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Traumatic cricket-related fatalities in Australia: a historical review of media reports

Peter Brukner, Thomas J Gara and Lauren V Fortington
Med J Aust 2018; 208 (6): . || doi: 10.5694/mja17.00908
Published online: 26 March 2018

Abstract

Objective: To undertake a historical review of direct trauma-related deaths in Australian cricket, both organised and informal.

Design, setting and participants: We conducted an extensive search of digitised print media (three databases) and traditional scientific literature (two databases) for on-field cricket incidents in Australia that resulted in deaths during the period 1858–2016.

Main outcomes and measures: Numbers of cricket-related deaths by decade; type of cricket match (organised match or training, or informal play); site of fatal injury (eg, head, chest); activity at the time of the incident (eg, batting, fielding, watching).

Results: 174 relevant deaths were identified. The number peaked in the 1930s (33 fatalities), with five deaths in the past 30 years. There were 83 deaths in organised settings, and 91 deaths in informal play (at school, 31; backyard, street or beach cricket, 60). Of the 72 deaths in organised settings for which the activity of the deceased was reported, 45 were batsmen, 11 were fielders, six were wicketkeepers, one a bowler, and three were umpires. Of the 45 batsmen, 26 died of injuries resulting from a blow by a ball to the head, 13 of blows to the chest, three of peritonitis, at least two of vertebral artery dissection, and one of tetanus. None of the five cricket-related deaths over the past 30 years were caused by head injuries.

Conclusions: There appears to have been a substantial decline in the number of cricket-related deaths in recent years, probably linked with the widespread use of helmets by batsmen and close-in fielders.

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  • 1 La Trobe Sport and Exercise Medicine Research Centre (LASEM), La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC
  • 2 South Australian Museum, Adelaide, SA
  • 3 Australian Centre for Research into Injury in Sport and its Prevention (ACRISP), Federation University Australia, Ballarat, VIC


Correspondence: peterbrukner@gmail.com

Acknowledgements: 

We acknowledge the assistance of John Orchard with this study, and financial support from Cricket Australia. The Australian Centre for Research into Injury in Sport and its Prevention is one of the Research Centres for the Prevention of Injury and Protection of Athlete Health supported by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Competing interests:

Peter Brukner was employed as the Cricket Australia team doctor during 2012–2017. Thomas Gara received funding for this study from Cricket Australia.

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The management of epilepsy in children and adults

Piero Perucca, Ingrid E Scheffer and Michelle Kiley
Med J Aust 2018; 208 (5): . || doi: 10.5694/mja17.00951
Published online: 19 March 2018

Summary

 

  • The International League Against Epilepsy has recently published a new classification of epileptic seizures and epilepsies to reflect the major scientific advances in our understanding of the epilepsies since the last formal classification 28 years ago. The classification emphasises the importance of aetiology, which allows the optimisation of management.
  • Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are the main approach to epilepsy treatment and achieve seizure freedom in about two-thirds of patients.
  • More than 15 second generation AEDs have been introduced since the 1990s, expanding opportunities to tailor treatment for each patient. However, they have not substantially altered the overall seizure-free outcomes.
  • Epilepsy surgery is the most effective treatment for drug-resistant focal epilepsy and should be considered as soon as appropriate trials of two AEDs have failed. The success of epilepsy surgery is influenced by different factors, including epilepsy syndrome, presence and type of epileptogenic lesion, and duration of post-operative follow-up.
  • For patients who are not eligible for epilepsy surgery or for whom surgery has failed, trials of alternative AEDs or other non-pharmacological therapies, such as the ketogenic diet and neurostimulation, may improve seizure control.
  • Ongoing research into novel antiepileptic agents, improved techniques to optimise epilepsy surgery, and other non-pharmacological therapies fuel hope to reduce the proportion of individuals with uncontrolled seizures. With the plethora of gene discoveries in the epilepsies, “precision therapies” specifically targeting the molecular underpinnings are beginning to emerge and hold great promise for future therapeutic approaches.

 


  • 1 Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, VIC
  • 2 Monash University, Melbourne, VIC
  • 3 Epilepsy Research Centre, Austin Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC
  • 4 Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne, VIC
  • 5 Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, SA


Correspondence: piero.perucca@mh.org.au

Acknowledgements: 

This work was supported by the Melbourne International Research Scholarship and the Melbourne International Fee Remission Scholarship from the University of Melbourne and the Warren Haynes Neuroscience Research Fellowship from the Royal Melbourne Hospital Neuroscience Foundation (P Perucca); and by a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Program Grant (1091593, 2016–2020) and an NHMRC Senior Practitioner Fellowship (1104831, 2016–2020) (IE Scheffer).

