The principal scientific journal for the profession in New Zealand

Joseph M Boden, Lana Cleland, Bhubaneswor Dhakal, L John Horwood

Attitudes towards cannabis and cannabis law change in a New Zealand birth cohort

Cannabis use is widespread within New Zealand, with an estimated 70–80% of the population having tried cannabis by age 25.

John Dockerty, James Jolly, Asutosh Kumar, Trent Larsen, Bill Lu, David Iain McBride, Sam McGill, Robin Turner, Sonia Wall, Stephanie Williams, Alan Yi, Anastasia Gough-Young

The New Zealand nuclear veteran and families study, exploring the options to assess heritable health outcomes | OPEN ACCESS

Over the past century, knowledge regarding the harmful effects of exposure to radiation has increased. It is now known that exposure to radiation can damage living cells by altering DNA.

Marta Rychert, Chris Wilkins, Karl Parker, Thomas Graydon-Guy

Exploring medicinal use of cannabis in a time of policy change in New Zealand

Despite limited scientific evidence for the medicinal benefits of cannabis (ie, double blind placebo-controlled trials), a growing number of countries have facilitated greater legal access to cannabis and/or cannabis-based preparations for medicinal use, including Australia, UK, Canada, Germany, Israel, Netherlands and over half of US states.

Change in smoking intentions of university students in New Zealand following simulated cigarette price increases: results of the first of two cross-sectional surveys | OPEN ACCESS

Ben Wamamili

Smoking remains one of the leading causes of preventable death and illness in New Zealand and elsewhere. Each year about 5,000 people in New Zealand die because of smoking or second-hand smoke exposure.

Marthe Van den Berg, Mary John, Melissa Black, Alex Semprini, Karen Oldfield, Michelle Glass, Irene Braithwaite

Cannabis-based medicinal products in arthritis, a painful conundrum

The legal climate regarding the medicinal use of cannabinoids and the public advocacy for access to cannabis-based medicinal products has been changing over the years.

Cameron Schauer, Thomas Mules, Marius van Rijnsoever, Ed Gane

Increasing burden of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma in New Zealand—the need for better surveillance

Viral hepatitis accounts for the vast majority of newly diagnosed hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) worldwide.

Michael Yoon Kang, Jessica Besley, Tina Sun, Sunita Paul

Retrospective analysis of eligibility for denosumab in patients presenting with osteoporotic fractures and renal impairment treated by orthogeriatric service at Middlemore Hospital

Osteoporosis is a disease characterised by low bone mass, micro-architectural disruption and skeletal fragility resulting in decreased bone strength and increased risk of fracture.

Naomi Brewer, June Atkinson, Parry Guilford, Cristin Print, Tony Blakely, Andrea Teng

An estimate of limited duration cancer prevalence in New Zealand using ‘big’ data

A larger number of people are being diagnosed with cancer in New Zealand, while cancer mortality is decreasing, meaning more people living beyond a cancer diagnosis.

Meghan Sandle, Alison Sheppard, Angelica Allermo Fletcher, Max Berry, Nathalie DeVries

Early identification of infants at risk of cerebral palsy: developing the use of general movement assessment in routine clinical practice in a tertiary neonatal unit in New Zealand

Infants born preterm (<37/40 gestation) have an increased risk of a range of neurodevelopmental disorders including learning difficulties, language and motor impairments, and social and emotional problems.

Annabel Merrett, Jennifer Keys, Chris Crane, David Gwynne-Jones

Non-resident orthopaedic admissions to Dunedin Hospital 1997 to 2017 and Southland Hospital 2011 to 2017

Over the past several decades, New Zealand’s tourism industry has experienced exceptional growth, and forecasts for the sector indicate this expansion will continue. Statistics New Zealand has recorded that New Zealand attracted 3.5 million international visitors in the year ending December 2016.

Chris Wilkins, Marta Rychert

The Government’s proposal to legalise cannabis in New Zealand: 10 key questions

A national referendum on the legal status of recreational cannabis use and supply in New Zealand will be held at the next general election in September 2020.

Felicity Dumble, Jim Miller, Maria Poynter, Phil Shoemack

While we have your attention… | OPEN ACCESS

In normal times, public health professionals work in the background to ensure that the myriad health risks faced by our population do not see the light of day. Pandemics and other major outbreaks or health emergencies remind the public of the importance of public health services.

Vol 133 No 1513: 24 April 2020

COVID-19—the frontline (a GP perspective) | OPEN ACCESS

Kate Baddock

On the day 28 February 2020, the world changed for New Zealand, as it confirmed its first case of COVID-19.

