New guidelines for the prevention, detection and management of chronic heart failure in Australia
To download the Guidelines click here or alternatively we have a small number of hard copy versions available.

Addendum to the 2006 guidelines for the management of acute coronary syndromes
To download the guidelines click here or alternatively we have a small number of hard copy versions available.

Please contact Julia Thompson on 8752 4928 for more information or to receive a copy.

This is a free health coaching phone service providing participants with up to 10 free phone cansultations over 6 months with a designated health coach. Inluded in the package is a health information booklet with useful, practical tips and programs. For more information open this link Frequently asked questions, or go to the GP NSW Get Healhy page to access templates for your practice. More information, please contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

The Prevenar 13 catch up will commence on 1 October 2011 for children ages between 12 months to 35 months. We have a catch up reminder recall postcard to help you recall children for this vaccine.

For more information, a practice visit or to request recall postcards please contact CSGPN on 9799 0933.

Situation update
There is increasing influenza activity in parts of NSW and elsewhere in Australia, and there have been reports of admissions of pregnant women to intensive care in NSW. Because of the possibility of another severe influenza season in 2011, it is important to increase uptake of the seasonal influenza vaccine now, particularly among high risk groups like pregnant women. Below is the release from NSW Health:

• Influenza update for Obstetrician and Maternity Services 21 July 2011
• Mothersafe Factsheet Influenza May 2011
• www.mothersafe.org.au
• NSW Public Health

Latest fact sheets for immunisation providers and consumer information regarding Rotovirus and intussusception, visit the Department of Health and Ageing page here for Rotovirus.

The Chief Medical Officer has advised that there is new evidence suggesting a small increased risk of intussusception in infants following rotavirus vaccination. On the basis of the overall risk benefit balance, it is recommend that young infants continue to be offered vaccination against rotavirus and that their parents and carers are made aware of the rare risk of intussusception and how to be alert for the signs and symptoms of the condition.

Communication resources have been developed by NSW Health and a distribution strategy is being implemented to advise parents and providers:

1. NSW Health will be faxing the Chief Medical Officer’s letter and provider fact-sheet directly to all providers, General Practice NSW and Public Health Units. All documents (including a Parent Fact-sheet) will be available via the NSW Health website
2. The Australian Government will be mailing hard copies of the documents directly to providers over the next few weeks
3. The TGA website will have updated information and revised Product Information (PI) for the two rotavirus vaccines (Rotarix® and RotaTeq®)

Release documents

• Chief Medical Officer letter
• Summary factsheet for providers
• Information for Immunisation Providers February 2011
• Information for Parents February 2011
• Report of TGA’s investigation

Queries should be referred to the Immunise Australia website or to the Immunise Australia Information Line on 1800 671 811 (between 8:30am – 5.00pm Eastern Australian Time).

At its March 2010 meeting, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) recommended an extension to the listing of nicotine patches through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) as an aid to smoking cessation.  Previously, nicotine replacement therapy was only available to indigenous patients.

From 1 February 2011, the listing for nicotine patches (Nicorette®, Nicabate P® and Nicotinell®) has been extended to include all eligible individuals (general and concessional patients). 

Further information regarding this change can be found on the PBS website

Up to 800 000 patients received their first dose of pneumococcal vaccine in 2005 and these patients are now due for their 5 year booster. Act now to identify and vaccinate all eligible patients aged over 70years before winter. The National Pneumococcal Vaccination Program for Older Australians commenced in January 2005 and provides free pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (Pneumovax23®) to adults aged 65 years or older. People aged 65 years or over should discuss vaccination with their doctor or health care provider.

Adults aged 65 years or over are at higher risk of contracting pneumococcal disease than the rest of the population, with the majority of deaths from this disease occurring in this age group.