Competing interests:

P Perucca has received honoraria from Eisai. IE Scheffer serves on the editorial boards of and ; may accrue future revenue on a pending patent on a therapeutic compound; has received speaker honoraria from Athena Diagnostics, UCB, GlaxoSmithKline, Eisai, and Transgenomic; has received scientific advisory board honoraria from Nutricia, UCB and GlaxoSmithKline; has received funding for travel from Athena Diagnostics, UCB and GlaxoSmithKline; and receives research support from the NHMRC, the Australian Research Council, the National Institutes of Health, the Health Research Council of New Zealand, March of Dimes, the Weizmann Institute of Science, Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy (CURE), the United States Department of Defense and the Perpetual Charitable Trustees.

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Obstructive airway disease in 46–65-year-old people in Busselton, Western Australia, 1966–2015

Arthur (Bill) Musk, Michael Hunter, Jennie Hui, Matthew W Knuiman, Mark Divitini, John P Beilby and Alan James
Med J Aust 2018; 208 (5): . || doi: 10.5694/mja17.00867
Published online: 19 March 2018

Abstract

Objective: To document the changing levels of tobacco smoking, respiratory symptoms, doctor-diagnosed asthma, and lung function in Busselton adults aged 46–65 years over the past 50 years.

Design, setting, participants: Repeated cross-sectional population surveys (1966 to 2010–2015) of adults registered to vote in the Busselton shire, Western Australia, including a modified version of the British Medical Research Council questionnaire on respiratory symptoms.

Main outcome measures: History of doctor-diagnosed asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), tobacco smoking history, respiratory medications used, spirometry parameters (forced expiratory volume in one second [FEV1], forced vital capacity [FVC]).

Results: The prevalence of tobacco smoking among men declined from 53% in 1966 to 12% in 2010–2015, and from 26% to 9% among women. The prevalence of ever-smoking (ie, smokers and ex-smokers) decreased from 80% to 57% for men but increased from 33% to 50% for women. The prevalence of doctor-diagnosed asthma increased, as did the use of long-acting bronchodilator aerosol medications by people with asthma and COPD. There have been no consistent changes in the prevalence of specific respiratory symptoms, but measures of lung function have significantly improved.

Conclusions: Smoking rates declined as a result of changes in pricing, prohibitions on smoking and the feedback of survey results to Busselton participants. Significant improvements in lung function were measured, and it can be anticipated that the prevalence of other smoking-related diseases will also decline.

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  • 1 Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, WA
  • 2 University of Western Australia, Perth, WA
  • 3 Busselton Health Study Centre, Busselton Population Medical Research Institute, Busselton, WA
  • 4 Busselton Population Medical Research Institute, Perth, WA
  • 5 PathWest, Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre, Perth, WA


Correspondence: jennie.hui@uwa.edu.au

Acknowledgements: 

We acknowledge the participation and support of the Busselton community. This investigation was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (grant 353532), Healthway WA, the Department of Health (Western Australia), and the Western Australian Office of Science.

Competing interests:

No relevant disclosures.

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Bedside cognitive assessment

Lorenzo Norris and Elizabeth L Cobbs
Med J Aust 2018; 208 (5): . || doi: 10.5694/mja17.00660
Published online: 19 March 2018

Screening for cognitive impairment may lead to diagnostic and treatment plans that improve patients’ safety

Mild memory changes and reduced speed of processing information are normal cognitive changes in older adults, but between 35% and 50% of adults over the age of 85 years have moderate to severe cognitive impairment. Cognitive impairment includes a range of conditions, such as mild cognitive impairment, delirium and the various dementia syndromes. It is an independent predictor of excess mortality1 and increases the risk of adverse medication effects from benzodiazepines and anticholinergics.


  • George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA


Correspondence: ecobbs@mfa.gwu.edu

Series editors

Balakrishnan (Kichu) Nair

Simon O’Connor


Competing interests:

No relevant disclosures.

  • 1. Sachs GA, Carter R, Holtz LR, et al. Cognitive impairment: an independent predictor of excess mortality: a cohort study. Ann Intern Med 2011; 155: 300-308.
  • 2. Mitchell AJ, Shiri-Feshki M. Rate of progression of mild cognitive impairment to dementia — meta-analysis of 41 robust inception cohort studies. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2009; 119: 252-265.
  • 3. Lin JS, O’Connor E, Rossom RC, et al. Screening for cognitive impairment in older adults: a systematic review for the US Preventive Services Task Force. Ann Intern Med 2013; 159: 601-612.
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  • 9. Jorm AF. A short form of the informant questionnaire on cognitive decline in the elderly (IQCODE): development and cross-validation. Psychol Med 1994; 24: 145-153.

