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The dynasties of research at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal.

Progress in medicine comes from new knowledge. Organized research at the Royal Victoria Hospital began with establishment of the McGill University clinic headed by Dr. Jonathan C. Meakins. Two generations of doctors probed the field of respiratory physiology and its alteration in disease. Drs. J.S.L. Browne and E. Venning focused on adrenal glands. Their successors extended their work to thyroid and pituitary glands. The pioneering work of Dr. Arthur Vineberg and his medical colleagues in coronary artery diseases opened up the field of surgical treatment with the saving of many lives. Most recently, Dr. Lloyd MacLean has assembled a group of researchers interested in shock and the relation of host defences to trauma and disease. Along with staff in the many other departments of the Royal Victoria Hospital, these pioneers have made discoveries that have been applied to the treatment of patients and enhanced the reputation of the institution.

History, 19th Century↗

Intraoral cancer in Victoria.

This study was designed to provide a perspective of intraoral cancer, as it occurs in Victoria, by reference to the Central Cancer Registry of Victoria. Intraoral cancer was found to be a disease of males in the 50 to 69 years' age group. There was a low survival rate which appeared to be related to the aggressive nature of the disease and to the delays which often occurred before treatment was commenced. Therefore, a strong recommendation is made that clinicians, both medical and dental, increase their level of suspicion with regard to lesions of the oral mucous membrane in order to detect oral cancer at an early stage, and thereby to avoid the certain distress to patients which accompanies the management of advanced carcinoma of the oral mucous membrane.

Adult↗

The Victoria Declaration--a unifying force.

The Victoria Declaration, the policy document which resulted from the First International Heart Health Conference--'Bridging the Gap: Science and Policy in Action'--is an historic document. Advances in cardiovascular disease prevention, intervention and research as well as in heart health promotion have been frequent and significant. At the same time, a lack of appreciation of the need for a coordinated effort between clinicians, researchers, epidemiologists, community health professionals and others in the health field has meant that we have not been able to capitalize on the opportunity for greater success. The Victoria Declaration highlights the fact that a comprehensive approach to cardiovascular disease prevention needs to expand partnerships well beyond the health sector into many areas of policy development both within and outside government and in the private and voluntary sector, among others. The key message of the declaration is that our best effort will be a unified, systematic effort that marries the preventive, clinical and research approaches with those of policy makers, governments, private sector and others. It is imperative that health professionals recognize this. The declaration outlines a comprehensive framework for cardiovascular disease prevention, advocating a public health approach, targeted towards the population at large and focusing on the reduction of the major risk factors. It suggests a number of key strategies and advocates a research agenda. The declaration is a document that has international scope and recognizes that global partnerships are necessary to assist developing countries (that are now experiencing increasing rates of cardiovascular disease) in the fight against this disease.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗

Evaluation of management of road trauma survivors with brain injury and neurologic disability in Victoria.

BACKGROUND: Victoria recently established a new trauma care system following the Consultative Committee's findings on frequent preventable deaths after road crash injury. This study investigates the contribution to neurologic disability of preventable deficiencies in health care in survivors of road crashes occurring from 1998 to 1999. METHODS: The emergency and clinical management of 60 road crash survivors with head Abbreviated Injury Scale score > or = 3 and residual neurologic disability were evaluated by analysis and multidisciplinary discussion of their complete prehospital, hospital, and rehabilitation records. RESULTS: The mean number of potentially preventable errors or inadequacies per patient was 19.2 +/- 7.5, with 10.5 +/- 7.2 contributing to neurologic disability. The mean number contributing to neurologic disability was greatest in the emergency room (3.5 +/- 3.2), followed by the intensive care unit (2.2 +/- 2.7) and the prehospital setting (1.8 +/- 2.0). Eighty-four percent of the deficiencies were management errors/inadequacies and 7% were system inadequacies. Fifty-five percent of deficiencies contributed to neurologic disability. In patients with a systolic blood pressure less than 90 mm Hg with hypovolemia consequent to inadequate resuscitation, the frequency of severe neurologic disability was increased almost twofold (p < 0.05). Deficiencies contributing to neurologic disability were significantly less frequent in university teaching hospitals with neurosurgical units. CONCLUSION: Improvement in neurologic outcomes can be achieved through appropriate triage and increased attention to basic principles of trauma and head injury care.

