International News

Haiti earthquake 2010

Donate to the Haiti Earthquake Appeal or call 1800 811 700.

The Australian Red Cross has launched an appeal following a devastating 7.3 magnitude earthquake 15 kms off the Haitian coast at approximately 5.00 pm local time on 12 January 2010. Local and international Red Cross personnel staff and volunteers are providing relief in the most needed areas. 

US: Physician groups sue to require supervision of nurse anesthetists

3 February 2010: On Tuesday, the California Medical Association and the California Society of Anesthesiologists filed a lawsuit in San Francisco Superior Court alleging that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) skirted federal regulations when he sent a letter allowing nurse anesthetists to administer anesthesia without physician supervision, HealthLeaders Media reports.

For information on nurse anaesthetist, go to http://www.nbcrna.com/

US: Study confirms serotonin link to SIDS fatalities

(No date): A new study has confirmed the link between serotonin abnormalities and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), bringing researchers a step closer to a cure for the fatal condition.

US: Herbal memory aid a dud

2 February 2010: Ginkgo biloba is probably the herb most widely used by people hoping to prevent memory decline and dementia. If you're someone who has been taking this herb to keep your brain healthy, you may want to reconsider where you spend your money. (Journal of the American Medical Association)

US: Online nursing degrees on the rise

2 February 2010: Demand for four-year degrees in nursing along with a need for flexibility are making online programs more popular. Inside Higher Ed reports that according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the number of fully online R.N. to B.S.N. programs in the United States has grown by more than a third in the last two years. In 2007, there were 96 such programs, while in 2009, 129 existed.

PHILIPPINES: Repeaters pull down nurse board passing rate

2 February 2010: Repeaters dragged down the nursing board passing rate, Board of Nursing official Marco Sto. Tomas said Tuesday.Repeaters can take the exam as many times as they want, unlike in the old nursing old, which limited the taking of the licensure test to three, Sto. Tomas said.

US: Online cure for the nursing crisis

2 February 2010: With the baby boom generation wading into retirement, America needs more nurses. Many current nurses need more education. And, increasingly, it appears online degree programs are going to play a critical role in providing it.

US: Off-label use of second-generation antipsychotic agents among elderly nursing home residents

February 2010: OBJECTIVE: This study examined off-label and evidence-based use of second-generation antipsychotic agents among elderly nursing home residents and factors associated with off-label use. CONCLUSIONS: Although second-generation antipsychotics were frequently used for off-label indications, most of the usage was evidence based among elderly nursing home residents. However, the high level of non-evidence-based use combined with recent safety and efficacy data suggests an urgent need to address the evidence base for this vulnerable population.

US: New technology to turn patients into doctors

1 February 2010: A US doctor is predicting members of the public will soon be able to use technologies like smart phones to monitor and even treat their own health conditions. He says new technology will enable people pre-disposed to diabetes to monitor their glucose levels, pregnant women to do their own ultrasounds and medication to be administered remotely.

PHILLIPINES: 37,527 of 94,462 pass nursing exam

1 February 2010: The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announced last night that 37,527 of 94,462 examinees passed the Nursing Licensure Examination given by the Board of Nursing last November.

US: Navy nurse in Haiti finds 'thanks' in eyes

31 January 2010: Stationed aboard the USNS Comfort off the coast of Haiti for a humanitarian mission last year, Navy nurse Cathy Lovelace took care of thousands of impoverished patients from the island nation. Now, she's back, and the job is even larger. The Navy ship is serving as a 1,000-bed hospital for the tiny country that was rocked by a devastating earthquake Jan. 12, and the vessel with 12 operating rooms is giving injured Haitians a place to recover.

More deaths feared when foreign medics leave Haiti

31 January 2010: Foreign doctors treating earthquake victims at Haiti's general hospital are deeply worried many of their patients will die after they leave.

US: Book profiles furry angel of death: Oscar the cat

31 January 2010: The scientist in Dr. David Dosa was skeptical when first told that Oscar, an aloof cat kept by a nursing home, regularly predicted patients' deaths by snuggling alongside them in their final hours. The feline's bizarre talent astounds Dosa, but he finds Oscar's real worth in his fierce insistence on being present when others turn away from life's most uncomfortable topic: death.

