Issue

Vol 125 No 1367: 14 December 2012

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Issue Summary

SUMMARY

Back so soon: rapid re-presentations to the emergency department following intentional self-harm

Silke Kuehl, Katherine Nelson, Sunny Collings

This study examined a group of patients who visited a New Zealand emergency department with intentional self-harm, and who then returned for any reason within one week. Records over a 12 month period were reviewed showing that 48 patients returned to the emergency department on 73 occasions within 7 days. One half of return visits (55%) happened within one day. Mental health assessments by emergency department staff were minimal; more than half of the patients were involved in challenging incidents; and second visits resulted in an increase number of hospital admissions. Return visits increase costs and workload of an already overcrowded emergency department.

SUMMARY

Modelling a two-tier tobacco excise tax policy to reduce smoking by focusing on the addictive component (nicotine) more than the tobacco weight

Murray Laugesen

All cigarettes currently sold are addictive. A lower excise rate for Denic cigarettes would allow smokers to choose their own mix of Addictive cigarettes and lower priced Denics, which could relieve cravings and control smoking costs to under $10 a day. Smokers would be able to reduce their addiction before they quit, be more likely to succeed when they next quit, without being forced to quit before they are ready. This would make it feasible to increase excise on Addictive cigarettes more than at present.

SUMMARY

Medical readmissions amongst older New Zealanders: a descriptive analysis

Tom Robinson, Ngaire Kerse

About one in six older people who go home from hospital after being treated for an acute illness will be readmitted within a month. Men, Maori and Pacific people, and people living in poorer areas are especially likely to need to return to hospital. If people are readmitted, on average, they will be sicker and more likely to die. Preventing these readmissions would be good for the patient and may save the health system money. We suggest providing better help to the patient around the time of discharge may be one way of improving this problem.

SUMMARY

What risks do women face when seeking advice during pregnancy from pharmacies and natural health retailers?

Sarah Jefferies, Bridget Healy, Mark Weatherall, Richard Beasley, Philippa Shirtcliffe

There are potential risks to mothers and their unborn babies with the incorrect use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) products during pregnancy. 21 Health Food Stores (HFS) and 21 geographically matched pharmacies were visited by a researcher who sought advice regarding vitamin supplementation and nausea in early pregnancy. A minority of pharmacies and HFS made primary recommendations for nausea which were supported by Ministry of Health guidelines, and both pharmacies and HFS recommended products contrary to these guidelines. Pharmacies were more likely to give advice consistent with MOH recommendations for folic acid. Regulatory reform of CAM products and those who sell them is called for in NZ.

SUMMARY

Household characteristics of children aged under 2 years admitted with lower respiratory tract infection in Counties Manukau, South Auckland

Adrian Trenholme, Alison Vogel, Diana Lennon, Charissa McBride, Joanna Stewart, Emma Best, Henare Mason, Teuila Percival

This study describes household conditions of children admitted to Kidz First Childrens Hospital (South Auckland) with chest infections. There were 580 admissions involving 465 children from August to December 2007. The caregivers of 394 of these children completed questionnaires. Sixty-four percent of admissions had a diagnosis of bronchiolitis and 26% of pneumonia. Longer total stay was more likely in those of younger age, who were premature or of M ori or Pacific ethnicity. Household characteristics demonstrate that 25% live with 22657 other people, 33% live with 4 or more children, 65% of children are exposed to cigarette smoke and 27% use no form of heating. Smoking (exposure to secondhand smoke), lack of heating and large households in overcrowded conditions are well known risk factors for these illnesses in children and these were confirmed in this study.

SUMMARY

Emergency food storage for organisations and citizens in New Zealand: results of optimisation modelling

Nhung Nghiem, Mary-Ann Carter, Nick Wilson

In this study, we used NZ food price data (e.g., from the Food Price Index) and nutritional data from a NZ food composition database. We used a mathematical technique (linear programming) to identify the lowest-cost foods for emergency storage. The study identified a collection of low-cost emergency storage foods that meet daily energy requirements for men were identified e.g., at a median purchase cost of NZ$ 2.21 per day (95% simulation interval = NZ$ 2.04 to 2.38). The cost of such a collection of foods which did not require cooking, was slightly higher (NZ$3.67) while foods that meet all nutritional recommendations (and not just energy) was substantially higher (at NZ$ 7.10 per day). In summary, it appears to cost very little to purchase basic emergency foods for storage in the current New Zealand setting. The lists of the foods identified could be considered by organisations who participate in disaster relief (civil defence) but also by citizens.

