The routine replacement of IV drips every three days in hospital wards is costly and clinically unnecessary, new data has found. Research published in The Lancet last month has the potential to save the Australian economy millions of dollars each year ...

A commonly used cancer drug may do more harm than good, researchers at Flinders University have found. The team in the Palliative Care Clinical Studies Collaborative (PaCCSC) discovered that the drug, which has been used for decades to treat cancer-related ...

The key to identifying patients predisposed to dementia could be held by district nurses visiting the elderly, says a senior researcher with the Royal District Nursing Service. A new Royal District Nursing Service (RDNS) trial, now under way in Melbourne, ...

A lack of adult-specific diagnostic tools for autism risks them becoming “the hidden face” of the disorder, says a researcher. Flinders University PhD candidate Clare Holmes is embarking on a 4-year study to develop new tools to improve diagnosis and ...

Complex surgery for rare cancers should be consolidated into specialised units to improve survival rates, the NSW peak cancer control agency has said. Data from the Cancer Institute NSW has demonstrated an association between hospitals conducting very small numbers of ...

Exposing intensive care patients to light exercise may reduce hospitalisation and improve long-term patient recovery. Researchers at Monash University will begin trialling early exercise programs in 12 Intensive Care Units in Australia and New Zealand for patients who are mechanically ...

The limited effectiveness of the current pertussis vaccine might explain the resurgence in whooping cough in babies, new research has found. A study of 40,000 children in Queensland has shown children vaccinated against whooping cough with the current vaccine were ...

Infectious disease experts have warned that some Australian communities may be missing out on immunisations following an outbreak of measles in NSW. The Royal College of Pathologists of Australia (RCPA) has also called on health professionals to be aware of ...

The nurse who blew the whistle on former Queensland surgeon Jayant Patel says she is "devastated" to hear his manslaughter convictions have been quashed by the High Court. Nurse Toni Hoffman, who worked alongside Patel at the Bundaberg Base Hospital ...

The Queensland Institute of Medical Research is poised to embark on Australia’s first study of lifestyle factors that could improve the survival rates of women with ovarian cancer. More than 1000 newly diagnosed Australian women will participate in the five-year ...