AMJ

There is a gap in the literature regarding diabetes management of elderly Australians living in aged care facilities and the extent to which current management complies with evidence-based practice guidelines. This study highlighted that less than half of the residents audited were therapeutically managed according to the current diabetes guidelines which included anti-hypertensive, lipid lowering and anti- platelet therapies.

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Over the decades fictional doctors have been portrayed in very different ways. Some have been father figures whilst others have been deeply flawed. The presentations reflect a very different view of the medical profession and this is especially evident in television dramas. At the same time news channels have reported some doctors saving lives and others committing crime. This editorial reviews the portrayal of doctors on screen and in the media from the 1960s to the present day.

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Is it a coincidence the television cooking show, MasterChef Australia (MCA), is enjoying unprecedented viewer popularity at the height of a declared global obesity epidemic? Is it an accident that MCA essentially offers a pleasurable rediscovery of foods that, to all intents and purposes, have been declared ‘forbidden’ by current dietary guidelines? Can the unexpected success of this type of show provide innovative information for more effective communication of health risks via the media?

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At a time when Australia’s population is ageing, the relevance of palliative care to older people whose health is failing merits urgent consideration. Palliative careis appropriate in malignant and non-malignant life limiting disease; aims to enhance the quality of both life and dying using a holistic, planned approach; is appropriate throughout the illness trajectory, based upon complexity of needs;does not attempt to either lengthen or shorten life; and supports the family.

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Little research has been conducted to date addressing the role partners play in supporting people going through hepatitis C treatment programs.  This research offers some insight into the impact of hepatitis C treatment on partners of patients with hepatitis C. A greater understanding of the role partners’ play in the treatment process of those with hepatitis C can lead to better outcomes and a greater quality of life for patients and their families.

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The authors describe a 32 year old lady who was admitted with urinary tract infection following vacuum assisted delivery. She had Enterococcus faecium related emphysematous cystitis, bladder gangrene and rupture necessitating emergency laparotomy and partial cystectomy.

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Authors report a case of periosteal chondrosarcoma of metacarpal bone in a 38-year-old man, who presented with swelling of the left hand. He underwent extended ray amputation with removal of the entire left third metacarpal bone. Histopathological and radiological features of the tumour are described. Recognition of periosteal chondrosarcoma and its differentiation from other surface bone tumours is very important because the prognosis is excellent after adequate local surgery.

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Self-medication practice in Baghdad, Iraq; Coursera: Free online learning for the world.

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Born Too Soon: The Global Action Report on Preterm Birth;WHO Global Health Expenditure Atlas.

Picture by Ian Wilson