Connect
MJA
MJA

The Specialty and Naughty/Nice Tendency Audit (SANTA): which medical specialists can be trusted to follow recipes?

Shian Miller and Tamara C Johnson
Med J Aust 2017; 207 (11): . || doi: 10.5694/mja17.00811
Published online: 11 December 2017

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the influence of medical specialty on the likelihood of doctors making the Naughty or Nice lists this Christmas.

Design, setting, and participants: A quantitative observational study. Doctors in a medical parent Facebook group were asked about their specialty and their tendency to follow recipes.

Main outcome measures: Self-reported tendency to follow the recipe (always, sometimes, never) as an indicator of rule-breaking behaviour, extrapolated as indicating Naughty (unlikely to follow a recipe) or Nice (always follow recipes) tendencies, and consequently the likelihood of being included in the Nice list this Christmas.

Results: The majority of doctors in only 19% of specialties made the Nice list. When aggregated, 92% of surgical specialties reported that they either never followed recipes or did so only occasionally. Similarly, 80% of physician specialties reported being Naughty. In contrast, 50% each of those in critical care specialties were Naughty or Nice. General practitioners comprised the largest single group of respondents, and only 8% identified as Nice.

Conclusions: An overwhelming majority of medical parents were Naughty. As Santa makes his list and checks it twice, he will find out who is Naughty or Nice, and he may be surprised at the number of doctors who are on the wrong side of the inventory. When Santa Claus comes to town, he should be circumspect when indulging in any baked offerings by the Christmas tree, particularly those offered by surgeons and general practitioners.

Please login with your free MJA account to view this article in full


Please note: institutional and Research4Life access to the MJA is now provided through Wiley Online Library.


  • 1 Greenslopes Private Hospital, Brisbane, QLD
  • 2 Western Sydney University School of Medicine, Sydney, NSW


Correspondence: shianmiller@gmail.com

Competing interests:

No relevant disclosures.

  • 1. Hojat M, Zuckerman M. Personality and specialty interest in medical students. Med Teach 2008; 30: 400-406.
  • 2. Patterson D. Do recipes make you a better cook? [webpage]. Food & Wine, 30 June 2006. http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/do-recipes-make-you-a-better-cook (accessed Sept 2017).
  • 3. Kotsis V, Chung KC. Application of See One, Do One, Teach One concept in surgical training. Plast Reconstr Surg 2013; 131: 1194-1201.

Author

remove_circle_outline Delete Author
add_circle_outline Add Author

Comment
Do you have any competing interests to declare? *

I/we agree to assign copyright to the Medical Journal of Australia and agree to the Conditions of publication *
I/we agree to the Terms of use of the Medical Journal of Australia *
Email me when people comment on this article

Online responses are no longer available. Please refer to our instructions for authors page for more information.

Tooth Fairy guilty of favouritism!

Raphael Patcas, Hubertus JM van Waes, Moritz M Daum and Markus A Landolt
Med J Aust 2017; 207 (11): . || doi: 10.5694/mja17.00860
Published online: 11 December 2017

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the proportion of children visited by the Tooth Fairy, the child-related factors that influence the likelihood of her visit, and the parent-related variables that affect the amount of money the Tooth Fairy leaves.

Design: Cross-sectional questionnaire study.

Setting: Zürich, Switzerland.

Participants: 3617 parents of children (mean age of children, 6.8 years; 51.9% girls) who had lost at least one deciduous tooth received a self-developed questionnaire; 1274 questionnaires were returned (35.2%).

Main outcome measures: Primary outcome variables were the Tooth Fairy’s visit after tooth loss and the amount of money given in case of a visit. Child- and parent-related variables were assessed as predictors of the main outcomes.

