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Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the anastomotic leak rate for colorectal cancer resections in patients with metastases (compared to those without), and to determine the impact of anastomotic leaks on survival., Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of all patients who underwent resection and primary anastomosis for colorectal adenocarcinoma at a single institution between January 2002 and December 2014., Results: A total of 843 patients underwent a resection and primary anastomosis for colorectal adenocarcinoma (661 colon and 182 rectal). Of these, 135 (16%) had metastases and 708 (84%) did not. Anastomotic leaks occurred in 17 of 135 (13%) patients with metastases, and in 37 of 798 (5.2%) patients without metastases (P = 0.003). Peri-operative mortality occurred in 13 of 135 (9.6%) patients with metastases, compared with 19 of 708 (2.7%) patients without metastases (P = 0.0003). Anastomotic leak was associated with a reduction in overall survival (median survival 121 months without anastomotic leak versus 66 months in patients who had an anastomotic leak (P = 0.02)). If the patients who died peri-operatively are excluded from this analysis, however, long-term mortality was similar (125 months versus 101 months; P = 0.70)., Conclusion: Metastatic disease was associated with an increased risk of anastomotic leak and a higher peri-operative mortality rate after colorectal resections for cancer. Patients with anastomotic leaks had a higher peri-operative mortality rate, but long-term survival was unaffected beyond the peri-operative phase., (© 2018 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.)

Background and Objective: It is well demonstrated that adequate burns first aid treatment (BFAT) improves clinical outcomes for the injured but adequacy remains low in many studies. This study presents a twelve month assessment of the adequacy of burns first aid treatment for patients managed by the Burns Service, Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH)., Methods: Prospective study design of all patients managed by the Burns Service, Royal Darwin Hospital. Data were collated from two sources; RDH Burns Registry, and the Burns Registry of Australia and New Zealand (BRANZ). Inclusion criterion was all patients managed by the Burns Service, Royal Darwin Hospital for the period 1 January 2014-31 December 2014. Variables collected and analysed include: demographics, burn mechanism, burn wound depth and adequacy of and circumstances around first aid., Results: Overall 310 cases were analysed. Most injuries involved adults (68%), 19% Indigenous persons and 70% of all patients had their burn injury occur in the urban region. Adequate BFAT occurred in 41% of cases. Adults, contact burns and those where the burn injury occurred in the remote regions were less likely to receive adequate BFAT. Indigenous persons were less likely to attempt any BFAT at all and when they did receive BFAT it was more likely applied by an emergency responder or health professional., Conclusion: Overall adequacy of BFAT is low in the Top End of the Northern Territory. Remote dwellers and Indigenous persons are at increased risk of not applying or receiving adequate BFAT. The poor level of adequate BFAT demonstrated in this study suggests that the Top End community particularly remote and Indigenous persons would benefit from targeted BFAT education programs that are delivered in a culturally and linguistically appropriate fashion., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.)

Background: Despite a move towards the provision of specialist training in Australia in settings that extend beyond the public hospital system, formal comparisons of case mix between public and private specialty clinics have rarely been performed. It is therefore unclear for many specialties how well training in one setting prepares trainees for practice in the other., Aims: This study aims to compare the case mix of paediatric rheumatology patients seen in public and private settings and the referral sources of patients in each., Methods: An audit of all new patients seen in the public and private paediatric rheumatology clinics on campus at Royal Children's Hospital between June 2009 and January 2011. Data related to demographics, primary diagnosis, referral source and location seen were abstracted and compared., Results: Eight hundred and seventy-six new patients were seen during the period of interest. Of these, 429 patients (48.9%) were seen in private clinics. The commonest diagnostic categories for both type of clinics were non-inflammatory musculoskeletal pain/orthopaedic conditions (public 39.4%, private 33.6%) followed by juvenile idiopathic arthritis (public 16.6%, %, private 18.6%), other skin/soft tissue disorders (public 8.7%, private 9.6%) and pain syndromes (public 4.9%, private 11.4%). Patients with haematological and vasculitic disorders were predominantly seen in public clinics. The commonest source of referrals to both clinics was general practitioners (public 40.6%, private 53.1%)., Conclusion: The case mix in private paediatric rheumatology clinics closely mirrors that of public clinics at our centre. Training in either setting would provide sufficient case-mix exposure to prepare trainees for practice in the other., (© 2011 The Authors. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health © 2011 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (Royal Australasian College of Physicians).)