Accidents, Traffic↗

Management of superficial bladder cancer in Victoria: 1990 and 1995.

BACKGROUND: A retrospective survey of medical practitioners was undertaken to describe the tumour characteristics, management and outcomes of all superficial bladder cancers newly diagnosed in 1990 and in 1995 in Victoria. METHODS: Cases were identified from the population cancer registry. The survey was conducted in 1999 and the cohort followed up until 2000 to obtain at least 5 years of follow-up data on all patients, in particular to identify recurrence of tumour as assessed at surveillance cystoscopy and progression to muscle invasive cancer. RESULTS: Tumour recurrence was observed in 390/610 patients (63.9%), of whom 56.9% had their recurrence noted at the first check cystoscopy. Ultimately 43 (6.3%) of patients progressed to invasive disease, with this subgroup demonstrating 5-year overall survival of 35% (95% confidence interval (CI) 21-49%). Ultimately survival was proportional to the extent of tumour invasion, being greater in low-risk patients (76%, 95% CI 72-80%, mucosal disease only) than in high-risk patients (46%, 95% CI 36-56%, lamina propria invasion noted at diagnosis). CONCLUSIONS: In low-risk subgroups of patients with superficial transitional cell carcinoma, the frequency of surveillance cystoscopy may be able to be reduced to levels in accordance with established European guidelines without a likely impact on patient survival. Where progression to muscle invasive disease does ensue, more aggressive management may be warranted in order to try to improve survival.

Aged↗

Changes in the management of ductal carcinoma in situ before the release of clinical practice recommendations in Australia: the case in Victoria.

BACKGROUND: This study examines changes in the management of ductal carcinoma in situ between 1995 and 1999 in the Australian State of Victoria. This period was before the release of Australian treatment recommendations. METHODS: All new cases of ductal carcinoma in situ diagnosed between 1 April and 30 September in 1995 and 1999 were identified from the population cancer registry. Treating surgeons completed a questionnaire on the presentation and management of each case. In 1995, 64 out of 70 surgeons returned questionnaires for 137 cases (case response, 94%). In 1999, 68 surgeons treated 159 registered cases and 141 completed surveys were returned (case response, 89%). RESULTS: More cases underwent an image-guided biopsy in 1999 (54%) than in 1995 (34%). Breast-conserving surgery (BCS) was used to treat 69% of cases in 1999 and 63% in 1995. The use of axillary procedures (clearance or sampling) for women treated by mastectomy decreased from 61% in 1995 to 30% in 1999. More patients treated with BCS had margins simply described as "clear" in 1995 (49%) than in 1999 (21%). In 1995, only 7% of cases treated with BCS had radiotherapy, and this was 25% in 1999. CONCLUSION: In both 1999 and 1995, the majority of patients were treated by BCS, but only a minority received radiotherapy.

Breast Neoplasms↗

Access to breast prostheses via a government-funded service in Victoria, Australia. Experience of women and service providers.

For many women, the only alternative to breast reconstruction following a mastectomy is to use external prostheses, which need replacing regularly at a cost of up to $395 per prosthesis. Commonwealth and state governments across Australia have responded to this need by providing subsidies to assist in the purchase of breast prostheses. However, current arrangements have been highly variable and sometimes difficult to access. As part of a larger review of breast prosthesis services in Victoria, Australia, the aim of this research was to evaluate client satisfaction among Victorian women who accessed funds through the State Government's Aids and Equipment Program, compare the responses of the program service providers with the experiences of clients accessing funding, and identify opportunities to improve service provision.