WHO hails new Gates Foundation support for decade of vaccines

29 January 2010: WHO welcomes the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation pledge of US$ 10 billion over the next ten years to accelerate global vaccine efforts.

Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 – update 85

Weekly update

29 January 2010 -- As of 24 January 2010, worldwide more than 209 countries and overseas territories or communities have reported laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009, including at least 14711 deaths. WHO is actively monitoring the progress of the pandemic through frequent consultations with the WHO Regional Offices and member states and through monitoring of multiple sources of information.

HAITI: Money row stalls Haiti evacuations

31 January 2010: The US military has suspended medical evacuations of critically injured Haitian earthquake victims until a row over who will pay for their care is settled, The New York Times reported.

HAITI: Disease fears plague quake-hit Haiti

30 January 2010: Haiti's desperate earthquake survivors face the threat of disease, with officials reporting a rise in cases of diarrhoea, measles and tetanus in the squalid tent camps.

TURKEY: Twins' different DNA sparks parents' divorce

30 January 2010: A Turkish man decided to divorce his wife after DNA tests showed he was the father of only one of their twin boys, the mass-circulation Sabah newspaper has reported.

US: Families use social media to respond to Gardasil side effects

30 January 2010:  When I originally named the final installment in the Empowher Gardasil series, the title was "A Mother Speaks Out." Yet, I found that that one woman's story was reflected in the journeys of parents around the world who were searching to understand why their daughters had become mysteriously ill. A series of circumstances seemed to be replicating, and the Gardasil vaccine kept popping up as a common denominator.

CANADA: Cdn health advocates nervously eye Obama reforms, fear another exodus of nurses

31 January 2010: U.S. President Barack Obama's health-care package, although in political limbo, has nursing experts in Canada concerned about another exodus in their profession if provincial governments aren't vigilant in retaining nurses. Canada will be short almost 66,000 registered nurses by 2022, says the Canadian Nurses Association. As of 2007, the country had 217,000 registered nurses delivering care but needed about 11,000 more, it added.

US: Detrimental effects of energy drink consumption on platelet and endothelial function

February 2010: Energy drink consumption has been anecdotally linked with sudden cardiac death and, more recently, myocardial infarction. As myocardial infarction is strongly associated with both platelet and endothelial dysfunction, we tested the hypothesis that energy drink consumption alters platelet and endothelial function. (AJM)

US: Duluth anchor quits job to help in Haiti

29 January 2010: A Duluth, Minnesota news anchor, who is also a registered nurse, quit her day job to help those in Haiti. “I’ve got the skills and knowledge and medical expertise so in good consciousness, I couldn’t keep reading these headlines and not do something about it.”

UK: Nurses: Mandatory code needed to tackle alcohol harm

29 January 2010: The Royal College of Nursing welcomed a new Department of Health campaign to combat excessive drinking as it responded to news from the Office of National Statistics that the number of deaths caused by alcohol consumption is continuing to rise.

UK: University accused in killer probe

27 January 2010: Dundee University did not tell the employer of a nurse it had trained about his troublesome behaviour and his difficulties in working with elderly patients, an independent study has found. Problems with relatives’ concerns going unheeded, a lack of staff knowledge of clinical governance policies and systems and poor record-keeping and medicines management all contributed to the opportunities he had to get hold of drugs and kill the women.

US: Mandatory policy boosts influenza vaccination rate among health care workers

28 January 2010: A mandatory influenza vaccination policy improves immunization rates among health care workers, according to a recent study of a large health care organization. The finding comes from a study, now available online (http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/650752), published in the February 15 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases.

Local News

WEEK COMMENCING 30 JANUARY 2010

Aussie experts confirm SIDS breakthrough

4 February 2010: An Australian-led study has confirmed a lack of serotonin was a common factor with babies who die from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Private health means test 'simply flawed'

3 February 2010: The Health Insurance Association (HIA) says all Australians will suffer if the Government succeeds in means-testing the private health insurance rebate.

National curriculum won't improve clinical training capacity, Australia

3 February 2010: The Australian Medical Students' Association (AMSA) expressed surprise at a call (reported in The Australian newspaper) for the introduction of a national medical curriculum.

Preventative health care the key: Opposition

3 February 2010: The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has backed ACT Opposition calls for the Government to focus more on preventative health care. The Opposition is pushing the Government to reduce pressure on hospitals by treating patients earlier and using some of the spare capacity in the private hospital system.

