231 research outputs found
Dugongs, boats, dolphins and turtles in the Townsville-Cardwell region and recommendations for a boat traffic management plan for the Hinchinbrook Dugong Protection Area
This report summarises the results of a study of dugongs and boat traffic in the Townsville -Cardwell
region, with emphasis on the Hinchinbrook Dugong Protection Area (DPA). The study was
commissioned by Commonwealth Environment Minister, Senator Hill and was intended to inform
regional planners tasked with developing a boat traffic management plan for the Hinchinbrook area
The status of the dugong in the southern Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
Australia has international responsibilities for the management of dugongs in the Great Barrier Reef
Region. One of the World Heritage values of the Region is that it "provides major feeding grounds
for large populations of the endangered species Dugong dugon" (Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
Authority (GBRMPA) 1981, p. 7). In addition, the dugong has high biodiversity value as the only
species in the Family Dugongidiae and one of only four species in the Order Sirenia. AlI four extant
species of Sirenian are listed as vulnerable to extinction by the IUCN (IUCN 1990).
In 1986 and 1987, Marsh and Saalfeld (1990 a) counted dugongs, dolphins and sea t1\l11es during an
aerial survey over an area of some 39,000 km' in the inshore waters of the Great Barrier Reef
Marine Park south of Cape Bedford. Survey-and-taxon specific correction factors were used to
correct for perception bias (the proportion of animals visible in the transect which are missed by
observers) and to standardise for availability bias (the prop0l1ion of animals that are invisible due to
water turbidity)
A study of handling cytotoxic drugs and risk of birth defects in offspring of female veterinarians
We examined the association of occupational exposure to handling cytotoxic drugs at work with risk of birth defects among a cohort of female veterinarians. This study is a follow up survey of 321 female participants (633 pregnancies) who participated in the Health Risks of Australian Veterinarian project. Data on pregnancies and exposure during each pregnancy was obtained by self-administered mailed questionnaire. Female veterinarians handling cytotoxic drugs during their pregnancy had a two-fold increased risk of birth defects in their offspring (RR = 2.08, 95% CI (1.05–4.15)). Results were consistent in subgroup analysis of those who graduated during the period of 1961 to 1980 (RR = 5.04, 95% CI (1.81, 14.03) and in those working specifically in small and large animal practice. There was no increased risk in the subgroup that graduated after 1980. Women with unplanned pregnancies were more likely to handle cytotoxic drugs on a daily basis (RR = 1.86, 95% CI, 1.00–3.48) and had a higher increased risk of birth defects than those who planned their pregnancies in recent graduates and in those who worked specifically in small animal practice (RR = 2.53, 95% CI, 1.18–5.42). This study suggests that the adverse effects of handling cytotoxic drugs in pregnant women may include an increased risk of birth defects. Pregnancy intention status is an important health behavior and should be considered in prenatal programs
Increase in Caesarean Deliveries after the Australian Private Health Insurance Incentive Policy Reforms
AbstractBackground: The Australian Private Health Insurance Incentive (PHII) policy reforms implemented in 1997–2000 increased PHI membership in Australia by 50%. Given the higher rate of obstetric interventions in privately insured patients, the reforms may have led to an increase in surgical deliveries and deliveries with longer hospital stays. We aimed to investigate the effect of the PHII policy introduction on birth characteristics in Western Australia (WA).Methods and Findings: All 230,276 birth admissions from January 1995 to March 2004 were identified from administrative birth and hospital data-systems held by the WA Department of Health. Average quarterly birth rates after the PHII introduction were estimated and compared with expected rates had the reforms not occurred. Rate and percentage differences (including 95% confidence intervals) were estimated separately for public and private patients, by mode of delivery, and by length of stay in hospital following birth. The PHII policy introduction was associated with a 20% (221.4 to219.3) decrease in public birth rates, a 51% (45.1 to 56.4) increase in private birth rates, a 5% (25.3 to 25.1) and 8% (28.9 to 27.9) decrease in unassisted and assisted vaginal deliveries respectively, a 5% (25.3 to 25.1) increase in caesarean sections with labour and 10% (8.0 to 11.7) increase in caesarean sections without labour. Similarly, birth rates where the infant stayed 0–3 days in hospital following birth decreased by 20% (221.5 to 218.5), but rates of births with .3 days inhospital increased by 15% (12.2 to 17.1).Conclusions: Following the PHII policy implementation in Australia, births in privately insured patients, caesarean deliveries and births with longer infant hospital stays increased. The reforms may not have been beneficial for quality obstetric care in Australia or the burden of Australian hospitals
Early primary care physician contact and health service utilisation in a large sample of recently released ex-prisoners in Australia: prospective cohort study
