: All patients hospitalised with suspected or confirmed ACS between 14 and 27 May 2012 were enrolled from participating sites in Australia and New Zealand, which were identified through public records and health networks. Descriptive and ...

Derek P Chew MB BS, MPH, FRACP · John French MB BS, FRACP · Tom G Briffa PhD · Christopher J Hammett MB ChB, MD, FRACP · Christopher J Ellis BM, FRACP, FCSANZ · Isuru Ranasinghe MB ChB, MMed(ClinEpi), FRACP · Bernadette J Aliprandi-Costa RN, BHSc · Carolyn M Astley RN, BN, DrPH · Fiona M Turnbull MB ChB, PhD, FAFPHM · Jeffrey Lefkovits MB BS, FRACP · Julie Redfern PhD, BAppSc(Physio)(Hons), BSc · Bridie Carr BA, SRN, OND · Greg D Gamble MSc · Karen J Lintern MNurs, BHlth(ClinStud), CCC · Tegwen E J Howell BEcon, MEcSt · Hella Parker RN · Rosanna Tavella BSc(Hons), PhD · Stephen G Bloomer PhD, HPM · Karice K Hyun BSc, MAppStats · David B Brieger MB BS, PhD, FRACP

Over the past decade, NPS MedicineWise implemented several educational programs to improve cardiovascular management in primary care. This study finds that four such programs had small but clinically relevant beneficial effects.

Svetla V Gadzhanova PhD, MSc · Elizabeth E Roughead PhD, MAppSc, BPharm · Mark J Bartlett BSc, MPH, GradDipAppEpi

Even in the hands of experts, listening through a stethoscope is not the best way to screen for rheumatic heart disease in Indigenous children, according to this cross-sectional screening survey of more than 1000 children

Kathryn V Roberts MPHTM, FRACP, MB BS · Alex D H Brown BMed, MPH, PhD · Graeme P Maguire PhD, FRACP, MB BS · David N Atkinson MPH, MB BS · Jonathan R Carapetis PhD, MB BS, BMedSci

Objective: To determine the utility of exercise electrocardiography testing (EET) in evaluating suspected coronary artery disease in a remote Australian setting where a significant proportion of patients are Indigenous Australians.Design: Retrospective cohort study with grouping based on EET results.Patients and setting: 268 patients with suspected coronary artery disease who underwent EET at Alice Springs Hospital — a specialist teaching hospital ...

Patricia N Hurune MB ChB · Justine M O’Shea MB BS · Graeme P Maguire MB BS, PhD, FRACP · Saliya S Hewagama MB BS, FRACP

This first decision-impact study of the Oncotype DX breast cancer assay in Australia provides evidence that recurrence score information influences treatment recommendations for hormone receptor-positive early-stage invasive breast cancer in the multidisciplinary meeting setting

Richard H de Boer MB BS, FRACP · Caroline Baker MB BS, FRACS · David Speakman MB BS, FRACS · Calvin Y Chao MD · Carl Yoshizawa PhD · G Bruce Mann MB BS, PhD, FRACS

Liver transplantation is an established treatment modality in Australia, but there continues to be a significant disparity between availability and demand. A way to reduce this gap is to maximise the use of extended-criteria deceased donor livers, with donation after cardiac death being one such option.

Jorieke M van der Stelt · Deborah J Verran MB ChB, FRACS · Ronald A deRoo MD · Hazel Christine · Michael Crawford MB BS, FRACS

Objective: To examine the relationships between birthweight, current size, and fasting glucose and fasting insulin levels in Aboriginal adolescents.Design, participants and setting: Longitudinal prospective study of a Northern Territory Aboriginal birth cohort of 686 Aboriginal babies born at the Royal Darwin Hospital between January 1987 and March 1990, and followed up between December 2006 and January 2008 in over 40 NT locations.Main outcome measures: ...

Susan M Sayers FAAP, FRACP, PhD · Susan A Mott BSc, RN, MPH · Kay D Mann MMathStat · Mark S Pearce BSc, MSc, PhD · Gurmeet R Singh PhD, MD, FRACP

Objective: To describe human hydatid disease in Tasmania since 1996, the year that the state was declared provisionally hydatid-free.Design, setting and participants: Individuals with a new diagnosis or history of hydatid disease between January 1996 and July 2012 were identified through a number of sources including public health notifications, discharge coding from Tasmanian public hospitals, and the Royal Hobart Hospital pathology laboratory information ...

Jennifer A O’Hern MPHTM, MB BS, BMedSci · Louise Cooley MB BS, FRACP, FRCPA

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare disease disrupting cellular proliferation and growth. This open-label study examined the efficacy of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor everolimus on lymphatic abnormalities in LAM. The five patients experienced significant shrinkage or complete resolution of their lymphangioleiomyomas during treatment.

Anna M Mohammadieh MB BS · Simon D Bowler MB BS, FRACP · Elizabeth J Silverstone MB, MRCP, FRANZCR · Allan R Glanville MB BS, MD, FRACP · Deborah H Yates MB BChir, MD, FRCP

This study attempts to determine the frequency and types of stressful events experienced by urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, and to explore the relationship between these experiences and the children’s physical health and parental concerns about their behaviour and learning ability.

