Letters

Those of us who spend our time working in public health need a thick skin

Rosemary Stanton PhD(Hon), BSc, APD

There is room for improvement in mental health training opportunities for GPs in rural areas

Malcolm P Forbes MB BS · David B King MB BS, FRACGP, MPH

Every day, psychiatrists work closely with GPs

Malcolm J Hopwood FRANZCP, MPM, MD

Responsibility for health care in detention must be transferred from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection to an independent body

Peter Young MB BS, FRANZCP

Continued vigilance and screening of high-risk men and women for is advised

Pam Konecny MD, FRACP, FAChSHM · Josephine Lusk MB ChB, PhD, FAChSHM

Increased testing could be partly due to previous guideline recommendations

Veronica C Hoad MB BS, MPH, FAFPHM · Aesen Thambiran MB BS, FRACGP

The RACGP recommend that screening be limited to those at highest risk

Katy Bell MB ChB, MMed(ClinEpi), PhD

Infections acquired through cheaper overseas medical procedures often lead to costly care at home

Ruchir Chavada FRACP, FRCPA, MRCP · Siong H Hui FRACP · Vana Nagendra FRACP, FRCPA

HIV infection is not only seen in men who have sex with men

Ian J Woolley MB BS, FRACP, MD · Tony M Korman MB BS(Hons), FRACP, FRCPA

The reduction in infection rate observed by Entesari-Tatafi et al may have been due to a variation of the Hawthorne effect

Philip G Reasbeck MD, FRACS FRACMA · Sue Flockhart RN, GradDipInfCont, MNursing

A brief survey highlights the high level of NIPT awareness among pregnant women

Susannah J Maxwell MPH, BSc · Jan E Dickinson MD, FRANZCOG, DDU · Peter O’Leary PhD, MAACB, FFSc(RCPA)

Toxic epidermal necrolysis associated with use of contrast medium (comment on case report)

Lloyd J Ridley MB BS, FRANZCR · Sandhya Limaye PhD, FRACP, FRCPA

A rare benign carcinoma is caused by a mutation in the fumarate hydratase gene

Nira Chinniah MB BS(Hons), MMed(Clin Epi) · Patricia Lowe MB BS(Hons), MMed, FACD

Heatwave conditions correlate with increased heat exhaustion, sunburn and contact burns in kids

Lisa Martin RN, MPubHealth · Sally A Burrows BMath, GradDipMedStat · Fiona M Wood FRACS

Counselling and pharmacotherapy are more effective than unassisted cessation of smoking

Colin P Mendelsohn MB BS(Hons) · Paul V Camp MN, GradDipHealthPromotion, CertSmokingCessation

Many smokers quit on their own, and unassisted quitting should be considered before other methods

Peter L Thompson MD, FRACP, FACC · Alistair W Vickery MB BS, FRACGP

Improving health care access in northern Australia

Simon Quilty BEng, MPhilPH, FRACP · Lisa Bachmayer BAppSc(OT) · Andrew Congdon BAppSc(OT)

Should antenatal care of women in northern Australian communities include S. stercoralis ELISA testing in routine screening?

Russell Hays MB BS, DTM · Robyn McDermott FAFPHM, MPH, PhD

The problem of amphetamine-type stimulant use in Indigenous communities must be faced now

Alan R Clough PhD, MSc · Michelle Fitts PGradDipCrim · Jan Robertson DPH, RN

Our best opportunity to reduce melanoma mortality still lies with early detection

Sarah L Smithson MB BS · Yan Pan MB BS(Hons), BMedSc(Hons), FACD · Victoria Mar MB BS, FACD

Clinical research embedded in cancer treatment centres improves both outcomes and cure rates at minimal cost

Catherine H Cole MB BS, FRACP, FRCPA

Improving use of antimicrobials in Australia requires change in doctors’ practice and PBS arrangements

Angus J Thompson BPharm(Hons), MSc, CGP · Ivan Bindoff BComp(Hons), PhD · Andrew C Stafford BPharm(Hons), PhD, AACPA

Unnecessary or unnecessarily long courses of antibiotics promote resistance

Gwendolyn L Gilbert MD, FRACP, MBioethics

Two paediatricians who have recently visited Nauru disagree with statements made by IHMS doctors

Hasantha Gunasekera MIPH(Hons), FRACP, PhD · David Isaacs MD, FRACP, FRCPCH