Reports and Findings
Although benzylpenicillin (penicillin G) is listed by the World Health Organization as an Essential Medicine, dose optimization is a persistent challenge, especially for long-acting intramuscular formulations. Maintaining sustained antibiotic exposure at target concentrations is crucial for secondary chemoprophylaxis of rheumatic heart disease and treatment of syphilis.
The transmission of Group A Streptococcus (Strep A) through respiratory droplets has been considered the dominant mode of transmission to date; however, little is known about the relative contribution of other modes of transmission. This review systematically summarises the contemporary evidence regarding the transmission of Strep A.
Although essential for overall health and wellbeing, little is known about skin health in urban-living Australian Aboriginal children. This co-designed, research-service project aimed to describe skin health and document skin disease frequency in urban-living Aboriginal children and young people in Western Australia and investigate housing associations for skin infections.
This scoping review explores existing clinical guidelines on administration of benzathine benzylpenicillin (Bicillin L-A, Pfizer Australia) in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. The objective is to understand existing delivery guidance to address variation in care and cultural safety considerations, to support messaging during periods of stockout and to inform planning for new administration techniques.
Due to the ongoing impact of colonisation, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people live with a greater burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) than non-Indigenous Australians. Shared decision-making (SDM) is recognised as an essential component of person-centred care. However, there has been a lack of tools to support clinician communication and SDM to address CVD prevention in this important 'at-risk' population.
This study provides new knowledge on ARF characteristics and management and highlights international variation in diagnostic and management practice.
We have read with interest the new publication by Rouhiainen and colleagues on missed opportunities for preventing or diagnosing acute rheumatic fever (ARF).
Chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM), sometimes referred to as chronic otitis media, is a chronic inflammation and often polymicrobial infection (involving more than one micro-organism) of the middle ear and mastoid cavity, characterised by ear discharge (otorrhoea) through a perforated tympanic membrane.
The goal of the program is to establish the foundations of an effective, sustainable and equitable response to RHD in the Pacific.
ARC is a global network of collaborators committed to reducing the burden of RHD in our lifetime.