MJA
MJA

    Management of bronchiectasis in adults

    Simone K Visser, Peter Bye and Lucy Morgan
    Med J Aust 2018; 209 (4): . || doi: 10.5694/mja17.01195
    Published online: 20 August 2018

    Summary

     

    • Once neglected in research and underappreciated in practice, there is renewed interest in bronchiectasis unrelated to cystic fibrosis.
    • Bronchiectasis is a chronic lung disease characterised by chronic cough, sputum production and recurrent pulmonary exacerbations. It is diagnosed radiologically on high resolution computed tomography chest scan by bronchial dilatation (wider than the accompanying artery).
    • The causes of bronchiectasis are diverse and include previous respiratory tract infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, immunodeficiency and connective tissue diseases. A large proportion of cases are idiopathic, reflecting our incomplete understanding of disease pathogenesis.
    • Progress in the evidence base is reflected in the 2017 European management guidelines and the 2015 update to the Australian guidelines.
    • Effective airway clearance remains the cornerstone of bronchiectasis management. This should be personalised and reviewed regularly by a respiratory physiotherapist.
    • There is now robust evidence for the long term use of oral macrolide antibiotics in selected patients to reduce exacerbation frequency.
    • The routine use of long term inhaled corticosteroids and/or long-acting bronchodilators should be avoided, unless concomitant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma exists.
    • The evidence for nebulised agents including hypertonic saline, mannitol and antibiotics is evolving; however, access is challenging outside tertiary clinics, and nebulising equipment is required.
    • Smokers should be supported to quit. All patients should receive influenza and pneumococcal vaccination. Patients with impaired exercise capacity should attend pulmonary rehabilitation.
    • There is an important minority of patients for whom aetiology-specific treatment exists.
    • The prevalence of bronchiectasis is increasing worldwide; however, the burden of disease within Australia is not well defined. To this end, the Australian Bronchiectasis Registry began recruitment in 2016 and is interoperable with the European and United States bronchiectasis registries to enable collaborative research.
    • The recent addition of a bronchiectasis diagnosis-related group to the Australian Refined Diagnostic Related Group classification system will allow definition of the disease burden within the Australian hospital system.

     

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      Improved relative survival of patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma in Queensland, 1993–2012

      Ian N Olver
      Med J Aust 2018; 209 (4): . || doi: 10.5694/mja18.00626
      Published online: 20 August 2018

      Monoclonal antibody-based therapies are improving outcomes for patients with a range of cancers

      Anti-cancer immunotherapy, including monoclonal antibodies to specific cell surface protein antigens, is proving to be a successful strategy in the emerging era of personalised medicine. This issue of the Journal includes the report of a retrospective study of the impact of one of the first therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, rituximab, on the relative survival of patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in Queensland between 1993 and 2012.1 Rituximab binds the CD20 antigen that is found on 90% of B cells, making it easier for other immune system cells to eliminate the cancerous cells (antibody-dependent cell-mediated immunity).


      • Cancer Research Institute, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA


      Correspondence: ian.olver@unisa.edu.au
      Competing interests:

      No relevant disclosures.

