To determine the prevalence of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in school-aged children and young people in Timor-Leste. Prospective cross-sectional survey. Echocardiography was performed by Australian cardiologists to determine the presence of RHD. Demographic data were also collected. Patients in whom RHD was detected were entered into a register to allow monitoring of adherence to secondary prophylaxis; the first dose of benzathine penicillin G (BPG) was administered on the day of screening. Schools in urban (Dili) and rural (Ermera) Timor-Leste. School students aged 5-20 years. Definite and borderline RHD, as defined by World Heart Federation echocardiographic criteria. 1365 participants were screened; their median age was 11 years (IQR, 9-14 years), and 53% were girls. The estimated prevalence of definite RHD was 18.3 cases per 1000 population (95% CI, 12.3-27.0 per 1000), and of definite or borderline RHD 35.2 per 1000 (95% CI, 26.5-46.4 per 1000). Definite (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 3.5; 95% CI, 1.3-9.4) and definite or borderline RHD (aOR, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.4-5.2) were more prevalent among girls than boys. Eleven children (0.8%) had congenital heart disease. Of the 25 children in whom definite RHD was identified, 21 (84%) received education and a first dose of BPG on the day of screening; all 25 have since received education about primary care for RHD and have commenced penicillin prophylaxis. The rates of RHD in Timor-Leste are among the highest in the world, and prevalence is higher among girls than boys. Community engagement is essential for ensuring follow-up and the effective delivery of secondary prophylaxis.

BACKGROUND: Contemporary glucose management of intensive care unit (ICU) patients with type 2 diabetes is based on trial data derived predominantly from patients without type 2 diabetes. This is despite the recognition that patients with type 2 diabetes may be relatively more tolerant of hyperglycaemia and more susceptible to hypoglycaemia. It is uncertain whether glucose targets should be more liberal in patients with type 2 diabetes. OBJECTIVE: To detail the protocol, analysis and reporting plans for a randomised clinical trial - the Liberal Glucose Control in Critically Ill Patients with Pre-existing Type 2 Diabetes (LUCID) trial - which will evaluate the risks and benefits of targeting a higher blood glucose range in patients with type 2 diabetes. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTION: A multicentre, parallel group, open label phase 2B randomised controlled clinical trial of 450 critically ill patients with type 2 diabetes. Patients will be randomised 1:1 to liberal blood glucose (target 10.0-14.0 mmol/L) or usual care (target 6.0-10.0 mmol/L). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary endpoint is incident hypoglycaemia (< 4.0 mmol/L) during the study intervention. Secondary endpoints include biochemical and feasibility outcomes. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The study protocol and statistical analysis plan described will delineate conduct and analysis of the trial, such that analytical and reporting bias are minimised. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial has been registered on the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN No. 12616001135404) and has been endorsed by the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Clinical Trials Group.

In March 2003, two MEB officers visited Mataranka and Katherine to conduct exotic Aedes receptacle surveys. The first aim of the investigation was to determine whether exotic Aedes were present in these towns. Mataranka and Katherine are both on the main road connecting route between Queensland and Darwin. Aedes aegypti is endemic in Queensland and there is always the possibility of introduction of this species into the Territory from Queensland as desiccant resistant eggs (Whelan 1991).

To examine the impact of state/territory policy support on (1) uptake of evidence-based continuous quality improvement (CQI) activities and (2) quality of care for Indigenous Australians. Mixed-method comparative case study methodology, drawing on quality-of-care audit data, documentary evidence of policies and strategies and the experience and insights of stakeholders involved in relevant CQI programmes. We use multilevel linear regression to analyse jurisdictional differences in quality of care. Indigenous primary healthcare services across five states/territories of Australia. 175 Indigenous primary healthcare services. A range of national and state/territory policy and infrastructure initiatives to support CQI, including support for applied research. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: (i) Trends in the consistent uptake of evidence-based CQI tools available through a research-based CQI initiative (the Audit and Best Practice in Chronic Disease programme) and (ii) quality of care (as reflected in adherence to best practice guidelines). Progressive uptake of evidence-based CQI activities and steady improvements or maintenance of high-quality care occurred where there was long-term policy and infrastructure support for CQI. Where support was provided but not sustained there was a rapid rise and subsequent fall in relevant CQI activities. Health authorities should ensure consistent and sustained policy and infrastructure support for CQI to enable wide-scale and ongoing improvement in quality of care and, subsequently, health outcomes. It is not sufficient for improvement initiatives to rely on local service managers and clinicians, as their efforts are strongly mediated by higher system-level influences.

The introduction of activity-based funding (ABF) means that Australian Refined Diagnosis Related Groups and their relative costs will become the basis for reimbursing public hospitals for admitted patient services. This study sought to investigate the variation in admitted patient costs for Indigenous people and people from remote areas that cannot be explained by variation in the clinical mix of cases, and to interpret this variation within an ABF framework. The study used a dataset of discharges from public hospitals of Northern Territory residents between July 2007 and June 2009. Multivariate regression analysis was used to estimate the variation in average costs, using the logarithm of patient cost as the dependent variable and Major Diagnostic Categories (MDCs), hospitals and population subgroups (Indigenous v. non-Indigenous; urban v. remote) as independent variables. Although much of the additional cost of Indigenous and remote patients was found to be due to differences in severity and complexity between MDCs, there were extra costs for remote Indigenous patients that were not captured by the classification system. Hospitals servicing larger than average proportions of these patients could be systematically underfunded within an ABF framework unless a price adjustment is applied.

Invasive group A Streptococcal (iGAS) infection is a rare but serious disease that occurs in a complex relationship with clinical and social determinants of health. Public health responses to iGAS vary between jurisdictions. The release of this updated version of the Northern Territory (NT) iGAS public health management guidelines co-incides with iGAS becoming nationally notifiable in all Australian states and territories from July 2021.1 iGAS has been notifiable in the Northern Territory since May 2011 and in Queensland since December 2015. An ongoing public health response to iGAS is supported by Australian surveillance data.1-3 The NT population is burdened by particularly high rates of group A Streptococcal (GAS)-related disease. These NT guidelines are based on local epidemiology, expert opinion and available local and international evidence (see Appendix). Dosing revisions in this document are in line with current Australian Therapeutic Guidelines and the Central Australian Rural Practitioners Association (CARPA) Standard Treatment Manual