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Objectives: Women released from prison typically experience worse health outcomes than their male counterparts. We examined sex differences in the patterns, characteristics, and predictors of acute health service contact (AHSC) (i.e. ambulance and/or emergency department use) after release from prison., Study Design: Data linkage study., Methods: Baseline survey data from 1307 adults (21% women) within six weeks of expected release from prisons in Queensland, Australia (2008-2010) were linked prospectively with state-wide ambulance and emergency department, correctional, mental health, and death records. Crude and adjusted incidence rates and incidence rate ratios of AHSC were calculated overall and by sex. An Andersen-Gill model was fit to examine whether sex predicted AHSC. The interaction effect between sex and each model covariate was tested., Results: The crude incidence rates of AHSC after release from prison were 1.4 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.3-1.5) and 1·1 (95%CI: 1.1-1.2) per person-year for women and men, respectively. The relationship between perceived physical health-related functioning at the baseline and AHSC was modified by sex (P = 0·039). The relationship between perceived health-related functioning and AHSC also differed among women. Compared to women who perceived their physical health as fair or good at the baseline, women who perceived their physical health as poor were at greater risk of AHSC (hazard ratio = 2.4, 95%CI: 1.4-3·9, P = 0.001) after release from prison., Conclusions: Among people released from prison, women's and men's AHSC differs depending on how they perceive their own physical health. The specific needs of women and men must be considered in transitional support policy and planning to improve their health outcomes., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: People who inject drugs are overrepresented in prison and have diverse and complex health needs. However, outcomes after release from prison are poorly understood, limiting effective interventions supporting community reintegration. We describe the prevalence of socio-demographics, physical and mental health, alcohol and other drug use, and crime characteristics of men with histories of injecting drug use after their release from prison in Victoria, Australia., Methods: Data come from the Prison and Transition Health (PATH) prospective cohort study. Interviews were undertaken approximately three, 12, and 24 months after release from their index prison episode and were completed in the community, or in prison for those reimprisoned during the study. We present cross-sectional descriptive statistics for each follow-up wave of the PATH study., Results: Among 400 men recruited into PATH, 85 % (n = 336) completed at least one follow-up interview; 162 (42 %) completed all three interviews. Participants reported social disadvantage and health inequity, including high rates of unemployment, homelessness, and physical and mental health morbidities at each follow-up time point. Rapid return to illicit substance use was common, as was overdose (ranging 9 %-13 %), receptive syringe sharing (ranging 20 %-29 %), involvement in crime-related activities (ranging 49 %-58 %), and reimprisonment (ranging 22 %-50 %) over the duration of follow-up., Conclusion: Men in this study experienced substantial health and social challenges across a 24-month prospective follow-up period. Improved understanding of characteristics and experiences of this group after release from prison can inform more coordinated and continued care between prison and the community., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The detection of small parenchymal hepatic lesions identified by preoperative imaging remains a challenge for traditional pathologic methods in large specimens. We developed a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compatible localization device for imaging of surgical specimens aimed to improve identification and localization of hepatic lesions ex vivo., Materials and Methods: The device consists of two stationary and one removable MR-visible grids lined with silicone gel, creating an orthogonal 3D matrix for lesion localization. To test the device, five specimens of swine liver with a random number of lesions created by microwave ablation were imaged on a 3T MR scanner. Two readers independently evaluated lesion coordinates and size, which were then correlated with sectioning guided by MR imaging., Results: All lesions (n=38) were detected at/very close to the expected localization. Inter-reader agreement of lesion localization was almost perfect (0.92). The lesion size estimated by MRI matched macroscopic lesion size in cut specimen (±2mm) in 34 and 35, respectively, out of 38 lesions., Conclusion: Use of this MR compatible device for ex vivo imaging proved feasible for detection and three-dimensional localization of liver lesions, and has potential to play an important role in the ex vivo examination of surgical specimens in which pathologic correlation is clinically important., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Ex-prisoners with a history of injecting drug use (IDU) experience disproportionate drug-related harm. Rapid resumption of substance use following prison release is common and evidenced in high rates of overdose mortality. However, few studies have documented the rate of IDU resumption following prison release or identified risk factors for relapse., Methods: Structured interviews were conducted with 533 adults with a history of IDU in Queensland, Australia prior to release from prison and approximately 1, 3 and 6 months post-release. Incidence of self-reported IDU resumption was calculated overall and for each follow-up interval. Risk factors associated with time to resumption of IDU were estimated using discrete-time survival analysis., Results: IDU resumption was reported by 41% of participants during a median of 98days of follow-up (IQR=94-121), an overall crude incidence of 1.06 per person-year. The highest rate was observed in the first month (23%; crude incidence 2.24 per person-year). In adjusted discrete-time survival analyses, being unemployed at the previous