Volume 199 Issue 8

Collection of data on adverse events is challenging, and part of the challenge is ensuring that the data are put to good use.

Neville Board RN, BA, MPH

Bicycling as a mode of transport has great health benefits, but the rate of serious injury to bicyclists is a concern in Australia. Recent research findings contribute to the evidence for promoting the wearing of helmets as one means of reducing serious head injuries and deaths.

Peter A Cameron MB BS, MD, FACEM · Frank McDermott MB BS, MD, FRACS · Jeffrey V Rosenfeld MB BS, MD, FRACS

The full content of this article is available by downloading the PDF.

The full content of this article is available by downloading the PDF.

Alongside the current clinical approaches to reduce the duration of mental disorders, it is time to focus on a complementary approach to reduce their incidence.

Anthony F Jorm PhD, DSc · Nicola J Reavley PhD

Halloween is becoming increasingly popular in Australia, but what are the public health implications?The use of fictional characters and festivals to sell unhealthy commodities is well established. Both Santa Claus and the Easter bunny have been employed to influence people, especially children, towards unhealthy behaviour.1,2 Each year, on 31 October, an increasing number of witches and wizards darken the doors of Australian households, demanding free junk ...

Gillian P Porter MB BS, DCH · Nathan J Grills MB BS, DPhil, MPH

As the number of female soldiers and veterans increases, and their roles expand, it is important that medical professionals are aware of the gender-specific health effects of service.

Susan J Neuhaus MB BS, PhD, FRACS · Samantha L Crompvoets BSc(Hons), PhD

Can assessing risk factors for suicide attempts help in predicting suicide risk?

Michael S Gordon · Glenn A Melvin

In reply: It is not possible to usefully divide patients who present in psychological crisis into those at higher or lower risk of eventual suicide. Categorising patients in this way cannot assist in determining their management. Acknowledging this, Gordon and Melvin speculate that it might be possible to usefully divide such patients into those at higher or lower risk of eventual suicide attempt. That seems unlikely. ...

Christopher J Ryan · Matthew M Large · Sascha Callaghan

To the Editor: Since the Henry tax review recommended broadening the base of the goods and services tax (GST),2 there have been rumours that the current exemption for fresh foods, such as fruits and vegetables, might be removed.2 Changes in government are often accompanied by a review of policies, and broadening the tax base is appealing because it would increase efficiency and raise revenue. But ...

J Lennert Veerman · Linda J Cobiac

Heightened international surveillance efforts mean that direct CJD transmission through contaminated surgical instruments has not been clearly documented for 36 years.

Robert A Hodgson

In reply: We thank Hodgson for sharing his concerns, affording us the opportunity to reassure the medical and non-medical communities about the utility of recently revised infection control guidelines for Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD).1 We reiterate that sporadic CJD is already endemic in Australia, necessitating guidelines that are regularly updated to ensure relevant scientific developments are incorporated, and that variant CJD (a zoonosis related to “mad ...

Steven J Collins · Eugene Athan · Ann P Koehler

Checking whether an individual has registered consent for organ donation before discussing donation with the family can make a difference to the family’s decision.

Hugh O Stephens · David V Pilcher · Helen I Opdam

Changes in surgical practice that can be attributed to this audit program during its first 10 years contributed to a 30% reduction in deaths of patients in hospital while under the care of a surgeon.

Diana G Azzam BSc(Hons), PhD · C Adeline Neo BSc · Franca E Itotoh BSc · R James Aitken MB BS, MS, FRACS

The Classification of Hospital Acquired Diagnoses reporting system might seem complex, but this study shows that automating it can allow users to analyse complication rates by clinically meaningful factors, such as specialty or ward. Potential applications include assessing the benefits of patient safety initiatives and identifying ways of preventing lengthy hospital stays.

Kevin M Trentino BCom · Stuart G Swain BCM · Sally A Burrows BMath, GradDipMedStat · Peter C Sprivulis MB BS, PhD, FACEM · Frank F S Daly MB BS, FACEM, FLWA

A multinational survey finds substantial increases in testosterone prescribing over the past two decades, encouraged by permissive guidelines that promote off-label prescribing for older men. This overuse of testosterone may lead to increased incidence of cardiovascular disease among older men.

David J Handelsman MB BS, FRACP, PhD

Weather-related natural disasters in Queensland in recent years have damaged not only property, but also the mental condition of those affected.

Susan L Clemens MPH · Helen L Berry PhD · Brett M McDermott MD, FRANZCP · Catherine M Harper MPH

17-α-hydroxylase deficiency is a rare cause of congenital adrenal hyperplasia that often goes undiagnosed into adulthood. Clinicians’ awareness of the presenting characteristics that distinguish this deficiency from more common forms of the disease is important.

Fiona L Britten MB BS, BA/BSc · Kimberly B Ulett MD · Emma L Duncan FRACP, PhD, LMusA · Donald A Perry-Keene MB BS(Hons), FRACP

Dorothy (Billie) Greening was born on 13 April 1917 in Sydney. Her father was a confectioner, and she had one brother and three sisters. The family moved to Glen Innes, where she gained her leaving certificate and topped the class. Billie trained as a nurse at Prince Henry Hospital in Sydney and studied midwifery at Crown Street Women’s Hospital. In 1943, she joined the Australian Army Nursing ...

James B Roche

The authors of this book work in Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada, and are well known to and respected by many Australian cardiologists working in the field of cardiac arrhythmia. The first edition was published in 2010. In view of the rapid advances in arrhythmia management, particularly the new medication and guidelines for management of atrial fibrillation (AF), as well as in catheter ablation, ...

William F Heddle

A chronic shortage of child and adolescent psychiatrists is leaving vulnerable children and young people without necessary treatment

Annabel McGilvray

A new $17 million education centre at Sydney Adventist Hospital (SAH) will be officially opened on Friday, 1 November.

Cate Swannell

Professor Ian Haines is a medical oncologist who is unafraid to wear his heart on his sleeve if it helps his patients feel supported through their cancer treatment

Cate Swannell

Med J Aust 2013; 199 (8 Suppl).