"Death talk": debating euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide in Australia.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Australia↗
SEARCH · PubMed Health
Results for “AUSTRALIA”
Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
[Hepatitis, Australia antigen and Australia antibody--analysis of Australia antigen, levels of Australia antibody and localization of Australia antigen in the hepatic tissue in acute hepatitis].
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Acute Disease↗
Murray Valley encephalitis virus surveillance and control initiatives in Australia. National Arbovirus Advisory Committee of the Communicable Diseases Network Australia.
Mechanisms for monitoring Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE) virus activity include surveillance of human cases, surveillance for activity in sentinel animals, monitoring of mosquito vectors and monitoring of weather conditions. The monitoring of human cases is only one possible trigger for public health action and the additional surveillance systems are used in concert to signal the risk of human disease, often before the appearance of human cases. Mosquito vector surveillance includes mosquito trapping for speciation and enumeration of mosquitoes to monitor population sizes and relative composition. Virus isolation from mosquitoes can also be undertaken. Monitoring of weather conditions and vector surveillance determines whether there is a potential for MVE activity to occur. Virus isolation from trapped mosquitoes is necessary to define whether MVE is actually present, but is difficult to deliver in a timely fashion in some jurisdictions. Monitoring of sentinel animals indicates whether MVE transmission to vertebrates is actually occurring. Meteorological surveillance can assist in the prediction of potential MVE virus activity by signalling conditions that have been associated with outbreaks of Murray Valley encephalitis in humans in the past. Predictive models of MVE virus activity for south-eastern Australia have been developed, but due to the infrequency of outbreaks, are yet to be demonstrated as useful for the forecasting of major outbreaks. Surveillance mechanisms vary across the jurisdictions. Surveillance of human disease occurs in all States and Territories by reporting of cases to health authorities. Sentinel flocks of chickens are maintained in 4 jurisdictions (Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Victoria and New South Wales) with collaborations between Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Mosquito monitoring complements the surveillance of sentinel animals in these jurisdictions. In addition, other mosquito monitoring programs exist in other States (including South Australia and Queensland). Public health control measures may include advice to the general public and mosquito management programs to reduce the numbers of both mosquito larvae and adult vectors. Strategic plans for public health action in the event of MVE virus activity are currently developed or being developed in New South Wales, the Northern Territory, South Australia, Western Australia and Victoria. A southern tri-State agreement exists between health departments of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia and the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care. All partners have agreed to co-operate and provide assistance in predicting and combatting outbreaks of mosquito-borne disease in south-eastern Australia. The newly formed National Arbovirus Advisory Committee is a working party providing advice to the Communicable Diseases Network Australia on arbovirus surveillance and control. Recommendations for further enhancement of national surveillance for Murray Valley encephalitis are described.
Animals↗
An historical overview of Australia's largest and oldest provider of vocational rehabilitation--CRS Australia.
CRS Australia, the largest and oldest vocational rehabilitation provider in Australia, is examined over its 60-year history. The Australian government located CRS initially in the Department of Social Security, and subsequently in the Department of Community Services however, its establishment required a complexity of policy and range of skills that were not found in one arm of government alone and required cooperation from many government departments. A disagreement between the government and the medical profession about the purpose and control of rehabilitation features in the early history of CRS Australia. Factors such as greater involvement of people with disabilities and government inquiries led to a move from a centre-based to a community-based approach to vocational rehabilitation in the 1970s. CRS Australia is a large employer of health and human service professionals and has played a significant part in the development of these professions in Australia. In recent years, CRS Australia has provided greater business accountability to government and the broader Australian community. CRS Australia's role as an expert vocational assessment agency and vocational rehabilitation provider is expected to continue as welfare reform progresses in Australia.
Australia↗
Vectors vs. humans in Australia--who is on top down under? An update on vector-borne disease and research on vectors in Australia.
