News Articles
Peripartum heart condition could have genetic link
Date of Posting: 07-01-2016
Researchers have found a genetic link to a condition which can lead to a woman developing heart failure in late pregnancy or shortly after delivery. The cause of a life-threatening condition that can lead to heart failure in pregnant women could b Read More...
Survivor blood no help to Ebola patients
Date of Posting: 07-01-2016
Doctors have sometimes used blood from Ebola survivors to treat others afflicted with the virus, but a study suggests the strategy has little effect. Giving the blood of Ebola survivors to patients didn't seem to make a difference, doctors fou Read More...
New research into radiation for melanoma
Last Updated: 06-01-2016
New research at Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital is looking at how effective radiation treatment is for individual melanoma patients. People with aggressive melanomas could be spared the trauma of radiation treatments that wouldn't w Read More...
Fears over unvaxxed kids in QLD childcare
Date of Posting: 06-01-2016
Childcare centres no longer have to accept unvaccinated children, however at least two Queensland providers are welcoming these enrolments. Queensland's government is fearful infection could spread at childcare centres that accept high numbers Read More...
Exercise may increase prostate cancer survival
Date of Posting: 06-01-2016
Researchers are monitoring a group of men with prostate cancer as they exercise, to determine whether it improves survival chances. Exercise training is being examined as a possible treatment for prostate cancer in a pioneering new study.[subscrib Read More...
Up to 3000 WA hospital staff on the chopping block
Date of Posting: 04-01-2016
The WA government has confirmed more than 1100 job cuts to hospital staff but the AMA says the figure could be far bigger. Up to 3000 West Australian hospital staff could lose their jobs or have hours reduced in the wake of state government-implem Read More...
Heroin rehab admissions spike in Sydney
Date of Posting: 18-12-2015
Heroin-related admissions at one of Sydney's largest rehabilitation clinics have trebled over the past 12 months, while ice continues to make an impact. A third of admissions to one of Sydney's largest rehabilitation clinics are for ice ad Read More...
Golden staph on the decline in Aus hospitals
Last Updated: 18-12-2015
Cases of the potentially deadly golden staph infection are on the decline in Australian hospitals, new figures show. Potentially deadly golden staph infections are becoming less common in Australian public hospitals, new figures show.[subscribe] Read More...
Folate in bread cuts birth defects
Date of Posting: 18-12-2015
Mandatory folate in bread has dramatically cut the rates of serious birth defects in Aboriginal children. A Telethon Kids Institute study, published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, used WA data to examine a Read More...
Gastro outbreak hits Sydney cruise ship
Date of Posting: 16-12-2015
More than 180 passengers and crew on a Royal Caribbean cruise liner that has docked in Sydney Harbour have been struck down by a gastro outbreak. A stomach bug has struck down more than 180 cruise ship passengers and crew on a Royal Caribbean line Read More...
Pair diagnosed with measles in Sydney
Date of Posting: 16-12-2015
Two people have been diagnosed with measles in Sydney, leading authorities to warn to be on the lookout for symptoms - fever, red eyes and a runny nose. An adult and a baby in Sydney have been diagnosed with measles, prompting health authorities t Read More...
Health Star Rating should be mandatory, researchers say
Date of Posting: 15-12-2015
Australia's Health Star Rating should be made mandatory because most food manufactuters aren't participating in the scheme, says a researcher. Only a fraction of packaged food carries the new Health Star Rating designed to help families bu Read More...
Study gives surgery nod in prostate care
Date of Posting: 15-12-2015
UK research has shown that, in general, surgery results in better mortality rates than radiotherapy for prostate cancer patients. Prostate cancer patients are more likely to survive if they undergo surgery rather than radiation, a study found.[sub Read More...
Last Updated: 15-12-2015
The death toll from the Ebola outbreak has hit 932, as international health experts meet to discuss whether to declare the situation a crisis. The death toll of the Ebola epidemic has neared 1000 as fears that the disease is now taking hold in Afr Read More...
Mental health nurses should get tweeting
Last Updated: 15-12-2015
Paul McNamara wants to encourage other mental health nurses to tap into the benefits of social media. The Cairns clinical nurse specialist has built up an extensive professional social media profile with a presence on platforms spanning Twitter, w Read More...
Social media linked to mental health problems in kids
Last Updated: 15-12-2015
A British study has linked higher levels of emotional problems, hyperactivity and poor behaviour in youngsters to spending a lot of time on social media. Children who spend more than three hours a day on social media websites are twice as likely t Read More...
Last Updated: 15-12-2015
Gemma Sinead Ryan, Senior Lecturer in Nursing at University of Derby Online Learning comments. Here at the University of Derby Online Learning (UDOL) we aim to be thought leaders, as healthcare professionals and academics. The education of healthc Read More...
Med students cop to posting 'inappropriate' content
Last Updated: 15-12-2015
Some medical students are ignoring social media guidelines by posting inappropriate material online, a survey shows. More than a third of medical students post inappropriate material, mainly depicting intoxication, to their social media accounts, Read More...
Caterpillar fungus to treat arthritis?
Last Updated: 15-12-2015
Sufferers of osteoarthritis might be getting some pain relief from a fungus that lives on caterpillars found in China. A fungus found on caterpillars could be used to relieve pain in osteoarthritis sufferers, according to British researchers.[subs Read More...
Doubts on long-term knee op benefit
Last Updated: 15-12-2015
A Danish study has cast doubts about the long term benefit of knee arthroscopy, saying the surgery is potentially harmful. The long-term benefits of knee surgery for middle aged or older patients are outweighed by the negative consequences, a stud Read More...