Vol 133 No 1512: 3 April 2020

Here we go again? A new pandemic of the 21st century | OPEN ACCESS

Geoffrey Rice

As the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened rapidly over the past few weeks, comparisons have been made with the great influenza pandemic of 1918, with people asking “Are we about to see a repeat of that global disaster?”

Vol 133 No 1512: 3 April 2020

New Zealand’s elimination strategy for the COVID-19 pandemic and what is required to make it work | OPEN ACCESS

Michael G Baker, Amanda Kvalsvig, Ayesha J Verrall, Lucy Telfar-Barnard, Nick Wilson

In this editorial we summarise the threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the justification for the elimination strategy adopted by New Zealand, and some of the actions required to maximise the chances of success.

Vol 133 No 1511: 13 March 2020

Mentally ill people in our prisons are suffering human rights violations

Erik Monasterio, Susanna Every-Palmer, Julie Norris, Jackie Short, Krishna Pillai, Peter Dean, James Foulds

Successive governments have ignored the effect that rapid growth in the prison population has had on health and equity in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Vol 133 No 1511: 13 March 2020

Politicians: please work together to minimise the spread of COVID-19 | OPEN ACCESS

David Murdoch, Michael Addidle, Hanna-Sofia Andersson, Brendan Arnold, Michelle Balm, Jackie Benschop, Bryan Betty, Mark Birch, Max Bloomfield, Cheryl Brunton, Andrew Burns, Stephen Chambers, Lynley Cook, Simon Dalton, Harvey Duncan, Juliet Elvy, Richard Everts, Joshua Freeman, Nigel French, Kate Grimwade, David Hammer, David Hayman, David Holland, Ben Hudson, Paul Huggan, Susan Jack, Rosemary Ikram, Matthew Kelly, Iain Lamont, Michael Maze, Gary McAuliffe, Stephen McBride, Sarah Metcalf, Susan Morpeth, Arthur Morris, Samantha Murton, Ramon Pink, Alan Pithie, Martin Pitout, Patricia Priest, Nigel Raymond, Kerry Read, Stephen Ritchie, Matthew Rogers, Philip Schroeder, Susan Taylor, James Taylor, Mark Thomas, Arlo Upton, James Ussher, Anja Werno, Siouxsie Wiles

With COVID-19 now present in New Zealand, and the situation a genuine health emergency, it is essential our political leaders work together and use their influence to minimise the impact of the virus in our community.

Nicki Jackson, Rachael Dixon

The practice of the alcohol industry as health educator: a critique

Due to typically heavy patterns of drinking as well as differences in alcohol sensitivities and risk-taking behaviours, adolescents experience disproportionately more harm from their drinking than older drinkers.

Andrew Dickson, Joanna Manning

A balanced opinion? Considering the role of the external clinical advisor in ACC processes

The role of the external clinical advisor (ECA) is critical to the adjudication of complex claims in the processes of the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC).

Susanna Galea-Singer, David Newcombe, Virginia Farnsworth-Grodd, Janie Sheridan, Peter Adams, Natalie Walker

Challenges of virtual talking therapies for substance misuse in New Zealand during the COVID-19 pandemic: an opinion piece | OPEN ACCESS

In November 2019, the world was hit by a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 (referred to as COVID-19). The first cases emerged from Wuhan in China, but rapidly spread across the world.

Rohan Ameratunga, Klaus Lehnert, Euphemia Leung, Davide Comoletti, Russell Snell, See-Tarn Woon, William Abbott, Emily Mears, Richard Steele, Jeff McKee, Andrew Muscroft-Taylor, Shanthi Ameratunga, Natalie Medlicott, Shyamal Das, William Rolleston, Miguel E Quiñones-Mateu, Helen Petousis-Harris, Anthony Jordan

Inhaled modified angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as a decoy to mitigate SARS-CoV-2 infection | OPEN ACCESS

COVID-19 is an emerging zoonotic disease, caused by SARS-CoV-2, which appears to have been transmitted to humans in late 2019 in the Hubei province of China, probably from an intermediate host in a live animal market.

Cameron Lacey, Mauterangimarie Clark, Jenni Manuel, Suzanne Pitama, Ruth Cunningham, Karen Keelan, Vivienne Rijnberg, Lana Cleland, Jennifer Jordan

Is there systemic bias for Māori with eating disorders? A need for greater awareness in the healthcare system

Anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN) and binge-eating disorder (BED) are serious conditions with significant adverse medical, psychological, social and economic effects on individuals, impairing quality of life.

