Venkat Vangaveti

• PhD
• Research Fellow at Townsville University Hospital and James Cook University

Background The role of clinician-researchers in regional healthcare is challenging. Balancing patient care, academic research, and mentoring junior staff significantly burdens these dedicated professionals. Therefore, the Australian healthcare system must provide institutional support for improving clinicians' academic performance. Methods This pa...

Background Risk factors for diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at first presentation of type 1 diabetes (T1DM) have been investigated in a small number of studies, but further studies are required to better define them. In particular, a family history of T1DM was shown to be protective, while the effect of pancreatic autoimmunity is uncertain. Aims This...

Purpose A decline in the number of health professionals (HPs) engaging in clinical and healthcare research has spurred governments, educational and healthcare organisations to focus on developing strategies to promote a resurgence of clinical researchers. Based on the Expectancy-Value-Cost theory which offers a comprehensive framework to understand...

Background Hyperkalaemia is one of the common electrolyte disorders among hospital patients, affected by many risk factors including medications and medical conditions. Prompt treatment is important given its impact on patient mortality and morbidity, which can lead to negative patient outcomes and healthcare resource utilisation. This study aims t...

In this pilot study, we explored current attitudes and deprescribing practices of clinicians in a large regional health service through a mixed methods approach. Respondents included doctors, pharmacists and nurse practitioners, who outlined three themes including professional and organisational contexts, disconnect between goals and practices and...

Despite increasing awareness of genetic kidney disease prevalence, there is limited population-level information about long term outcomes of people with genetic kidney disease receiving kidney replacement therapy. This analysis included people who commenced kidney replacement therapy between 1989 and 2020 as recorded in the Australian and New Zeala...

Introduction Kidney failure of unknown aetiology (uESKD) is also heavily location dependent varying between 27% in Egypt to 54% in Aguacalientes, Mexico. There is limited information about the characteristics of people with uESKD in Australia and New Zealand, as well as their clinical outcomes on kidney replacement therapy. Methods Data on people...

Background Research is crucial for improved healthcare and better patient outcomes, but there is a current shortage of clinician-researchers who can connect research and practice in the health professions field. This study aimed to investigate the effect of career stage, previous training and involvement in research on health professionals' (HPs) m...

Atherosclerosis is a chronic, progressive cardiovascular disease characterized by cholesterol deposition within blood vessel walls. Recent literature has suggested that the NLRP3 [NOD (nucleotide oligomerization domain)-, LRR (leucine-rich repeat)-, and PYD (pyrin domain)-containing protein 3] inflammasome is a key mediator in the development, prog...

This study aimed to describe hospital admissions in patients experiencing polypharmacy and evaluate the effects of demographic factors on length of stay (LOS) and polypharmacy. We found that increasing age is associated with increasing polypharmacy rates but decreasing LOS. Females were more likely to experience higher rates of polypharmacy, but ma...

Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) following coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) is common and results in significant increases in hospital stay and financial encumbrance. Objective Determine and use the predictors of postoperative AF (POAF) following CABG to develop a new predictive screening tool. Method A retrospective case–control st...

Purpose Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is one of the most devastating and troublesome consequences of diabetes. The current therapies are not always effective because of the complicated aetiology and interactions of local and systemic components in DFU. However, adjunctive therapy (electromechanical therapy) has become the latest modality in recent year...

Increasing awareness of the importance of pathology stewardship in reducing low value care has led to scrutiny of appropriate laboratory test ordering. The objective of this study is to investigate the value of a commonly ordered laboratory test, the C-reactive protein (CRP), in decisions regarding diagnosis, management and disposition of emergency...

Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is the most common cause of prolonged hospitalization with a high cost of care due to unsatisfactory outcomes with the current mode of therapy. Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) is a new technology in the care of non-healing wounds. The study's main objective was to compare the healing parameters of DFUs between pati...

Introduction: The Queensland Basic Paediatric Training Network (QBPTN) is responsible for the selection of candidates into paediatric training in Queensland. The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated interviews to be conducted 'virtually' as virtual Multiple-Mini-Interviews (vMMI). The study aimed to describe the demographic characteristics of candidates...

Aim: High-risk neonates are retrieved from regional centres to tertiary neonatal units when the required care of the baby exceeds the clinical capabilities of the birthing facility. However, there is limited research on the outcomes of neonatal retrievals from regional special care centres and the barriers to back transfer of neonates from a terti...

