Double-vision: stereo photography in ophthalmology

In a world of computer-manipulated pictures easier than ever to achieve, many photographers and artists are called upon to combine images from various sources for illustrative purposes such as 'web pages', advertisements, public relations brochures, etc. To achieve an accurate interpretation in a finished composite illustration made up of photographs manipulated using a computer (or using conventional methods) the illustrator must be aware of the design and compositional elements of each image incorporated in the final illustration. Design and composition elements include: lighting direction and shadow, density, colour balance, etc. Yet another design and composition element too often overlooked is depth cues. Depth cues are the means by which the viewer perceives depth in a two-dimensional image, in this case: a photograph. This paper describes and illustrates the known depth cues contained in the photographic image.     

Hypertension in Pregnancy: Defining Blood Pressure Goals and the Value of Biomarkers for Preeclampsia

Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy have been the cause of much clinical dilemma, affecting up to 10 % of all pregnancies. The precise blood pressure to achieve in a pregnant woman is usually a battle between minimizing end organ damage to the mother and providing adequate perfusion to the placenta and the fetus. This predicament is becoming more, not less, frequent as maternal ages increase in high resource nations. Biomarkers to predict preeclampsia, a subcategory of hypertension in pregnancy, have always been elusive. The discovery of angiogenic factors relevant to preeclampsia in the last decade, however, has propelled much needed research, both in the basic science and clinical arenas. In this review, we summarize the latest clinical studies and international guidelines on blood pressure goals in pregnancy, and discuss the most promising of biomarkers to predict or diagnose preeclampsia.     

Prevalence of sleep disturbance and the association between poor disease control in people with ankylosing spondylitis within the Australian clinical setting (ASLEEP study): a real-world observational study using the OPAL dataset

Clinical Rheumatology - Sleep disturbance and fatigue are commonly reported in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) but specific prevalence and the relationship to disease control are unknown. This...     

Getting comfortable with “comfort feeding”: An exploration of legal and ethical aspects of the Australian speech-language pathologist’s role in palliative dysphagia care

Purpose: With an ageing population, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) can expect to encounter legal and ethical challenges associated with palliative and end-of-life care more frequently. An awareness of the medico-legal and ethical framework for palliative dysphagia management will better equip SLPs to work effectively in this area.

Method: This narrative review examines a range of legislation, legal, ethical and SLP literature that is currently available to orient SLPs to legal and ethical palliative dysphagia management in the Australian context.

Result: Relevant legal and ethical considerations in palliative and end-of-life care are described.

Conclusion: SLPs have a role in palliative dysphagia management, however, this can involve unique legal and ethical challenges. The legal position on provision and cessation of nutrition and hydration differs between Australian States and Territories. Decisions by the courts have established a body of relevant case law. This article introduces SLPs to some of the important considerations for legal and ethical palliative care, but is not intended to be directive. SLPs are encouraged to explore their local options for ethical and medico-legal guidance. It is hoped that increasing SLPs awareness of many of the concepts discussed in this article enhances the provision of high-quality patient-centred care.     

Encephalitis-Associated Human Metapneumovirus Pneumonia in Adult,Australia

Human metapneumovirus pneumonia, most commonly found in children, was diagnosed in an adult with encephalitis. This case suggests that testing for human metapneumovirus RNA in nasopharyngeal aspirate and cerebrospinal fluid samples should be considered in adults with encephalitis who have a preceding respiratory infection,     

Alcohol policy impact on young risky drinkers and their support for proposed measures

Objective: To explore the impacts of existing policies on young Australian risky drinkers' access to alcohol and to gauge their support for proposed alcohol measures. Methods: The 16–19 year old participants were recruited from three Australian states using non‐random convenience sampling, for either a face‐to‐face or online quantitative survey (N=958). The sample was deliberately selected to represent drinkers whose consumption placed them in the riskiest drinking 20–25% of their age bracket. Results: Half (49%) the sample who were younger than the Australian legal purchase age reported it was ‘easy’ to buy alcohol from bottle stores, and 75% of those who had tried to purchase alcohol, said it was ‘easy’ the last time they tried. Half of those under 18, who had attempted to enter a licensed venue, reported they did not have their identification checked last time they gained access. Ninety per cent of all respondents drank within a private location at their last risky drinking session. Sixty‐five per cent supported ‘increasing the price of [alcohol by 20¢] a standard drink if the extra 20¢ was used to support prevention and treatment of alcohol problems'. Conclusions: Age‐ or intoxication‐based restrictions to alcohol were commonly bypassed. Implications: Point‐of‐sale alcohol controls require improvement to prevent under age access. Given that a significant proportion of drinking occasions for those under 18 were in private premises, prevention strategies need to target these locations. There were diverse levels of support for strategies to reduce harm, including potential community backing for an evidence‐based proposed price policy.