Health insurance deadlock looms again

3 February 2010: The federal government's contentious plan to means-test the 30 per cent rebate for private health insurance premiums has made its way through the lower house. It has set the scene for a second showdown in the Senate, where the opposition has vowed to again block the legislation – as it did in September.

Govt urged to pump money into aged care

3 February 2010: The number of Australians aged 85 and older who will need access to nurses is expected to reach 400,000 by 2050, a lobby group says. This is five times the number of people currently in this age group, according to the Australian Nursing Federation (ANF), which is making an early budget plea to increase funding to the aged care sector.

Joyce won't back private health shake-up

3 February 2010: The federal government is pressuring opposition finance spokesman Barnaby Joyce to support its changes to private health insurance in an effort to save $100 billion by 2050. But the Nationals leader in the Senate says that won't happen – at least not yet. The opposition has vowed to sink the reforms in the Senate a second time.

Anger comes to the boil, sparing cafe workers

3 February 2010: The state government has bowed to community pressure and temporarily withdrawn plans to lease its cafe and nursery at Gladesville Hospital to a private operator, giving more than 50 mentally ill staff a six-month reprieve. The cafe, run by the Northern Sydney Central Coast Area Health Service, has been running for 13 years, allowing mentally ill people to work in a supportive environment.

Suicide attempts: patients lacking support

2 February 2009: A mental health group is warning that too many people who attempt suicide are released from the emergency room without being directed to follow-up services.

Reflections from the retiring editor of the Medical Journal of Australia

2 February 2010: The recent announcement of my intention to retire in early 2011 after 15 years as the editor of the Medical Journal of Australia, has prompted inquiries about what precisely is involved in being an editor. The following is my considered response to this somewhat challenging question.

Roxon: $5.4 million to manage asthma in schools

2 February 2010: The beginning of the 2010 school year provides a timely reminder for parents and school communities to be prepared and informed about asthma. Each February there is an increase in the number of children who need treatment for asthma. The same increase is seen in the Northern Hemisphere when children return to school after long summer holidays and smaller spikes occur after shorter holidays.

Elliott: More than $21 million for dementia research and education

2 February 2010: Minister for Ageing Justine Elliot today toured the Australian National University’s Dementia Collaborative Research Centre and announced $21.7 million in funding for Dementia Collaborative Research Centres and Dementia Study Training Centres across Australia. The $21.7 million, three and a half year commitment will provide funding to five Dementia Training Study Centres and three Collaborative Research Centres.

Whizz-bang medicine no cure for health challenges

2 February 2010: The most interesting thing about the federal government's intergenerational report is what it doesn't say about the more serious and immediate ageing-related health challenges Australia faces. Getting more and better basic services for the taxpayer's dollars spent on public hospitals in 2010, rather than fretting about the whizz-bang medicine we might miss out on in 2050, is the major priority.

Labor has 'secret private health plan'

1 February 2010: The federal government has a secret plan to slash benefits to people with private health insurance, the opposition says.

Call for national medical curriculum

2 February 2010: The head of one of Australia's major medical schools has called for students to be assessed against national competency standards to ensure they have core skills, after a government report revealed alarming gaps in junior doctors' skills.

Cancer machine mission: Medicos petition Parliament

2 February 2010: A campaign to secure a life-saving cancer scanning machine for the south-west has gained momentum with doctors across the region signing a parliamentary petition.

Hundreds of friends can't cure loneliness

2 February 2010: When I worked in the country last year, it was extremely difficult for patients to gain access to psychologists. A common criticism of mental health services among my rural colleagues was that the poor received chemical restraint through medication whereas the wealthy received extended talking therapies.

Fish oil 'reduces youth psychosis'

2 February 2010: Fish oil supplements can dramatically reduce the chance of young people developing psychosis or schizophrenia, Australian researchers say.

Socio-demographic factors put rural women at higher risk of obesity

1 February 2010: Living in rural areas does not of itself put socio-economically disadvantaged rural women and children at higher risk of overweight and obesity, according to the authors of a study published in the Medical Journal of Australia.

