freelance science journalist and author
From Australian Doctor, 4 September 2008:For some infertile couples, IVF can become a long and agonising process. Who decides when it is time to step off the conveyor belt and give up hope? GIVING up on IVF is a little like turning off life support, says Dr Christine Read. The comparison may seem callous, but … Continue reading End of the line
From Australian Doctor, 21 August 2008:“WANTED: Single, White Male for Medical Research.” When US bioethicist Rebecca Dresser wrote these words in 1992, she was not recruiting for a clinical trial. But she might well have been. Her landmark article drew attention to the deplorable reality that women were being excluded from clinical research across the … Continue reading Women’s troubles
From Australian Doctor, 13 June 2008:Patients considering genetic testing should be advised to take out life insurance beforehand, an expert says, after an Australian study found one in 10 patients diagnosed with an asymptomatic genetic condition experienced some form of discrimination.Data from the Australian Genetic Discrimination Project, which surveyed clients of clinical genetics services, showed … Continue reading Want a genetic test? Get insured first
From Australian Doctor, 29 February 2008:Dodgy music, out-of-date information and unanswered phones are all ways to aggravate your patients when they call — but it doesn’t have to be like that.HELL is hold music that is a tinny, expressionless facsimile of a once-beloved tune, mangled beyond belief and painful to listen to. Unfortunately, this musical … Continue reading Hanging on the telephone
From Australian Doctor, 21 January 2008:BMJ Aspirin resistance, thought to affect up to one-third of patients, is associated with significantly increased cardiovascular morbidity, a comprehensive meta-analysis suggests.The research, which analysed 20 studies including 2930 patients with cardiovascular disease, found aspirin-resistant patients had an almost sixfold increase in risk of death, were almost four times more … Continue reading Major cardiac risk in aspirin-resistant patients
From Australian Doctor, 1 November 2007.THE first year of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program has been encouraging, although issues such as a poorer male participation rate and delay in colonoscopy follow-up are yet to be resolved, a leading gastroenterologist says.About 156,000 Australians took part in the first stage of the faecal occult blood test-based … Continue reading Bowel program works but needs men
From Australian Doctor, July 2007.From artificial hips to anti-epileptics, the Pill to penicillin – the 20th century has seen a wealth of medical innovations emerge that have transformed how we practice medicine. Read more (pdf file).
From Australian Doctor, 24 August 2007:Insulin levels and neck circumference are the two strongest predictors of the risk of obstructive sleep apnoea, a leading obesity expert says.Speaking at the recent Australian Doctor/HealthEdGP Summit on Diabetes, Obesity and Heart Disease in Sydney, Associate Professor John Dixon said a neck circumference of 43cm or more for men … Continue reading Neck size a strong sleep apnoea clue
From Australian Doctor, 23 August 2007:THERE’S a guilty pleasure involved in drinking good-quality wine while the sun still shines high in the sky. But in the vineyards of Mudgee, NSW, such pleasurable behaviour is one of the delights of a visit to this wine-growing region. Read more.
From Australian Doctor, 23 August 2007:GPs are urged to be alert for cardiac symptoms in high-risk patients with influenza, as Australia struggles through its worst flu season in several years.Experts warned the infection could trigger acute coronary syndrome in patients with existing heart disease, and urged doctors to take preventive action. Read more.