Background: Syncope is a common presentation to the emergency department with a wide spectrum of aetiology. The identification of the underlying cause can be diagnostically challenging, as are the choice of investigations and the decision for inpatient versus outpatient disposition. Aims: This study aims to evaluate the aetiology of syncope as d...

Introduction: Diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) are one of the leading long-term complications experienced by patients with diabetes. Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4 inhibitors (DPP4is) are a class of antihyperglycemic medications prescribed to patients with diabetes to manage glycaemic control. DPP4is may also have a beneficial effect on DFU healing. This study...

Introduction Skin cancer is a common disease in the tropics, and oncological resection typically requires reconstruction with skin grafts. Fibrin glue, initially established as a haemostatic agent, has been studied extensively as an adhesive for skin grafts in burns. This study aims to investigate the use of fibrin as an adhesive for split skin gra...

Background: Comprehensive Conservative Care (CCC) is an emerging treatment option in kidney failure (KF), but its implementation has been restricted by a limited understanding of KF populations, outcomes, and clinician experiences. Aim: This pilot study aims to investigate the characteristics of patients who are opting for (CCC) in North Queensl...

Aims To determine the effect of glucagon‐like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP‐1RAs) on albuminuria in adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods Medline Ovid, Scopus, Web of Science, EMCARE and CINAHL databases from database inception until 27 January 2022. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they were randomized controlled t...

Background Diabetes foot ulcer (DFU) is a complication of diabetes mellitus. Accurate diagnosis of DFU severity through inflammatory markers will assist in reducing impact on quality of life. We aimed to ascertain the diagnostic test accuracy of commonly used inflammatory markers such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP...

Objective: This study aimed to report the prevalence of adverse psychological symptoms and health behaviours of parents who had a baby admitted to a regional neonatal intensive care unit to spotlight mental health care in these unique settings. Design: This was a prospective, prevalence-based study using quantitative data. Setting: The study w...

Background Health professionals’ engagement in translational health and medical research (HMR) is fundamental to evidence-based practice leading to better patient health outcomes. However, there is a decline in the number of health professionals undertaking research which has implications for patient health and the economy. Informed by the motivati...

Aims There is limited literature on IHD in DFU patients. This review aimed to determine the prevalence of and risk factors of IHD in patients with DFUs. Methods Seven electronic databases were searched from inception to April 2021. Results The prevalence of IHD in DFU patients ranged from 6.83% to 60.61% with a pooled mean of 25.85% (95% CI, 24.2...

Osteoporosis results from dysregulated bone remodeling with increased osteoclast-mediated destruction of bones. We have recently shown in vitro the truncated tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase (mini-TrpRS)-dependent action of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) to promote myeloid lineage multinucleation, a fundamental step in the osteoclast formation. In particular...

Background and aims The study aimed at determining prevalence and risk factors (RFs) of diabetic lower limb amputations (LLAs). Methods Electronic databases including PubMed, Medline, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were searched from January 2003 to April 2021. Results Sixteen full-text published studies were reviewed. The prevalence of LLA...

Background Clinical research is vital for improved patient health outcomes. However, there has been a decline in the number of new researchers replacing an aging workforce. This is because multiple factors impact on newly graduated health professionals’ (HPs) readiness and motivation to engage with research training and undertake research when taki...

Introduction Head and neck cancers (HNC) require high level multidisciplinary care to achieve optimal outcomes. Reporting of quality indicators (QIs) has been instigated by some health services in an effort to improve quality of care. The aim of this study was to determine the quality of care provided to patients with HNC at a single institution by...

Background: Prioritising normal birth has led to harm in some instances in the United Kingdom. While Australian organisations also promote normal birth, its negative impact is less well understood here. Aims: This study explores the problems that may arise from the promotion of normal birth and the quality of clinical incident investigations. M...

Background Indigenous Australians have a high rate of ischaemic heart disease (IHD). There is a paucity of local data for North Queensland regarding the clinical characteristics of Indigenous people who present to the emergency department (ED) with chest pain. The aim of the study is to compare the cardiovascular risk factors, social characteristi...

Introduction: Infected diabetic foot is the leading cause of hospital admissions for people with diabetes mellitus. Diabetic foot osteomyelitis (DFO) causes high morbidity and significant mortality. Current diagnostic tests for DFO are either expensive, invasive, or of low diagnostic yield. Objective: The objective of the study was to determine...