Aged↗

Prevalence and risk factors of myopia in Victoria, Australia.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and risk factors of myopia in urban and rural Victoria, Australia. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: The Visual Impairment Project is a population-based prevalence study of eye disease in which both urban and rural adult populations were examined. Refractive data on the participants were collected using logMAR visual acuity, corrective lens measurement, and subjective refraction. All refractive error data were converted into spherical equivalent and myopia was defined at 2 levels: worse than -0.5 diopters (D) and worse than -1.00 D. RESULTS: A total of 3271 (83%) urban and 1473 (91%) rural residents were examined. The overall prevalence of myopia worse than -0.50 D in the population was 17% (95% confidence limit = 15.8%, 18.0%). Prevalence of myopia decreased from 24% in those aged 40 to 49 years to 12% in those aged 70 to 79 years, and then increased to 17% in people older than 80 years. The younger age groups also had higher usage of myopic corrective lenses throughout their lives than the older age groups, indicating an increased use of myopic corrective lenses in recent times. Myopia was found to be significantly higher in people with higher education levels (chi2 = 119.20, P < .001), in clerks and professionals (chi2 = 132.53, P < .001), in people born in southeast Asia (chi2 = 77.62, P < .001), and in people with higher degrees of nuclear opacity (chi2 = 55.26, P < .001). CONCLUSION: Myopia rates in the Visual Impairment Project generally decrease with age and use of myopic correction has increased in recent times. Myopia was significantly related to education level, occupation, country of birth, and nuclear opacity.

Adult↗

Genetic diversity at six short tandem repeat loci within the state of Victoria, Australia.

A new multiplex PCR system, developed by the Forensic Science Service (FSS) in the United Kingdom, permits the coamplification and typing of six short tandem repeat (STR) loci: HUMFGA, D8S1179, HUMTHO1, HUMvWA, D18S51, D21S11 and the sex determining marker Amelogenin. Data are presented on these six STRs for two populations in the state of Victoria, Australia: Caucasian and Asian. Whilst several worldwide databases are already available for the STR loci HUMTHO1 and HUMvWA, only relatively few databases exist for D8S1179, D18S51, D21S11 and HUMFGA. Allele frequencies at each locus displayed some fluctuations between the two populations. This is particularly so for HUMTHO1. Generally, however, the most common allele at each locus was the same in all populations, at all loci. A novel D8S1179 allele was found in Asians, provisionally identified as allele 19. Results for the six loci were compared with similar data from three UK resident populations: Caucasian, Afro-Caribbean and Asian (Indian/Pakistani) populations. These indicated that ethnically similar populations display similar allele frequencies, while the Australian Asian and UK Afro-Caribbean were found to be distinct.

Alleles↗

Laboratory diagnosis and surveillance of human respiratory viruses by PCR in Victoria, Australia, 2002-2003.

Respiratory viruses were identified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in more than 4,200 specimens collected during 2002 and 2003 in Victoria, Australia from patients admitted to hospitals or participating in an influenza surveillance program. Influenza viruses and picornaviruses were important causes of morbidity in both years. Additional testing of picornavirus-positive samples suggested that rhinoviruses but not enteroviruses were more likely to be associated with respiratory symptoms, irrespective of the season in which they circulated. Detection of influenza viruses was strongly associated with the clinical symptoms of cough, fever, and fatigue; but each of the other respiratory viruses occasionally caused these symptoms or was responsible for symptoms severe enough to require hospitalization. Human coronaviruses HCoV-OC43 and HCoV-229E circulated at low levels throughout the study period with peak activity in winter, but overall did not circulate as widely as has often been reported for these agents. Evidence for the human metapneumovirus (hMPV) was only sought in the second year of the study and revealed low-level circulation of this virus, mainly in the cooler months among the very young and adult populations. The detection rate of all viruses declined with increasing age of the patient, particularly in hospital patients. Infection with more than one respiratory virus occurred in a small number of patients; picornaviruses were most commonly implicated in these dual infections.