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Will Australia have a fit-for-purpose medical workforce in 2025?

Roger P Strasser
Med J Aust 2018; 208 (5): . || doi: 10.5694/mja17.01169
Published online: 19 March 2018

To produce a fit-for-purpose medical workforce, Australia needs streamlined training pathways in all medical disciplines

Around the world, there has been a developing focus over the past decade on the importance of a fit-for-purpose medical workforce1 with the right skills, providing the right care, in the right place, at the right time, and with skill sets which include leadership skills, communication expertise and the ability to work within teams.2 Coupled with this is the perspective that health care should address the needs of patients and the public as its central purpose.3 The underlying assumption is that the provision of medical and other health care should be designed and delivered to meet the health needs of the population being served.


  • Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Laurentian and Lakehead Universities, Sudbury, ON, Canada


Correspondence: Roger.Strasser@nosm.ca

Competing interests:

No relevant disclosures.

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The gaps in specialists’ diagnoses

Ian A Scott and Donald A Campbell
Med J Aust 2018; 208 (5): . || doi: 10.5694/mja17.00905
Published online: 19 March 2018

Specialists need broad expertise in diagnosing clinical problems arising from diseases involving different organ systems

On average, about 10% of primary care visits result in a referral to a specialist,1 and of these, up to half relate to diagnostic uncertainty.2 Diagnostic error is estimated to occur in between 10% and 15% of clinical encounters.3 Medicolegal concerns loom large around missed or delayed diagnosis of potentially serious conditions such as heart disease or cancer. Patients often present with non-specific symptoms and signs, especially in the early stages of emerging illness, which can be accentuated in the complex context of multiple comorbidities, frailty or other disabilities. Accordingly, a broad differential diagnosis that includes diseases of more than one organ system has to be considered, followed by a recursive refinement of diagnostic probability in the face of uncertainty.


  • 1 Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, QLD
  • 2 University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD
  • 3 Monash Health, Melbourne, VIC


Correspondence: ian.scott@health.qld.gov.au

Competing interests:

No relevant disclosures.

  • 1. Barnett ML, Song Z, Landon BE. Trends in physician referrals in the United States, 1999-2009. Arch Intern Med 2012; 172: 163-170.
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Selecting medical students: we need to assess more than academic excellence

Paul Garrud
Med J Aust 2018; 208 (5): . || doi: 10.5694/mja17.01224
Published online: 12 March 2018

Medical schools require selection processes that reflect the type of doctor they aim to produce

Selection for medical school is based on the applicant’s academic record, aptitude testing, and assessment of their personal attributes. The indicator of subsequent performance best supported by evidence is prior academic attainment,1,2 with the evidence coming mostly from exam performance at medical school and in postgraduate specialties. Rationales for employing further selection criteria have included alignment with professional body guidance,3 better discrimination between equally qualified applicants, and recognition that becoming a good doctor requires qualities beyond academic excellence.4 In light of current practice, which selection criteria are necessary (ie, provide a minimum required threshold) and which may be sufficient, singly or in combination, for selecting medical students?


  • University of Nottingham, Derby, United Kingdom



Competing interests:

Paul Garrud chairs the Medical Schools Council Selection Alliance (United Kingdom). The views expressed in this editorial are personal and do not represent any formal position or policy of Medical Schools Council.

  • 1. McManus IC, Woolf K, Dacre J, et al. The academic backbone: longitudinal continuities in educational achievement from secondary school and medical school to MRCP (UK) and the specialist register in UK medical students and doctors. BMC Med 2013; 11: 242.
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  • 3. Australian Medical Council. Standards for assessment and accreditation of primary medical programs by the Australian Medical Council. 2012. https://www.amc.org.au/files/d0ffcecda9608cf49c66c93a79a4ad549638bea0_original.pdf (viewed Jan 2018).
  • 4. Medical Council of New Zealand. Good medical practice. Dec 2016. www.mcnz.org.nz/assets/News-and-Publications/good-medical-practice.pdf (viewed Dec 2017).
  • 5. Shulruf B, Bagg W, Begun M, et al. The efficacy of medical student selection tools in Australia and New Zealand. Med J Aust 2018; 208: 214-218.
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  • 10. Patel RS, Tarrant C, Bonas S, et al. Medical students’ personal experience of high-stakes failure: case studies using interpretative phenomenological analysis. BMC Med Ed 2015; 15: 86.

