The principal scientific journal for the profession in New Zealand

Ridvan Firestone, Soo Cheng, Sally Dalhousie, Emily Hughes, Tevita Funaki, Akarere Henry, Mereaumate Vano, Jacqui Grey, Jodie Schumacher, Andrew Jull, Robyn Whittaker, Lisa Te Morenga, Cliona Ni Mhurchu

Exploring Pasifika wellbeing: findings from a large cluster randomised controlled trial of a mobile health intervention programme | OPEN ACCESS

In New Zealand, obesity, prediabetes and T2DM are serious non-communicable (NCD) diseases that have an impact on overall health and wellbeing.

Simon Lee, Rory Miller, Mildred Lee, Harvey White, Andrew J Kerr

Outcomes after ST-elevation myocardial infarction presentation to hospitals with or without a routine primary percutaneous coronary intervention service (ANZACS-QI 46)

When a patient presents with an ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), acute reperfusion therapy by either acute percutaneous coronary intervention (primary PCI) or fibrinolysis improves outcomes.

Avnish D Goyani, Carrie R Innes, Bryony J Simcock, Dianne Harker, Narena M Dudley, Lois Eva, Cecile Bergzoll, Helene MacNab, Peter H Sykes

Trends in the diagnosis of high-grade cervical abnormalities in young women in the post-vaccination era

In 2008, the quadrivalent HPV vaccine (containing HPV virus-like particles of types 6, 11, 16 and 18) was introduced to the New Zealand National Immunisation Schedule.

Corina Chilibeck, Jeremy J Mathan, Stephen GJ Ng, James McKelvie

Cataract surgery in New Zealand: access to surgery, surgical intervention rates and visual acuity | OPEN ACCESS

Cataracts are the leading cause of vision impairment and blindness in the world. In developed countries, cataract surgery is one of the most commonly performed elective surgical procedures.

Nick Wilson, Markus Schwehm, Ayesha J Verrall, Matthew Parry, Michael G Baker, Martin Eichner

Detecting the re-emergent COVID-19 pandemic after elimination: modelling study of combined primary care and hospital surveillance | OPEN ACCESS

One of the challenges with a new pandemic such as COVID-19 is how best to undertake surveillance. Good-quality surveillance is needed to maximise rapid disease control, eg, with case isolation and contact tracing to identify further cases and to quarantine contacts as shown by successful control in China.

Cynthia F Benny, Mark J Bolland, Sonal Amin, Adeline Lo

Thyroid ultrasound and nodule malignancy risk: a “real world” assessment of ultrasound reporting and agreement of ultrasound-based malignancy risk estimates with cytology and histology findings

Thyroid nodules are ubiquitous in modern medical practice, either discovered through palpation or as an incidental finding on radiological examinations.

Robina Stevens, Antoni Moore, Charlene Rapsey

Access to intrauterine contraceptives in the Southern District Health Board catchment

Ensuring access to preferred contraceptive methods is a vital part of any healthcare service. Effective family planning is essential to the wellbeing and autonomy of women, allowing them to choose to have their children when they are physically, psychologically and economically ready.

Vol 127 No 1392: 11 Apr 2014

Medically facilitated discharge of adult diabetic ketoacidosis admissions: precipitants and average length of stay

King W Yong, M Peter Moore, Helen Lunt

Bashar Matti, Kamran Zargar-Shoshtari

Prostate cancer screening in New Zealand: lessons from the past to shape the future in the light of changing evidence

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer for men in numerous developed countries.

Moritz Vitz, Bridget Moss, Hannah Ward, Poonam Soma, Jacob Isichei-Kizito, Rosemary Hall, Jeremy Krebs

New Zealand may finally get funded access to diabetes drugs which reduce cardiovascular events and progression of kidney disease: an audit of proposed PHARMAC criteria compared with international guidelines | OPEN ACCESS

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) affects approximately 6% of the adult population in New Zealand with prevalence rising by 7% per annum.

Oh my

Peter Crampton

NZDep is a small area index of relative socioeconomic deprivation based on census data. Ethnicity graphs for NZDep illustrate how socioeconomic advantage and disadvantage are distributed throughout our society.

Sam McBride, Papaarangi Reid, Louise Signal, Michael G Baker

The Cannabis Referendum: why a yes vote offers a net gain for public health

The Cannabis Referendum provides an opportunity for New Zealand to take another step towards the wider goal of minimising the harms of drug use in this country. Here we summarise why evidence and public health considerations support a yes vote in the Referendum.

Amir Zarrabi, Stephen Mark

Healing or harming: the prostate cancer dichotomy

For decades, the optimal management of men with prostate cancer has divided the international urological community. Prostate cancer remains the most expensive cancer in the New Zealand healthcare system, the most commonly diagnosed with around 4,000 new cases per year, and a common cause of death.

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 | OPEN ACCESS

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”.

Vol 133 No 1521: 4 September 2020

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

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

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

Vol 133 No 1520: 21 August 2020

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.

Heather Came, Isaac Warbrick, Tim McCreanor, Maria Baker

From gorse to ngahere: an emerging allegory for decolonising the New Zealand health system

The colonial health system in Aotearoa is failing Māori. This is evident through the findings of the landmark WAI 2575 report of the Waitangi Tribunal that found institutional racism and systemic breaches of Te Tiriti o Waitangi across the infrastructure of the health system, including in health legislation, policy, contracting, governance and investment practices of the Crown.

Nurse prescribing in New Zealand—the difference in levels of prescribing explained

Jane Key, Karen Hoare

New Zealand has been late in implementing nurse prescribing. Towards the end of the 20th century non-medical prescribing was introduced into many westernised countries, notably in the UK, where nurses have been prescribing for decades.

Sarah Cullum, Makarena Dudley, Ngaire Kerse

The case for a bicultural dementia prevalence study in Aotearoa New Zealand

As the world’s population ages, the prevalence of dementia is projected to increase from the current 50 million to 130 million in 2050. The present cost of dementia is over one trillion US dollars and is expected to double in 10 years.

Leo J Schep, Robin J Slaughter, Paul Glue, Paul Gee

The clinical toxicology of cannabis | OPEN ACCESS

Natural cannabis is one of the most widely used recreational drugs in the world. The active constituent, trans-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), is one of approximately 64 different cannabinoids found within the cannabis plant (Cannabis sativa).

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.

Meisha N Nicolson, Jayde AM Flett

The mental wellbeing of New Zealanders during and post-lockdown | OPEN ACCESS

Aotearoa New Zealand’s ‘go hard and go early’ approach meant that we were one of the first countries in the world to ease our COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. But, the re-emergence of community transmission in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland demonstrated the recovery from COVID-19 will be a marathon rather than sprint.

Jack Havill, Libby Smales

Hospice/palliative care—entrenched attitudes against assisted dying

We hope that hospice/palliative care (H/PC) organisations will take a fresh look at their current stance against medical assistance in dying (MAID). The present approach will disadvantage some patients in a number of ways.

Reflections on EOLC Act Referendum

Rowan Stephens

I am a retired GP, and I will be voting a resounding YES in the EOLC Act Referendum.

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.

Vol 133 No 1521: 4 September 2020

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.

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

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.