Age Distribution↗

Respiratory function at age 8-9 years in extremely low birthweight/very preterm children born in Victoria in 1991-1992.

Our aim was to determine respiratory function at 8 years of age in extremely low birth weight (ELBW; birth weight, < 1,000 g)/very preterm (< 28 weeks of gestation) children born in the 1990s compared with normal birth weight (NBW; birth weight, >2,499 g) controls. The ELBW/very preterm subjects comprised 298 consecutive survivors with either birth weight < 1,000 g or gestational age < 28 weeks born in the state of Victoria during 1991-1992. Controls comprised 262 randomly selected NBW survivors. Respiratory function was measured on 81% (240/298) of the ELBW/very preterm children and 79% (208/262) of the NBW controls. Respiratory function variables reflecting airflow were substantially diminished in ELBW/very preterm children compared with NBW controls. Moreover, the proportions with clinically important reductions in airflow were higher in the ELBW/very preterm group (e.g., forced expired volume in 1 sec, < 75%; ELBW/very preterm, 19.7%; NBW, 2.4%; P < 0.0001). Within the ELBW/very preterm group, children who had bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in the newborn period and those who had later asthma had significantly reduced respiratory function in variables reflecting airflow. In conclusion, the abnormalities in respiratory function in ELBW/very preterm children compared with NBW subjects described in the presurfactant era persisted in the 1990s, especially in those who had BPD in the newborn period.

Asthma↗

Public reaction to Victoria's "2 Fruit 'n' 5 Veg Every Day" campaign and reported consumption of fruit and vegetables.

BACKGROUND: The Victorian "2 Fruit 'n' 5 Veg Every Day" campaign was aimed at increasing awareness of the need to eat more fruit and vegetables and encouraging increased consumption of these foods in the Australian state of Victoria. The demand-side component of the campaign, which had television advertising as a centerpiece, ran from 1992 to 1995. METHODS: Annual postcampaign telephone surveys of approximately 500 Victorians ages 20 and over were conducted with the aim of examining public awareness of the campaign, beliefs about desirable eating habits for fruit and vegetables, and reported consumption of these foods. RESULTS: Over the years, patterns in the level of public awareness, reported consumption, and beliefs about appropriate levels of consumption have tended to parallel changes in the level of mass media investment. During the campaign's most intense period of promotional activity, significant increases in all of these variables occurred. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that significant achievements can be made with relatively small-budget mass media promotion of dietary recommendations, especially when part of a more comprehensive program. However, campaigns may need to be adequately resourced for several years if sustained change is to be achieved.

Adult↗

An analysis of fatal bicycle accidents in Victoria (Australia) with a special reference to nighttime accidents.

This paper examines the fatal bicycle accidents which occurred in the period 1981-1984 in Victoria with particular emphasis on nighttime fatalities. The examination provides information on aspects of accident location, environment, problem type, time, and cyclist characteristics. The relationship between actual accidents and cyclists perceived collision danger is also investigated. The characteristics of fatal bicycle accidents are different to those of overall "casualty" accidents. A difference also exists between day and night, and between metropolitan and nonmetropolitan fatal accidents. In the metropolitan area, adult cyclists over 17 years were over-involved in fatal accidents. The proportion of cyclists involved in fatalities at night increases with increase in age. Almost 80% of nighttime accidents occurred on links on arterial roads, and the majority in the high speed limit zones (75 kph and over). A greater proportion of accidents was initiated by cyclists. In 90% of nighttime cyclist fatalities the cyclist was hit from the rear, compared with 40% in daytime. Inadequacy of bicycle and street lighting was found to be an important factor in nighttime fatalities.