2 doses of vaccine are given, with the second dose given 5 years after the first dose. For technical information or information about vaccines, refer to the Pneumococcal section of the Australian Immunisation Handbook 9th Edition 2008 (NHMRC).
Reference:
www.racgp.org.au/ff/21

Australians are travelling overseas in ever-increasing numbers. Whatever your age and destination, properly preparing before you leave and staying in good health while travelling can help you to have a happy and enjoyable trip. This information provides travel tips and health information to help you prepare for a safe and healthy journey.

For more information visit the following sites:

• www.traveldoctor.com.au
• www.smartraveller.gov.au

 

For more information on Sexual Health, please contact the following staff:

Vijay Ramanathan Phone: 8752 4915
Julie McLean-Murray Phone: 8752 4905

Download

• Gay friendly GPs

NSW CID has just launched fact sheets for people with intellectual disabilities in Easy English to help the patient better understand and communicate health concerns and in standard English for family and health professionals. They contain very useful information to support Intellectually Disabled people to live healthier lives.

Link

www.nswcid.org.au

For further information Lisa Maude on 8752 4902.

Personal Protection Equipment from CSGPN on Vimeo.

Downloads

• CSGPN Pandemic Preparedness Workshop presentation.

Information

If you require any information regarding the PPE kits or the above demonstration, please contact Beba Ostrugnaj Phone: 8752 4909.

Downloads

• GP update 9
• Oseltamivir suspension

New Australian Alcohol Guidelines - the National Health and Medical Research Council’s (NHMRC) Australian Guidelines to Reduce Health Risks from Drinking Alcohol were released on 6 March 2009.
The key changes include the following revised guidelines:

Guideline 1

For healthy men and women, drinking no more than two standard drinks on any day reduces the lifetime risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury.

Guideline 2

For healthy men and women, drinking no more than four standard drinks on a single occasion reduces the risk of alcohol related injury arising from that occasion.

Guideline 3

3A Parents and carers should be advised that children under 15 years of age are at the greatest risk of harm from drinking and that for this age group, not drinking alcohol is especially important.
3B For young people aged 15–17 years the safest option is to delay the initiation of drinking for as long as possible.

Guideline 4

4A For women who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, not drinking is the safest option. 
4B For women who are breastfeeding, not drinking is the safest option.

Alcohol has a complex role in Australian society. Most Australians drink alcohol, generally for enjoyment, relaxation and sociability, and do so at levels that cause few adverse effects. However, a substantial proportion of people drink at levels that increase their risk of alcohol-related harm. For some, alcohol is a cause of significant ill health and hardship. In many countries, including Australia, alcohol is responsible for a considerable burden of death, disease and injury. Alcohol-related harm to health is not limited to drinkers but also affects families, bystanders and the broader community.

NHMRC intends Australian Guidelines to Reduce Health Risks from Drinking Alcohol to establish the evidence base for future policies and community materials on reducing the health risks that arise from drinking alcohol. It is about helping you to help your patients reduce the risks to their health from drinking alcohol.

Of course, how much your patients drink is their choice. But the NHMRC hope these guidelines will help you to help your patients make an informed choice and also help health agencies guide the community in reducing health risks. Click on the following links to view and download the indicated resources:

• Download the Australian Guidelines to Reduce Health Risks from Drinking Alcohol
• Summary of the Guidelines
• Alcohol FAQ
• The Australian standard drink

Alternatively you can view and download the new guidelines, including a summary, FAQs and standard drink guide by clicking on the following link at:
http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/your_health/healthy/alcohol/index.htm

Information and resources relating to the new guidelines will soon be available on www.alcohol.gov.au from late April 2009.

For more information contact:

Project Officer: Karen Frost
Phone: 8752 4910

From January 2009, the Medicare audit scheme will increase from 0.7% to 4% (500 to 2500 audits per year) of all providers with includes GPs, allied health professionals and specialists. The audits are carried out on claims that consistently produce anomalies in claiming procedures. Medicare acknowledged that the majority of non-compliant audits are not the acts of lawless scoundrels but more an administrative glitch.

