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A 76 year old man with metastatic liver cancer lies feebly in his hospital bed surrounded by family. He’s in cardiac and respiratory failure. Attached to him are multiple lines, cannulas and monitors. There are more machines present than people. Despite this, his breathing is laboured, he’s gaunt, and he is clearly suffering. In a [...]
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Australian National University
During the summer break of our third year of medicine at the University of Tasmania, we decided to embark on an elective at Padhar in India. The country of India fascinated us as an opportunity to experience a very different health care system and to learn more about the Indian culture. Padhar is a small [...]
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University of Tasmania
Should we bring back the white coat? Is it time for this once-venerated symbol of medicine to re-establish itself amongst a new generation of fledgling practitioners? Or, is this icon of medical apparel nothing more than a potentially dangerous relic of a bygone era? Introduction The white coat has long been a symbol of the [...]
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James Cook University
Intraoperative awareness and subsequent explicit recall can lead to prolonged psychological damage in patients. There are many methods currently in place to prevent this potentially traumatic phenomenon from occurring. Such methods include identifying haemodynamic changes in the patient, monitoring volatile anaesthetic concentration, and various electroencephalographic algorithms that correlate with a particular level...
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Monash University
Doctors continue to record significant rates of burn out, stress-related illness, substance abuse and suicide, despite greater awareness of these issues in the profession. [1,2] Whilst improved support services have been a positive move, there are underlying systemic issues that must be addressed within the profession. Physician distress results from a complex interplay of several [...]
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Flinders University
Introduction In this article we give an account of establishing a sustainable project in Uganda. We describe our experiences, both positive and negative, and discuss how such endeavours are beneficial to both students and universities. The substantial work contributed by an increasing group of students at our university and around Australia demonstrates an increasing push [...]
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University of Tasmania
Introduction Over the last five years, a number of overseas companies, such as 23andMe, have begun to offer direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic tests to estimate the probability of an individual developing various diseases. Although no Australian DTC companies exist due to regulations mandating the involvement of a health practitioner, Australian consumers are free to access overseas [...]
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University of Sydney
Introduction Needle-stick injury represents a serious occupational hazard for medical professionals, and much time is spent on educating students and practitioners on its prevention. Acquiring a blood-borne viral infection such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis B or C from a patient is a rare yet devastating event. While most often associated with ‘sharps’ injuries, [...]
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Flinders University
Introduction An arterial aneurysm is defined as a localised dilation of an artery to greater than 50% of its normal diameter. [1] Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is common with an incidence five times greater in men than women. [2] In Australia the prevalence of AAAs is 4.8% in men aged 65-69 years rising to 10.8% [...]
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University of Sydney
The concept of a “good death” has developed immensely over the past few decades and we now recognise the important role of palliative care services in healthcare for the dying, our most vulnerable population. [1-3] In palliative care, end-of-life care pathways have been developed to transfer the gold standard hospice model of care for the [...]
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Monash University