The principal scientific journal for the profession in New Zealand

Why dizziness is likely to increase the risk of cognitive dysfunction and dementia in elderly adults

Paul F Smith

Dizziness is reported to be one of the most common reasons for patients consulting a general practitioner.

Karen Oldfield, Allie Eathorne, Ingrid Maijers, Richard Beasley, Alex Semprini, Irene Braithwaite

Knowledge and perspectives about the use of cannabis as a medicine: a mixed methods observational study in a cohort of New Zealand general practice patients

In December 2018 the New Zealand government introduced the Misuse of Drugs (Medicinal Cannabis) Amendment Act, allowing patients with a palliative diagnosis a statutory defence against the use of illicit cannabis in the management of their symptoms.

Stephanie D’Souza, Nick Bowden, Sheree Gibb, Nichola Shackleton, Richard Audas, Sarah Hetrick, Barry Taylor, Barry Milne

Medication dispensing for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder to New Zealand youth

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a childhood-onset neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by symptoms of hyperactivity/impulsivity and inattention.

Daniel Williams, Meik Dilcher, Hongfang Dong, Bridget Lester, Kerry Marshall, Ramon Pink, Debbie Smith, Jimmy Wong

Lessons from a system-wide response to a measles outbreak, Canterbury, February–April 2019

Measles is a highly contagious airborne virus which affects both children and adults and can be life-threatening. Furthermore, measles infection can cause immune memory loss, increasing susceptibility to other infections for up to three years and contributing significantly to childhood non-measles infectious disease mortality.

Jocelyne Benatar, Tara Elville, Helen Wihongi, The Whānau

Hui: a partnership in practice in familial hypercholesterolemia

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is the most common dominant genetic disorder in humans and causes premature heart disease and death.

Julia J Rucklidge, Ian C Shaw

Are over-the-counter fish oil supplements safe, effective and accurate with labelling? Analysis of 10 New Zealand fish oil supplements

Fish oil supplements are among the most popular dietary supplements on the global market, with use having increased dramatically over the last decade.

Dorcas Chan, Paula Skidmore, Leigh O’Brien, Sally Watson, Richard Gearry

A feasibility study investigating the impact of a dietitian-led low in fermentable oligosaccharide, disaccharide, monosaccharide and polyols diet group education programme with irritable bowel syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common functional gastrointestinal disorder (FGID) that affects 10–20% of the Western population.

Sarah Candy, Nicola Jepsen, Christin Coomarasamy, Jonathan Curry, Grace Dodson, Joe Pomelile, Mitchel Versey, Julie Reeve

Patient characteristics and predictors of completion of a pulmonary rehabilitation programme in Auckland, New Zealand

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was the third leading cause of death in 2016 and resulted in more than three million deaths worldwide in 2015.2

Sarah Cullum, Rachael Simpson, Farzana Gounder

How is dementia portrayed in New Zealand newsprint media? Causes, effects and moral evaluation

As the world’s population ages, dementia is increasingly recognised as a global public health priority. There are estimated to be approximately 50 million people worldwide currently living with dementia and this is projected to reach 150 million by 2050.

Richard Egan, Jacquie Kidd, Ross Lawrenson, Shemana Cassim, Stella Black, Rawiri Blundell, Jerram Bateman, John Broughton

Inequalities between Māori and non-Māori men with prostate cancer in Aotearoa New Zealand

Prostate cancer is a major health concern globally. In 2015, prostate cancer was the most common incident of cancer in men, with an estimated 1.6 million cases worldwide, and fifth most common cause of cancer deaths for men, with an estimated 366,000 deaths worldwide.

Frank Frizelle, Murray Brennan

Could comprehensive cancer centres improve cancer outcomes and equity in New Zealand?

In the midst of the present Covid pandemic it is easy to forget that we have an ongoing cancer pandemic that will not be ameliorated by a generic vaccine. Globally, based on 2013–2015 data approximately 40% of men and women will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime, meaning that most of us can be expected to be affected by cancer, either directly or indirectly.

Equity is the new black—and black lives matter

Curtis Walker

Renowned civil rights leader, Rev. Dr Martin Luther King Jr said: “Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in healthcare is the most shocking and inhumane”.

Vanessa Selak, Jamie-Lee Rahiri, Rod Jackson, Matire Harwood

Acknowledging and acting on racism in the health sector in Aotearoa New Zealand | OPEN ACCESS

“I think New Zealand is the best place on the planet, but it’s a racist place.” Taika Waititi (9 April, 2018)

Alcohol is more harmful than cannabis

Doug Sellman

A non-binding referendum on the legalisation of cannabis will be held in conjunction with the general election on 19 September 2020. Although many New Zealanders have consumed cannabis there is a much greater familiarity with alcohol as a recreational drug to the extent that a lot of people don’t even think of alcohol as a psychoactive drug.