      • 1. Wright F, Hapgood G, Loganathan A, et al. Relative survival of patients with lymphoma in Queensland according to histological subtype. Med J Aust 2018; 209: 166-172.
      • 2. Mannetje A, De Roos AJ, Boffetta P, et al Occupation and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and its subtypes: a pooled analysis from the InterLymph consortium. Environ Health Perspect 2016; 124: 396-405.
      • 3. Perez EA, Romond EH, Suman VJ, et al. Trastuzumab plus adjuvant chemotherapy for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive breast cancer: planned joint analysis of overall survival form NSABP B-31 and NCCTG N9831. J Clin Oncol 2014; 32: 3744-3752.
      • 4. Zugmaier G, Gökbuget N, Klinger M, et al. Long-term survival and T-cell kinetics in relapsed/refractory ALL patients who achieved MRD response after blinatumomab treatment. Blood 2015; 126: 2578-2584.
      • 5. Shen K, Ma X, Zhu C, et al. Safety and efficacy of trastuzumab emtansine in advanced human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-postive breast cancer: a meta-analysis. Sci Rep 2016; 6: 23262.
      • 6. Auger-Quittet S, Duny Y, Daures J-P, Quittet P. Outcomes after 90yttrium-ibritumomab tiuxetan-BEAM in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: a meta-analysis. Cancer Med 2014; 3: 927-938.
      • 7. Botrel TE, Clark L, Paladini L, Clark O. Efficacy and safety of bevacizumab plus chemotherapy compared to chemotherapy alone in previously untreated advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer. BMC Cancer 2016; 16: 667.
      • 8. Greiller L, Tomasini P, Barlesi F. Bevacizumab in the treatment of nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer: clinical trial evidence and experience. Ther Adv Respir Dis 2016; 10: 485-491.
      • 9. Letendre P, Monga V, Mihem M, Zakharia Y. Ipilimumab: from preclinical development to future clinical perspectives in melanoma. Future Oncol 2017; 13: 625-636.
      • 10. Medina PJ, Adams VR. PD-1 pathway inhibitors: immune-oncology agents for restoring antitumour immune responses. Pharmacotherapy 2016; 36: 317-334.
      • 11. Ning YM, Suzman D, Maher VE, et al. FDA approval summary: atezolizumab for the treatment of patients with progressive advanced urothelial carcinoma after platinum-containing chemotherapy. Oncologist 2017; 22: 743-749.
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        Inequity amplified: climate change, the Australian farmer, and mental health

        Molly Shorthouse and Louise Stone
        Med J Aust 2018; 209 (4): . || doi: 10.5694/mja18.00624
        Published online: 20 August 2018

        We need to train our rural medical workforce in deeper mental health care skills

        The “droughts and flooding rains” of our “sunburnt country” have been part of the national consciousness for generations of Australians. So it is understandable that many of us may not recognise the impact of increasing drought and climate change in rural Australia. However, rural and remote Australians depend on the land, not only for their own livelihood, but also for the sustainability of their communities. We also know that rural and remote Australians have higher rates of mental health disorders and risk of suicide,1 but much less access to mental health services.2 In this issue of the MJA, Austin and colleagues3 report that drought compounds this disadvantage, placing farmers and their communities at greater risk of mental illness and disability.

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        • 1 Rural Doctors Association Tasmania, St Helens, TAS
        • 2 Australian National University, Canberra, ACT
        • 3 Canberra Hospital, Canberra, ACT


        Correspondence: louise.stone@anu.edu.au
        Competing interests:

        No relevant disclosures.

