Prospective Evaluation of Patient Priorities in HPV-Driven Oropharyngeal Cancer Using the Chicago Priorities Scale: Considerations for Future Clinical Trial Design.

Purpose: This study examined head and neck cancer treatment outcome priorities in patients with human papillomavirus-associated oropharyngeal cancer (HPVOPC) before and 12 months (12m) after (chemo)radiotherapy ([C]RT).

Methods And Materials: Eligible patients were diagnosed with HPVOPC suitable for curative-intent primary [C]RT. Study data included responses to a modified version of the Chicago Priorities Scale (CPS-modified) and select items from the MDASI Head and Neck Cancer Module (MDASI-HN).

Real-World Comparison of Treatment Outcomes for Multiple Myeloma in Elderly Transplant Ineligible Patients Receiving First-Line VRd, Rd and VCd: Results From the Australian and New Zealand Myeloma and Related Diseases Registry.

Background: Real-world data on treatment outcomes for elderly transplant-ineligible patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma are limited. The difference in treatment subsidization in Australia compared with New Zealand enables comparison of bortezomib-cyclophosphamide-dexamethasone (VCd), lenalidomide-bortezomib-dexamethasone (VRd) with Rd maintenance, and continuous Rd.

Methods: Using data from the ANZ Myeloma and Related Diseases Registry, we evaluated 1092 patients over 70 years of age between February 2013 and February 2024.

Mepolizumab treatment and reduced oral corticosteroid exposure improves symptoms of depression and anxiety in severe eosinophilic asthma: data from the Australian Mepolizumab Registry.

Background: The benefits of oral corticosteroid (OCS) stewardship approaches -including monoclonal antibody treatments for severe asthma- on reducing toxic OCS exposure and related comorbidities such as depression and anxiety require real-world evaluation.

Methods: This real-world observational study investigated OCS exposure and associated complications over 24 months in patients enrolled in the Australian Mepolizumab Registry (n = 412).

Results: Patients were median age 59 years, 58 % were female.

Efficacy of Stereotactic Ablative Body Radiotherapy (SABR) in uncommon subtypes of primary kidney cancer: An analysis from the International Radiosurgery Oncology Consortium of the Kidney.

Background: While stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) is associated with excellent local control for primary renal cell carcinoma (RCC), outcomes based on clear-cell (ccRCC) and non-clear cell (nccRCC) histologies are not well defined.

Methods And Materials: Individual data of adult patient with biopsy confirmed primary RCC receiving SABR between 2007 and 2021 from 16 institutions in Australia, Canda, Germany, Japan and USA pooled. Patients with metastatic disease or upper tract urothelial carcinoma were excluded.

Target volume delineation of the neck for radiotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: CSTRO, CACA, CSCO, HNCIG, ESTRO, and ASTRO guidelines and contouring atlas.

The Chinese Society for Therapeutic Radiology Oncology, the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association, the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology, the Head and Neck Cancer International Group, the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology, and the American Society for Radiation Oncology collaboratively developed evidence-based guidelines and a comprehensive contouring atlas for neck target volume delineation in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. These guidelines address five key challenges in modern radiotherapy practice: margin design of clinical target volume; nodal target volume delineation after induction chemotherapy; delineation of equivocal nodes evident on imaging; low-risk clinical target volume delineation based on regional stepwise extension patterns; and modifications for anatomical boundaries of lymphatic areas. Developed through a rigorous systematic review and expert appraisal process by a panel of 50 international, multidisciplinary members from 17 countries and regions, these guidelines incorporate the latest advances in nasopharyngeal carcinoma diagnosis and treatment.

Primary target volume delineation for radiotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: CSTRO, CACA, CSCO, HNCIG, ESTRO, and ASTRO guidelines and contouring atlas.

The Chinese Society for Therapeutic Radiology Oncology, the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association, the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology, Head and Neck Cancer International Group, the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology, and the American Society for Radiation Oncology jointly developed evidence-based guidelines and a contouring atlas for primary target volume delineation for radiotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The guidelines systematically address three crucial challenges: margin design of clinical target volumes; target volume delineation after induction chemotherapy; and low-risk clinical target volume delineation based on local stepwise extension patterns. Based on a comprehensive systematic review and critical appraisal by an international multidisciplinary panel of 50 nasopharyngeal carcinoma specialists from 17 countries and regions, these guidelines are in keeping with advances in nasopharyngeal carcinoma diagnosis and treatment, embodying contemporary treatment concepts, and elaborating on the differences in practice.

Toxicological seizures: characteristics, outcomes and recurrence.

Introduction: Seizures are a marker of severe toxicity following overdose. Research characterising toxicological seizures is limited. We aim to study toxicological seizures, causative agents, and recurrence.

A review of image processing and analysis of computed tomography images using deep learning methods.

The use of machine learning has seen extraordinary growth since the development of deep learning techniques, notably the deep artificial neural network. Deep learning methodology excels in addressing complicated problems such as image classification, object detection, and natural language processing. A key feature of these networks is the capability to extract useful patterns from vast quantities of complex data, including images.

Updated phage banks essential to cope with pathogen evolution: Lessons from Klebsiella pneumoniae and their phages.

Background: Multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (MDR-KP) leads global health concerns as an infectious agent due to many virulence factors, including biofilm formation. The growing urgency for alternative treatment strategies beyond antibiotics has renewed interest in bacteriophages. Pathogen evolution is dynamic and can lead to phage resistance.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Risk Categories for Prioritising Patients for Best Possible Medication History Completion at a Quaternary Hospital.