Truncated tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase (mini-TrpRS), like any other aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, canonically functions as a protein synthesis enzyme. Here we provide evidence for an additional signaling role of mini-TrpRS in the formation of monocyte-derived multinuclear giant cells (MGCs). Interferon-gamma (IFNγ) readily induced monocyte aggregatio...

Background and Aims: Nerve conduction study (NCS) measures how fast an electrical impulse moves through the nerve and is a standard technique for diagnosing and assessing neurological diseases. Despite diabetes and obesity being a common accompaniment of peripheral neuropathy, their effects on NCS patterns have not been elucidated conclusively. Our...

Objective • Prioritising normal birth has led to harm in some instances in the UK • Australian organisations have also promoted normal birth in maternity practice • The negative impact of normal birth appears less well understood in Australia • The study explores this impact of normal birth promotion and the quality of clinical incident investigati...

Introduction This study investigated the smoking behaviours and cessation rates of head and neck cancer (HNC) patients, and their barriers and facilitators to cessation. Method The study used a mixed methods, sequential explanatory design. The quantitative data were collected at baseline (around time of cancer diagnosis) via a survey prior to comm...

Objective This study aims to establish the postoperative success rates of midvaginal versus juxtacervical obstetric vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) repairs. In addition, we aim to quantify the impact of patient sociodemographic variables, fistula classification, and surgical repair techniques associated with postoperative outcomes. Methods A retrospec...

This case is of a 34-year-old immunocompromised male with Pott’s puffy tumour, which was treated with antibiotics and endoscopic sinus surgery. Pott’s puffy tumour is typically a complication of frontal sinusitis in children and immunocompromise can be a precipitating factor. A search was conducted of Embase, Medline, CINAHL, Cochrane, Google Schol...

Background Magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) is the mainstay imaging modality in the evaluation of small bowel Crohn's disease (CD) activity and its associated complications. Few studies have assessed the indications for ordering it and its association with management changes. The objective was to identify the current clinical utilization of MR...

Background The objective of this study is to assess the current literature on the effectiveness of fibrin glue on survival of skin grafts. Fibrin glue is a possible alternative to secure skin grafts instead of traditional methods (i.e. sutures or staples). Methods Data Sources: MEDLINE, Scopus, Embase, Informit, CINAHL and the Cochrane Central Reg...

Background This study investigated the smoking behaviours and cessation rates of head and neck cancer patients and explored the barriers and facilitators to cessation. Methods A mixed methods sequential explanatory design was utilised. The quantitative data was collected through surveys prior to treatment commencement. The current smokers were foll...

Aims To evaluate outcomes of diabetic inpatient hypoglycemia among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) compared to Australian Caucasian patients. Methods A retrospective audit of diabetic patients aged >18 years admitted at a regional hospital general ward between 1st April 2015 and 31st March 2016 was analyzed. The database contains clin...

Background The Townsville Hospital is a tertiary hospital in North Queensland with one of the largest regional transplant centres in Australia, performing primarily autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCT) for various haematological malignancies. Aims This single centre, retrospective, observational study aims to describe the activit...

The present study was undertaken at the Port Moresby General Hospital, Papua New Guinea, to evaluate the ease of use and acceptability of a perineal measuring device (Episiometer) for giving a correct length and angle of a mediolateral episiotomy. An Episiometer was placed on the perineum to guide the angle and length immediately before giving an e...

Background: The prevalence of diabetes in rural and remote North Queensland is twice that of the general Australian population. The vast geographical distances in North Queensland prevent patients from accessing specialist diabetes care in tertiary hospitals. Telehealth (TH) presents a unique opportunity to overcome this barrier. However, the abili...

Purpose: To determine the effects of continued smoking in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients undergoing radiotherapy on overall survival (OS), locoregional control (LRC), quality of life (QoL) and acute and late toxicities. Methods: Articles from January 1990 to August 14, 2018 were searched in PubMed, MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase, Scopus, The Cochrane...

Background Sphincter preserving surgery for the treatment of rectal cancer is very often feasible, avoiding a permanent colostomy. It is well recognized that a large proportion of patients will experience altered bowel habit following low anterior resection (LAR). Faecal incontinence is a common symptom associated with LAR syndrome. The aim of this...

Antiemetics are medications that are frequently used in the pre‐hospital setting. However, recent evidence indicates that antiemetics are ineffective in reducing undifferentiated nausea scores and vomiting rates. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of antiemetics administered in the pre‐hospital setting. This is a systemati...

