I was about to check out the new Australian osteoporosis guidelines when the new UK guidelines were announced in ANZAC week, so I decided to look at these as well. Reassuringly, most recommendations are fairly similar. The Australian document is contributed to by Osteoporosis Australia and the RACGP and the UK one by about a dozen groups.
At 98 pages, the new Australian 2nd edition guidelines are a bit longer than the previous 2010 version (and three times larger than the UK document). Getting the balance right between usability and comprehensiveness is tricky. The more I read this document, the more I liked it although I did think that it was not entirely clear at times whether the outcome focus was osteoporosis or fractures/ falls.
The algorithm distinguishes between patients with hip/vertebral fractures, other fragility fractures and no fractures. It then differentiates on age and BMD. It includes use of clinical risk factors and a Risk Calculator – but further down the algorithm than in the UK document.
The introduction stated that only 20% of patients with minimal trauma fractures are adequately managed in general practice but the reference was from 2004. Both new guidelines noted that the most effective system is to have Secondary Fracture Prevention programs with a coordinator after hospital admission. I don’t think this happens universally in Australia.
New Osteoporosis guidelines (Australia)
Cathy (AM, BSocStud(
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