        • 1. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. A snapshot of men’s health in rural and remote Australia (AIHW Cat. No. PHE 120). Canberra: AIHW, 2010.
        • 2. Meadows GN, Enticott JC, Inder B, et al. Better access to mental health care and the failure of the Medicare principle of universality. Med J Aust 2015; 202: 190-194. <MJA full text>
        • 3. Austin EK, Handley T, Kiem AS, et al. Drought-related stress among farmers: findings from the Australian Rural Mental Health Study. Med J Aust 2018; 209: 159-165.
        • 4. Watterson I, Rafter T, Wilson L, et al. Projections: atmosphere and the land. In: Penny Whetton, editor. Climate change in Australia: projections for Australia’s Natural Resource Management regions. Canberra: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Bureau of Meteorology, 2015; pp. 90-141. https://www.climatechangeinaustralia.gov.au/media/ccia/2.1.6/cms_page_media/168/CCIA_2015_NRM_TR_Chapter%207.pdf (viewed June 2018).
        • 5. Fritze JG, Blashki GA, Burke S, Wiseman J. Hope, despair and transformation: climate change and the promotion of mental health and wellbeing. Int J Ment Health Syst 2008; 2: 13.
        • 6. Patel V, Saxena S, Frankish H, Boyce N. Sustainable development and global mental health — a Lancet Commission. Lancet 2016; 387: 1143-1145.
        • 7. Kleinman A. Global mental health: a failure of humanity. Lancet 2009; 374: 603-604.
        • 8. Bishop L, Ransom A, Laverty M, Gale L. Mental health in remote and rural communities. Canberra: Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, 2017. https://www.flyingdoctor.org.au/assets/documents/RN031_Mental_Health_D5.pdf (viewed June 2018).
        • 9. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Mental health services in Australia. Updated May 2018. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/mental-health-services/mental-health-services-in-australia/report-contents/summary/prevalence-and-policies (viewed June 2018).
        • 10. Steel Z, McDonald R, Silove D, et al. Pathways to the first contact with specialist mental health care. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 2006; 40: 347-354.
        • 11. Hickie IB, Davenport TA, Pirkis JE, et al. General practitioners’ response to depression and anxiety in the Australian community: a preliminary analysis. Med J Aust 2004; 181 (7 Suppl): S15-S20. <MJA full text>
        • 12. Kelly BJ, Stain HJ, Coleman C, et al. Mental health and well-being within rural communities: the Australian Rural Mental Health Study. Aust J Rural Health 2010; 18: 16-24.
        • 13. Potiriadis M, Chondros P, Gilchrist G, et al. How do Australian patients rate their general practitioner? A descriptive study using the General Practice Assessment Questionnaire. Med J Aust 2008; 189: 215-219. <MJA full text>
        • 14. Wakerman J, Humphreys J, Lyle D, et al. Overcoming access and equity problems relating to primary health care services in rural and remote Australia. Bendigo: Centre of Research Excellence in Rural and Remote Primary Health Care, 2015. https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/bitstream/1885/139217/3/Wakerman%20Full%20report.pdf (viewed June 2018).
        • 15. Scott A. Getting the balance right between generalism and specialisation: does remuneration matter? Aust Fam Physician 2014; 43: 229-232.
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          A shift in scholarly publishing practices and the growing menace of predatory journals

          Peter L Munk, Tyler M Coupal and Wilfred CG Peh
          Med J Aust 2018; 209 (4): . || doi: 10.5694/mja17.00892
          Published online: 20 August 2018

          A certification process by an independent agency would help tackle the threat of predatory journals

          The past two decades have seen many changes in scholarly publishing — something that has largely been the result of the advent of the internet and its growing influence on our lives. In an effort to adapt to this new age of technology, many journals have developed online editions and some journals have even switched over entirely to online editions. A step beyond this has been the implementation of open access journal publication, which continues to become more commonplace within current publishing practices.


          • 1 Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
          • 2 Canadian Association of Radiologists Journal, Vancouver, BC, Canada
          • 3 Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, Singapore


          Correspondence: Peter.Munk@vch.ca
          Competing interests:

          No relevant disclosures.

          • 1. Haug C. The downside of open-access publishing. N Engl J Med 2013; 368; 791-793.
          • 2. Butler D. Investigating journals: the dark side of publishing. Nature 2013; 495: 433-435.
          • 3. Shamseer L, Moher D, Maduekwe O, et al. Potential predatory and legitimate biomedical journals: can you tell the difference? A cross-sectional comparison. BMC Med 2017; 15: 28.
          • 4. Bowman JD. Predatory publishing, questionable peer review, and fraudulent conferences. Am J Pharm Educ 2014; 78; 176.
          • 5. Shen C, Björk BC. “Predatory” open access: a longitudinal study of article volumes and market characteristics. BMC Med 2015; 13: 230.
          • 6. Clark J, Smith R. Firm action needed on predatory journals. BMJ 2015; 350: h210.
          • 7. Manca A, Cugusi L, Dvir Z, Deriu F. PubMed should raise the bar for journal inclusion. Lancet 2017; 390: 734-735.
          • 8. Manca A, Martinez G, Cugusi L, et al. The surge of predatory open-access in neurosciences and neurology. Neuroscience 2017; 353: 166-173.
          • 9. Beall, J. Best practices for scholarly authors in the age of predatory journals. Ann R Coll Surg Engl 2016; 98: 77-79.
          • 10. Anderson R. Cabell’s new predatory journal blacklist: a review. The Scholarly Kitchen 2017; 25 July. https://scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/2017/07/25/cabells-new-predatory-journal-blacklist-review (viewed Aug 2017).
          • 11. Bohannon J. Who’s afraid of peer review? Science 2013; 342: 60-65.
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            Screening for spinal muscular atrophy