Aim: To evaluate the laparoscopic approach to adrenalectomy throughout a decade in a single area, focussing on complication rates and the effect of surgeon experience. Given the relative rareness and pathological heterogeneity of adrenal tumors, there is still some debate as to whether the laparoscopic approach is suitable for all situations. Initi...

Introduction: The Queensland Remote Chemotherapy Supervision (QReCS) model enables rural nurses to administer chemotherapy in smaller rural towns under supervision by health professionals from larger centers using telehealth. Its implementation began in North Queensland, Australia (population, 650,000), in 2014 between two regional cancer centers...

Introduction: It has been our institution's policy to not place glass medication ampoules inside our hyperbaric chamber for fear of rupture. There is only a small and conflicting amount of data as to whether glass ampoules are safe for use under hyperbaric conditions. Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to test the safety and usa...

( Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol . 2017;57(4):440–445) Obesity in pregnancy is a growing issue and has been associated with increased risk of maternal and fetal complications such as gestational diabetes and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. While increased fetal surveillance during such pregnancies has been recommended, there is little information...

A retrospective, observational study was performed of 112 patients who underwent autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) to determine the relationship between CD34+ stem cell dose and neutrophil engraftment. Importantly, a novel approach to more accurately calculate time to neutrophil engraftment was employed. The results demonst...

Aim: To summarize the reported prevalence and causative factors of Low Anterior Resection Syndrome (LARS) from studies using the LARS score. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted using Pubmed, Ovid Medline and the Cochrane database. Searches were performed using a combination of MeSH (medical subject headings) terms and key terms...

Background: The objective of the study was to determine whether serum levels of procollagen type 1 N propeptide (P1NP), a bone formation turnover marker, differs between diabetic foot ulcer with osteomyelitis (DFO) and diabetic foot ulcers without osteomyelitis serving as controls. It was also aimed to assess the usefulness of P1NP in diagnosing D...

Background: Maternal obesity is a growing health concern that has previously been associated with increased need for induction of labour (IOL) and caesarean section (CS) rates. Currently, limited evidence explores the influence of maternal body mass index (BMI) on Bishop Score (BS) and outcome of IOL. This study hypothesises that maternal obesity...

Background: Both activation of monocytes and increased serum fatty acid binding protein-4 (FABP4) occur in diabetes and are associated with increased atherosclerosis. The oxidized lipid, 9-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid (9-HODE) increases FABP4 in macrophages, and is a ligand for G protein-coupled receptor 132 (GPR132). We investigated the involvemen...

Background: The outcomes of telehealth in the management of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) have not been evaluated since the publication of recent clinical trials. Objective: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of recently published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to assess the biochemical, clinical and psychosocial outcomes of telehealth...

Introduction Aims of this study were to examine time delays in lung cancer referral pathways in North Queensland (NQ), Australia, and explore patients’ perspective of factors causing these delays. Methods Prospective study of patients attending three cancer centres in Townsville, Cairns and Mackay in NQ from 2009 to 2012. Times along referral path...

Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive disease with a five year survival rate of less than 5%, which is associated with late presentation. In recent years, research into nanomedicine and the use of nanoparticles as therapeutic agents for cancers has increased. This article describes the latest developments in the use of nanoparticles, and evaluates the...

Our aim was to evaluate ophthalmological injuries associated with fractures of the orbitozygomaticomaxillary complex that required operative treatment, and we collected data retrospectively over a period of five years (2012-2016 inclusive). Of the 190 patients, 162 were male with a median age of 31 (IQR 25 -39) years. Assault was the most common me...

Objective To determine if intravenous paracetamol was superior to oral paracetamol as an adjunct to opioids in the management of moderate to severe pain in the ED setting. Methods A prospective, randomised, double-blind, double-dummy, controlled trial was conducted at a single academic tertiary care ED. Adult patients with moderate to severe pain...

Background: Telehealth has been used extensively in Emergency Departments to improve healthcare provision. However, its impact on the management of non-critical emergency presentations within rural and remote ED settings has not been adequately explored. The objective of this systematic review is to identify how telehealth has been used to assist i...

Background: For generations, surgical training has followed the example of an apprenticeship model. However, many doctors see this training as insufficient and potentially unsafe for the patient. Web-based simulation training for teaching laparoscopic surgery is not only becoming increasingly popular but is cheaper in comparison to the traditional...

