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We collectively cringed at the recent news of a Sunshine Coast woman who contracted hookworm while holidaying at An Bang Beach in Vietnam, yet Queensland scientists have been voluntarily infecting themselves with the worms for the sake of medical research.

The Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) is an integral part of the primary healthcare sector in Queensland through the delivery of timely, patient-focused ambulance services. The QAS operates as a statewide service with a significant presence throughout Queensland, delivering services from 290 response locations through 16 Local Ambulance Service Networks (LASNs) based around Hospital and Health Service boundaries.

By Associate Professor Will Cairns

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a violent activity. Many of those subjected to CPR suffer multiple broken bones or severe internal injuries. For otherwise healthy people who experience a heart attack or an accident, the benefits can outweigh the risks. However, for patients who are dying from life-ending and irreversible illnesses, or have chosen not to have their life prolonged, CPR offers no benefit.

It’s widely known that cancer is driven by the build-up of mutations in the DNA of cells. Everything from pollutants to cigarettes to exposure to everyday chemicals can alter genes, and continued exposure over a lifetime can lead to a critical mass of mutations. Research now shows that the same process can cause heart disease and stroke. 

We all know the benefits of using sunscreen but a recent study by Brisbane's QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute shows just how beneficial applying sunscreen can be.

So-called “baby brain” refers to increased forgetfulness, inattention, and mental “fogginess” reported by four out of five pregnant women.

It would be difficult to find someone in Australia who hasn’t heard about the #MeToo and “Time’s Up” campaigns against sexual harassment that started in Hollywood and are now spreading out into other lines of work, and bringing the topics of workplace harassment and bullying into the light. 

Medication errors remain the second most common type of medical incident reported in Australian hospitals and, of all medication errors, omission or overdose of medicines occurs most frequently. Reducing all errors will significantly improve patient safety and the quality use of medicines. 

Ever evolving, healthcare informatics and technology assist the advancement of medicine and ensure patient safety. Email fatigue is real, new electronic health record systems can be tough to master, and who can remember all their passwords? However, despite these pitfalls, technology doesn’t have to be the enemy. When it comes to healthcare, Informatics and technology can save lives, shorten wait times, and increase patient safety, satisfaction and better health outcomes.

Healthcare informatics and technology can help nurses….

University of Queensland researchers have found that freckles and moles appearing on the iris indicate a high risk of melanoma, particularly in people under 40 years of age. Their groundbreaking study, "Iris pigmented lesions as a marker of cutaneous melanoma risk: an Australian case-control study"  (available in full text on CKN) involved 1,117 participants of European background living in South-East Queensland.