Accidents↗

Mandatory bicycle helmet use following a decade of helmet promotion in Victoria, Australia--an evaluation.

On July 1, 1990, a law requiring wearing of an approved safety helmet by all bicyclists (unless exempted) came into effect in Victoria, Australia. Some of the more important steps that paved the way for this important initiative (believed to be the first statewide legislation of its type in the world) are described, and the initiative's effects are analysed. There was an immediate increase in average helmet-wearing rates from 31% in March 1990 to 75% in March 1991, although teenagers continued to show lower rates than younger children and adults. The number of insurance claims from bicyclists killed or admitted to hospital after sustaining a head injury decreased by 48% and 70% in the first and second years after the law, respectively. Analysis of the injury data also showed a 23% and 28% reduction in the number of bicyclists killed or admitted to hospital who did not sustain head injuries in the first and second post-law years, respectively. For Melbourne, where regular annual surveys of helmet wearing have been conducted, it was possible to fit a logistic regression model that related the reduction in head injuries to increased helmet wearing. Surveys in Melbourne also indicated a 36% reduction in bicycle use by children during the first year of the law and an estimated increase in adult use of 44%.

Adolescent↗

Perinatal mortality in Victoria, Australia: role of group B Streptococcus.

Group B beta-hemolytic streptococcus is the most common infective cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. It is therefore surprising that no agreement exists for an approach to its prevention. There is also increasing evidence that occult infection may play an etiologic role in premature rupture of the membranes and preterm labor. In this report we review the role of group B beta-hemolytic streptococcal sepsis as a cause of perinatal wastage in the state of Victoria, Australia during the period 1982 to 1987. Group B beta-hemolytic streptococcus accounted for 1.7% of overall perinatal deaths, and for 30.3% (77 of 254) perinatal deaths directly attributable to infection. By comparison, over the same 6-year period, erythroblastosis accounted for 0.5% of perinatal wastage and there were only two deaths as a result of congenital syphilis. The true incidence of lethal group B beta-hemolytic streptococcal infection is probably greater because of the absence of histologic and bacteriologic studies in many perinatal deaths. We believe that intrapartum chemoprophylaxis with penicillin of all group B beta-hemolytic streptococcus-positive carrier mothers would significantly reduce neonatal morbidity and mortality from this cause.

Cause of Death↗

The prevalence and epidemiology of gastrointestinal parasites of horses in Victoria, Australia.

A quantitative post mortem study of 150 horses from Victoria was conducted to determine the prevalence and epidemiology of gastrointestinal parasites. A total of 42 species of metazoan parasite was found. The following species of non-cyathostome parasite were found (% prevalence): Trichostrongylus axei (51%); Habronema muscae (13%); H. majus (2%); Draschia megastoma (5%); Gastreophilus intestinalis (81%); G. nasalis (29%); Parascaris equorum (5%); Anoplocephala perfoliata (29%); Fasciola hepatica (0.7%); Oxyuris equi (7%); Strongylu vulgaris (23%); S. edentatus (23%); S. equinus (3%); Craterostomum acuticaudatum (7%); Triodontophorus serratus (8%); T. tenuicollis (8%); T. brevicauda (3%). Ninety-five per cent of horses were infected with gut-wall encysted stages of cythostomes with a mean intensity of 113,000 larvae per horse. Ninety-three per cent of all horses harboured adult cyathosome worms; 24 species representing 6 genera were found. The 3 most prevalent species were Cylicostephanus longiburstatus (76%); Cyathostomum catinatum (68%) and Cylicocyclus nassatus (54%). Seventeen species of strongyle were present in high abundance, which allowed their site distribution in the large intestine to be determined. Twelve species preferred the large colon to the small colon and caecum, and the remaining 5 species preferred the caecum. Statistical analysis of the parasitological data set allowed effects of sex, age, type, and physical condition of the horse as well as the season and environment on the prevalence and mean intensity of infection to be determined.

Age Factors↗