eMJA: Walter, Olympic couch potatoes

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Olympic couch potatoes

MJA 2000; 173: 664

The Sydney Olympic Games were captivating. Hordes of people flocked to the torch relay, the sports stadiums and entertainment venues. When not out and about, most of us spent a considerable amount of time glued to the action on television, a pastime not without potential complications. During the Games, my wife, a pharmacist at a large teaching hospital, reported that a newly admitted patient had been given a diagnosis of "TV vegetation". Was this a new syndrome, comprising stiffness, visual impairment, insomnia and blunted mind, the culmination of countless hours of TV viewing? Had the condition been described in Atlanta or Barcelona? Was SOCOG about to be bombarded with compensation claims? Had the consultant been too frivolous and abusive of medical terminology, or was he "sharing the spirit" and participating appropriately in the Olympic banter? None of the above. The patient, a young intravenous drug user, had "tricuspid valve vegetation", and had been admitted with a high fever and renal failure. He eventually made a full recovery.

Garry Walter
Acting Director
Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Health Services
Central Sydney Area Health Service, Sydney, NSW

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