Burden of skin disease in two remote primary healthcare centres in northern and central Australia
Lauren Thomas
Faculty of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Northern Territory, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorAsha C. Bowen
Infectious Diseases Department, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
Wesfarmers Centre for Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorMarleesa Ly
Faculty of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Northern Territory, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorChristine Connors
Top End Health Service, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorRoss Andrews
Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Steven Y. C. Tong
Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
Victorian Infectious Disease Service, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Doherty Department University of Melbourne, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Correspondence
Steven Y. C. Tong, Victorian Infectious Diseases Service, 792 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorLauren Thomas
Faculty of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Northern Territory, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorAsha C. Bowen
Infectious Diseases Department, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
Wesfarmers Centre for Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorMarleesa Ly
Faculty of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Northern Territory, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorChristine Connors
Top End Health Service, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorRoss Andrews
Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Steven Y. C. Tong
Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
Victorian Infectious Disease Service, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Doherty Department University of Melbourne, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Correspondence
Steven Y. C. Tong, Victorian Infectious Diseases Service, 792 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
The burden of skin infections across all age groups in remote Australian Indigenous communities is currently unknown. In a retrospective audit of 439 residents from two remote communities presenting to health clinics, skin conditions were the most common reason for presentation (1603/7392, 22%) and 330/439 (75%) residents presented at least once with a skin infection. Skin infections are an under-appreciated and dominant reason for presentation to primary healthcare centres in these indigenous communities and public health campaigns to address this should incorporate all age groups.
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