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Lowering the cost of magnetic-resonance imaging (MRI) could revolutionise how doctors diagnose and screen for many diseases. Researchers from the University of Sydney and Massachusetts General Hospital in the USA have developed a new technique involving nanoparticles to improve the image quality of medical scans by portable low-cost MRI machines. The development can help improve access to diagnostic imaging worldwide.

New research from The University of Queensland has shown that women who have hot flushes and night sweats after menopause are 70% more likely to have heart attacks, angina and strokes.

Ultra-rapid genetic testing can transform the diagnosis and treatment of critically ill children with suspected genetic conditions, according to an Australian Genomics study published in JAMA.

Following a major clinical trial, clinicians find the drug allopurinol does not prevent worsening of kidney disease. The Australasian Kidney Trials Network led a large, two-year study known as "CKD-FIX", to assess the effectiveness of allopurinol, in slowing the rate of decline in kidney function.

Human papilloma viruses (HPVs), a common group of viruses known to cause cervical cancers, may also have a causal role in prostate cancer, according to a literature review published in the journal Infectious Agents and Cancer, supporting the case for universal HPV vaccination.

Long wait times for scans in emergency departments are common in hospitals around the world, leading to lengthy queues and ramping issues with paramedics often having to care for critically ill patients in the interim. Now a new study by a University of South Australia medical imaging student may have found a partial solution: imaging trauma patients with whole body CT (WBCT) scans which are much faster and more accurate than conventional radiology procedures.

Queensland researchers have developed a cancer vaccine for blood cancers and solid malignancies, providing a major breakthrough in cancer treatment. Following the successful outcome of their preclinical studies the vaccine is now ready to move to human trials.

Having access to current editions and back catalogues of medical journals is critical for effective literature review, ongoing education and professional development, and is a mainstay of medical research. Through CKN, Queensland Health maintains one of the most comprehensive online medical libraries in Australia, and includes subscriptions to popular and widely used journals, such as Australian Medical Journal, The Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine, British Medical Journal and JAMA, as well as journals of relevance to Queensland Health’s comprehensive Coronavirus pandemic response.

CKN spoke with Dr David Pincus, consultant paediatrician and Honorary Adjunct Professor at Bond University, who reflected on how life with journals has changed over the past 40 years.

Sterile water injections provide effective pain relief for women with labour back pain, according to University of Queensland-led research published in The Lancet journal EClinicalMedicine.

Children's Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service clinicians, in collaboration with Griffith University and the University of Michigan, have created the world’s first paediatric appropriateness guidelines for intravenous catheters.