Australia has a diversity of vectors and vector-borne human diseases. Mosquito-borne arboviruses are of greatest concern, but there are issues with other vector and pathogen systems. Mosquitoes were responsible for more than 35,000 cases of Ross River virus during 1991-1997. Barmah Forest virus is increasing nationwide, and unidentified bunyaviruses suspected of causing illness have been isolated. Cases of Murray Valley encephalitis have occurred in 14 of the past 20 years in northern Australia. Dengue is a continuing problem for northern Queensland, with various serotypes being active. Japanese encephalitis has appeared in the Torres Strait Islands and threatens mainland Australia. Although malaria is eradicated, almost 1,000 cases are imported annually and occasional cases of local transmission occur. With ticks, paralysis in children occurs annually in eastern Australia. Tick typhus (Queensland Tick Typhus--Rickettsia australis) occurs down the east coast, and (Flinders Island Spotted Fever--Rickettsia honei) in Bass Strait and probably Tasmania. Lyme disease is reported but its presence is controversial. Fleas were responsible for a recent outbreak of murine typhus (Rickettsia typhi) in Western Australia. Mites cause scrub typhus (Orientia tsutsugamushi), and there was a recent fatality in the Northern Territory. Overall, resources for investigation and control of vector-borne disease have generally been meager. However, various avenues of basic and applied research have been pursued, and have included investigations into mosquito ecology, vector competence, disease epidemiology, and vector control. Disease surveillance programs vary between states, and mosquito control programs are organized and effective in only a few regions. There are concerns for import of vectors such as Aedes albopictus and export of pathogens such as Ross River virus; the former has occurred but the species has not become established, and the latter has occurred and has resulted in a major outbreak in the South Pacific. The predicted scenarios of increased temperature and rainfall with global warming are also causing concern for increases in vector-borne diseases, particularly the endemic arboviruses. Interest by health authorities is gravitating more towards epidemiological reporting and less towards public health action. In many respects, humans have much to do to get 'on top' of vectors and their pathogens 'down under' in Australia.
Animals↗
Proceedings of meetings of special societies. The Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand, Gastroenterological Society of Australia, The Thoracic Society of Australia. Abstracts.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Gastrointestinal Diseases↗
Demography and survival of patients receiving treatment for chronic renal failure in Australia and New Zealand: report on dialysis and renal transplantation treatment from the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry.
There were 7,059 (403 per million) Australian patients and 1,341 (388 per million) New Zealand patients receiving renal replacement treatment at the end of 1992. Fifty-three percent and 50%, respectively, were dependent on a functioning transplant, 87% and 80%, respectively, from a cadaver donor. In Australia the majority of dialysis patients depended on hemodialysis (68%) and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) (31%); 68% of patients were dialysing at home or in a satellite (free-standing) facility. The majority (62%) of home dialysis patients used CAPD treatment. In New Zealand there were 44% of patients on hemodialysis; 83% dialyzed at home and the majority (65%) used CAPD treatment. Few dialysis units (five of 71) in Australia were "for-profit" facilities; there was none in New Zealand. Universal health care has been available for renal replacement treatment for 20 years. The annual incidence of new patients increased steadily during the past 10 years, to 61 per million (Australia) and 69 per million (New Zealand) in 1992. There were disproportionate numbers of indigenous Australian Aboriginals (51%), New Zealand Maoris (30%), and Polynesian Pacific Islanders (11%) compared with their distribution in the general population. There was a considerable increase in elderly and diabetic patients during the period from 1983 to 1992: in Australia, 25% of patients were over 65 years of age and 14% of patients were diabetic, and in New Zealand, 16% of patients were over 65 years of age and 25% of patients were diabetic. The renal transplantation rate has remained unchanged since 1983 at 27 per million in Australia, but has increased markedly from 20 to 33 per million in New Zealand. The annual transplantation rate was 20% to 30% of those patients aged 15 to 64 years who were likely to be transplanted. The multifactorial analysis of risk factors for survival of dialysis patients showed age, male gender, CAPD treatment, Aboriginal race, and diabetic or analgesic nephropathy to be associated with lower rates of survival. Deaths were commonly due to a cardiac cause (43%), mostly myocardial infarction, or to infection (17%) or withdrawal from treatment (14%). The overall death rate was 12% of patients at risk in 1992. Multifactorial analysis of risk factors for graft survival in transplanted patients showed patient age, diabetic nephropathy, donor age, single-drug regimen, and low transplant activity (operations) at a center to be associated with lower rates of survival.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Adolescent↗
Teenage pregnancy: trends, characteristics and outcomes in South Australia and Australia.
