Medcast news and blog
Writing Our Stress Away
As you may know, I’m a big fan of writing as a stress management tool. There’s even evidence to support the idea!
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The ABCDE approach is the most recognised tool for rapid patient assessment, it allows us to recognise life-threatening conditions early and provides a systematic method that focuses on identifying problems and implementing critical interventions in a timely manner.
In late 2020, I was lucky enough to start in a new role at The Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety & Depression (CRUfAD) at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney. This was the year in which there were many challenges and barriers to accessing mental health care, as we all faced the extreme uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Do you ever struggle with explanations around mental health interventions? Do you need to learn some interventions that may be useful in your own life?
The increasing use of technology and move into online learning options has expanded the options for delivering education, including resuscitation education. Theory can now be delivered in high quality and engaging modes, and allow educators to focus on the practical skills that are necessary in resuscitation.
Once upon a time I would have baulked at any conversation about retirement. Even a chat about superannuation would have given me a vague feeling of nausea. For me, both subjects carried with them very unpleasant notions – old age, senescence, incapacity and burdensomeness.
It's one thing for a medication to demonstrate an effect in the narrowly selected, hermetically sealed and artificially monitored setting of a clinical trial.
One of the most important assessment tools in rapid paediatric assessment is the central capillary refill time (CRT). It is quick, easy to perform and does not require any special equipment.
A taxi driver asked me recently if I was still working. I hurriedly assured him that I was indeed “still working” as I was not yet old enough to retire – that, I’m afraid, was a lie!. What surprised me was the rush of emotion the question provoked and the amazing need to tell that lie. What is the matter with me?
The opportunity to reduce time to thrombolysis or EVT has significantly reduced the risk of disability for patients who were were able to access the MSU, and improved transfer times to appropriate EVT hospital centres.