Background: The Pharmacist Workload Prioritisation Work Instruction (PWPWI) was developed to optimise clinical pharmacy services, such as best possible medication history (BPMH) completion. Inpatients are assigned a risk category and associated BPMH completion timeframe.

Aim: To determine the proportion of inpatients who met criteria for urgent, high, moderate, and low risk, and the proportion in each category who were reviewed within 24 hours of admission, to inform PWPWI updates.

Tough versus soft regulations to promote generic medications in Italy.

This paper investigates the effects of regulations aiming to optimise the multi-agency relationships, with a focus on the prescription choice between generic versus branded medications. In 2012, Italian legislators introduced two laws targeting general practitioners prescription behaviour, a soft (recommendations) law followed by a hard (mandatory) law to promote generic medication. We implement a regression discontinuity in time framework and an event study to quarterly administrative data for individuals with chronic kidney disease linked to data from their general practitioners in Emilia-Romagna, Italy.

The relationship between patient-reported quality of life and clinician-rated outcome scores in patients with autoimmune encephalitis: a study of the Australian Autoimmune Encephalitis Consortium.

Background: Patients with Autoimmune Encephalitis (AE) commonly report poor quality of life. There is a lack of evidence on whether clinician-rated outcome measures adequately capture patient-reported experiences. This study aimed to characterise long-term quality of life in AE patients and examine its relationship with clinician-rated disability (modified Rankin Score, mRS) and symptom severity (Clinical Assessment Scale in Autoimmune Encephalitis, CASE).

Implementation of outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy program in the contemporary health care system: A narrative review of the evidence.

Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) program has become an established clinical practice globally, though its implementation varies across jurisdictions. This review explores the implementation of OPAT within contemporary healthcare systems. OPAT services are organised centrally or decentrally within healthcare systems or integrated into hospital-at-home programs.

Outcomes of Dialysis Patients Living With HIV in Australia and New Zealand: A Cohort Study Using the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry (ANZDATA).

Aim: To describe the demographics and comorbidities of people living with HIV (PLWH) starting on dialysis in Australia and New Zealand and to assess mortality outcomes and rates of infective complications.

Methods: Retrospective population-based cohort study of between 1996 and 2022. The primary outcome was the difference in survival between PLWH and HIV-negative patients started on dialysis.

Prognostic Subgroups for Disease-Free Survival With Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma is a common cancer, and approximately 5% of cases present with high-risk features, such as regional nodal metastases. Postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) improves outcomes in this group, but the TROG 05.01 trial found no added benefit of concurrent chemotherapy.

Effectiveness and Safety of Switching to Ravulizumab From Eculizumab in Kidney Transplant Recipients With Atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome: A Global aHUS Registry Analysis.

Introduction: Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) is a disease of complement dysregulation that may lead to kidney failure. Ravulizumab and eculizumab are complement C5 inhibitors approved for the treatment of aHUS. This study assessed the real-world effectiveness and safety of switching to ravulizumab from eculizumab in kidney transplant recipients with aHUS.

Improving Appendicitis Prediction in Children Using the Paediatric Appendicitis Score (PAS): A Three-Year Retrospective Study.

Introduction Acute appendicitis is a leading surgical emergency in children, yet diagnosis remains challenging. The Paediatric Appendicitis Score (PAS) was developed to standardise risk stratification using clinical and laboratory indicators. While its diagnostic accuracy has been validated in controlled settings, its real-world application remains variable.

Utility of Random Neo-Squamous and Cardia Biopsies During Surveillance After Dysplastic Barrett's Eradication: A Prospective Single- Center Study.

Background And Aims: Surveillance post complete eradication of dysplastic Barrett's esophagus (BE) is important given the risk of recurrent intestinal metaplasia and neoplasia, however the optimal surveillance strategy remains unclear. This study aims to ascertain the yield of random biopsies of the neo-squamous epithelium (NE) and gastric cardia for detecting dysplasia.

Methods: In this prospective single-center study, patients undergoing post-endoscopic eradication therapy (EET) surveillance for dysplastic BE were included.

Implementation of Metformin Therapy to Ease Decline of Kidney Function in Polycystic Kidney Disease (IMPEDE-PKD): study protocol for a phase III, multi-centre, randomized, placebo-controlled trial evaluating the long-term efficacy of metformin in slowing the rate of kidney function decline in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

Background: Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the fourth most common reason for commencement of dialysis globally. There is an urgent need for treatments to slow the loss of kidney function and prevent complications in people with ADPKD. A growing body of evidence suggests metformin may have a therapeutic role in slowing cyst progression in ADPKD.

Management of Glioblastoma in Elderly Patients in a Single Australian Centre.

Introduction: Glioblastoma management in elderly patients is challenging. The aim of this study was to review oncological treatment strategies at a single institution from 2011 to 2020.

Methods: Patients aged ≥ 70 years who received radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy for radiological or histological glioblastoma were identified from a centralised database.

What Factors Could Create a More Comfortable Waiting Experience for Patients on Emergency Department Ramps? A Scoping Review.

Ambulance ramping is the situation where patients who arrive by ambulance are forced to queue for access to an emergency department (ED) cubicle. Despite efforts to address the problem of ambulance ramping, it continues to present a ubiquitous challenge for health services. While facility guidelines consider general healthcare and ED environments, evidence is lacking regarding necessary requirements to provide patient-centred care within the ramp environment.