Objective To compare standard management of keeping wounds dry and covered with allowing wounds to be uncovered and wet in the first 48 hours after minor skin excision. Design Prospective, randomised controlled, multicentre trial testing for equivalence of infection rates. Setting Primary care in regional centre, Queensland, Australia. Participants 857 patients randomised to either keep their wound dry and covered (n = 442) or remove the dressing and wet the wound (n = 415). Results The incidence of infection in the intervention group (8.4%) was not inferior to the incidence in the control group (8.9%) (P < 0.05). The one sided 95% confidence interval for the difference of infection rates was ∞ to 0.028. Conclusion These results indicate that wounds can be uncovered and allowed to get wet in the first 48 hours after minor skin excision without increasing the incidence of infection.

ObjectivesTo investigate women’s understanding and attitudes towards the National Cervical Screening Program (NCSP) and to explore methods to improve screening participation.DesignSemi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted through convenience and snowball sampling. Thematic analysis occurred using the interpretivist framework.SettingA private general practice in North Queensland.ParticipantsWomen between the ages of 18 and 74 who attended the general practice were eligible to participate. Fourteen women between 20 and 58 years old were interviewed.ResultsParticipants were concerned that the new NCSP would miss cancer due to longer screening intervals and reliance on primary human papilloma virus (HPV) testing. They believed that young women are at increased risk of cervical cancer, due to perceived HPV vaccine ineffectiveness and parent objection to vaccination. Most participants were not agreeable to self-sampling and preferred their doctor to perform screening. Personal and practitioner beliefs influenced a woman’s screening participation. Personal factors include being healthy for themselves and their family, previous abnormal smears and family history of cancer. Emphasis was placed on feeling ‘comfortable’ with their practitioner which included patient rapport and gender preference. Proposed methods to improve cervical screening included education programmes, advertising campaigns, general practitioner interventions and improving accessibility.ConclusionsIt is apparent that women are hesitant about the new NCSP. However, when provided with additional information they were more amenable to the changes. This highlights the need to improve awareness of cervical screening and the new NCSP.

Australia may be the first country to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health issue due to its longstanding National Cervical Screening Program (NCSP) and the early introduction of the Gardasil vaccine for Human Papillomavirus (HPV) into the National Immunisation Program Schedule. 1 In December 2017, Australia updated the NCSP by replacing bi-annual pap smears with a 5-yearly Cervical Screening Test (CST) for Human Papillomavirus (HPV). 2,3 Women now commence cervical screening at 25 years old. This delay in screening is to prevent the overscreening and overinvestigation of young women as cervical screening has not reduced the incidence or mortality rate from cervical cancer in women under 25 since the introduction of the NCSP in Australia. Furthermore, the new NCSP incorporates the opportunity for self-sampling among eligible women. Women over 30, who are under-and never screened, can be offered a self-collected high vaginal swab instead of a traditional pap smear. 2 As the new NCSP was implemented 2 years ago, there is minimal research regarding Australian women's awareness and attitudes towards the new guidelines. A recent survey by the Australian Cervical Cancer Foundation (ACCF) identified that only 23% of women were aware that the CST should be performed every 5 years. 4 A study of