For more information about MBS audits, visit the Medicare website and look for the fact sheet titled Increased MBS Compliance Audits Information Sheet or call Lisa Maude on 8752 4902.

The growing role of Practice Nurses - focusing on the 4 year old health check

Practice nurses will play an increasing role in the delivery of primary healthcare, but did you know since 2004 over 14 million Medicare item numbers specific to practice nurses have been claimed? One of the latest item numbers is the 4 year old health check.

APNA invited practice nurses to attend this special event held at Shepherd’s Bay Community Centre in Meadowbank, to raise the awareness and understanding of the role of practice nurses in the delivery of primary healthcare.

Speakers included:

• The Hon Maxine McKew, MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Early Childhood Education and Child Care
• Mayor of Ryde, Cr Vic Tagg
• Karen Booth- Practice Nurse Perspective
• APNA CEO and President
• GP Northside Representative

If you would like more information about the 4 year old health check, please contact Jo Wild on 8752 4919 or Lisa Maude on 8752 4902.

Visit the DoHA: Healthy Kids for questions about the Government’s Healthy Kids Check or visit the NSW Healthy Kids website for consumer information.

Previously Bali was considered rabies free; hence this presents a new risk to Australians visiting Bali.

The Indonesian media have also reported that several people with rabies-like clinical signs and symptoms have died after being bitten by dogs. There is at present no indication that the disease has spread to animals other than dogs. However any animal should be considered to pose a potential risk.

NSW Health recommends that all adults and children visiting Bali should avoid contact with wild and domestic animals, including dogs, cats and monkeys, even if the animal appears well.

“Anyone who is bitten or scratched by an animal in a rabies-affected area, including Bali should immediately wash the wound well with soap and water, apply an antiseptic such as povidone iodine to the wound and see a doctor as soon as possible,” Dr Andrew Marich, Acting Director of NSW Health’s Communicable Diseases Branch, said.

“A course of injections is sometimes needed to prevent rabies infection developing after a bite or scratch,” he said.

NSW Health advises that anyone who has been bitten or scratched by any animal in Bali since 1 August 2008 should see their general practitioner for advice. People bitten or scratched by an animal before this time are not thought to be at risk of rabies.

Rabies is transmitted when viruses in a rabid animal’s saliva get into nerve cells through a wound – usually following a bite or a scratch. While many rabid animals will be sick and may go on to die, some appear well.

Symptoms in humans may include headache, fever, feeling unwell, sensory changes around the site of the bite or scratch, excitability, an aversion to fresh air and water, weakness, delirium, convulsions, and coma.

If rabies infection has occurred, symptoms in humans normally begin within several weeks but sometimes the symptoms begin years after infection. Death usually follows several days after the onset of symptoms.

There is no treatment for rabies once the symptoms have started however treatment of infected people before they develop symptoms can be effective.

The Governor of Bali has temporarily banned the import or export of dogs, cats, monkeys and other animals declaring the island under official quarantine until further notice. Officials are also endeavouring to create a perimeter of vaccinated animals in the areas immediately surrounding those areas in which rabies has been confirmed, aiming to isolate and eventually eliminate the disease.

For a copy of the fact sheet on rabies go to NSW Health Fact Sheet.

Sydney South West Area Health Service (SSWAHS) is currently working on a waterpipe tobacco awareness raising campaign targeted at the Arabic community. This has involved education and awareness raising on the relevant legislation and the harmful effects of waterpipe tobacco through media outlets such as radio and newspapers.

This rising popularity is linked to an incorrect belief that waterpipe tobacco smoking is less dangerous than cigarette smoking. It has also become popular because of the introduction of flavourings,
its wide availability, low cost, and marketing. These factors have made waterpipe tobacco smoking socially acceptable. It is used by both men and women, usually at social gatherings at home or at bars and cafes which offer waterpipe.