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Tobacco retail density: still the new frontier in tobacco control

Becky Freeman and Suzan Burton
Med J Aust 2018; 208 (5): . || doi: 10.5694/mja17.01239
Published online: 5 March 2018

Reducing the number of tobacco sellers would make it easier for smokers to quit

After four decades of intense and innovative tobacco control policies and programs, Australian governments have achieved large reductions in population level smoking rates. The focus of this comprehensive approach has been to reduce consumer demand for tobacco products through high tobacco taxes, emotive mass media campaigns, graphic health warnings on packages, subsidised smoking cessation services and treatments, smoke-free public spaces, and bans on all forms of tobacco advertising.1 However, despite early calls for restrictions on the number and location of tobacco retail outlets,2 Australia is falling behind other jurisdictions in adopting polices that seek to limit the supply of tobacco products.


  • 1 University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW
  • 2 Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW


Correspondence: becky.freeman@sydney.edu.au

Competing interests:

No relevant disclosures.

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The retail availability of tobacco in Tasmania: evidence for a socio-economic and geographical gradient

Shannon M Melody, Veronica Martin-Gall, Ben Harding and Mark GK Veitch
Med J Aust 2018; 208 (5): . || doi: 10.5694/mja17.00765
Published online: 5 March 2018

Abstract

Objectives: To describe the retail availability of tobacco and to examine the association between tobacco outlet density and area-level remoteness and socio-economic status classification in Tasmania.

Design: Ecological cross-sectional study; analysis of tobacco retail outlet data collected by the Department of Health and Human Services (Tasmania) according to area-level (Statistical Areas Level 2) remoteness (defined by the Remoteness Structure of the Australian Statistical Geographical Standard) and socio-economic status (defined by the 2011 Australian Bureau of Statistics Index of Relative Socioeconomic Advantage and Disadvantage).

Main outcome measure: Tobacco retail outlet density per 1000 residents.

Results: On 31 December 2016, there were 1.54 tobacco retail outlets per 1000 persons. The density of outlets was 79% greater in suburbs or towns in outer regional, remote and very remote Tasmania than in inner regional Tasmania (rate ratio [RR], 1.79; 95% confidence Interval [CI], 1.29–2.50; P < 0.001). Suburbs or towns in Tasmania with the greatest socio-economic disadvantage had more than twice the number of tobacco outlets per 1000 people as areas of least disadvantage (RR, 2.30; 95% CI, 1.32–4.21; P = 0.014).

Conclusions: A disproportionate concentration of tobacco retail outlets in regional and remote Tasmania and in areas of lowest socio-economic status is evident. Our findings are consistent with those of analyses in New South Wales and Western Australia. Progressive tobacco retail restrictions have been proposed as the next frontier in tobacco control. However, the intended and unintended consequences of such policies need to be investigated, particularly for socio-economically deprived and rural areas.

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  • 1 Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS
  • 2 Department of Health and Human Services, Hobart, TAS
  • 3 Department of Health and Human Services, Launceston, TAS


Correspondence: shannon.melody@utas.edu.au

Acknowledgements: 

Shannon Melody is funded by the Australian Department of Health Specialist Training Program. The authors acknowledge Scott McKeown for his feedback on the manuscript.

Competing interests:

No relevant disclosures.

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Preparation for general practice vocational training: time for a rethink

Susan M Wearne, Parker J Magin and Neil A Spike
Med J Aust 2018; 209 (2): . || doi: 10.5694/mja17.00379
Published online: 5 March 2018

Changes may be needed to facilitate GP registrars’ transition into general practice

Formal training for general practice in Australia began with Commonwealth funding of the Family Medicine Program in 1973.1 Future general practitioners worked in hospital specialties relevant to general practice, and then learned while working as GPs, under supervision, in accredited training practices. Since then, general practice and hospital medicine have changed significantly, but the GP colleges’ requirements for hospital experience ahead of GP training remain. Given the bottleneck in hospital junior doctor training positions, and junior doctors’ concerns that their stressful, demanding workloads are of questionable educational value, it is timely to reconsider the effectiveness of this preparation for general practice.


  • 1 Department of Health, Canberra, ACT
  • 2 Australian National University, Canberra, ACT
  • 3 University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW
  • 4 GP Synergy, Newcastle, NSW
  • 5 Eastern Victoria General Practice Training, Melbourne, VIC
  • 6 University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC


Correspondence: susan.wearne@health.gov.au

Acknowledgements: 

The ReCEnT study is funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health. We thank Bruce Willett and Nina Kilfoyle for their constructive comments on earlier drafts.

Competing interests:

Susan Wearne is Senior Medical Adviser in the Health Workforce Division, Department of Health. Parker Magin is Director of Research and Evaluation for GP Synergy, the regional training organisation for New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. Neil Spike is Director of Training for Eastern Victoria GP Training. The views expressed in this article are the authors’ and not necessarily those of their employers.

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