Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major public health challenge for Australia. Acute infection progresses to chronic disease in up to 75% of cases, and these people are at risk of progressive liver fibrosis leading to cirrhosis, liver failure and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Around 20%–30% of people with chronic HCV infection will develop cirrhosis, generally after 20–30 years of infection. Continue reading
Defining MCI
Most people with dementia go through a prodromal stage in which they or those close to them note that their memories are poor, but they are still able to cope with their normal routines and do not fulfil the diagnostic criterion for dementia of experiencing significant impairment of social or occupational functioning. The term Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) emerged in the 1990s in succession to a previous series of diagnostic entities dating back to 1962 which has included such terms as Benign Senescent Forgetfulness and Age Associated Memory Impairment. Continue reading
John was a professional in his 30s who was driving to work when he experienced sudden difficulty breathing, chest tightness, dizziness, tingling in his arms, nausea and thought that he was having a heart attack and losing control. He called for an ambulance and was taken to the emergency department where he had numerous tests that came back negative for a heart attack or medical problem. He was told that he probably had a panic attack. Continue reading
Bipolar disorder is characterized by a vulnerability to mood instability which is of more intensity and of longer duration than what would be considered normal. The defining mood pole is the manic one, with elated mood, excessive goal-directed motor drive, overabundant energy, racing thoughts and a reduced need to sleep. Continue reading
Anaphylaxis is a serious rapid in onset allergic reaction that may result in death.
Anaphylaxis is not common although, for unknown reasons, its incidence is increasing. Anaphylaxis occurs in all age groups. It is observed that the major causes of anaphylaxis vary with age, for example, food is a common trigger in the paediatric age group and medications more so in older adults. Continue reading
Incontinence management in primary care is often a difficult topic, as there seem to be a number of possible diagnoses and the assessment can take time. Continue reading
Endometrial polyps are common findings in women presenting with abnormal uterine bleeding – heavy menstrual bleeding, intermenstrual bleeding, and postmenopausal bleeding. Its prevalence is also higher in women with subfertility. Continue reading
The role of intestinal parasites such as Giardia Lamblia and Cryptosporidium in causing human disease is well known. More recently due to improvements in diagnostic tests, other parasites are also being recognized as pathogens. This is expanding the list of “single word answers” to chronic gastrointestinal complaints such as diarrhea predominant irritable bowel syndrome. Continue reading
Prostate cancer remains an important public health issue ranking as the second-leading cause of cancer death for males in Australia1. Continue reading
Breast cancer is the most common cancer to affect women and the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia1. Continue reading
