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Issue

Vol 128 No 1414: 15 May 2015

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Issue Summary

SUMMARY

Implementation of the 2013 Psychoactive Substances Act and mental health harms from synthetic cannabinoids

Paul Glue, Julie Courts, Michelle MacDonald, Chris Gale, Evan Mason

The New Zealand Government created the Psychoactive Substances Act (PSA) in August 2013 in response to concerns about the safety of synthetic cannabinoids. We compared visit numbers and patient characteristics presenting to Emergency Psychiatric Services in the 3 months before and after the PSA was implemented. In the 3 months post-PSA, there was approximately 50% reduction in patient presentations, compared with the 3 months pre-PSA. Patient demographics (predominantly young males with prior contact with mental health services) and presenting symptoms (mood and psychotic symptoms and suicidality), were identical in both periods. The decrease in mental health harms, as measured by frequency of EPS contacts, appeared to be due to reduced retail availability of synthetic cannabinoids rather that reduced toxicity of available products.

SUMMARY

A new surgical site infection improvement programme for New Zealand: early progress

Arthur J Morris, Allan L Panting, Sally A Roberts, Carl Shuker, Alan F Merry

The Health Quality & Safety Commission has instituted New Zealands first national Surgical Site Infection Improvement Programme designed to reduce the pain and suffering and cost involved with infections at the sites of surgical wounds. The Programme has started with hip and knee replacements as these operations are so common in New Zealand, and because the results of an infection in a joint replacement are so disastrous to patients

SUMMARY

Leprosy in New Zealand: an epidemiological update

Richard Yu, Paul Jarrett, David Holland, Jill Sherwood, Catherine Pikholz

This papers looks at the recent trends in cases of leprosy in New Zealand in order to raise awareness of this condition among healthcare professionals. Our data demonstrates that immigrants and their families from countries where leprosy is endemic are at highest risk of developing leprosy, consistent with the fact that leprosy is a disease of close person-to-person transmission. While New Zealand has well-developed integrated healthcare services for treating leprosy, delay to diagnosis is common. By identifying populations at highest risk, we can aim to identify cases earlier and hence treat and prevent transmission more effectively.

SUMMARY

Medical Students and informed consent:

Warwick Bagg, John Adams, Lynley Anderson, Phillipa Malpas, Grant Pidgeon, Michael Thorn, David Tulloch, Cathy Zhong, Alan Merry

With increasing numbers of medical students and new learning centres being opened, the parties involved in preparing this statement felt that guidelines explaining the process of patient consent would be helpful for students, patients, and supervising doctors. The statement does not attempt to set standards for informed consent. Rather, it describes in a practical way how the various ethical and legal requirements of consent in New Zealand can and should be met in day-to-day clinical work. The contributing parties believe that the document will help support greater involvement of patients in student learning, which relies on an apprenticeship model under the supervision of registered healthcare professionals.

SUMMARY

An ageing trauma population: The Auckland experience

Lindsay M. Fairfax, Li Hsee, Ian Civil

As the population ages and yet at the same time older people retain their active lifestyles, they suffer injuries at an increasing rate. Despite being generally healthy underlying conditions relating to aging are more common and as a result older patients stay in hospital longer and have a higher mortality than younger patients. Some of these trends can be reversed if specific medical input related to both the injuries and the underlying conditions can be provided in a timely way. The health system needs to do more research to quantify the extent of trauma in the elderly and the resources necessary to optimise the outcome.

ALL ARTICLES
SUMMARY

Leprosy in New Zealand

Stephen T. Chambers

The Hospital Ship Maheno

Implementation of the 2013 Psychoactive Substances Act and mental health harms from synthetic cannabinoids

Paul Glue, Julie Courts, Michelle MacDonald, Chris Gale, Evan Mason

Importance of blood cultures to aid the diagnosis of Lemierre’s syndrome

Maryam Nejat, Anja Werno

A new surgical site infection improvement programme for New Zealand: early progress

Arthur J Morris, Allan L Panting, Sally A Roberts, Carl Shuker, Alan F Merry

Time for the New Zealand health sector to divest all investment funds out of fossil fuels