Deborah A Askew PhD, MHlthSci, GradDipNutr · Philip J Schluter BSc(Hons), MSc, PhD · Geoffrey K P Spurling MB BS, FRACGP, MPH · Chelsea J R Bond BAppSci(Hons), PhD · Alex D H Brown PhD, FRACP

This before-and-after study aimed to measure the short-term health value of promoting healthy eating by regularly supplying fresh produce to disadvantaged families. Episodes of illness and common clinical conditions, prescription of antibiotics and the prevalence of anaemia and iron deficiency were measured as indicators of the short-term health effects of having healthy food provided.

Andrew P Black MB BS(Hons), PhD, FAFPHM · Hassan Vally BSc(Hons), PhD, MAppEpi · Peter S Morris MB BS, PhD, FRACP · Mark Daniel BSc, MSc, PhD · Adrian J Esterman BSc(Hons), MSc, PhD · Fiona E Smith BSc, MNutrDiet, APD · Kerin O’Dea BSc, PhD

Children in two remote Northern Territory Aboriginal communities were studied to measure the impact of four weeks of daily swimming on rates of ear discharge with a tympanic membrane penetration and on the microbiology of the nasopharynx and middle ear.

Anna T N Stephen MPH · Amanda J Leach BAgSc(Hons), MAgSc, PhD · Peter S Morris MB BS, PhD, FRACP

Three of the four methods used to calculate general practice-type patient attendances at EDs estimate that these patients account for 10%–12% of attendances and less than 5% of the total length of stay in the EDs of Perth’s major hospitals. The fourth method, used by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, estimates these attendances at about 25%, raising the question of whether it is an overestimate.

Yusuf Nagree MB BS, FACEM, MBA(E) · Vanessa J Camarda · Daniel M Fatovich MB BS, FACEM, PhD · Peter A Cameron MB BS, MD, FACEM · Ian Dey MB BS, FACEM · Andrew D Gosbell PhD · Sally M McCarthy MB BS, FACEM, MBA · David Mountain MB BS, FACEM

A retrospective analysis of the outcomes for women who planned a homebirth and their babies provides the first national evaluation of publicly funded homebirth in Australia.

on behalf of the Birthplace in Australia Study and the National Publicly-funded Homebirth Consortium

A study of the behaviour and perceptions of parents of food-allergic children finds that many parents are complacent about precautionary labelling on packaged foods, even if their children have a history of anaphylaxis.

Giovanni A Zurzolo BBioMedSc(Hon) · Jenifer J Koplin PhD · Michael L Mathai PhD · Mimi K L Tang PhD, FRACP · Katrina J Allen PhD, FRACP

A study of disease notifications in general practice seeks to answer the question of whether increases in pertussis notifications in Australia since 2008 were due to a true increase in the disease or an increase in testing.

Marlena C Kaczmarek BSc, MPH · Lisa Valenti BEc, MMedStat · Heath A Kelly BSc, MB BS, MPH · Robert S Ware BSc(Hons), PhD · Helena C Britt BA, PhD · Stephen B Lambert MAppEpid, FAFPHM, PhD

This analysis of Victorian prostate cancer registry data shows that, since 1993, there has been considerable “stage migration” towards earlier diagnosis. The findings also reveal that there has been a substantial increase in the proportion of men receiving treatment with curative intent.

Sue M Evans MClinEpi, PhD · Jeremy L Millar MB ChB, FRANZCR, FAChPM · Ian D Davis MB BS, PhD, FRACP · Declan G Murphy MB, FRACS, FRCS Urol · Damien M Bolton MD, FRACS, FRCS · Graham G Giles BSc, MSc, PhD · Mark Frydenberg MB BS, FRACS · Nick Andrianopoulos MB BS, MBiostat · Julie M Wood BSc · Albert G Frauman FRACP, FACP, FACCP · Anthony J Costello MB BS, FRACS, MD · John J McNeil FRACP, PhD, FAFPHM

Incident cases of S. aureus bacteraemia occurring where intravenous catheters were inserted in wards and in emergency departments were investigated. The researchers suggest that timely removal is important for reducing risk of infection, particularly when the catheters are inserted under suboptimal circumstances.

Rhonda L Stuart MB BS, PhD, FRACP · Donna R M Cameron CertICS, BN, BAppSc · Carmel Scott RN Div 1, CICP · Despina Kotsanas BSc(Hons), MClinEpi · M Lindsay Grayson MB BS, MD, FRACP · Tony M Korman MB BS, FRACP, FRCPA · Elizabeth E Gillespie BN, MPubHealth · Paul D R Johnson MB BS, PhD, FRACP

With human papillomavirus vaccination for boys now on Australia’s National Immunisation Schedule, this study determined background rates of potential adverse events, assuming temporal association with vaccination but no other association. The findings will help to determine whether adverse event reports represent real safety flags that require urgent investigation.

Hazel J Clothier FIBMS, MSc, MAppEpid · Katherine J Lee BSc, MSc, PhD · Vijaya Sundararajan MD, MPH · Jim P Buttery FRACP, MD, MSc · Nigel W Crawford BM BS, MPH, PhD