OBJECTIVES: To describe trends in teenage pregnancy rates in South Australia and Australia in 1970-2000, and the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics and outcomes of teenage women who gave birth in South Australia in 1995-99. METHODS: A descriptive study using population-based legislated South Australian perinatal and abortion data, Australian Medicare and hospital morbidity data on abortions, and birth registration rates from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. RESULTS: The teenage pregnancy rate in South Australia fell in the 1970s and 1980s, increased in the 1990s, but is declining at the turn of the century. Teenage abortions exceeded livebirths annually from 1994, and in 2000 the teenage abortion, birth and pregnancy rates were 22.4,18.3 and 40.8 per 1,000 respectively. The Australian rates, which are an underestimate, follow the South Australian trends and are declining but still much higher than in many western European countries. High socio-economic areas in South Australia have the lowest teenage pregnancy rates but the highest proportion of teenage pregnancies terminated. Teenagers who gave birth were more likely than older women to be Australian-born, Aboriginal, smokers during pregnancy (47% vs. 23%), to attend few antenatal visits, and to have preterm, small-for-gestational-age and low birthweight babies and neonatal deaths. Perinatal mortality has halved among teenagers under 17 years in the past decade. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Births to South Australian teenage women are associated with social disadvantage and relatively poor perinatal outcomes, although these have improved. Current strategies are aimed at reducing the incidence of unplanned teenage pregnancy and improving support for pregnant teenagers.
Abortion, Induced↗
Trends and patterns of drug-caused mortality in Australia and Western Australia.
OBJECTIVE: To estimate the number of drug-caused deaths and compare patterns and trends of drug-caused mortality in Western Australia (WA) and Australia. METHOD: Aetiologic fractions were applied to mortality data for WA (1985-96) and Australia (1991-96) to estimate the number of deaths due to alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. RESULTS: Age-standardised rates (ASR) for smoking and alcohol-caused deaths fell significantly, while the ASR for deaths caused by other drugs increased significantly. About 85% of drug-caused deaths occurred among people aged 50 years and above. Tobacco-caused deaths mainly occurred among the elderly. Alcohol-caused death rates showed a minor peak in those aged 20-24 years then, from middle age, began to rise steadily, peaking in the oldest age group. However, deaths due to other drugs occurred mainly among young people, particularly those aged 25-34 years. These age differences were reflected in the person years of life lost (PYLL). People who died from other drugs lost, on average, about 31 years of life, twice as many as people who died from alcohol-caused conditions and about six times the average number of PYLL per tobacco-caused death. CONCLUSIONS: Nearly a fifth of all deaths were due to drugs and 80% of drug-caused deaths were due to tobacco smoking. The patterns and trends of drug-caused mortality in WA were similar to those Australia wide. IMPLICATIONS: Strategies highlighting the negative impact of tobacco and alcohol on health need to be maintained as well as programs which target illicit drug use.
Adolescent↗
Concentration of ptaquiloside, a major carcinogen in bracken fern (Pteridium spp.), from eastern Australia and from a cultivated worldwide collection held in Sydney, Australia.