ALL ARTICLES
SUMMARY

Understanding Troubled Minds: A guide to mental illness and its treatment (2nd edition; Sidney Bloch)

Erik Monasterio

Proceeedings of the New Zealand Society of Gastroenterology Annual Scientific Meeting, 14–16 November 2012, Hamilton

Does intronic DNA give smokers a survival advantage?

Ian C Shaw

Back so soon: rapid re-presentations to the emergency department following intentional self-harm

Silke Kuehl, Katherine Nelson, Sunny Collings

Modelling a two-tier tobacco excise tax policy to reduce smoking by focusing on the addictive component (nicotine) more than the tobacco weight

Murray Laugesen

Australian Pharmacy Law & Practice (J Low, L Hattingh, K Forrester)

Sanya Ram

Medical readmissions amongst older New Zealanders: a descriptive analysis

Tom Robinson, Ngaire Kerse

Malcolm Sleeman Robertson

William James (Bill) Treadwell

Health benefits of deer and elk velvet antler supplements: a systematic review of randomised controlled studies

Andrew Gilbey, Jose D Perezgonzalez

Heart Foundation: 2013 Senior Fellowship

What risks do women face when seeking advice during pregnancy from pharmacies and natural health retailers?

Sarah Jefferies, Bridget Healy, Mark Weatherall, Richard Beasley, Philippa Shirtcliffe

Spinal cord stimulation for intractable chronic upper abdominal pain: a case report of the first patient in New Zealand

Haitham Al-Mahrouqi, Zea Munro, Richard H Acland, Martin R MacFarlane

Proceedings the 214th Scientific Meeting of the Otago Medical School Research Society, Wednesday 7 November 2012

Household characteristics of children aged under 2 years admitted with lower respiratory tract infection in Counties Manukau, South Auckland

Adrian Trenholme, Alison Vogel, Diana Lennon, Charissa McBride, Joanna Stewart, Emma Best, Henare Mason, Teuila Percival

Readmission: use with caution

Juliet Rumball-Smith, Diana Sarfati

Poisonous plants in New Zealand: a review of those most commonly enquired about to the National Poisons Centre

Robin J Slaughter, D Michael G Beasley, Bruce S Lambie, Gerard T Wilkins, Leo J Schep

Dominion Notes: Wellington 20 April 1911

The ‘Dr Google’ phenomenon—missed appendicitis

Neil Avery, Jamish Ghandi, John Keating

Heart Foundation: 2013 Grant Applications

Heart Foundation. Grants Awarded November 2012

Crying and spilling—time to stop the overmedicalisation of normal infant behaviour

Ben Hudson, Anna Alderton, Claire Doocey, Denise Nicholson, Les Toop, Andrew S Day

Anna Muriel Kathleen Nielsen (née Little)

Medical Benevolent Fund

Increases in disease in Malayan war veterans’ children may be misleading

Mark Elwood, Barry Borman

Euthanasia and physician-assisted death

A D (Sandy) Macleod

Emergency food storage for organisations and citizens in New Zealand: results of optimisation modelling

Nhung Nghiem, Mary-Ann Carter, Nick Wilson

Ross Fordyce Burton

Medical image. Corrosive thoracodynia

Victoria Mayoral Campos, Claudia Bonnet Carr 00f3n, Beatriz Carro Alonso, Blanca Madariaga Ruiz, Jos 00e9 Mar 00eda Sainz Mart 00ednez

Time to invest in better housing for New Zealand children

Michael G Baker, Philippa Howden-Chapman

Where there’s smoke there’s fire—ear candling in a 4-year-old girl

Jeremy Hornibrook

Heart Foundation: Māori Cardiovascular Research Fellowship

SUMMARY

Back so soon: rapid re-presentations to the emergency department following intentional self-harm

Silke Kuehl, Katherine Nelson, Sunny Collings

This study examined a group of patients who visited a New Zealand emergency department with intentional self-harm, and who then returned for any reason within one week. Records over a 12 month period were reviewed showing that 48 patients returned to the emergency department on 73 occasions within 7 days. One half of return visits (55%) happened within one day. Mental health assessments by emergency department staff were minimal; more than half of the patients were involved in challenging incidents; and second visits resulted in an increase number of hospital admissions. Return visits increase costs and workload of an already overcrowded emergency department.