Time for a sea change in our COVID-19 management | OPEN ACCESS

Des Gorman, Murray Horn

New Zealanders are confronted with a new reality: to learn to “live with COVID-19” until such time as we have herd immunity, hopefully by way of a vaccination in the next 18 months or so. This always was the reality, although 100 days with no community transmission tempted us to think it wasn’t true.

Vol 133 No 1519: 31 July 2020

Has the present government delivered the health policy that it promised before it was elected?

The health issue of today is clearly the COVID-19 pandemic and the New Zealand response. At the time of writing most New Zealanders will rightly feel proud of our response to the pandemic and the effect of this response on the ability of our health system to function as it does.

Vol 133 No 1518: 17 July 2020

Invest in prevention to improve child oral health in the long-term

Jonathan M Broadbent

In this issue of the New Zealand Medical Journal, Schluter, Kokaua and Lee characterise the prevalence of severe early childhood (S-ECC) caries among five-year-olds seen in Canterbury District Health Board’s Community Oral Health Service as an epidemic.

Ammar J Alsamarrai, Jocelyne R Benatar, Eun Soo Chung, Jithendra B Somaratne

A pragmatic diagnostic approach to myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries

Most myocardial infarctions (MI) are caused by plaque disruption of underlying atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (CAD). This pathophysiologic model of acute coronary syndrome lends itself to effective treatment strategies, including pharmacologic measures and percutaneous interventions.

Jane Casey, Anthony Grant

The assessment of testamentary capacity

Freedom of choice is a fundamental human right. When it comes to welfare, property or legal matters, decisions can have far-reaching implications.

Mark Webster, Ralph Stewart

Computers, confounding, clusters, consent, cost, COVID and consultation: how the Health and Disability Code impedes the learning health system | OPEN ACCESS

The position of Health and Disability Commissioner was established in 1994, following the Cartwright Inquiry into the treatment of cervical cancer at National Women’s Hospital, which found research had been undertaken without ethical approval or informed participant consent.

Management of personal protective equipment in New Zealand during the COVID-19 pandemic: report from the Auditor-General | OPEN ACCESS

Elizabeth Fenton

In June 2020 the Office of the Auditor-General released its report on the Ministry of Health’s management of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the early stages of New Zealand’s response to COVID-19.

Bruce CH Tsai, David B Menkes

New Zealand doctors and euthanasia—legal and practical considerations of the End of Life Choice Act | OPEN ACCESS

In October 2020, New Zealanders will be asked if they support the implementation of the End of Life Choice Act 2019 (EoLCA)

Chris Walls, Geraint Emrys, Siobhan Gavaghan, Des Gorman, David McBride, Dave McLean

A model respiratory personal protective programme for the New Zealand healthcare industry | OPEN ACCESS

In the current COVID pandemic, personal protective equipment (PPE) has been a presented as a solution for the respiratory protection of healthcare workers (HCWs), imperfectly applied because of logistics and supply problems.

Jason K Gurney, Bridget Robson, Jonathan Koea, Nina Scott, James Stanley, Diana Sarfati

The most commonly diagnosed and most common causes of cancer death for Māori New Zealanders | OPEN ACCESS

Cancer is an important cause of morbidity and avoidable mortality for Māori, with more than a quarter of all deaths among Māori attributable to this disease.

Health effects of fluoridation on IQ are unproven

Ken Perrott

Bruce Spittle recommends a new review of health effects of community water fluoridation (CWF) because of new findings published in three recent papers.

Damian Scarf, Benjamin C Riordan, Taylor Winter

The association between New Zealand adolescents’ normative perceptions of pornography use and their frequency of pornography use

If a parent were to type “New Zealand teens and porn” into Google, rather than being presented with news and information about pornography use by New Zealand adolescents, they would see a series of links to websites such as pornhub, xvideos, and redtube.

David B Menkes, Nicholas Hoeh

High time to decide

The October 2020 ‘reeferendum’ will determine the legal status of recreational cannabis in New Zealand.

Doctor narratives on burnout and allergic reactions to talking about feelings: what are the unspoken rules when talking to doctors?

Kathryn Russell

Kevin, are you okay? How you going with all this?—Yes I’m fine, a little busy; I’m worried about Bob though.

Chris Walls, Evan Dryson, Des Gorman, David McBride

Time for a change

A severely injured person in New Zealand is entitled to lump sum compensation under the Accident Compensation Act 2001.

On the epistemology of case studies of social phenomena in healthcare

Dylan Mordaunt

Winnington and MacLeod recently reported in NZMJ a case study related to voluntary assisted dying (VAD). In this study, the authors used a semi-structured interview of a single participant’s experience of VAD in a family member, in a foreign country.

Bernard Wong, Charles Yao-Cheng Ho

Ischaemic cardiomyopathy: management strategies and patient outcomes

Ischaemic heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Survival from coronary artery disease (CAD) has improved owing to advancements in revascularisation strategies leading to an increased incidence of people living with chronic heart failure.

My Life in Public Health

In the time of Covid, some of the superheroes of the health sector are the public health physicians. This book outlines the active and varied personal and professional life of one New Zealand public health physician.

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.