Vol 133 No 1513: 24 April 2020

The case for New Zealand to have its own COVID-19 vaccine programme | OPEN ACCESS

James E Ussher, Graham Le Gros, Miguel E Quiñones-Mateu, Shivali A Gulab, Melissa Yiannoutsos

With the early success of the measures taken under COVID-19 Alert Level 4 becoming apparent over the past few days, New Zealand is well on the way to suppressing SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, or even eliminating it from the population.

Vol 133 No 1513: 24 April 2020

Towards elimination of tuberculosis in New Zealand

Ayesha J Verrall, Philip C Hill, Dougal Thorburn, Michael Maze, Lavinia Perumal, Kate Grimwade, Craig N Thornley, Josh Freeman, Mitzi Nisbet, Timothy K Blackmore

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a disease of public health significance to New Zealand. Progress in reducing TB incidence has stalled for more than a decade, with between 276 and 308 cases notified each year.

Emma Espiner, Selah Hart, Garth Poole, Tamara Glyn Mullaney, Su Mei Hoh

Beyond COVID-19: five actions which would improve the health of all New Zealanders | OPEN ACCESS

We congratulate the New Zealand government for the unprecedented steps taken to protect our population from the potentially catastrophic threat to public health posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kenan Yalta, Tulin Yalta, Muhammet Gurdogan

Takotsubo syndrome co-exıstıng with acute myocardial infarctıon: an overlooked phenomenon in clinical practice

Over the past years, takotsubo syndrome (TS) has drawn a particular attention as a transient form of acute cardiomyopathy that usually mimicks acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in clinical practice.

Pulmonary embolism following total hip and knee arthroplasty

Richard Seigne

I found the paper by Millar et al of great interest as I have access to similar data from Burwood Hospital, Christchurch.

Kirsten J Coppell, Rosemary M Hall, Michelle Downie, Sonya K Fraser, Michele Garrett, Craig A Jefferies, Timothy W Kenealy, Roberta EH Milne, Brandon J Orr-Walker, Ryan G Paul, Kate Smallman, Helen J Snell

Diabetes and COVID-19—the meeting of two pandemics: what are the concerns? | OPEN ACCESS

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has occurred on a background of the diabetes pandemic.

Kamal Kant Sahu, Ajay Kumar Mishra, Amos Lal, Ahmad Daniyal Siddiqui, Susan V George

Methemoglobinemia: a challenge while managing pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia

We read with great interest the recent article by Saxena et al on methemoglobinemia. We appreciate the diligent workup by Saxena et al that led to the timely diagnosis of the methemoglobinemia.

Brendan Marshall, Laura Aileone

COVID-19 pandemic and rural generalism: the West Coast’s rural workforce solution | OPEN ACCESS

COVID-19 is the type of disruptive event we don’t often see in health. New Zealanders recently learnt that the first COVID-19 patient death occurred in Greymouth Hospital. What has been most revealing for local clinicians is the effect on our workforce.

Vol 133 No 1512: 3 April 2020

Type A aortic dissections: challenges of atypical presentation in remote New Zealand

Varun J Sharma, Minesh Prakash, Francesco Pirone, Brian Chan, Zaw Lin

SM, a 62 year-old male of Māori descent, was seen by ambulance for right hemiparesis with no significant medical history.

Vol 132 No 1489: 1 February 2019

Mind That Child; A Medical Memoir

This a book that recounts the experience of the Auckland Starship’s paediatrician Dr Simon Rowley over his professional lifetime.

Vol 132 No 1488: 18 January 2019

Fat Off; the Right Way A clever and sustainable eating guide for weight loss and healthy living

Paul Anderson is a New Zealander who trained in general surgery and works part-time in Australia and part-time in New Zealand.

Vol 132 No 1488: 18 January 2019

The Art of Recovery: six personal journeys

As an editor you receive books for review, which are sent to suitable people following an email agreement to review.

Vol 131 No 1477: 22 June 2018

The Older Traveller: A guide for the health professional

When I found this book was returned from the initial reviewer without a review from the person who had “volunteered” to review it

Vol 131 No 1477: 22 June 2018

Black Flu 1918; The story of New Zealand s worst public health disaster

This is the account of the 1918 influenza pandemic.

Vol 130 No 1463: 6 October 2017

Governor William Hobson: his health problems and final illness

Yee Chen Lau

Captain William Hobson, our first governor, had a tumultuous year before his untimely death in 1842

Vol 130 No 1463: 6 October 2017

Not Our Problem