The principal scientific journal for the profession in New Zealand

Serah J Allison, Paul D Docherty, Dirk Pons, J Geoffrey Chase

Methoxyflurane toxicity: historical determination and lessons for modern patient and occupational exposure

Methoxyflurane is a volatile organic liquid, a fluorinated hydrocarbon, that vaporises readily and has historically been used as an anaesthetic agent from 1958.

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

Predictors of medicinal cannabis users’ willingness to utilise a new prescription Medicinal Cannabis Scheme in New Zealand

Many countries have liberalised access to cannabis for medical purposes in the past two decades or so, with considerable heterogeneity of regulatory approaches.

Brittany White, Enrique García Bengoechea, John C Spence, Kirsten J Coppell, Sandra Mandic

Comparison of physical activity patterns across large, medium and small urban areas and rural settings in the Otago Region, New Zealand

Adolescents’ physical activity (PA) is influenced by an interaction of individual, social and environmental factors.

Aaron Yap, Adeline Kho, John Ah-Chan

The outcomes of patients with newly diagnosed neovascular age-related macular degeneration in Palmerston North

Ophthalmology services worldwide are facing a growing burden of chronic eye conditions.

Aravindra Muniandy, Mildred Lee, Corina Grey, Katherine Ferrier, Andrew J Kerr

Demographic differences in the initiation and maintenance of statins in the first year post-ACS in New Zealand: a data linkage study (ANZACS-QI 57)

Over 12,000 patients are admitted to New Zealand hospitals with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) every year.

Katherine Maslowski, Simon Scheck, Sikhar Sircar, Henry Liu

Caesarean scar ectopic pregnancy: a case series and case report to highlight the experience in regional New Zealand

Caesarean scar pregnancy (CSP), sometimes known as caesarean scar ectopic pregnancy, is an uncommon but potentially significant complication of a previous caesarean section.

Deborah Schlichting, Tayaza Fadason, Cameron C. Grant, Justin O’Sullivan

Childhood asthma in New Zealand: the impact of on-going socioeconomic disadvantage (2010–2019)

Globally, asthma is the most common chronic disease in children.

Hamish J Farquhar, William J Taylor

Care of patients with early inflammatory arthritis in the Wellington region according to the British Society of Rheumatology's best practice tariff standards

Introducing effective management early in the course of inflammatory arthritis is integral to the successful treatment of people with rheumatoid arthritis and other conditions that lead to persistent synovitis, such as psoriatic arthritis.

Mortality and fluctuations in macroeconomic activity in New Zealand

Ryan Greenaway-McGrevy

A substantial amount of international research has documented a statistical relationship between mortality and economic activity at the aggregate level.

Edward Lo, Malcolm Anderson, Rebecca Carroll, Garry Forgeson, Richard Isaacs, Jody Jordan, Liyana Satterthwaite, Navin Wewala, Jennifer Fernando

A prospective audit on the use of prophylactic antiemetics and rates of CINV in patients receiving carboplatin AUC≥4 or combination anthracycline–cyclophosphamide

Despite the development of more effective antiemetic regimens in the last 30 years, nausea and vomiting continue to be two of the most frequently experienced and distressing side effects of chemotherapy.

Geraldine FH McLeod, John Horwood, Joseph M Boden, Lianne J Woodward

Parental use of physical punishment in a birth cohort

New Zealand has very high rates of child maltreatment compared to other developed countries.

Stephen T Chambers, Nigel J Raymond

Challenge for COVID-19 vaccines to protect the New Zealand population | OPEN ACCESS

New Zealand faces a major challenge this year to use the COVID-19 (SARS-CoV2 virus) vaccination programme to optimise protective immunity, in order protect our largely non-immune population.

James Cooney, Michael Daly, Giles Newton-Howes, Kris Gledhill, Sarah Gordon

Making the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities real: our word is our bond

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) was adopted by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on 13 December 2006.

Why we should be interested in the Whale Oil defamation case

Jennie Connor

The defamation trial that collapsed this month in the Auckland High Court was never about calling people names.

Christopher Wakeman, Ian Civil

Why are there still regional differences in the way we deliver trauma care in New Zealand?

This issue of the New Zealand Medical Journal highlights a number of facets of the care of trauma patients in New Zealand.

Vol 134 No 1531: 12 March 2021

Modelling: one tool in the decision-making toolkit

Diana Sarfati, Nisha Nair, Michelle Mako

Making decisions about what to do (and what not to do) to improve population health relies on good information. This holds as true for improving cancer control outcomes in Aotearoa as it does for anything else.

Vol 134 No 1530: 19 February 2021

The Climate Change Act will now shape the nation’s health: an assessment of the first policy recommendations to reach our zero carbon target | OPEN ACCESS

Alex Macmillan

This year, the Government will finally be forced to act on its responsibility to protect global and national health from runaway climate change.

