New Zealand Medical Journal

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No abstract text is available yet for this article.

The interest in epidemiological data on giant cell arteritis (GCA) increased both in New Zealand and in Latin America, resulting in updated articles like those here commented. Of more relevance are two very recent contributions by van Dantzig et al. with novel conclusive findings from their evaluations on GCA performed in the region of Waikato. The authors emphasised that the diagnosis of GCA remained stable in this region from 2014 to 2022, being uncommon among Māori, Pacific peoples and Asian ethnic groups...

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An increasing number of young patients with severe bladder overactivity syndrome potentially caused by recreational ketamine use has been treated in our department. Ketamine has become a popular and increasingly used recreational drug in New Zealand. Ketamine bladder syndrome has been reported internationally; however, local New Zealand data do not exist. It can lead to irreversible damage to the bladder, and internationally, surgical procedures like cystectomy and urinary diversion or augmentation cystoplasty have been reported as necessary treatments...

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The advent of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has caused a paradigm shift in the management of aortic stenosis away from traditional surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). However, uncertainty remains about the long-term (>10 year) durability of TAVI valves, especially in younger patients. This viewpoint collates life expectancy data from Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand to propose sex-specific age-based recommendations for choice of SAVR versus TAVI in their respective general populations and among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia and both Māori and Pacific peoples living in Aotearoa New Zealand...

BACKGROUND: Paediatric tonsillar lymphoma (TL) is a rare diagnosis. Historically, the presence of clinical features such as tonsillar asymmetry, grossly abnormal tonsil appearance and cervical lymphadenopathy raise concern for this diagnosis. Tonsillar asymmetry is considered to be the most concerning clinical feature; however, asymmetry is often apparent due to differences in depth or shape of tonsillar fossa and tonsillar pillars, rather than a true difference in volume. There is debate whether a tonsillectomy is required in all cases of tonsil asymmetry to exclude lymphoma, and what clinical features should raise concern...

AIMS: Emergency departments (EDs) around the world are increasingly overcrowded, which is associated with significant patient harm. Alcohol use is a known contributor to ED overcrowding. This study aimed to assess trends in the characteristics of alcohol-related ED presentations over time. METHODS: A cross-sectional observational study of Christchurch ED attendances during 3-week waves of data collection in November-December 2013, 2017 and 2022 was conducted. Potential participants were those patients attending the Christchurch Hospital ED who had ingested alcohol in the 4 hours prior to arrival, and/or the presentation was thought to be related to alcohol...

AIMS: Lung cancer causes more deaths than any other cancer, globally and in Aotearoa New Zealand, where it disproportionately affects Māori. We aimed to understand Māori perspectives on lung cancer screening in Aotearoa New Zealand to guide its equity-focussed implementation, including identifying enablers and barriers. METHODS: We took a Kaupapa Māori based co-design approach to inform future screening, recruiting Māori current/ex-smokers and members of their whānau (family) for three focus group phases held in Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand in August 2019...

AIM: To explore the training, involvement and confidence of healthcare professionals involved in decision-making capacity (DMC) assessments, and to compare any differences between those conducting and those involved in, but not conducting DMC assessments. METHOD: A 10-minute anonymous, online survey was conducted with both closed and open questions. A total of 78 participants completed the survey. RESULTS: Training was lacking in quantity and adequacy...

AIMS: To examine the impact of intensive management of type 1 diabetes (T1D) from diagnosis on HbA1c 12 months from diagnosis. METHODS: HbA1c measured 12 months after diagnosis for 70 consecutively newly diagnosed children with T1D following implementation of an intensive management protocol was compared with 70 children consecutively diagnosed immediately pre-implementation. Intensive management involved carbohydrate counting and flexible insulin dosing from first meal with subcutaneous insulin, targeted blood glucose levels from 4-8mmol/L irrespective of time of day, avoidance of twice daily insulin regimen and promotion of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM)...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Antibiotic resistance, principally a consequence of the human use of antibiotics dispensed in the community, is a relentlessly growing threat to human health in Aotearoa New Zealand. Reducing the prescription of antibiotics for conditions in which they confer no benefit is the most effective method of slowing the spread of antibiotic resistance. In Aotearoa New Zealand, as in many other nations, antibiotic "treatment" of acute respiratory tract infections is the most important component of unnecessary antibiotic use...

AIM: We reviewed the last decade of literature to update a previous publication on this topic by the senior author. In New Zealand, traumatic causation has implications for entitlement for treatment though the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC). Acuity and chronicity may also be relevant in determining repairability. METHODS: Literature was reviewed regarding acromial morphology, greater tuberosity (GT) cysts, acromiohumeral interval (AHI), fatty degeneration and atrophy, acromioclavicular (AC) arthrosis, tendinopathy, bursal changes and other features...