Aust Fam Physician
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Fever is among the most frequently reported problems in returning travellers. ⋯ The returned traveller may present with fever and it is important to exclude life threatening conditions such as malaria that may be related to the travel. A complete risk assessment should be undertaken, including a complete travel history, examination and further investigations, to help to narrow the differential diagnosis. Common tropical diseases found include malaria, dengue, enteric fever, rickettsial infections and respiratory infections. General practitioners should be alert to the public health implications of travel related diseases.
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As more people travel, and with an expanding aged population, the number of older travellers, including those with significant medical or physical impairment will increase significantly. ⋯ Factors for consideration are: destination and itinerary; the traveller's current medical condition, state of health, mobility (if impaired), medication, preparation necessary, level of fitness; and assessment of precautions or protection needed for temperature and/or weather extremes, altitude and other influencing factors. The trip conditions, both possible and probable, should be assessed and matched with these factors before booking the trip - long before the planned departure. If the vacation is to be enjoyed, the destination and itinerary must be comfortably achievable within these confines for the individual(s) concerned.
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The BEACH program, a continuous national study of general practice activity in Australia, gives us an overview of consultations involving the management of psychological problems. In a separate analysis we also examine the prescribing/provision of antidepressants. This synopsis provides a backdrop against which articles in this issue of Australian Family Physician can be further considered.
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General practitioners are increasingly aware of the bipolar disorders and of being required to adopt a management role. ⋯ Bipolar disorders benefit from a mix of medication and nonmedication components, with complementary clinical management and patient self management reducing the high morbidity and suicide risk associated with these disorders.
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While patient satisfaction with the general practice consultation has been extensively researched, there have been relatively few studies of doctors' perception of patient satisfaction. This study sought to measure how accurately doctors are able to predict patient satisfaction with consultations in general practice. ⋯ Our findings suggest that a doctor's sense that a patient was not satisfied following a consultation may be valid, but that doctors may underestimate their patients' satisfaction.