Hayley Bennett, Nick Wilson, Alistair Woodward

An unusual cause of persistent dysphagia

Sujith V Cherian, Elena Thampy

Request from Cook Islands Secretary of Health

Elizabeth Iro

Leprosy in New Zealand: an epidemiological update

Richard Yu, Paul Jarrett, David Holland, Jill Sherwood, Catherine Pikholz

Medical Students and informed consent:

Warwick Bagg, John Adams, Lynley Anderson, Phillipa Malpas, Grant Pidgeon, Michael Thorn, David Tulloch, Cathy Zhong, Alan Merry

An ageing trauma population: The Auckland experience

Lindsay M. Fairfax, Li Hsee, Ian Civil

Occupational therapy intervention for residents with stroke related disabilities in UK care homes

SUMMARY

Implementation of the 2013 Psychoactive Substances Act and mental health harms from synthetic cannabinoids

Paul Glue, Julie Courts, Michelle MacDonald, Chris Gale, Evan Mason

The New Zealand Government created the Psychoactive Substances Act (PSA) in August 2013 in response to concerns about the safety of synthetic cannabinoids. We compared visit numbers and patient characteristics presenting to Emergency Psychiatric Services in the 3 months before and after the PSA was implemented. In the 3 months post-PSA, there was approximately 50% reduction in patient presentations, compared with the 3 months pre-PSA. Patient demographics (predominantly young males with prior contact with mental health services) and presenting symptoms (mood and psychotic symptoms and suicidality), were identical in both periods. The decrease in mental health harms, as measured by frequency of EPS contacts, appeared to be due to reduced retail availability of synthetic cannabinoids rather that reduced toxicity of available products.

SUMMARY

A new surgical site infection improvement programme for New Zealand: early progress

Arthur J Morris, Allan L Panting, Sally A Roberts, Carl Shuker, Alan F Merry

The Health Quality & Safety Commission has instituted New Zealands first national Surgical Site Infection Improvement Programme designed to reduce the pain and suffering and cost involved with infections at the sites of surgical wounds. The Programme has started with hip and knee replacements as these operations are so common in New Zealand, and because the results of an infection in a joint replacement are so disastrous to patients

SUMMARY

Leprosy in New Zealand: an epidemiological update

Richard Yu, Paul Jarrett, David Holland, Jill Sherwood, Catherine Pikholz

This papers looks at the recent trends in cases of leprosy in New Zealand in order to raise awareness of this condition among healthcare professionals. Our data demonstrates that immigrants and their families from countries where leprosy is endemic are at highest risk of developing leprosy, consistent with the fact that leprosy is a disease of close person-to-person transmission. While New Zealand has well-developed integrated healthcare services for treating leprosy, delay to diagnosis is common. By identifying populations at highest risk, we can aim to identify cases earlier and hence treat and prevent transmission more effectively.

SUMMARY

Medical Students and informed consent:

Warwick Bagg, John Adams, Lynley Anderson, Phillipa Malpas, Grant Pidgeon, Michael Thorn, David Tulloch, Cathy Zhong, Alan Merry

With increasing numbers of medical students and new learning centres being opened, the parties involved in preparing this statement felt that guidelines explaining the process of patient consent would be helpful for students, patients, and supervising doctors. The statement does not attempt to set standards for informed consent. Rather, it describes in a practical way how the various ethical and legal requirements of consent in New Zealand can and should be met in day-to-day clinical work. The contributing parties believe that the document will help support greater involvement of patients in student learning, which relies on an apprenticeship model under the supervision of registered healthcare professionals.

SUMMARY

An ageing trauma population: The Auckland experience

Lindsay M. Fairfax, Li Hsee, Ian Civil

As the population ages and yet at the same time older people retain their active lifestyles, they suffer injuries at an increasing rate. Despite being generally healthy underlying conditions relating to aging are more common and as a result older patients stay in hospital longer and have a higher mortality than younger patients. Some of these trends can be reversed if specific medical input related to both the injuries and the underlying conditions can be provided in a timely way. The health system needs to do more research to quantify the extent of trauma in the elderly and the resources necessary to optimise the outcome.

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