Introduction: Transcutaneous oximetry measurement (TCOM) is a non-invasive method of determining oxygen tension at the skin level using heated electrodes. Aim: To compare TCOM values generated by different machines and to establish lower limb TCOM values in a cohort of healthy individuals younger than 40 years of age. Method: Sixteen healthy,...

p>Asia-Pacific countries are experiencing lifestyle-related non-communicable disease crises. Kimbe, one of Papua New Guinea’s provincial capitals is noted as the fastest growing city in the South Pacific subcontinent yet its impact on diabetes mellitus (DM) is not known. To determine pattern of newly diagnosed DM, we conducted a retrospective revie...

Background: Obesity in pregnancy is a growing health problem conferring higher risk to both the woman and her infant. Internationally, peak bodies offer little guidance regarding the method and timing of delivery in these patients. Our hypothesis is that induction of labour (IOL) at term will not increase the caesarean section (CS) rate when compa...

Aim: To study the clinical profile, treatment and survival outcomes for advanced neuroendocrine tumour (NET) patients in Australian regional and remote settings. Methods: We reviewed all adult patients who were diagnosed with NETs between 1994 and 2012. Patients' data was extracted from electronic databases of The Townsville Cancer Centre. Remot...

Background: Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is a commonly reported complication of diabetes, requiring long-term clinical assessment. Socio-economic costs associated with travel and specialist examination can be difficult to manage, especially for patients who reside in rural/remote Australia. As such, there is a pressing need for more efficient avenues...

Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive disease with a five year survival rate of less than 5%, which is associated with late presentation. In recent years, research into nanomedicine and the use of nanoparticles as therapeutic agents for cancers has increased. This article describes the latest developments in the use of nanoparticles, and evaluates the...

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate safety and efficacy of Ipilimumab in stage IV melanoma off clinical trial and to evaluate the role of combination of platelet count and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (COP–NLR) as a potential biomarker. Methods: We reviewed all adult patients treated with Ipilimumab for stage IV melanoma either v...

Background: End-stage renal failure (ESRF) and dialysis have been identified as a risk factor for lower limb amputations (LLAs). High rate of ESRF amongst the Australian population has been reported, however till date no study has been published identifying magnitude and risk factors of LLA in subjects on renal dialysis. Objective: The study aim...

Introduction: This study aims to examine differences between outer regional (OR) and remote/very remote (RVR) patients in northern Queensland, Australia, in the times taken to receive various aspects of head and neck cancer management. Methods: Our study prospectively recruited head and neck cancer patients presenting to three North Queensland r...

Diabetic Foot Ulcers (DFUs) are major complications associated with diabetes and often correlate with peripheral neuropathy, trauma and peripheral vascular disease. It is necessary to understand the molecular and genetic basis of diabetic foot ulcers in order to tailor patient centred care towards particular patient groups. This review aimed to eva...

Objectives: To review the use of telehealth in subjects with diabetic foot ulcer; evaluating its clinical outcomes, diagnostic accuracy, cost-effectiveness and behavioural perceptions. Design: Systematic review. Setting: Selected studies were conducted in Australia, USA, the Netherlands, Denmark, Poland and UK. Participants: A total of 948 i...

Introduction: Access to radiation therapy (RT) underlies optimal care for prostate and breast cancer patients. This study investigates the impact of opening a new RT clinic on distance and road travel time to RT, and overall utilisation for prostate and breast cancer patients over a 3-year period in North Queensland (NQ), Australia. Methods: The...

Objective. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of and risk factors for lower limb amputation in a specialist foot clinic-based setting. Methods. A retrospective quantitative study was conducted, using clinical and biochemical profiles of diabetic foot patients attending the High Risk Foot Clinic at The Townsville Hospital, Australia...

Background. Renal dialysis has recently been recognised as a risk factor for lower limb amputation (LLA). However, exact rates and associated risk factors for the LLA are incompletely understood. Aim. Prevalence and risk factors of LLA in end-stage renal failure (ESRF) subjects on renal dialysis were investigated from the existing literature. Metho...

Aims: Pancreatic cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer associated death worldwide with a five year survival rate less than 5%. The poor prognosis is mainly due to late presentation in 80% of patients and its drug resistant nature. Most diagnoses are made using contrast-enhanced computed-tomography (CT) or magnetic-resonance-imaging (MRI)...