Two surveys of bracken fern for the concentration of the carcinogen ptaquiloside (PT) have been carried out, one of bracken fern from the eastern side of Australia and the other from a worldwide collection of bracken clones held in Sydney Australia. Bracken from eastern Australia contained concentrations of ptaquiloside ranging from 0 to 12,945 micrograms PT/g. From 91 samples 15% contained greater than 5,000 micrograms PT/g and 57% of samples contained more than 1,000 micrograms PT/g bracken on the dry weight basis. Ptaquiloside concentrations were highest in Pteridium revolutum and from P. esculentum from areas where bovine enzootic haematuria was known to occur. Bracken from the cultivated bracken clone collection from world-wide sources tended to have lower concentrations of ptaquiloside ranging from 0 to 9,776 micrograms PT/g. From 77 samples, 8% contained more than 5,000 micrograms PT/g and 35% contained more than 1,000 micrograms PT/g bracken. Samples from both the eastern Australia survey and the Australian representatives in the worldwide collection showed significantly higher concentrations of PT in the P. esculentum collected from the more southern states. In samples from the worldwide collection there were no statistical differences in the concentrations of PT in bracken between taxa.
Analysis of Variance↗
Knowledge of the ocular effects of diabetes among the general population of Australia and the members of Diabetes Australia.
BACKGROUND: Early diagnosis and treatment of diabetes mellitus is important for limiting its adverse effects. We sought to determine the level of awareness of diabetes and its ocular complications within the community and among the members of Diabetes Australia. METHODS: Two groups were surveyed: 1. 1,000 people randomly selected from the Queensland electoral role (people without diabetes) and 2. A random sample of 500 members of Diabetes Australia (Queensland) (people with diabetes). The surveys consisted primarily of questions relating to the person's current knowledge of diabetes, including ocular and health complications, and their knowledge of available eye care services. RESULTS: The rate of return was greater for the members of Diabetes Australia (58.6 per cent) than for the public (33.5 per cent). The majority of respondents without diabetes tended to consult an optometrist for their eye care (76 per cent), while the group with diabetes consulted ophthalmologists more (63.6 per cent). People with diabetes tended to have more frequent eye examinations, 86.7 per cent had been for an eye examination within the preceding 18 months (compared with 36.6 per cent of the public). The level of awareness of the ocular effects of diabetes was high: 96 per cent of people with and 78.5 per cent of people without diabetes knew that diabetes could be sight-threatening. CONCLUSION: The membership of Diabetes Australia had a greater understanding of the possible ocular effects of diabetes and the need for regular eye examinations than the general community. Potential sample bias and the fact that respondents could infer a link between eye problems and diabetes from the survey questions should be taken into account in interpreting the data presented here.
Adolescent↗
Trends in cataract surgery and postoperative endophthalmitis in Western Australia (1980-1998): the Endophthalmitis Population Study of Western Australia.
OBJECTIVES: Postoperative endophthalmitis results from an intraocular infection and usually occurs following cataract surgery. It has significant morbidity and causes severe visual impairment or blindness of the eye. The aim of this study was to assess the trends in the incidence rates of cataract surgery and postoperative endophthalmitis in Western Australia for the period 1980-1998. METHODS: The Western Australian Record Linkage Project was used to link the morbidity records for all patients treated for cataract surgery in Western Australia in 1980-1998. Patient records were selected using the international classification for diagnosis and procedure codes pertaining to cataract surgery and postoperative endophthalmitis. All cases of postoperative endophthalmitis were validated by case-note review. The separate databases of the Royal Perth Hospital microbiology and anaesthetic departments as well as the vitreo-retinal surgeon logbooks were used to cross-validate the hospital morbidity database. Trends in the incidence rates of cataract surgery and postoperative endophthalmitis were assessed by Poisson regression. RESULTS: There were 94,653 cataract procedures performed for 63,007 patients in Western Australia during the 19-year period. The majority (88%) of cataract procedures performed were in patients aged 60 years or older. Postoperative endophthalmitis developed in 188 patients, with serious visual impairment occurring in 70.6% of patients for whom visual acuity data was available at presentation. The incidence rate of cataract surgery increased more than three-fold from 1981 (102 per 100,000 person years) to 1998 (345 per 100,000 person years), mainly due to the increase in extracapsular cataract extraction during the 1980s and phacoemulsification extraction from 1990 onwards. In contrast, the average annual incidence rate of postoperative endophthalmitis remained relatively unchanged at around 2 per 1000 cataract procedures over the same period. CONCLUSION: Cataract surgery is becoming more prevalent in the elderly as the life expectancy of the population increases. There has been a dramatic shift in surgical practice during the last 30 years with small-incision phacoemulsification being the predominant method of intervention used since 1990. Despite changes in surgical practice the incidence rate of postoperative endophthalmitis has remained the same.
