Blog

Paramedics’ compliance with WHO hand hygiene guidelines seems to be “remarkably low,” according to a new observational study of ambulance staff practice in Australia and three other countries. And over-reliance on gloves suggests paramedics may be more aware of their own infection risk rather than that of their patients, says the researchers. 

Women working more than 55 hours per week are at a heightened risk of depression, and weekend work has been linked to heightened risk among both sexes, according to new research published in the BMJ's Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.

Australian children are at increasing risk of poisoning from unregulated e-cigarette liquids containing nicotine, according to new research from Australian Poisons Information Centres.

Chronic low back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide, affecting an estimated 540 million people at any one time. More than 59% of sufferers also experience insomnia. A new analysis from the University of Sydney shows treatment for insomnia can help to reduce back pain, further enforcing the complex link between sleep and pain.

A cutting-edge technique called cellular barcoding has been used to tag, track and pinpoint cells responsible for the spread of breast cancer from the main tumour into the blood and other organs. The technique also revealed how chemotherapy temporarily shrinks the number of harmful cells, rather than eliminating them, explaining how the cancer could eventually relapse.

Doctors have found that paediatric team leaders improve more during resuscitation training if they wear a blindfold. The research team's findings demonstrate a promising tool for improving training and outcomes in paediatric resuscitation.

Women make up just 11% of consultant surgeons, yet 60% of medical students are female. New research by Gold Coast Health general surgeon Dr Rhea Liang now provides insights into why so many women walk away from their surgical training.

While it is widely known that the use of alcohol and tobacco are detrimental to a baby’s development, a new literature review conducted by researchers at the University of British Columbia discovered that pregnant women are far less likely to perceive cannabis use to be harmful in spite of recent evidence to the contrary.

Floodwater can harbour dangerous soil-borne bacteria and disease organisms that pose serious health risks to the general public, as well as emergency services and health workers in affected regions. In the wake of recent flooding in North and North West Queensland there has been one death and several people have been hospitalised as a result of infection from environmental bacteria, in particular melioidosis.

Delaying the bathing of newborns for at least 12 hours after birth is associated with significant improvements in exclusive breastfeeding while in hospital and with mothers being more likely to have feeding plans on discharge that include human milk (exclusively or in addition to formula).