            Hugo Sampaio, Bridget Wilcken and Michelle Farrar
            Med J Aust 2018; 209 (4): . || doi: 10.5694/mja17.00772
            Published online: 20 August 2018

            Early diagnosis allows the possibility of starting treatment at a young age to achieve better outcomes

            Rapid advances in technology and novel disease-modifying treatments will increase demands for early diagnosis and screening for many severe childhood conditions. This is exemplified by spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).


            • 1 Sydney Children's Hospital, Sydney, NSW
            • 2 Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW
            • 3 UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW


            Acknowledgements: 

            Michelle Farrar received support from the Motor Neurone Diseases Research Institute of Australia Beryl Bayley MND Postdoctoral Fellowship.

            Competing interests:

            Michelle Farrar has received honoraria from Biogen for consultancy.

            • 1. Farrar MA, Vucic S, Johnston HM, et al. Pathophysiological insights derived by natural history and motor function of spinal muscular atrophy. J Pediatr 2013; 162: 155-159.
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            • 5. Sugarman EA, Nagan N, Zhu H, et al. Pan-ethnic carrier screening and prenatal diagnosis for spinal muscular atrophy: clinical laboratory analysis of > 72,400 specimens. Eur J Hum Genet 2012; 20: 27-32.
            • 6. Farrar MA, Teoh HL, Carey KA, et al. Nusinersen for SMA: expanded access programme. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2018. doi: 10.1136/jnnp-2017-317412 [Epub ahead of print].
            • 7. Farrar MA, Park SB, Vucic S, et al. Emerging therapies and challenges in spinal muscular atrophy. Ann Neurol 2017; 81: 355-368.
            • 8. Finkel RS, Mercuri E, Darras BT, et al. Nusinersen versus sham control in infantile-onset spinal muscular atrophy. N Engl J Med 2017; 377: 1723-1732.
            • 9. Bertini E, Hwu WL, Reyna SP, et al. Efficacy and safety of nusinersen in infants with presymptomatic spinal muscular atrophy (SMA): interim results from the NURTURE study. Eur J Paediatr Neurol 2017; 21: e14.
            • 10. Wilson JM, Jungner G. Principles and practice of screening for disease. Public health papers no. 34. Geneva: World Health Organization; 1968. http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/37650/17/WHO_PHP_34.pdf (viewed June 2018).
            • 11. Swoboda KJ, Prior TW, Scott CB, et al. Natural history of denervation in SMA: relation to age, SMN2 copy number, and function. Ann Neurol 2005; 57: 704-712.
            • 12. Rothwell E, Anderson RA, Swoboda KJ, et al. Public attitudes regarding a pilot study of newborn screening for spinal muscular atrophy. Am J Med Genet A 2013; 161a: 679-686.
            • 13. Taylor JL, Lee FK, Yazdanpanah GK, et al. Newborn blood spot screening test using multiplexed real-time PCR to simultaneously screen for spinal muscular atrophy and severe combined immunodeficiency. Clin Chem 2015; 61: 412-419.
            • 14. Phan HC, Taylor JL, Hannon H, Howell R. Newborn screening for spinal muscular atrophy: anticipating an imminent need. Semin Perinatol 2015; 39: 217-229.
            • 15. Verhaart IE, Robertson A, Wilson IJ, et al. Prevalence, incidence and carrier frequency of 5q-linked spinal muscular atrophy — a literature review. Orphanet J Rare Dis 2017; 12: 124.
            • 16. Boardman FK, Young PJ, Griffiths FE. Population screening for spinal muscular atrophy: a mixed methods study of the views of affected families. Am J Med Genet A 2017; 173: 421-434.
            • 17. Rowe H, Holton S, Kirkman M, et al. Prevalence and distribution of unintended pregnancy: the Understanding Fertility Management in Australia National Survey. Aust N Z J Public Health 2016; 40: 104-109.
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              Transcatheter aortic valve implantation: a new standard of care