Aged↗
Investigation of the nature of Australia antigen. I: The absence of biological activity of Australia antigen in human blood leukocyte culture.
Purified and concentrated preparations of Australia antigen had no stimulating effect on leukocytes of human subjects under study when tested either on DNA-polymerase activity, 3H-thymidine uptake or chromosomal alterations. Moreover, in patients with chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver no correlation between antigenemia and chromosome aberrations in blood leukocyte cultures could be detected. On the other hand, a serum obtained from a virus hepatitis patient with Australia antigen in the blood was found to stimulate leukocyte cultures from one patient with Down's syndrome and antigenemia, one mentally retarded patient and three normal donors. This stimulating agent is obviously not associated with Australia antigen.
Adolescent↗
A population-based study of abdominal wall defects in South Australia and Western Australia.
The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence, clinical characteristics, prenatal diagnosis and occurrence of other birth defects with abdominal wall defects in births and terminations of pregnancy in South Australia (SA) and Western Australia (WA) over the period 1980-90. Cases of gastroschisis, exomphalos, bladder exstrophy, cloacal exstrophy and body stalk anomaly were ascertained from the WA Birth Defects Registry (1980-90) and the SA Birth Defects Register (1986-90). The registers are comparable population-based data collections with information on livebirths and stillbirths of at least 400 g birthweight or 20 weeks' gestation, and terminations of pregnancy for fetal abnormality. The prevalence of gastroschisis was 1.65/10,000 births (59 cases) and of exomphalos 2.90/10,000 births (104 cases). There was no significant difference in prevalence of exomphalos or gastroschisis between SA and WA for the years 1986-90. However, if data from WA for the years 1980-85 were included, SA had a significantly higher prevalence of exomphalos (prevalence ratio 1.71, confidence interval [CI] 1.16-2.55), although not of gastroschisis (prevalence ratio 1.35, CI 0.79-2.32). Exomphalos was significantly more common in mothers < 20 years (odds ratio [OR] 2.45, CI 1.22-4.86) and in mothers of 40 years or older (OR 5.65, CI 1.69-16.77). Gastroschisis was more common in younger mothers (OR 8.76, CI 4.02-19.32). Both exomphalos and gastroschisis were associated with low birthweight, prematurity, intrauterine growth retardation and caesarean section. The reason for the higher prevalence of exomphalos in SA than WA was not clear, but may be related to differences in prenatal diagnosis. The association between maternal age < 20 years and exomphalos raises the possibility of common factors in the aetiology of gastroschisis and exomphalos.
Abdominal Muscles↗
Rotavirus infection and rates of hospitalisation for acute gastroenteritis in young children in Australia, 1993-1996.
