BackgroundOnly an estimated 54% of people living with HIV are aware of their status. Despite progress scaling up HIV testing services (HTS), a testing gap remains. Delivery of HTS by lay providers may help close this testing gap, while also increasing uptake and acceptability of HIV testing among key populations and other priority groups.Methods50 National HIV testing policies were collated from WHO country intelligence databases, contacts and testing program websites. Data regarding lay provider use for HTS was extracted and collated. Our search had no geographical or language restrictions. This data was then compared with reported data from the Global AIDS Response Progress Reporting (GARPR) from July 2015.ResultsForty-two percent of countries permit lay providers to perform HIV testing and 56% permit lay providers to administer pre-and post-test counseling. Comparative analysis with GARPR found that less than half (46%) of reported data from countries were consistent with their corresponding national HIV testing policy.ConclusionsGiven the low uptake of lay provider use globally and their proven use in increasing HIV testing, countries should consider revising policies to support lay provider testing using rapid diagnostic tests.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13104-016-2339-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background Colorectal cancer surgery is complex and can result in severe post-operative complications. Optimisation of surgical outcomes requires a thorough understanding of the background complexity and comorbid status of patients. Aim The aim of this study is to determine whether certain pre-existing comorbidities are associated with high grade post-operative complications following colorectal cancer surgery. The study also aims to define the prevalence of demographic, comorbid and surgical features in a population undergoing colorectal cancer resection. Method A colorectal cancer database at The Prince Charles Hospital was established to capture detailed information on patient background, comorbidities and clinicopathological features. A single-centre retrospective study was undertaken to assess the effect of comorbidities on post-operative outcomes following colorectal cancer resection. Five hundred and thirty-three patients were reviewed between 2010–2018 to assess if specific comorbidities were associated with higher grade post-operative complications. A Clavien-Dindo grade of three or higher was defined as a high grade complication. Results Fifty-eight percent of all patients had an ASA grade of ASA III or above. The average BMI of patients undergoing resection was 28 ± 6.0. Sixteen percent of all patients experienced a high grade complications. Patients with high grade complications had a higher mean average age compared to patients with low grade or no post-operative complications (74 years vs 70 years, p = 0.01). Univariate analysis revealed patients with atrial fibrillation, COPD, ischaemic heart disease and heart failure had an increased risk of high grade complications. Multivariate analysis revealed pre-existing atrial fibrillation (OR 2.70, 95% CI 1.53–4.89, p <0.01) and COPD (OR 2.02 1.07–3.80, p = 0.029) were independently associated with an increased risk of high grade complications. Conclusion Pre-existing atrial fibrillation and COPD are independent risk factors for high grade complications. Targeted perioperative management is necessary to optimise outcomes.

Introduction: We performed a validation study at our institution, the International Union Against Cancer (Union for International Cancer Control latest version of TNM Classification of Malignant Tumors Eighth Edition).Methods: Data were collected from the Queensland Oncology Online registry of NSCLC or SCLC cases between 2000 and 2015 and validated against the Queensland Integrated Lung Cancer Outcomes Project registry using case identification number, first name, last name, and date of birth. Where data were available, cases were classified according to the Union for International Cancer Control TNM seventh edition stage groupings and then compared with the eighth edition groupings. Kaplan-Meier curves were plotted, and the log-rank test of survival differences was performed with SPSS version 25 (IBM Corp, Armonk, NY).