              Adam J Nelson, Nicholas J Montarello, Claudia S Cosgrove, Ross L Roberts-Thomson, Sinny Delacroix, Ramesh G Chokka, Joseph K Montarello and Stephen G Worthley
              Med J Aust 2018; 209 (3): . || doi: 10.5694/mja17.01255
              Published online: 6 August 2018

              Summary

               

              • Aortic stenosis is the most common valvular lesion requiring intervention and with an ageing population, its burden is likely to increase.
              • Increasing comorbidity and a desire for less invasive treatment strategies has facilitated the expansion of percutaneous aortic valve therapies.
              • Robust clinical trial data are now available to support the role of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in patients of prohibitive, high and now intermediate surgical risk.
              • The introduction of a Medicare Benefits Schedule reimbursement is likely to see TAVI use grow exponentially in Australia over the next 5 years.
              • Clinical trials evaluating low risk patients may be the final frontier to see TAVI become the standard of care for most patients with severe aortic stenosis.

               


              • Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, SA


              Correspondence: adam.nelson@adelaide.edu.au
              Competing interests:

              Stephen Worthley consults for and has received honoraria from Medtronic and Abbott.

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                Why are women with ST-elevation myocardial infarction treated differently to men?

                Andrew I MacIsaac and Gemma Figtree
                Med J Aust 2018; 209 (3): . || doi: 10.5694/mja18.00476
                Published online: 6 August 2018

                STEMI and coronary artery disease are major but underappreciated killers of Australian women

                This issue of the Journal includes confronting data about inequities in the treatment and outcomes for men and women with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).1 Khan and colleagues report that the 6-month mortality for women presenting with STEMI is twice that of men, a difference that persists after statistical correction for age and comorbid conditions. The article relates worrying evidence of a disparity in the delivery of evidence-based treatment, raising many important questions: What barriers are preventing women from presenting for treatment earlier? Why are there delays in providing women with recognised life-saving treatments? Why are women as a group treated less intensively than men despite having higher Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) risk scores? What biological differences require distinct therapeutic approaches and dedicated clinical trials?


                • 1 St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC
                • 2 Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW


                Correspondence: andrew.macisaac@svha.org.au
                Competing interests:

                No relevant disclosures.