Results: Most parents (71.0%) reported that the Tooth Fairy visited their child. She usually exchanged the lost tooth for money (55.8% of visits) or placed money next to the tooth (40.7%); rarely did she take the tooth without pecuniary substitution. The Tooth Fairy left an average of 7.20 Swiss francs (approximately AU$9.45). The Tooth Fairy favoured visiting for the teeth of older children (odds ratio [OR], per year, 1.87; 95% CI, 1.09–3.21), of boys (OR, 2.65; 95% CI, 1.09–6.42), and of children who believed in her (OR, 4.12; 95% CI, 1.77–9.64). The amount of money was influenced by maternal, but not paternal socio-demographic factors, including level of education (OR, per level, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.66–0.92) and country of origin (OR, Western countries v non-Western countries, 2.35; 95% CI, 1.20–4.62).

Conclusions: The Tooth Fairy does not visit all children after tooth loss, displaying clear preferences in her choice of business partners. The odds of a visit are dramatically increased if she is believed in, and the value of a deciduous tooth is influenced by socio-demographic factors.

Please login with your free MJA account to view this article in full


Please note: institutional and Research4Life access to the MJA is now provided through Wiley Online Library.


  • 1 Centre of Dental Medicine, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
  • 2 Stadt Zürich Schul- und Sportdepartement, Zürich, Switzerland
  • 3 University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
  • 4 Neuroscience Centre, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
  • 5 University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland


Correspondence: raphael.patcas@zzm.uzh.ch

Competing interests:

No relevant disclosures.

  • 1. Shakespeare W. A midsommer nights dreame. London: Thomas Fisher, 1600.
  • 2. Oxford English Dictionary. fairy, n. and adj. OED Online [online database]. June 2017. www.oed.com/view/Entry/67741 (accessed July 2017).
  • 3. Prentice NM, Manosevitz M, Hubbs L. Imaginary figures of early childhood. Am J Orthopsychiatry 1978; 48: 618-628.
  • 4. Tuja T. The Tooth Fairy: perspectives on money and magic. In: Narváez P, editor. The Good People: new fairylore essays. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1997.
  • 5. Park JJ, Coumbe BGT, Park EHG, et al. Dispelling the nice or naughty myth: retrospective observational study of Santa Claus. BMJ 2016; 355: i6355.
  • 6. Muller L, van Waes H, Langerweger C, et al. Maximal mouth opening capacity: percentiles for healthy children 4–17 years of age. Pediatr Rheumatol Online J 2013; 11: 17.
  • 7. Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education. The Swiss education system. Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education [webpage]. Mar 2017. http://www.edk.ch/dyn/16342.php (accessed July 2017).
  • 8. Yeung CA. Cost of tooth fairy on the rise. BMJ 2013; 346: f237.
  • 9. Visa Inc. Survey: tooth fairy fluttering down to earth. Tooth Fairy leaving $3.19, down 24 cents per tooth [webpage]. Visa. July 2015. http://investor.visa.com/news/news-details/2015/Visa-Inc-Survey-Tooth-Fairy-Fluttering-Down-To-Earth/default.aspx (accessed July 2017).
  • 10. The original Tooth Fairy poll [website]. Delta Dental. http://www.theoriginaltoothfairypoll.com/the-original-poll/ (accessed Aug 2017).
  • 11. Krebs A, Thomas RM. Tooth Fairy keeping up with inflation. New York Times, 23 June 1981. http://www.nytimes.com/1981/06/23/nyregion/notes-on-people-tooth-fairy-keeping-up-with-inflation.html (accessed Aug 2017).
  • 12. Hippocrates. Περι σαρκων [= De carnibus]. In: Oeuvres complètes (transl. É. Littré), vol. 8. Paris: J.-B. Baillière, 1853; pp 584-615; here: section 12.
  • 13. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Food supply: livestock and fish primary equivalent: search for item “milk excluding butter” as food supply quantity (kg/capita/yr) for year 2013. http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/CL (accessed Aug 2017).
  • 14. Wells R. Tracking the tooth fairy: finding the trail. CAL 1983; 46: 1-8.
  • 15. Dickens C. Frauds on the Fairies. Household Words 1853; VIII (184): 97.