Plans to improve mental health

1 February 2010: When Melbourne mental health expert Professor Patrick McGorry was made Australian of the Year last Tuesday, his response was ``now that's climate change''. Prof McGorry was referring to a change in Australia's attitude towards mental illness and the increased awareness it had created.

Hospitals report low compliance with antibiotic prophylaxis guidelines, Australia

1 February 2010: Many hospitals are not complying with national guidelines for antibiotic prophylaxis in cardiac surgery, particularly those regarding the duration of antibiotic administration, according to the results of research published in the Medical Journal of Australia.

Drowning is still a big killer In australia – More research needed

1 February 2010: Two hundred and ninety people on average die from drowning in Australia each year, according to the results of research published in the Medical Journal of Australia. ... although the data showed that people aged 55 years or older represented 29 per cent of all drowning deaths, the issue of drowning in this age group had received little attention. Little was also known about drowning in rivers, he said, despite the finding that 20.3 per cent of all drowning deaths occurred in rivers, more than at beaches (18.3 per cent) or in swimming pools (13.3 per cent).

Training fails to prepare new doctors

1 February 2010: Medical students are emerging from the nation's universities feeling inadequately prepared to deal with crucial tasks such as calculating safe drug doses and writing prescriptions. In a challenge to Kevin Rudd's twin promise to improve university education and doctor shortages, a government study has also revealed that medical supervisors feel the abilities of hospital interns fall short of their expectations.

One-stop clinic closer

1 February 2010: Bundaberg Plaza is one step closer to being transformed into a medical centre after the property managers visited the centre to help finalise planning. The medical centre will run in competition to the federal government’s proposed $5 million GP super clinic.

Forgotten consumers: The history of medicine as a marketplace

31 January 2010: The health system is yearning to be a freer market. The history of modern health begins with medical care as a freely available 'consumer good' that was regulated by a royal decree. Now we have come full circle. The system is straining under its own weight and lack of flexibility. ... For the past year, the government has been struggling to pass legislation to allow nurse practitioners to operate as health care providers independent of doctors. The Australian Medical Association continues to claim that this is against the best interest of patients despite have little evidence to support this view. In fact, nurse practitioners have been a boon for many other countries. 

Energy drinks' 'serious' heart risk

31 January 2010: Just one energy drink can cause "serious heart conditions", a world-first study has found. The report, according to Adelaide Now,  has prompted Australian Medical Association state president Dr Andrew Lavender to warn people to limit their consumption of energy drinks to one a day until further urgent research into long-term consumption of the drinks is complete.

Parents urged to vaccinate kids against pneumonia

31 January 2010: The Meningitis Centre in Perth has urged parents to ensure their children are vaccinated against pneumococcal disease, which causes pneumonia and meningitis.

Mental health funding to double

31 January 2010: Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon says funding for mental health care programs will double over the next four years, amid concerns that its rebate scheme is not reaching those in need.

Australians warned of second swine flu wave

30 January 2010: Epidemiologists are warning Australians that a second wave of swine flu is likely to sweep through workplaces, homes and classrooms. They say it is only avoidable if people vaccinate themselves against the virus.

MHCA: Mental health funding to double in the next four years

30 January 2010: According to a recent statement by the Mental Health Council of Australia (MHCA), the proposed spending on Medicare-backed psychologist appointments will probably touch $2 billion by next year; paving the way for an almost two-fold increase over the next four-year period.

Opposition accepts cataract backdown

30 January 2010: The Government has been forced to compromise on its plans to halve the Medicare fee for cataract surgery in response to fierce resistance from doctors, the elderly and the Opposition. Late yesterday the Minister for Health, Nicola Roxon, announced the Medicare fee would be cut by 12 per cent instead.

Mental health fund blow-out

30 January 2010: Medicare spending on psychological therapy will blow out to $1.5 billion by 2011, twice its budget allocation, according to a new analysis. Despite the huge investment - three times the original five-year estimates when the scheme began in 2006 - the Federal Government has not released any evidence that the consultations are improving mental health.

Welcome to the website for the new Australian book Pregnancy Loss: Surviving miscarriage and stillbirth

No date: Stillbirth and miscarriage — often referred to as pregnancy loss — are devastating experiences that take parents on a lonely journey. In Pregnancy Loss: Surviving Miscarriage and Stillbirth, author Zoe Taylor provides a truthful, factual and emotional account of that journey.

