Geriatrics/Aging

The impact of demographic changes on the presentation and outcome of stroke: experiences of the oldest old in the Murrumbidgee region
Powell, A., Mewburn, J., Finucane, P., Jude, M., Mohr, K., Objectives To build a profile of the experiences of stroke in the oldest old in the Murrumbidgee region and compare variables with two younger cohorts to test hypotheses about background, treatment and outcomes.  Methods...
Research
Wagga Wagga Base Hospital: Geriatric Evaluation & Management (GEM) Unit – The first four hundred patients
Cristy Rowe, Thomas Stackpool, Paul Finucane Introduction The Geriatric Evaluation & Management (GEM) Unit at WWBH opened in 2016 and has treated over 400 patients to date. The Unit was established to manage elderly patients with complex medical, functional and often cognitive problems. Methodology...
Research
A comparison of femoral neck fracture in ‘old-old’ and younger patients: a glimpse of future challenges.
Jasmin Roberts, Barbara Taylor, David Buckley, Paul Finucane, Wagga Wagga Base Hospital & Murrumbidgee Local Health District Introduction In terms of its elderly population, the demographic profile of the MLHD region is 14 years ahead of national Australia. With the national population ageing, current...
Research
Preventing Osteoporosis in residential and aged care communities: a toolkit for aged care staff

Himasha Nanayakkara Abstract Osteoporosis is a silent disease and presents with no symptoms before causing minimal trauma fractures resulting in prolonged hospital stays and increased mortality. There are many misconceptions around Osteoporosis and many older adults have limited knowledge surrounding the condition. The aim...
Research
A Day in the Life: Recording of resuscitation status among elderly in-patients at a major rural referral hospital

Dr Stephanie Armstrong, Dr William Boneham, Professor Paul Finucane.  Case Patient autonomy has been a central tenant of medical practice extending to decisions regarding resuscitation. A point prevalence study was conducted examining the resuscitation, baseline cognition and functional status of all admitted patients in...
Research
Profile of people in long-stay residential aged care in the Riverina region of NSW 

Professor Paul Finucane, Dr Stephanie Armstrong  Profile With an elderly population profile that is fourteen years ahead of national Australia, the Riverina region of NSW has the capacity to provide particular insights into the future of Aged Care nationally. We visited a total of...
Research
Case Report – Can FTD masquerade as depression?

Meleseini Tai-Roche, Gabriel Sanchez Clinical Case Geriatric medicine can be an eclectic mix of pathology coupled with a complex social context. We present a case report which poses the similarities of Frontal Lobe Dementia and Depression in the older patient who presents with features...
Research
Exploring rates of pre-admission polypharmacy amongst geriatric patients at Wagga Base Hospital

Timothy Bemand, Sarah Thomas,Paul Finucane Objectives Polypharmacy in the elderly is associated with adverse outcomes including cognitive decline, falls, and even death. Falls risk increasing drugs (FRIDs) include those with anti-hypertensive, psychotropic and anti-cholinergic properties. We sought to describe the extent of polypharmacy and...
Research
Genetic Ataxias: querying a lifelong diagnosis

Antonia Ross, Dr Richard Chatoor, Dr Taylor Scott, Professor Paul Finucane Background Friedreich ataxia is a rare autosomal recessive disease within the group of hereditary ataxias. It is commonly caused by a mutation of the frataxin encoding gene, which results in the repeat expansion...
Research

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Latest Articles

April, 2025
Preliminary Analysis of Telehealth vs. In-Person Preoperative Consultations and Their Impact on Immediate Bariatric Surgery Outcomes
Swazi Sharma1, Dr Alexa Seal1, Dr Katherine Smith2, Simeon Moore1, Peter Sheeran 1 1. University of Dame Australia (Rural Clinical School – Wagga Wagga) 2. Murrumbidgee Local Health District...
April, 2025
Training and Sustaining Rural Anaesthetists: Insights from a 12-Month Audit of Paediatric General Anaesthetics in Wagga Wagga
Billy Poulden, Dr Judy Killen Introduction: Access to high quality paediatric general anaesthesia (GA) is fundamental to the provision of surgical services in rural areas. Paediatric anaesthesia is a...
April, 2025
Diabetic Foot Disease – A Public Health Issue for Australia
Authors: Peter Sheeran1, Prof. James Charles2, Gerarda Henneken3, Brett MacCue41. JMO, Wagga Wagga Base Hospital MHLD, 2. Director, First Peoples Health Unit, Pro Vice Chancellor (Health), Griffith University, 3....
April, 2025
An Audit of Essential Difficult Airway Trolley Equipment in Selected Regional NSW Hospitals
Patrick Lay, Stuart Lawrie, and Anthony Gray Introduction: In 2021, the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) updated its Guideline on Equipment to Manage Difficult Airways1 to...
April, 2025
The Rise of new age technologies in laparoscopic training models: a systematic review
Christopher Katsinas Background Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has many benefits, such as: reduced post-operative pain, improved aesthetic outcomes and shorter length-of-stay. The challenge of laparoscopic surgery is the high...
April, 2025
Substance Use and Perceptions of Safety: Insights from a National Indigenous Youth Cohort
Heidi Starr Background: Young people who smoke or drink alcohol are often viewed as making a conscious choice, with little recognition of the role that feelings of safety—or the...