Emma Macfarlane, Michael Stitely, Helen Paterson

What does abortion law reform mean for primary care practitioners in New Zealand?

On 23 March 2020 the Abortion Legislation Act (AL) 2020 was passed into law with the result that abortion in New Zealand is no longer a crime.

Why is it so hard for general practice to provide COVID-19 vaccines? | OPEN ACCESS

Vanessa Weenink

The COVID-19 vaccination campaign is the best chance New Zealand has to protect our citizens’ health and will be a crucial activity for the health sector in 2021.

Philip Bagshaw, Paula Goodman, Brian Cox

Official Information Act investigation of the Ministry of Health’s process to assess the Southern District Health Board’s readiness to join the National Bowel Screening Programme in 2018

Three independent external reviews showed that between 2013 and 2018 the Southern District Health Board (SDHB) colonoscopy service delayed or denied colonoscopies to numerous symptomatic patients, with adverse clinical outcomes for some.

Julia Ioane, Teuila Percival, Winnie Laban, Ian Lambie

All-of-community by all-of-government: reaching Pacific people in Aotearoa New Zealand during the COVID-19 pandemic | OPEN ACCESS

Pandemics affect everyone in society; however, their impact differs across individuals and groups and is heavily influenced by the social, economic and political determinants of health.

The political economy of healthcare reform: why New Zealand has experienced 82 years of ineffectual reforms and what can be done about it

Murray Horn, Des Gorman

Universal healthcare, based on there being no cost for consumers, was partially realised in New Zealand in 1938, but an unresolved dispute with the medical profession meant that primary care remained privately provided.

Heather Came, Jacquie Kidd, Tim McCreanor, Maria Baker, Trevor Simpson

The Simpson-led health sector review: A failure to uphold te Tiriti o Waitangi

The Health and Disability System Review (the ‘Simpson Review’) was an opportunity for health sector transformation, particularly in light of the recent damning WAI 2575 Waitangi Tribunal report released during the review process.

Vol 134 No 1531: 12 March 2021

Should prioritising health interventions be informed by modelling studies? The case of cancer control in Aotearoa New Zealand

Nick Wilson, Leah Grout, Jennifer Summers, Amanda C Jones, Anja Mizdrak, Nhung Nghiem, Cristina Cleghorn, Tony Blakely

New Zealand now has the Cancer Control Agency Te Aho o Te Kahu (the ‘Agency’), which is committed to improving cancer control in the country.

Letter to the editor: response to Katherine Rich

Jennie Connor‍

The purpose of my recent editorial was to inform New Zealand Medical Journal readers about the conclusion of the recent Whale Oil defamation case and its connection to some broader issues for the health of New Zealanders.

Letter to the editor

Katherine Rich

Professor Connor’s editorial piece of 26 March 2021 headed Why we should be interested in the Whale Oil defamation case does not fairly and accurately present to your readers the reality of the defamation case as it relates to the New Zealand Food & Grocery Council (NZFGC), and myself as its chief executive.

Kayla Manuirirangi, Jonathan Jarman

The Taranaki COVID-19 response from a Māori perspective: lessons for mainstream health providers in Aotearoa New Zealand | OPEN ACCESS

There is an increased fear for Māori about infectious-disease pandemics such as COVID-19, based on past experiences of infectious diseases.

Jessica McCormack, Valerie McGinn, Samantha Marsh, David Newcombe, Chris Bullen, Joanna Chu

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and prisoners: the need for research-informed action

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a diagnostic term that describes the neurological and physical effects on individuals from prenatal exposure to alcohol.

Leanne Te Karu, Tangimoana Habib, Sue Crengle

The inequity of access to contraception for women in Aotearoa: an unfair, unsafe and ineffective system

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations (UN) are aligned in statements that safe, effective, appropriate and accessible contraception is a fundamental human right.

Timothy Salam, Richard Seigne

Postoperative myocardial injury in patients undergoing elective hip and knee arthroplasty operations

Globally, approximately 5% of patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery have cardiac complications.

Vol 134 No 1531: 12 March 2021

Scheduling of COVID-19 vaccination for at-risk employees | OPEN ACESS

Chris Walls, Siobhan Gavaghan, Des Gorman, David McBride

We read with some concern the plans from the Ministry of Health to start COVID-19 vaccination of at-risk managed isolation facility (MIF), quarantine isolation facility (QIF) and frontline health workers “in the second quarter” of 2021.

Perfection: The life and times of Sir William Manchester

Saxon Connor

I recently spent a weekend in Martinborough and as many people do spent some time browsing the local bookshop.

Vol 133 No 1572: 18 December 2020

From Southland to Surgery: A Journey around Values

Richard Acland

Professor John Morton has not only written an intriguing catalogue of the Christchurch surgical scene in the latter part of the 20th century, but has also provided a well-considered philosophy for medical care.

Vol 133 No 1521: 4 September 2020

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