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Subcutaneous Infusion of Benzathine Penicillin G Is Acceptable and Preferred Over Intramuscular Injections for Syphilis in Western Australian Sexual Health Clinic Attendees

Controlling the syphilis epidemic in Australia is a public health priority. Regular intramuscular (IM) injections of benzathine penicillin G (BPG) are the current standard of care for late latent syphilis in Australia; however, repeated IM BPG injections are painful, and treatment completion rates are low. Early-phase clinical trials have demonstrated the tolerability and safety of high-dose subcutaneous infusions of BPG (SCIP), where the total treatment dose can be delivered at a single visit. Here we describe the experiences and preferences of attendees of Western Australian sexual health clinics in the Perth metropolitan region who have syphilis and were treated with SCIP.

Streptococcus pyogenes Surveillance Through Surface Swab Samples to Track the Emergence of Streptococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome in Rural Japan

Japan recently experienced a record surge in streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. Our environmental surveillance study reveals that Streptococcus pyogenes persists seasonally, peaking in autumn and winter in rural Japan. The dominant emm1 M1UK sublineage and csrS mutations heighten virulence, highlighting the urgent need for targeted surveillance and interventions.

Restricting outdoor advertising of unhealthy food: can Australia's food category-based classification system be applied consistently?

Most outdoor food advertising (e.g. billboards and bus stops) features foods that are considered unhealthy. The most important technical challenge when designing policies to restrict unhealthy outdoor food advertising is defining 'unhealthy food'. To date, most restriction policies have used nutrient profiling models (i.e. foods are classified according to their nutritional composition) to determine which foods and beverages may be advertised. In Australia, state governments have endorsed a food category-based classification system, with no prescribed nutrient limits, which may create ambiguity when multiple users are identifying food advertisements to be restricted.

A modular approach to forecasting COVID-19 hospital bed occupancy

Monitoring the number of COVID-19 patients in hospital beds was a critical component of Australia's real-time surveillance strategy for the disease. From 2021 to 2023, we produced short-term forecasts of bed occupancy to support public health decision-making.

Amplitude-integrated electroencephalography compared with conventional video-electroencephalography for detection of neonatal seizures

Background: Conventional video-electroencephalography (cEEG) is the reference standard for diagnosing and managing neonatal seizures. However, continuous bedside cEEG services are not available in most neonatal units. Hence, an alternative and relatively simple method called amplitude-integrated EEG (aEEG), which uses a limited number of scalp electrodes, has become popular. aEEG allows continuous bedside monitoring of the electrical activity of the brain in neonates.

Intrafamilial Maltreatment of People with Intellectual Disability: A Scoping Review

People with intellectual disability experience a greater risk of maltreatment than people without intellectual disability. Maltreatment by family members presents additional risks, including greater possibilities for concealment. This scoping reviewResults were summarized in both narrative and tabular formats summarizes extant knowledge about the familial maltreatment of people with intellectual disability and identifies gaps in the literature.

Numerical simulation of aerosolised medicine delivery through tracheostomy airways

The administration of inhaled antibiotics to patients with upper or lower respiratory infections is sometimes conducted via a tracheostomy airway. However, precise dosing via this route remains uncertain, especially in spontaneously breathing paediatric patients.

Finding the optimal regimen for Mycobacteroides abscessus treatment (FORMaT) in people with Mycobacteroides abscessus pulmonary disease

Mycobacteroides abscessus (MABS) is within the non-tuberculous mycobacteria family. It inhabits soil and water, exhibits multi-antibiotic resistance and causes opportunistic lung infections, which may progress to symptomatic MABS-pulmonary disease (MABS-PD) associated with substantial morbidity, increased healthcare utilisation, impaired quality of life and increased mortality.

Transparent reporting of adaptive clinical trials using concurrently randomised cohorts

Adaptive clinical trials have designs that evolve over time because of changes to treatments or changes to the chance that participants will receive these treatments. These changes might introduce confounding that biases crude comparisons of the treatment arms and makes the results from standard reporting methods difficult to interpret for adaptive trials. To deal with this shortcoming, a reporting framework for adaptive trials was developed based on concurrently randomised cohort reporting.

The impact of obesity on influenza Vaccine immunogenicity - A systematic review

Influenza vaccines are important for reducing the burden of influenza, particularly for populations at risk of more severe infections. Obesity is associated with increased influenza severity and therefore individuals with obesity are often specifically recommended for annual influenza vaccination. Obesity is also associated with an altered inflammatory profile, which may influence vaccine responses. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the evidence for any association between obesity and influenza vaccine immunogenicity.