Objective To describe the association between ex-prisoner primary care physician contact within 1 month of prison release and health service utilisation in the 6 months following release. Design A cohort from the Passports study with a mean follow-up of 219 (±44) days post release. Associations were assessed using a multivariate Andersen-Gill model, controlling for a range of other factors. Setting Face-to-face, baseline interviews were conducted in a sample of prisoners within 6 weeks of expected release from seven prisons in Queensland, Australia, from 2008 to 2010, with telephone follow-up interviews 1, 3 and 6 months post release. Participants From an original population-based sample of 1325 sentenced adult (≥18 years) prisoners, 478 participants were excluded due to not being released from prison during follow-up (n=7, 0.5%), loss to follow-up (n=257, 19.4%), or lacking exposure data (n=214, 16.2%). A total of 847 (63.9%) participants were included in the analyses. Exposure Primary care physician contact within 1 month of follow-up as a dichotomous measure. Main outcome measures Adjusted time-to-event hazard rates for hospital, mental health, alcohol and other drug and subsequent primary care physician service utilisations assessed as multiple failure time-interval data. Results Primary care physician contact prevalence within 1 month of follow-up was 46.5%. One-month primary care physician contact was positively associated with hospital (adjusted HR (AHR)=2.07; 95% CI 1.39 to 3.09), mental health (AHR=1.65; 95% CI 1.24 to 2.19), alcohol and other drug (AHR=1.48; 95% CI 1.15 to 1.90) and subsequent primary care physician service utilisation (AHR=1.47; 95% CI 1.26 to 1.72) over 6 months of follow-up. Conclusions Engagement with primary care physician services soon after prison release increases health service utilisation during the critical community transition period for ex-prisoners. Trial registration number Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12608000232336)
Impact of consumer copayments for subsidised medicines on health services use and outcomes: A protocol using linked administrative data from Western Australia
Introduction: Across the world, health systems are adopting approaches to manage rising healthcare costs. One common strategy is a medication copayments scheme where consumers make a contribution (copayment) towards the cost of their dispensed medicines, with remaining costs subsidised by the health insurance service, which in Australia is the Federal Government. In Australia, copayments have tended to increase in proportion to inflation, but in January 2005, the copayment increased substantially more than inflation. Results from aggregated dispensing data showed that this increase led to a significant decrease in the use of several medicines. The aim of this study is to determine the demographic and clinical characteristics of individuals ceasing or reducing statin medication use following the January 2005 Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (PBS) copayment increase and the effects on their health outcomes.
Methods and analysis: This whole-of-population study comprises a series of retrospective, observational investigations using linked administrative health data on a cohort of West Australians (WA) who had at least one statin dispensed between 1 May 2002 and 30 June 2010. Individual-level data on the use of pharmaceuticals, general practitioner (GP) visits, hospitalisations and death are used. This study will identify patients who were stable users of statin medication in 2004 with follow-up commencing from 2005 onwards. Subgroups determined by change in adherence levels of statin medication from 2004 to 2005 will be classified as continuation, reduction or cessation of statin therapy and explored for differences in health outcomes and health service utilisation after the 2005 copayment change
Counting the cost: estimating the number of deaths among recently released prisoners in Australia
Objective: To estimate the number of deaths among people released from prison in Australia in the 2007–08 financial year, within 4 weeks and 1 year of release. Design, participants and setting: Application of crude mortality rates for ex-prisoners (obtained from two independent, state-based record-linkage studies [New South Wales and Western Australia]) to a national estimate of the number and characteristics of people released from prison in 2007–08. Main outcome measures: Estimated number of deaths among adults released from Australian prisons in 2007–08, within 4 weeks and 1 year of release, classified by age, sex, Indigenous status and cause of death. Results: It was estimated that among people released from prison in 2007–08, between 449 (95% CI, 380–527) and 472 (95% CI, 438–507) died within 1 year of release. Of these, between 68 (95% CI, 56–82) and 138 (95% CI, 101–183) died within 4 weeks of release. Most of these deaths were not drug-related. Conclusion: The estimated annual number of deaths among recently released prisoners in Australia is considerably greater than the annual number of deaths in custody, highlighting the extreme vulnerability of this population on return to the community. There is an urgent need to establish a national system for routine monitoring of ex-prisoner mortality and to continue the duty of care beyond the prison walls
Distribution of Irrawaddy dolphins, Orcaella brevirostris, in Australian waters
Records from strandings, museum specimens, sighting databases and unpublished sightings of aerial surveys were compiled and used to review the distribution and population status of Irrawaddy dolphins, Orcaella brevirostris, in Australian waters. Stranding and museum specimen records indicate that Irrawaddy dolphins occur only in the northern half of Australia, from approximately the Brisbane River (27degrees 32'S, 152degrees 49'E) on the east coast to Broome (17degrees 57'S, 122degrees 14'E) on the west coast. Aerial surveys demonstrate that Irrawaddy dolphins occur mainly in protected, shallow, coastal waters, close to river and creek mouths, which appear to be an important habitat for the species. Irrawaddy dolphins tend to form relatively small groups of 1-10 animals with occasional aggregations of up to 14 animals. The status of Irrawaddy dolphins in Australian waters is difficult to assess, because most data have been collected opportunistically. However, the low number of sightings during aerial surveys, in comparison with observations of other sympatric marine mammals, such as Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis), suggest that Irrawaddy dolphins are relatively uncommon in Australian waters, or possibly are inadequately sampled on aerial surveys
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