Indigenous have more cardiac conditions
Last Updated: 15-12-2015
Non-indigenous people who have a severe heart attack are more likely to have a hospital cardiac procedure than indigenous patients, a study shows. Indigenous Australians continue to have higher rates of heart conditions and poorer access to cardia Read More...
Injected drug boom in aboriginal communities
Last Updated: 15-12-2015
A health professional has warned of an HIV and hepatitis C epidemic in Aboriginal communities if medical resources are not used to target drug injecting. Rising levels of injecting drug use in Aboriginal communities could lead to an epidemic of HI Read More...
Australian Psychological Society welcomes Government mental health reform
Last Updated: 15-12-2015
The Australian Psychological Society (APS) welcomes today’s announcement by the Government of much-needed reform to the mental health system through a regionalised approach to deliver better tailored care to people with mental health problems. Read More...
Perth ambulance ramping ban starts
Last Updated: 15-12-2015
An ambulance ramping ban at Royal Perth, Fiona Stanley and Sir Charles Gairdner hospitals has gone well on its first day, the WA health minister says. Emergency departments have not descended into chaos on the first day of an ambulance ramping ban Read More...
Easy on the triple-zero calls: paramedics
Last Updated: 15-12-2015
A social media campaign will encourage people in NSW to save triple-zero calls for genuine life-threatening emergencies. NSW paramedics have taken to social media to encourage people not to bother triple-zero with calls about minor health issues d Read More...
Ketamine for depression 'premature', experts say
Date of Posting: 14-12-2015
Despite encouraging signs in trials, prescribing the anaesthetic ketamine for depression is premature, an expert says. Doctors shouldn't jump the gun in prescribing patients the drug ketamine to treat depression, warns an expert.[subscribe] Read More...
Anti-meth campaign launched in WA
Date of Posting: 14-12-2015
An anti-drug campaign has been launched in WA aimed at young people and addicts of methamphetamine. An anti-methamphetamine advertising campaign has been launched in Western Australia, with people sharing personal stories about how the drug took c Read More...
Pox parties 'ill-informed and missguided'
Date of Posting: 14-12-2015
Queensland's health lobby and premier have hit out at anti-vaxxer parents hosting so-called "pox parties" to deliberately infect children. Anti-vaccination parents holding chickenpox parties to deliberately infect children are " Read More...
Thousands of Qld nurses face violent assaults
Date of Posting: 11-12-2015
Thousands of workers have reported being assaulted on the job at hospitals right across Queensland. Fractured skulls, chemical burns, death threats and post-traumatic stress.[subscribe] These might seem like reasons to attend a hospital but in Read More...
New scan to identify 'most dangerous tumours'
Date of Posting: 11-12-2015
A new MRI scan developed in the UK could help doctors identify the most dangerous tumours by mapping regions of oxygen deprivation. A new scanning test developed in the UK could help doctors pinpoint dangerous cancers before they spread around the Read More...
Perth mum with rare illness fights for treatment
Date of Posting: 11-12-2015
A mother-of-two diagnosed with two extremely rare autoimmune disorders has had funding for her life-saving treatment cut. A Perth woman suffering from a unique combination of extremely rare autoimmune disorders faces an uncertain Christmas with fe Read More...
Being unhappy doesn't shorten life: study
Date of Posting: 10-12-2015
Results from a decade-long study of more than 715,000 British women, aged 50-69, has concluded that no connection between happiness and longevity exists. Good news for grumpy women: being happy apparently has no effect on how long you might live.[ Read More...
Depression rife among young doctors
Last Updated: 09-12-2015
A US study has discovered that nearly a third of young doctors are depressed, which has been linked to poor patient care and more medical errors. Nearly a third of young American doctors in training suffer from depression, according to a US study Read More...
Date of Posting: 09-12-2015
The National Heart Foundation's Tick logo has served its purpose, says a nutritionist responding to its retirement. The Tick's going and the National Heart Foundation's decision has been welcomed by leading nutritionist Dr Rosemary Sta Read More...
Cosmetic surgery under review after NSW Death
Date of Posting: 09-12-2015
NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner says recent cases have raised concerns about the regulation of clinics performing cosmetic procedures. The cosmetic surgery industry in NSW is under the spotlight with strict new rules being considered after rec Read More...
Conservative antibiotic prescription reduces patient satisfaction
Date of Posting: 08-12-2015
A UK study has found that a 25 per cent lower rate of antibiotic prescribing by GPs corresponded to a 5-6 point reduction on GP satisfaction rankings. GP surgeries which try to help prevent the spread of super-resistant bacteria by prescribing few Read More...
What dictates how much pain you feel after injury?
Date of Posting: 08-12-2015
Malcolm Hogg, University of Melbourne A routine work day can quickly turn sour, as Michael, a mine manager, discovered in August. After securing a large boulder, he watched in dismay as one of the securing chains broke and 200kg of stone fell Read More...
Paracetamol not beneficial for adult flu sufferers
Date of Posting: 08-12-2015
Taking paracetamol doesn't make adult flu sufferers feel better or significantly reduce fevers, but won't prolong the illness, a study has found. Taking paracetamol doesn't make adults feel better when they have the flu, a New Zealand Read More...
Cry for help from rare-cancer sufferers
Date of Posting: 08-12-2015
Australians with rare cancers are using the Sick or Treat website and petitions to plead for public and government help in getting access to treatment. At first glance it's a website full of smiling happy Australians, many shown in family sett Read More...
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health profession grows
Last Updated: 07-12-2015
The number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioners has jumped more than 18 per cent, making it the fastest growing registered health profession for the past quarter. Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) st Read More...
