Search

Research

When the COVID-19 pandemic was declared, Governments responded with lockdown and isolation measures to combat viral spread, including the closure of many schools. More than a year later, widespread screening for SARS-CoV-2 is critical to allow schools and other institutions to remain open.

Research

An interseasonal resurgence of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) was observed in Western Australia at the end of 2020. Our previous report describing this resurgence compared the 2019 and 2020 calendar years, capturing only part of the 2020/21 season.

Research

Leclercia adecarboxylata is a rare cause of septic arthritis in children, and has intrinsic resistance to common antibiotics. We describe two cases of L. adecarboxylata septic arthritis in children that required re-presentation to hospital with prolonged treatment, and highlight the importance of considering L. adecarboxylata as a potential cause of infection among children with penetrating injuries and associated environmental exposure.

Research

For decades, the research community has called for participant information sheets/consent forms (PICFs) to be improved. Recommendations include simplifying content, reducing length, presenting information in layers and using multimedia. However, there are relatively few studies that have evaluated health consumers' (patients/carers) perspectives on the type and organisation of information, and the level of detail to be included in a PICF to optimise an informed decision to enter a trial.

Research

This study asked consumers (patients, carers) and healthcare professionals (HCPs) to identify the most important symptoms for adults with cancer and potential treatment interventions.

Research

Vaccine development and implementation decisions need to be guided by accurate and robust burden of disease data. We developed an innovative systematic framework outlining the properties of such data that are needed to advance vaccine development and evaluation, and prioritize research and surveillance activities.

Research

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.

Research

Despite several calls for greater inclusion of pregnant people in non-obstetric clinical trials, their systematic exclusion remains common practice. Excluding pregnant individuals from clinical trials may result in unintended consequences such as inadequate treatment of medical conditions in pregnancy, inappropriate dosing of medications, and investigational therapies being used off-label outside of the context of a clinical trial, risking adverse events in the absence of demonstrated efficacy.

Research

Secondary prophylaxis to prevent rheumatic heart disease (RHD) progression, in the form of four-weekly intramuscular benzathine benzylpenicillin G (BPG) injections, has remained unchanged since 1955. Qualitative investigations into patient preference have highlighted the need for long-acting penicillins to be delivered less frequently, ideally with reduced pain.

Research

Recruitment in research can be challenging in Australian Aboriginal contexts. We aimed to evaluate the SToP (See, Treat, Prevent skin infections) trial recruitment approach for Aboriginal families to identify barriers and facilitators and understand the utility of the visual resource used.