SUMMARY

Modelling a two-tier tobacco excise tax policy to reduce smoking by focusing on the addictive component (nicotine) more than the tobacco weight

Murray Laugesen

All cigarettes currently sold are addictive. A lower excise rate for Denic cigarettes would allow smokers to choose their own mix of Addictive cigarettes and lower priced Denics, which could relieve cravings and control smoking costs to under $10 a day. Smokers would be able to reduce their addiction before they quit, be more likely to succeed when they next quit, without being forced to quit before they are ready. This would make it feasible to increase excise on Addictive cigarettes more than at present.

SUMMARY

Medical readmissions amongst older New Zealanders: a descriptive analysis

Tom Robinson, Ngaire Kerse

About one in six older people who go home from hospital after being treated for an acute illness will be readmitted within a month. Men, Maori and Pacific people, and people living in poorer areas are especially likely to need to return to hospital. If people are readmitted, on average, they will be sicker and more likely to die. Preventing these readmissions would be good for the patient and may save the health system money. We suggest providing better help to the patient around the time of discharge may be one way of improving this problem.

SUMMARY

What risks do women face when seeking advice during pregnancy from pharmacies and natural health retailers?

Sarah Jefferies, Bridget Healy, Mark Weatherall, Richard Beasley, Philippa Shirtcliffe

There are potential risks to mothers and their unborn babies with the incorrect use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) products during pregnancy. 21 Health Food Stores (HFS) and 21 geographically matched pharmacies were visited by a researcher who sought advice regarding vitamin supplementation and nausea in early pregnancy. A minority of pharmacies and HFS made primary recommendations for nausea which were supported by Ministry of Health guidelines, and both pharmacies and HFS recommended products contrary to these guidelines. Pharmacies were more likely to give advice consistent with MOH recommendations for folic acid. Regulatory reform of CAM products and those who sell them is called for in NZ.

SUMMARY

Household characteristics of children aged under 2 years admitted with lower respiratory tract infection in Counties Manukau, South Auckland

Adrian Trenholme, Alison Vogel, Diana Lennon, Charissa McBride, Joanna Stewart, Emma Best, Henare Mason, Teuila Percival

This study describes household conditions of children admitted to Kidz First Childrens Hospital (South Auckland) with chest infections. There were 580 admissions involving 465 children from August to December 2007. The caregivers of 394 of these children completed questionnaires. Sixty-four percent of admissions had a diagnosis of bronchiolitis and 26% of pneumonia. Longer total stay was more likely in those of younger age, who were premature or of M ori or Pacific ethnicity. Household characteristics demonstrate that 25% live with 22657 other people, 33% live with 4 or more children, 65% of children are exposed to cigarette smoke and 27% use no form of heating. Smoking (exposure to secondhand smoke), lack of heating and large households in overcrowded conditions are well known risk factors for these illnesses in children and these were confirmed in this study.

SUMMARY

Emergency food storage for organisations and citizens in New Zealand: results of optimisation modelling

Nhung Nghiem, Mary-Ann Carter, Nick Wilson

In this study, we used NZ food price data (e.g., from the Food Price Index) and nutritional data from a NZ food composition database. We used a mathematical technique (linear programming) to identify the lowest-cost foods for emergency storage. The study identified a collection of low-cost emergency storage foods that meet daily energy requirements for men were identified e.g., at a median purchase cost of NZ$ 2.21 per day (95% simulation interval = NZ$ 2.04 to 2.38). The cost of such a collection of foods which did not require cooking, was slightly higher (NZ$3.67) while foods that meet all nutritional recommendations (and not just energy) was substantially higher (at NZ$ 7.10 per day). In summary, it appears to cost very little to purchase basic emergency foods for storage in the current New Zealand setting. The lists of the foods identified could be considered by organisations who participate in disaster relief (civil defence) but also by citizens.

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