Fertility link to stillborn tragedies

30 January 2010: More than 2,000 babies are stillborn in Australia each year, according to new figures that also show for the first time that mothers undergoing fertility treatment are at increased risk.

Overcoming the tragedy of miscarriage

30 January 2010: How do you find ways to describe what it's like when a baby dies during pregnancy? Sometimes even the most carefully chosen words are not enough. Try devastation, incomprehension, gut-wrenching sadness. There might be feelings of guilt, failure, anger and frustration. There can be disbelief, denial and sheer horror.

Let nurses care for patients, Australia

29 January 2010: The Australian Nursing Federation and the Australian College of Nurse Practitioners has called for calm amid hysterical and offensive dialogue coming from some healthcare sectors on the issue of nurse practitioners.

Doctors criticise GP super clinics

29 January 2010: Doctors have criticised the federal government's $275 million GP super clinics program as duplicating care in already well-serviced communities.

PM keeps open federal move on hospitals

29 January 2010: Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has defended his government's efforts to improve Australian hospitals and healthcare standards, saying he doesn't back down from a possible shift to federal control.

WHO moving towards stemming flow of doctors from poor to rich countries

29 January 2010: The World Health Organization is moving towards taking some action on the flow of health professionals from poor to rich countries. It is likely that Australia is one of its targets, argues health economist Professor Gavin Mooney.

Debate over nurse practitioner role

29 January 2010: A war of words has broken out over the role of nurse practitioners in the delivery of primary healthcare after the ACT gave approval to a clinic run by nurse practitioners. The Royal College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and the Australian Medical Association have urged the ACT Assembly to delay approval for the clinic until there is assurance that it will do no harm.

Snowdon: Aboriginal health workers get a peak national body

29 January 2010: The Minister for Indigenous Health, Warren Snowdon, today travelled to Ceduna in South Australia to launch a peak national body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers. Speaking at the Ceduna Koonibba Aboriginal Health Service, Mr Snowdon said the Rudd Government is providing $1.2 million over three years to establish the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers Association.

NSW hospitals the worst

29 January 2010: Public hospitals in NSW are the worst performing in the country when it comes to causing death and serious injuries to patients. New Productivity Commission figures on ''sentinel events'' – severely harmful incidents that occur due to a failure of hospital systems – showed 59 cases in NSW, compared with 28 in Victoria, the next worst-performing state, and 147 nationwide.

Woolridge: Mental health care crisis continues under Brumby

29 January 2010:Victoria has a declining number of mental health beds, more people failing to access care in the community prior to presenting at hospital and patients are waiting longer in emergency departments to access a bed.

GP on attack over 'false security' of bowel tests

29 January 2010: Australia's $103 million bowel cancer screening program has lulled people into a false sense of security about the disease and should be overhauled, the former president of the Australian Medical Association Kerryn Phelps says.

RACGP warns against unsupported pharmacy nurses, Australia

29 January 2010: The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners has joined the ACT Division of General Practice ( ACTDGP), the Australian Medical Association (AMA) and the Pharmacy Guild in opposing the establishment of stand alone nurse practitioners working from pharmacies in the ACT.

Seriously sick sketch

29 January 2010: Mental health advocates have lashed out at Channel 10's new station promotion, which features network stars mimicking patients in a support group, "suffering'' from their celebrity status.

City doctors: the push to go bush

28 January 2010: The Rural Education Assistance Program (Rural LEAP) will offer 150 urban GPs emergency training in exchange for them working temporarily in regional areas.

The political dilemma of an ageing population

28 January 2010: We all accept that Australia’s population is ageing.  Demographic evidence shows that life expectancy at birth is now 78.9 years for males and 83.6 years for females. These figures are from the CIA World Factbook 2009 and from the 2006 revision of the United Nations World Population Prospects report for 2005-2010. Although there is a suggestion that with the growing epidemic of obesity, type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease, future generations may be the first to not enjoy the same longevity as their predecessors, we will have an ageing population for the foreseeable future.

Midwives protest contracts with doctors

28 January 2010: In a letter to health minister Nicola Roxon, 22 academic midwifery and child health researchers say a last-minute amendment to maternity reforms that enforces collaborative arrangements on midwives will effectively hold the midwifery profession hostage to the whims of doctors and detract from patient care.

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