interview (AHR=1.59; 95%CI:1.10-2.30), shorter incarceration (≤90days vs. >365days; AHR=2.20; 95%CI:1.33-3.65), and IDU during the index incarceration (AHR=2.80; 95%CI:1.92-4.09) were significantly associated with time to IDU resumption; parole was protective (AHR=0.66; 95%CI:0.47-0.92)., Conclusions: Evidence-based efforts to prevent IDU in prison and IDU resumption after release are important for both prisoner and public health. Enhancing opportunities for employment and capitalising on the short-term benefits of parole for ex-prisoners may delay resumption of IDU after release from prison. These strategies should complement rather than replace harm reduction efforts for this high-risk population., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The purpose of this study was to identify magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of intramammary metastases (IM). We identified 8 cases with IM, which were investigated by breast MRI (1.5T). In every case, the diagnosis of IM was proven histopathologically on breast biopsy specimens. Overall, 187 IM were identified. IM had inconsistent MRI features, which cannot be clearly classify as benign or malignant. IM should be taken into consideration in the differential diagnosis of breast lesions to avoid possible misinterpretations., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Release from prison is a period of elevated risk for drug-related harms, particularly among people who inject drugs (PWID). Non-fatal overdose can cause serious morbidity and predicts future fatal overdose, however neither the incidence nor the risk factors for non-fatal overdose following release from prison are well understood., Methods: Structured health-related interviews were conducted with 1051 adult prisoners in Queensland, Australia prior to release and approximately 1, 3 and 6 months post-release. Incidence of self-reported overdose in the community was calculated for PWID and all prisoners for three discrete time periods. Negative binomial regression with robust error variance was used to identify pre-release predictors of overdose among PWID., Results: The incidence of reported overdose was highest between 1 and 3 months post-release (37.8 per 100 person-years (PY) among PWID; 24.5/100 PY among all ex-prisoners). In adjusted analyses, the risk of post-release non-fatal overdose was higher for PWID who reported: being unemployed for >6 months before prison, having been removed from family as a child, at least weekly use of benzodiazepines and/or pharmaceutical opiates in the 3 months prior to prison, and ever receiving opioid substitution therapy (OST). Pre-release psychological distress and a lifetime history of mental disorder also predicted overdose, whereas risky alcohol use in the year before prison was protective., Conclusions: PWID have a high risk of overdose following release from prison. Imprisonment is an opportunity to initiate targeted preventive interventions such as OST, overdose prevention training and peer-delivered naloxone for those with a high risk profile., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: This study aimed to assess the predictive validity of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) among adult prisoners with respect to hazardous drinking following release, and identify predictors of post-release hazardous drinking among prisoners screening positive for risk of alcohol-related harm on the AUDIT., Methods: Data came from a survey-based longitudinal study of 1325 sentenced adult prisoners in Queensland, Australia. Baseline interviews were conducted pre-release with follow-up at 3 and 6 months post-release. We calculated sensitivity, specificity and area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) to quantify the predictive validity of the AUDIT administered at baseline with respect to post-release hazardous drinking. Other potential predictors of hazardous drinking were measured by self-report and their association with the outcome was examined using logistic regression., Results: At a cut-point of 8 or above, sensitivity of the AUDIT with respect to hazardous drinking at 3-month follow-up was 81.0% (95%CI: 77.9-84.6%) and specificity was 65.6% (95%CI: 60.6-70.3%). The AUROC was 0.78 (95%CI: 0.75-0.81), indicating moderate accuracy. Among those scoring 8 or above, high expectations to drink post-release (AOR: 2.49; 95%CI: 1.57-3.94) and past amphetamine-type stimulant (ATS) use (AOR: 1.64; 95%CI: 1.06-2.56) were significantly associated with hazardous drinking at 3 months post-release. Results were similar at 6 months., Conclusions: Among adult prisoners in our sample, pre-release AUDIT scores predicted hazardous drinking six months after release with acceptable accuracy, sensitivity and specificity. Among prisoners screening positive on the AUDIT, expectations of post-release drinking and ATS use are potential targets for intervention to reduce future hazardous drinking., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of injecting drug use and associated risk behaviour among a sentinel sample of ecstasy users., Methods: Cross-sectional surveys were conducted with regular ecstasy users as part of an annual monitoring study of ecstasy and related drug markets in all Australian capital cities., Results: Twenty-three percent of the sample reported having ever injected a drug and 15% reported injecting in the 6 months preceding interview. Independent predictors of lifetime injection were older age, unemployment and having ever been in prison. Completion of secondary school and identifying as heterosexual was associated with a lower likelihood of having ever injected. Participants who had recently injected typically did so infrequently; only 9% reported daily injecting. Methamphetamine was the most commonly injected drug. Prevalence of needle sharing was low (6%), although half (47%) reported sharing other injecting equipment in the preceding 6 months., Conclusions: Ecstasy users who report having injected a drug at some time appear to be demographically different to ecstasy users who have not injected although neither are they typical of other drug injectors. The current investigation suggests that ongoing monitoring of injecting among regular ecstasy users is warranted.