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Cardiac anaesthesia is a demanding, but fulfilling speciality which challenges the skills, knowledge, professional and personal competence of cardiac anaesthesiologists on a daily basis. This article outlines the brief history of the subspecialty of cardiac anaesthesia in India, its growth and progress over the decades, reasons for choosing it as a career option, variations in practice standards and how the speciality has been affected by the coronavirus 2019 pan?demic.The growth in anaesthesia speciality has been contemporaneous with the advancement in surgical techniques. Although various anaesthesia subspecialities have developed over the years, the value of a general speciality anaesthesiologist cannot be undermined as skills and techniques acquired during basic anaesthesia training are major determinants of efficiency of an anaesthesiologist. A general speciality anaesthesiologist performs multiple roles that of a perioperative physician, intensivist and acute pain management expert. Anaesthesia also offers a multitude of avenues in teaching and research. A successful anaesthesiologist not only requires having good clinical skills but also needs to adhere to basic medical ethics principles. Anaesthesiologists have also been in the forefront in the management of the current COVID pandemic.We describe a rare case of native mitral valve thrombosis in a patient with rheumatic mitral valve disease without predisposing thrombophilia. The patient presented in heart failure with a new diagnosis of mitral stenosis. After a period of intravenous diuresis there was a sudden cardiovascular collapse. Trans-oesophageal echocardiogram identified an atrial mass obstructing the mitral valve. The patient proceeded to emergent mitral valve replacement. A coagulopathy was identified in the form of thrombus-induced disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Mitral valve thrombosis is a rare cause of morbidity and mortality in rheumatic heart disease and is not readily identifiable on transthoracic echocardiography.In this viewpoint, we suggest that policymakers should prioritise health interventions by using evidence around health gain, impact on equity, health-system costs and cost-effectiveness. We take the example of the new cancer control agency in New Zealand, Te Aho o Te Kahu, and argue that its decision-making can now be informed by many methodologically compatible epidemiological and health economic analyses. These analyses span primary prevention of cancer (eg, tobacco control, dietary and physical activity interventions and HPV vaccination), cancer screening, cancer treatment and palliative care. The largest health gain and cost-savings from the available modelling work for New Zealand are seen in nutrition and tobacco control interventions in particular. Many of these interventions have potentially greater per capita health gain for Māori than non-Māori and are also found to be cost saving for the health sector. In summary, appropriate prioritisation of interventions can potentially both maximise health benefits as well as making best use of government funding of the health system.

This study aimed to determine whether symptoms can reliably predict a major disorder of oesophageal motility as assessed by conventional water perfusion manometry.

Data from patients who underwent conventional water perfusion oesophageal manometry and a pre-manometry questionnaire between October 1998 and August 2018 were extracted from a database. Clinical features (dysphagia, chest pain, regurgitation, dysphagia to a bread challenge) and combinations of these clinical features were compared to manometric diagnoses.

Data from 546 patients were analysed. Thirty-three (6%) patients had a major disorder of motility, and 513 (94%) had normal manometry or a minor disorder of motility. 'Any dysphagia' (dysphagia as a symptom or dysphagia to a bread challenge) or 'chest pain' was experienced by all patients with a major disorder of motility and 435 of 513 patients with normal manometry or a minor disorder of motility (p=0.009). Sensitivity was 100%, and specificity was 15%, in identifying patients with a major disorder of motility using symptom combinations and a bread challenge.

Symptoms and provoked dysphagia to bread were able to predict patients with a major disorder of oesophageal motility with a sensitivity of 100%. However, as specificity was 15%, confirmation with manometry is indicated if possible.

Symptoms and provoked dysphagia to bread were able to predict patients with a major disorder of oesophageal motility with a sensitivity of 100%. However, as specificity was 15%, confirmation with manometry is indicated if possible.

The incidence of pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is increasing in children. Early identification of pre-diabetes is an important first step in preventing the progression to T2DM. The aim was to investigate the association of selected factors with pre-diabetes in children.

This data were from a subset of the 685 children recruited for the Children's Bone Study, a cross-sectional study of children aged 8-11 years in Auckland, New Zealand. Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) was measured from a finger-prick blood test. Children were classified as normoglycaemic (HbA1c≤39mmol/mol) and pre-diabetic (HbA1c>39mmol/mol). Anthropometry included weight, height, waist circumference (WC) and percentage body fat (%BF) measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis. Information about age, gender, ethnicity and physical activity was collected by questionnaires.

HbA1c was measured in 451 children (10.4±0.6years, 45% male). Pre-diabetes was present in 71 (16%) children and was greatest in South Asian (n=13, 30%), Pacific Island (n=29, 27%) and Māori (n=10, 18%) children, compared with European children (n=10, 6.0%) (P< 0.001). South Asian and Pacific Island ethnicity, high WC, high %BF and low physical activity were associated with pre-diabetes.

