{"title":"Driving in hepatic encephalopathy.","authors":"Keith Brick, Rohit Gupta","doi":"10.1111/imj.70523","DOIUrl":"10.1111/imj.70523","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a reversible neuropsychiatric complication of cirrhosis associated with cognitive and psychomotor impairment that may compromise driving safety. Deficits in attention, visuospatial ability, reaction time and executive function contribute to impaired on-road performance and increased motor vehicle collision rates. Despite this, there are no standardised Australian guidelines addressing driving in patients with HE, and international guidelines remain heterogenous. This article reviews the impact of overt (OHE) and covert HE on driving performance and outlines a pragmatic, risk-stratified framework. For patients with prior OHE, our approach is a time-limited driving restrictions based risk assessment, with conditional return to driving following sustained clinical stability and adherence to therapy. This framework aims to balance public safety with preservation of patient autonomy and quality of life.</p>","PeriodicalId":13625,"journal":{"name":"Internal Medicine Journal","volume":" ","pages":"1664-1668"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13547869/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148535732","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Oscar Russell, Susan Lester, Jessica Stanhope, Rachel J Black, Marissa Lassere, Claire Barrett, Lyn March, Tom Lynch, Rachelle Buchbinder, Catherine L Hill
{"title":"Impact of socioeconomic status on disability in a longitudinal rheumatoid arthritis cohort.","authors":"Oscar Russell, Susan Lester, Jessica Stanhope, Rachel J Black, Marissa Lassere, Claire Barrett, Lyn March, Tom Lynch, Rachelle Buchbinder, Catherine L Hill","doi":"10.1111/imj.70504","DOIUrl":"10.1111/imj.70504","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on health outcomes in Australians living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is not known. We aimed to determine whether differences in disability trajectory were present according to individuals' SES using longitudinal data from the Australian Rheumatology Association Database. We found that lower area-level SES was associated with significantly increased Health Assessment Questionnaire - Disability Index scores (indicating greater disability). These results may indicate the presence of a healthcare inequity for those living with RA and lower SES.</p>","PeriodicalId":13625,"journal":{"name":"Internal Medicine Journal","volume":" ","pages":"1644-1648"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13547878/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148436577","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Race-neutral lung function equations and clinical interpretation in East Asian patients.","authors":"Yusen Wu, Zhi Yuan","doi":"10.1111/imj.70564","DOIUrl":"10.1111/imj.70564","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":13625,"journal":{"name":"Internal Medicine Journal","volume":" ","pages":"1672"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13547893/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148535756","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The other side of mentorship: who will look after the mentors?","authors":"Hongnan Ye","doi":"10.1111/imj.70542","DOIUrl":"10.1111/imj.70542","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":13625,"journal":{"name":"Internal Medicine Journal","volume":" ","pages":"1669"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13547892/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148436653","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Safeguarding medical empathy and cultivating compassion in contemporary medicine.","authors":"Wai Chung Tse, Theodore Ajluni, Christian Chene, Deborah Leach, Michelle Leech","doi":"10.1111/imj.70484","DOIUrl":"10.1111/imj.70484","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Empathy and compassion are both fundamental to patient-centred care, enhancing satisfaction, adherence and outcomes while improving clinician well-being. However, certain aspects of medical culture may put these emotional qualities at risk. The preclinical-to-clinical transition exposes students to hierarchical structures, time constraints and performance expectations prioritising technical competence over interpersonal skills. Negative role modelling, rushed consultations and inadequate emotional support normalise emotional detachment. The COVID-19 pandemic intensified burnout and moral injury, while societal desensitisation through social media compounds these effects. Although medical humanities programmes show promise, meaningful change requires addressing both curricula and clinical environments through structured reflection, compassion-focused training and recognising empathy fatigue as an occupational hazard, reaffirming medicine's ethical foundations.</p>","PeriodicalId":13625,"journal":{"name":"Internal Medicine Journal","volume":" ","pages":"1660-1663"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13547880/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148411610","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Complexity and comorbidities: critical considerations for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia outcomes in the Northern Territory.","authors":"Nabiah Shakeel","doi":"10.1111/imj.70556","DOIUrl":"10.1111/imj.70556","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":13625,"journal":{"name":"Internal Medicine Journal","volume":" ","pages":"1670-1671"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13547916/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148446135","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Osnat C Melamed, Polina Kyrychenko, Benjamin K C Wong, Scott Veldhuizen, Nadia Minian, Laurie Zawertailo, Peter Selby
{"title":"Author reply.","authors":"Osnat C Melamed, Polina Kyrychenko, Benjamin K C Wong, Scott Veldhuizen, Nadia Minian, Laurie Zawertailo, Peter Selby","doi":"10.1111/imj.70569","DOIUrl":"10.1111/imj.70569","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":13625,"journal":{"name":"Internal Medicine Journal","volume":" ","pages":"1673"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13547873/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148535735","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
John Politis, Kerry Hancock, Jo A Douglass, Paul Leong, Philip Bardin
{"title":"A new era beckons in asthma: enhanced models of care, disease remission, artificial intelligence and consumer participation.","authors":"John Politis, Kerry Hancock, Jo A Douglass, Paul Leong, Philip Bardin","doi":"10.1111/imj.70475","DOIUrl":"10.1111/imj.70475","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The landscape of asthma management is undergoing significant transformation. This change is driven by several factors: deeper understanding of asthma pathophysiology, appreciation of the long-term harm of oral corticosteroids, biological treatments that dramatically improve patient outcomes with asthma remission becoming a realistic goal, and a focus on patient-centred care combined with the use of virtual health and artificial intelligence strategies. This Viewpoint provides a perspective on current dilemmas and then emphasises recent innovations that can provide solutions. If applied judiciously, these advances will enable healthcare professionals to improve outcomes for people with asthma.</p>","PeriodicalId":13625,"journal":{"name":"Internal Medicine Journal","volume":" ","pages":"1649-1653"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13547911/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148149772","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Methodological considerations in the pre-implementation evaluation of AI-guided surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis.","authors":"Areeha Mariam, Humna Minhas","doi":"10.1111/imj.70573","DOIUrl":"10.1111/imj.70573","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":13625,"journal":{"name":"Internal Medicine Journal","volume":" ","pages":"1674-1675"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13547902/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148561880","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Supriya S Desai, Rajesh Prasad Jayaswal, Maajid Mohi Ud Din Malik
{"title":"Comment on: National survey of real-world treatment patterns for early- and intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma reveals wide variation across Australian states.","authors":"Supriya S Desai, Rajesh Prasad Jayaswal, Maajid Mohi Ud Din Malik","doi":"10.1111/imj.70575","DOIUrl":"10.1111/imj.70575","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":13625,"journal":{"name":"Internal Medicine Journal","volume":" ","pages":"1676"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13547868/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148548970","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}