                • 1. Khan E, Brieger D, Amerena J, et al. Differences in management and outcomes for men and women with ST-elevation myocardial infarction. Med J Aust 2018; 209: 118-123.
                • 2. Heart Foundation. 2018. Women and heart disease. 2018. https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/your-heart/women-and-heart-disease (viewed 21 June 2018).
                • 3. Wei J, Mehta PK, Grey E, et al. Sex-based differences in quality of care and outcomes in a health system using a standardized STEMI protocol. Am Heart J 2017; 191: 30-36.
                • 4. Chew DP, Scott IA, Cullen L, et al. National Heart Foundation of Australia and Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand: Australian clinical guidelines for the management of acute coronary syndromes 2016. Med J Aust 2016; 205: 128-133. <MJA full text>
                • 5. Bavishi C, Bangalore S, Patel D, et al. Short and long-term mortality in women and men undergoing primary angioplasty: a comprehensive meta-analysis. Int J Cardiol 2015; 198: 123-130.
                • 6. Bugiardini R, Ricci B, Cenko E, et al. Delayed care and mortality among women and men with myocardial infarction. J Am Heart Assoc 2017; 6: doi: 10.1161/JAHA.117.005968.
                • 7. Zimmermann S, Ruthrof S, Nowak K, et al. Short-term prognosis of contemporary interventional therapy of ST-elevation myocardial infarction: does gender matter? Clin Res Cardiol 2009; 98: 709-715.
                • 8. Vaccarino V, Parsons L, Peterson ED, et al. Sex differences in mortality after acute myocardial infarction: changes from 1994 to 2006. Arch Intern Med 2009; 169: 1767-1774.
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                  Potential implications of the new American hypertension guidelines in Australia

                  Garry LR Jennings, Bronwyn A Kingwell and Erin Hoare
                  Med J Aust 2018; 209 (3): . || doi: 10.5694/mja18.00104
                  Published online: 6 August 2018

                  There are significant population health and economic implications if Australia were to adopt recently revised American guidelines

                  There are few things more controversial in medicine than when authoritative bodies shift the goalposts for common conditions and redefine normal values. This is particularly the case when the normative values for common chronic disease risk factors in the community, such as blood pressure or cholesterol, are made more stringent. In the stroke of a pen, millions of people have a disease or a risk factor they did not have the day before. Is this “the medicalisation of life” referred to by Illich?1


                  • 1 University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW
                  • 2 Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC
                  • 3 Food and Mood Centre, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC
                  • 4 Centre for Innovation in Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Treatment, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC


                  Acknowledgements: 

                  This work was supported by funding from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) (Program Grant #1036352, and Centre for Research Excellence Grant #1000986) and the Victorian Government’s Operational Infrastructure Support Program (Garry Jennings and Bronwyn Kingwell). Erin Hoare was supported by an Australian Rotary Health Postdoctoral Research Fellowship. Bronwyn Kingwell was supported by an NHMRC Senior Principal Research Fellowship (NHMRC #1059454).

                  Competing interests:

                  Garry Jennings is Chief Medical Advisor of the Heart Foundation.

