"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see."
Henry David Thoreau

The global rise in antibiotic resistance is now a major public health and patient safety issue and a focus of Antibiotic Awareness Week in 2014. The Australian Commission of Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) states "there is evidence which has shown that up to 50% of antimicrobial prescribing in hospitals is inappropriate or unnecessary".
Australia is taking a "One Health" approach to antimicrobial resistance, with experts from human health, animal health, and agriculture working together to better understand and address the problem. The ACSQHC has produced a series of fact sheets for all health professionals covering 7 key actions which can be taken to ensure appropriate antimicrobial stewardship.

Further information: 

• ACSQHC Fact Sheets 2014
• Antimicrobial stewardship in Australian Hospitals 2011
• Good antimicrobial prescribing policy (GAPP) 2013 (Austin Health policy)
• Therapeutic guidelines: Antibiotic 2014

Guideline authors recommend that patients with advanced breast cancer (ABC) be treated by a specialised multidisciplinary team rather than a single oncologist. The paper also notes that further research and education are "indispensable for improving the management and outcome of patients with cancer". Latest issue of The Breast outlines the ESO-ESMO 2nd International Consensus Guidelines for ABC.

Source: The Breast 2014; 23(5)

The use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) is rapidly increasing with many unanswered questions concerning their safety of use and impact on public health. ENDS has enabled tobacco companies to diversify leading to a larger range of products with researchers noting as of January 2014 "there were 466 distinct brands of e-nicotine products and at least 7,764 unique flavours" representing an increase of 242 flavour products per month across the last year. The potential threat of respiratory toxins contained in the flavourings for ENDS has not been adequately researched and currently there are no consistent methods for regulating their composition, assessing possible hazards or identifying links with respiratory disease. Recent research also highlights the potential risks associated with dual use of e-cigarettes and conventional cigarettes, suggesting that e-cigarette use should have the same marketing and control measures as tobacco products.

Sources:
Journal of the American Medical Association, 2014; Nov 10 Online First
Circulation 2014; 129(19)

This report provides a comprehensive summary of the "latest available data on the prevalence and incidence in the Australian population of these 3 chronic vascular diseases, acting alone or together. It examines age and sex characteristics and variations across population groups, by geographical location and by socioeconomic disadvantage."

Source: Cardiovascular disease, diabetes and chronic kidney disease: Australian facts: prevalence & incidence Nov 2014.

For those involved in haematological clinical practice, this new title aims to provide expert commentary, provocative opinion articles, and research to advocate change in clinical practice. Topics covered will include "haematology-oncology, red and white blood cell disorders, platelet disorders, stem cell transplantation and induced pluripotent stem cells, transfusion medicine, and related conditions and diseases."

The first volume is available in print in the Library as a 'taster' of the future 2015 online issues.

Thank you for your feedback over recent weeks regarding the changes in the New Journals section of the Library Bulletin.

In 2015 Austin and Mercy staff will have seamless access to: more than 7,000 online journals; over 200 videos and audio visual teaching materials; and 1,600 e-books, which will provide the 'best of breed' health and medical information at your fingertips 24/7.

The Library team recognise the importance of online access to resources and the value of 'current awareness' alerts to clinical practice. With the majority of our journal collection now online it is not feasible to provide links to the Table of Contents (TOCs) in the Library Bulletin. Therefore the Library is providing the following options based on your feedback:

1.  HELP YOURSELF
Each bulletin will alert you to the latest PRINT only journal issues
New issues are on display in the Library for 1 week.

A link to the A-Z Journal List for access to our online journals will be provided. This access is available to all staff when on-site. Off-site access can be established by registering for a Library card.

In addition there will be links to TOCs for the 10 top-ranked medical journals. On occasions we will focus on journals in a specialist field.

2.  LET US HELP YOU
We are acutely aware of the constraints on your time and encourage you to register for our TOC Alert service. The Library can set up TOCs on your behalf which will come directly to your inbox as new issues are published. You can use the eTOC request form to start the process.

The gift of therapy / Irvin D. Yalom. Piatkus, 2002.

"A book aimed at enriching the therapeutic process for a new generation of patients and counsellors, The gift of therapy, is an entertaining, informative and insightful read for anyone with an interest in the subject."

New books on display can be reserved by contacting the library.

New online:

Keeping your head above water: affordability as a barrier to mental health care / Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, 2014

Journals the library has received in print-only format this week:

Nature. Vol. 515, no. 7525, 6 November 2014.

The practising midwife. Vol . 17, no. 10, November 2014.

Looking for the latest journal issues?
All our journal titles with electronic access are available via the A-Z Journal List.

Simply select the link and search for the journals you require.
(Please note: outside the Austin Health network you will need your Library barcode no. & PIN for access)