OBJECTIVE: To determine rates of hospitalisation of young children for acute gastroenteritis in Australia, and to estimate the proportion of these admissions caused by rotavirus infection. DESIGN: Analysis of hospital admission records, and parallel, prospectively collected data on rotavirus-positive admissions. SETTING: Hospitals admitting young children in all Australian States and Territories in 1993-1996. PATIENTS: All children under five years admitted to hospital for acute gastroenteritis (International Classification of Diseases, ninth revision principal diagnosis codes 003.0, 004.0-009.3 and 558.9). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Rate of hospital admission per 1000 children per year by State, and the proportion of admissions caused by rotavirus infection. RESULTS: There were almost 20,000 hospital admissions annually in Australia for acute gastroenteritis in children under five years, at an average rate of 15/1000. An estimated 50% of these were attributable to rotavirus infection, implying a rate of hospitalisation for rotavirus-related gastroenteritis of 7.5/1000/year. Among children under two years this rate was 11.6/1000. Rotavirus incidence rates generally followed a typical seasonal pattern in temperate regions of the country, with sharp peaks in mid to late winter. Rates of hospitalisation varied markedly, even between States with apparently similar patterns of disease, while the incidence in the Northern Territory was 3-5 times higher than other States. CONCLUSIONS: Rotavirus-related gastroenteritis is a major cause of hospital admissions in young children, and large savings to the healthcare system are possible if it can be prevented at reasonable cost. Variation in treatment practices between States may be worth studying in greater detail as another source of potential savings.
Acute Disease↗
Serotype and serosubtype distribution of strains of Neisseria meningitidis isolated in South Australia and the Northern Territory of Australia: 1971-1989.
Strains of meningococci isolated from patients in South Australia (SA) and the Northern Territory (NT) with either bacteremia or meningitis (or both) were serotyped and serosubtyped using monoclonal antibodies in a whole cell ELISA technique. From SA, 144 isolates were examined for the period 1971 through 1989 and from the NT, 38 isolates from 1975 through 1977 and 1983 through 1989 were examined. During the periods of study the principal serogroups were group B in South Australia and group A in the Northern Territory. About 60% of the SA strains were typable and subtypable: the predominant types were 4, 2a, 15 and 14, in that order; the predominant subtypes were P1.2, P1.1 and P1.10, in that order. Of the strains from the NT about 80% were typable, the predominant type was type 4 and all 19 group A strains were identified as type 4, subtype P1.10.
Adult↗
Australia antigen in chronic hepatitis in Australia.
Of 53 cases of active chronic liver disease two were found to be carriers of Australia antigen Au (1)-an elderly woman with typical lupoid hepatitis and an elderly mortuary attendant with serologically atypical active chronic hepatitis. Au (1) was detected also in the serum of 7 out of 20 patients with clinically atypical acute hepatitis-one was an elderly Italian woman, one had hepatitis in the puerperium, and five had a history of transfusion or inoculation. The antigen was not found in 20 typical cases of infectious hepatitis in young people in 86 patients with other diseases. Antibody to Au (1) was present in only 2 out of 102 patients who had received numerous transfusions.We conclude, firstly, that Au (1) antigen is rare in white Australians (in keeping with the low incidence of serum hepatitis in Australia), and, secondly, that Au (1) positivity in hepatitis patients is associated with transfusions and with older age. We suggest that active chronic hepatitis and lupoid hepatitis may follow infection of susceptible individuals with Au (1)-positive hepatitis virus, but persistence of the virus in high titre does not appear to be necessary for chronicity of the disease.
Acute Disease↗
Measles control in Australia. Report of the Measles Control in Australia Workshop, 5 November 1997.
The proceedings of the Measles Control in Australia Workshop held on 5 November 1998 are presented in this report. Prompted by the possibility of a global elimination campaign in the near future the Workshop considered the factors involved in elimination of measles from Australia. Epidemiology, surveillance, laboratory diagnosis methods, mathematical modelling, and the cost and logistics were all addressed. Mass vaccination for all 2-18 year olds, and a routine 2-dose regimen with scheduled doses at 12 months and school entry were recommended. Intensified surveillance, based on a sensitive case definition and laboratory confirmation (measles specific IgM) of suspected cases was identified as a crucial component of the campaign. The continuation of high vaccination coverage for each of the two doses would be essential to maintain elimination once established.
Adolescent↗