                  • 1. Illich I. Medical nemesis: the expropriation of health. New York: Pantheon Books, 1976.
                  • 2. Whelton PK, Carey RM, Aronow WS, et al. 2017 ACC/AHA/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/AGS/APhA/ASH/ASPC/NMA/PCNA guideline for the prevention, detection, evaluation, and management of high blood pressure in adults: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines. J Am Coll Cardiol 2017; 13: 24430.
                  • 3. Maddox TM, Borden WB, Tang F, et al. Implications of the 2013 ACC/AHA cholesterol guidelines for adults in contemporary cardiovascular practice: insights from the NCDR PINNACLE registry. J Am Coll Cardiol 2014; 64: 2183-2192.
                  • 4. Holick MF, Binkley NC, Bischoff-Ferrari HA, et al. Guidelines for preventing and treating vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency revisited. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2012; 97: 1153-1158.
                  • 5. SPRINT Research Group. A randomized trial of intensive versus standard blood- pressure control. N Engl J Med 2015; 373: 2103-2116.
                  • 6. Muntner P, Carey RM, Gidding S, et al. Potential US population impact of the 2017 ACC/AHA high blood pressure guideline. J Am Coll Cardiol 2018; 71: 109-118.
                  • 7. Gabb GM, Mangoni AA, Anderson CS, et al. Guideline for the diagnosis and management of hypertension in adults — 2016. Med J Aust 2016; 205: 85-89. <MJA full text>
                  • 8. Wang JG, Liu L. Global impact of 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Hypertension guidelines: a perspective from China. Circulation 2018; 137: 546-548.
                  • 9. Schiffrin EL. Global impact of the 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Hypertension guidelines: a perspective from Canada. Circulation 2018; 137: 883-885.
                  • 10. Wander GS, Ram CVS. Global impact of the 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Hypertension guidelines: a perspective from India. Circulation 2018; 137: 549-550.
                  • 11. Australian Bureau of Statistics. National Health Survey: first results, 2014–15 (Cat. No. 4364.0.55.001). Canberra: ABS, 2015. http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4364.0.55.001 (viewed May 2018).
                  • 12. Hoare E, Kingwell BA, Jennings GLR. Blood pressure Down Under, but down under what? US and Australian hypertension guideline conversation. Hypertension 2018; 71: 972-975.
                  • 13. Gee ME, Campbell N, Sarrafzadegan N, et al. Standards for the uniform reporting of hypertension in adults using population survey data: recommendations from the World Hypertension League Expert Committee. J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich) 2014; 16: 773-781.
                  • 14. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey; 2013–2014 data documentation, codebook, and frequencies; blood pressure [website]. Atlanta, GA: CDC, 2015. https://wwwn.cdc.gov/Nchs/Nhanes/2013-2014/BPX_H.htm (viewed Mar 2018).
                  • 15. National Vascular Disease Prevention Alliance. Guidelines for the management of absolute cardiovascular disease risk. Melbourne: National Stroke Foundation, 2012. https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/images/uploads/publications/Absolute-CVD-Risk-Full-Guidelines.pdf (viewed May 2018).
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                  • 18. Hoare E, Stavreski B, Kingwell BA, Jennings GL. Australian adults’ behaviours, knowledge and perceptions of risk factors for heart disease: a cross-sectional study. Prev Med Rep 2017; 8: 204-209.
                  • 19. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Australian burden of disease study: impact and causes of illness and death in Australia 2011. Canberra: AIHW, 2016. https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/d4df9251-c4b6-452f-a877-8370b6124219/19663.pdf.aspx?inline=true (viewed May 2018).
                  • 20. Rose G. Sick individuals and sick populations. Int J Epidemiol 2001; 30: 427-432.
                  Online responses are no longer available. Please refer to our instructions for authors page for more information.

                    Glycaemic control apps for diabetes: lifting the lid

                    Rahul Barmanray and Esther Briganti
                    Med J Aust 2018; 209 (10): . || doi: 10.5694/mja18.00066
                    Published online: 30 July 2018

                    The rapidly expanding diabetes app market presents new challenges for patients, health care providers and regulators

                    The medical technology industry’s explosive growth has set the stage for medical mobile applications (apps) to assist with the management of many chronic diseases. Diabetes mellitus is the archetypal example: its management requires optimising diet, physical activity, blood glucose self-monitoring, and safe medication use. As a multifaceted condition affecting so many people, diabetes is the perfect target for developers of medical apps to realise the promise of the digital revolution.


                    • 1 Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, VIC
                    • 2 Monash University, Melbourne, VIC


                    Correspondence: rahul.barmanray@mh.org.au
                    Competing interests:

                    No relevant disclosures.

