Primary aim was to review severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) hospitalisations caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in children aged < 2 years in paediatric hospitals in Australia. Secondary aims included RSV subtyping, assessing RSV seasonality and contributing to the World Health Organisation's RSV surveillance programme.We prospectively reviewed the medical records of children (< 2 years of age) with a confirmed SARI who were admitted to one of four major Australian paediatric hospitals and had a respiratory sample analysed by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). A detailed dataset was completed for RSV positive cases.Between 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2022, 2290 RSV (laboratory-confirmed) admissions were identified (53.4% of all SARI admissions). Approximately 50% of all RSV cases were aged 0-6 months. RSV-A predominated in 2021 with peak infections observed in summer while in 2022 RSV-B predominated with peak infections in the more traditional winter months. The median total length of stay (LOS) for RSV positive admissions was 46 h (IQR: 22-82 h). 9% of these children required an ICU admission with a prolonged median LOS 68 h (IQR: 40-112 h). Respiratory support utilisation was consistent over the 2 years. 1.8% required mechanical ventilation; 4.6% continuous positive airway pressure; 23.3% high flow oxygen; and 50.8% low flow oxygen.RSV in children continues to cause a significant disease burden at Australian tertiary paediatric centres. Ongoing hospital surveillance is required to document the impact of RSV preventative therapies that have become available in 2024.

This short film was created to promote Top End Health Service's goal of delivering high-quality, patient centred care that is respectful of, and responsive to, each individual's culture, preferences, needs, and values.

In moderate-to-high malaria transmission regions, the World Health Organization recommends intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp) with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) alongside insecticide-treated bed nets to reduce the adverse consequences of pregnancy-associated malaria. Due to high-grade Plasmodium falciparum resistance to SP, novel treatment regimens need to be evaluated for IPTp, but these increase pill burden and treatment days. The present qualitative study assessed the acceptability of IPTp-SP plus dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DP) in Papua New Guinea, where IPTp-SP was implemented in 2009.Individual in-depth interviews (IDIs) and focus group discussions were conducted at health facilities where a clinical trial evaluated IPTp-SP plus DP (three-day regimen) versus IPTp-SP plus DP-placebo. IDIs were conducted with: (1) trial participants at different stages of engagement with ANC and IPTp, e.g. first antenatal clinic visit, subsequent antenatal clinic visits and postpartum; (2) local health workers (nurses, community health workers, midwives, health extension officers, doctors); and (3) representatives of district, provincial and national health authorities involved in programming ANC and IPTp. Focus group discussions comprised pregnant women only, including those engaged in the clinical trial and those receiving routine ANC outside of the trial. All interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. Transcripts were analysed using inductive and deductive thematic analysis applying a framework assessing: affective attitude, burden, ethicality, intervention coherence, opportunity costs, perceived effectiveness, and self-efficacy.Women expressed positive feelings and attitudes towards SP plus DP/DP-placebo; reported limited side effects; and found the size, number, colour, and taste of study medicines acceptable. Health workers and policymakers were concerned that, compared to SP alone, additional tablets, frequency (three-day regimen), and tablet size might be barriers to acceptability for users outside a non-trial setting. There was a high perceived effectiveness of SP plus DP; most women reported that they did not get malaria or felt sick during pregnancy. Broader healthcare benefits received through trial participation and the involvement of health workers, relatives and community members in the clinical trial enabled antenatal clinic attendance and perceived acceptability of this IPTp regimen.In the trial context, IPTp-SP plus DP was acceptable to both users and providers. Healthcare providers were concerned about the realities of acceptability and adherence to SP plus DP outside a clinical trial setting.

Providing appropriate resources for Aboriginal patient learning is fundamental to enhancing patient centred care. English can be an Aboriginal person’s second, third, fourth or fifth language spoken at home. The ability for an English-speaking nurse to educate Aboriginal patients is challenging in a hospital were approximately 75% of the Aboriginal patients do not have English as their first language. The Royal Darwin Hospital Cardiology nurses completed a qualitative review of the existing cardiac patient education resources in the Coronary Care Unit (CCU). It was determined the education pamphlets available are complex in text and rated high level reading on the health literacy scale. There were no resources available in Aboriginal language. Surveying of Aboriginal patients identified a recurrent theme that ‘story telling’ and ‘hearing stories’ is an important way Aboriginal people learn, this was missing with the current education material. Reviewing how a nurse educated patients whilst performing moments of care allowed the nursing challenges to educate a non-English speaking patient to be recognised. A review of alternative education delivery methods was completed. It was determined that talking boards were an audible alternative to written information and an affordable and accessible option when compared to a computerised or electronic application. This led to the development of the ‘cardiac talking boards.’ The boards represent four languages, English, Kriol, Tiwi and Yolngu. After review and patient consultation a cardiac resource is available that is audible, aimed at appropriate health literacy level, culturally appropriate for Aboriginal patients and accessible for patients and nurses.

PS5 Standard for Pharmacy Based Immunisation Programs

Application for registering a radiation apparatus