Aust Fam Physician
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A national chronic disease strategy has been described focusing on health promotion and lifestyle change, screening and evidence based disease management. The Lifescripts resources complement this strategy by focusing on health promotion and lifestyle change. ⋯ Effective indigenous health promotion requires appropriate tools for behavioural modification and community engagement. This involves a greater emphasis on the social determinants of health to reduce the barriers to healthy behaviours. The indigenous Lifescripts provide a flexible tool for health care providers in the indigenous health sector to deliver lifestyle related brief interventions that accommodate local community resources and support structures. However, to maximise their potential, a systematic approach to incorporating these tools into practice must be adopted.
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Asthma mortality rates in Australia have declined over the past 20 years but are not low by international standards. Evidence based guidelines such as the National Asthma Council's Asthma management handbook, Enhanced Primary Care financial incentives, and practice recall infrastructure can be utilised in general practice to manage patients with asthma. ⋯ Asthma is one of the Australian Government's chronic disease health priorities. To promote ideal asthma care and management, incentives such as the Asthma Cycle of Care, GP Management Plans and Team Care Arrangements have been instituted. However, trends in the use of these incentives must be maintained if we are to continue to reduce Australia's asthma mortality rate.
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Although tramadol induced neuropsychiatric toxicity, dependence and withdrawal have been extensively reported in chronic pain sufferers, such cases continue to surface in clinical practice. ⋯ Patients and prescribers are reminded of the risk of severe morbidity including seizures associated with tramadol withdrawal. Serotonin syndrome can be precipitated with tramadol use especially in combination with other serotonergic drugs.
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Female patients were significantly more likely to present (8 per 1000 encounters) at upper abdominal encounters than were males (6 per 1000). Female patients were over represented (64.5%) compared with total BEACH (56.8%), as were patients of non-English speaking background and patients aged 25-64 years. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients were seen marginally more often than average at these encounters. Very young and elderly patients were under represented.