                    • 1. Wu Y, Yao X, Vespasiani G, et al. Mobile app-based interventions to support diabetes self-management: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials to identify functions associated with glycemic efficacy. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 2017; 5: e35.
                    • 2. Arnhold M, Quade M, Kirch W. Mobile applications for diabetics: a systematic review and expert-based usability evaluation considering the special requirements of diabetes patients age 50 years or older. J Med Internet Res 2014; 16: e104.
                    • 3. Bonoto BC, de Araújo VE, Godói IP, et al. Efficacy of mobile apps to support the care of patients with diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 2017; 5: e4.
                    • 4. Chaudhury A, Duvoor C, Reddy Dendi VS, et al. Clinical review of antidiabetic drugs: implications for type 2 diabetes mellitus management. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2017; 8: 6.
                    • 5. Rossi MC, Nicolucci A, Lucisano G, et al; DID Study Group. Impact of the “Diabetes Interactive Diary” telemedicine system on metabolic control, risk of hypoglycemia, and quality of life: a randomized clinical trial in type 1 diabetes. Diabetes Technol Ther 2013; 15: 670-679.
                    • 6. Charpentier G, Benhamou PY, Dardari D, et al; TeleDiab Study Group. The Diabeo software enabling individualized insulin dose adjustments combined with telemedicine support improves HbA1c in poorly controlled type 1 diabetic patients: a 6-month, randomized, open-label, parallel-group, multicenter trial (TeleDiab 1 Study). Diabetes Care 2011; 34: 533-539.
                    • 7. Huckvale K, Adomaviciute S, Prieto JT, et al. Smartphone apps for calculating insulin dose: a systematic assessment. BMC Med 2015; 13: 106.
                    • 8. Therapeutic Goods Administration. Australian regulatory guidelines for medical devices (ARGMD), section 5. Conformity assessment overview V1.1 May 2011. https://www.tga.gov.au/sites/default/files/devices-argmd-p1-01.pdf (viewed July 2018).
                    • 9. Sansom L, Delaat W, Horvath J. Review of medicines and medical devices regulation: report on the regulatory framework for medicines and medical devices. (Sansom Review; Stage One) March 2015. Commonwealth of Australia; 2015.
                    • 10. European Commission. Regulatory Framework. Regulation (EU) 2017/745 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 April 2017 on medical devices, amending Directive 2001/83/EC, Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 and Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 and repealing Council Directives 90/385/EEC and 93/42/EEC. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/medical-devices/regulatory-framework_en (viewed Jan 2018).
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                      Thyroid nodules: diagnosis and management

                      Rosemary Wong, Stephen G Farrell and Mathis Grossmann
                      Med J Aust 2018; 209 (2): . || doi: 10.5694/mja17.01204
                      Published online: 16 July 2018

                      Summary

                       

                      • Thyroid nodules are common. Their importance lies in the need to assess thyroid function, degree of and future risk of mass effect, and exclude thyroid cancer, which occurs in 7–15% of thyroid nodules.
                      • There are four key components to thyroid nodule assessment: clinical history and examination, serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) measurement, ultrasound and, if indicated, fine-needle aspiration (FNA).
                      • If the serum TSH is suppressed, a thyroid scan with 99Tc can distinguish between a solitary hot nodule, a toxic multinodular goitre or, less commonly, thyroiditis or Graves’ disease within a coexisting nodular thyroid. Scintigraphically cold nodules are evaluated in the same way as in the setting of normal or elevated serum TSH levels.
                      • Thyroid ultrasonography should be performed only for palpable goitre and thyroid nodules and by specialists with expertise in thyroid sonography.
                      • Routine thyroid cancer screening is not recommended, except in high risk individuals, as the detection of early thyroid cancer has not been shown to improve survival.
                      • FNA may be performed for nodules ≥ 1.0 cm depending on clinical and sonographic risk factors for thyroid cancer.
                      • FNA specimens should be read by an experienced cytopathologist and be reported according to the Bethesda Classification System.
                      • Molecular analysis of indeterminate FNA samples has potential to better discriminate benign from malignant nodules and thus guide management.
                      • Surgery is indicated for FNA findings of malignancy or indeterminate cytology when there is a high risk clinical context. Surgery may also be indicated for suspicion of malignancy; larger nodules, especially with symptoms of mass effect; and in some patients with thyrotoxicosis.

                       


                      • 1 Eastern Health, Melbourne, VIC
                      • 2 Austin Health, Melbourne, VIC
                      • 3 St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC
                      • 4 University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC


                      Correspondence: mathisg@unimelb.edu.au
                      Competing interests:

                      No relevant disclosures.

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