Factors associated with pre-diabetes in children were ethnicity, anthropometric measures and physical-activity levels. The prevalence of pre-diabetes in children of South Asian and Pacific Island ethnicities suggests the need for appropriate and timely identification and intervention to halt the progression to T2DM.

Factors associated with pre-diabetes in children were ethnicity, anthropometric measures and physical-activity levels. The prevalence of pre-diabetes in children of South Asian and Pacific Island ethnicities suggests the need for appropriate and timely identification and intervention to halt the progression to T2DM.

To identify whether medical students' self-perception of competence with evidence-based medicine (EBM) increases throughout their senior years of medical training. Furthermore, to identify whether their self-perception aligns with their true competence measured using a validated tool. This investigation also outlines whether students report observation of and participation in the process of EBM in clinical practice.

A cross-sectional survey was undertaken with a convenience sample of medical students in their fourth, fifth and sixth years of training at one campus site of Otago Medical School between February and April 2018. Self-perceived competence with EBM was measured using a 10-item questionnaire. True competence was measured using the Assessing Competency in Evidence-Based Medicine (ACE) tool. Students were asked to self-report their observation of and participation in the process of EBM in clinical settings.

Out of 99 students invited to participate, we received a response rate of 97%. Participants included 37 fourth-year, 32 fifth-year and 27 sixth-year students. selleck inhibitor Mean self-perceived EBM competence was higher in sixth-year compared to fourth-year students. True competence was not significantly different between year groups. Medical students reported little observation of EBM in clinical settings, and few students reported to have participated in the process of EBM during clinical encounters.

The lack of explicit role modelling of EBM in clinical environments may be a barrier to students improving EBM competence in the senior years of medical training.

The lack of explicit role modelling of EBM in clinical environments may be a barrier to students improving EBM competence in the senior years of medical training.

The management of a macroscopically normal appendix during diagnostic laparoscopy depends on the accuracy of surgeons' intra-operative assessments. This study aims to determine the accuracy of this assessment and identify factors affecting it.

We reviewed appendicectomies on adult patients at Waikato District Health Board in 2017. The primary outcome was the agreement between the operative assessment and the gold standard histopathologic assessment. Secondary outcomes were predictors of this agreement.

420 patients were included. Among 74 appendixes assessed as normal by surgeons, 16 (21.6%) had appendicitis on histology. Surgeons assessed 346 appendixes as inflamed; however, 22 (6.3%) were revealed to be histologically normal. Only 2 of the 14 appendiceal neoplasms on histology were identified at the time of laparoscopy. Overall, there was disagreement in 9.1% of cases. This yielded a kappa of 0.69, indicating moderate inter-rater reliability. An inflamed appendix was significantly more likely to be falsely assessed as normal by non-trainee registrars, in female patients and in patients with a pre-operative ultrasound. A pre-operative computerised tomography scan (CT) decreased the odds of false negative operative diagnoses, but it increased the odds of false positives.

Macroscopic assessment of the appendix lacks accuracy and may be challenging in certain groups of operators and patients.

Macroscopic assessment of the appendix lacks accuracy and may be challenging in certain groups of operators and patients.

A number of evidence-based medications are recommended following an acute coronary syndrome (ACS), including statins, antithrombotics (antiplatelet and/or anticoagulants), a beta-blocker and an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker (ACE-I/ARB). This study aimed to describe the dispensing of the cardioprotective medications in the first year following an ACS hospitalisation in New Zealand and how this varies according to age, sex and type of coronary intervention.

National hospitalisation data was used to identify all New Zealand residents aged 35-79 years who were discharged from hospital in the years 2013/14 with a primary discharge diagnosis of ACS. Using anonymous linkage to national pharmaceutical dispensing and mortality datasets, the dispensing of each group of medications was examined in survivors of quarters one, two and four of the first year post discharge.

There were 14,496 patients; mean age was 63.4 years and 68.8% were male. Dispensing of medications in survivors steadily fell across quarters one, two and four 90.8%, 82.1% and 78.8% of patients were dispensed statins; 90.6%, 79.8% and 78.1% were dispensed aspirin; 82.7%, 72.6% and 70.0% were dispensed beta-blockers; 69.6%, 62.7% and 61.3% were dispensed ACE-I/ARB; 67.7%, 53.6% and 40.4% were dispensed a P2Y12 inhibitor; and 68.6%, 53.0% and 40.7% were dispensed a combination of two or more antithrombotics.

Cardioprotective medication dispensing was lower than would have been the case if the current ACS guidelines were followed. The greatest decrease in dispensing occurred between quarter one and quarter two, which highlights a potentially important period for targeted interventions to improve adherence.

Cardioprotective medication dispensing was lower than would have been the case if the current ACS guidelines were followed. The greatest decrease in dispensing occurred between quarter one and quarter two, which highlights a potentially important period for targeted interventions to improve adherence.