Author

remove_circle_outline Delete Author
add_circle_outline Add Author

Comment
Do you have any competing interests to declare? *

I/we agree to assign copyright to the Medical Journal of Australia and agree to the Conditions of publication *
I/we agree to the Terms of use of the Medical Journal of Australia *
Email me when people comment on this article

Online responses are no longer available. Please refer to our instructions for authors page for more information.

Neville Wran’s voice: how the Premier’s Teflon-coated vocal cords came unstuck

Evangelos Tseros, Faruque Riffat, Carsten E Palme, Hedley G Coleman and Narinder P Singh
Med J Aust 2017; 207 (11): . || doi: 10.5694/mja17.00198
Published online: 11 December 2017

His gravelly voice became one of the successful politician’s most defining features

Neville Kenneth Wran was the colourful and charismatic Premier of New South Wales from 1976 to 1986. He was widely respected for his quick wit, engaging informality, and committed representation of blue collar voters. The youngest of eight siblings, he was born in 1926 and raised in the Sydney suburb of Balmain, then a working class stronghold of the Australian Labor Party1 (Box 1).


  • 1 Westmead Hospital, Sydney, NSW
  • 2 University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW
  • 3 Institute for Clinical Pathology and Medical Research, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, NSW



Competing interests:

No relevant disclosures.

  • 1. Steketee M, Cockburn M. Wran: an unauthorised biography. Sydney: Allen & Unwin, 1986.
  • 2. Mallur PS, Rosen CA. Vocal fold injection: review of indications, techniques, and materials for augmentation. Clin Exp Otorhinolaryngol 2010; 3: 177-182.
  • 3. Sanderson JD, Simpson CB. Laryngeal complications after lipoinjection for vocal fold augmentation. Laryngoscope 2009; 119: 1652-1657.
  • 4. Meslemani D, Benninger MS. Coblation removal of laryngeal Teflon granulomas. Laryngoscope 2010; 120: 2018-2021.
  • 5. Li L, Stiadle JM, Lau HK, et al. Tissue engineering-based therapeutic strategies for vocal fold repair and regeneration. Biomaterials 2016; 108: 91-110.
  • 6. Friedrich G, Dikkers FG, Arens C, et al. Vocal fold scars: current concepts and future directions. Consensus report of the Phonosurgery Committee of the European Laryngological Society. Eur Arch Otolraryngol 2013; 270: 2491-2507.
  • 7. Dailey SH, Ng K, Gunderson M, Petty B. Vocal fold reconstruction: a novel flap. Laryngoscope 2013; 123: 2793-2797.
  • 8. Pagedar NA, Listinsky CM, Tucker HM. An unusual presentation of Teflon granuloma: case report and discussion. Ear Nose Throat J 2009; 88: 746-747.
  • 9. Loehrl TA, Smith TL. Inflammatory and granulomatous lesions of the larynx and pharynx. Am J Med 2001; 111 Suppl 8A: 113s-117s.
  • 10. Bramston T. Wran’s plan a way back for NSW Labor. The Australian (Sydney). 4 June 2011. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/wrans-plan-a-way-back-for-nsw-labor/news-story/d434e7b75b1dd86d2b8da564b4d1d015 (accessed Sept 2017).

Author

remove_circle_outline Delete Author
add_circle_outline Add Author

Comment
Do you have any competing interests to declare? *

I/we agree to assign copyright to the Medical Journal of Australia and agree to the Conditions of publication *
I/we agree to the Terms of use of the Medical Journal of Australia *
Email me when people comment on this article

Online responses are no longer available. Please refer to our instructions for authors page for more information.

Safeguarding the health of future generations

Elizabeth O'Brien
Med J Aust 2017; 207 (11): . || doi: 10.5694/mja17.p1112
Published online: 11 December 2017

The planet will continue to revolve in the face of declining ecosystem health and diversity, but how will the human species fare in 20, or 200, years? Is there a health framework to resist the free market call to relentless expansion, economic growth and profit? What is our role as doctors in advocating for the voiceless, future inhabitants of this planet?


  • Port Macquarie Base Hospital, Port Macquarie, NSW



Author

remove_circle_outline Delete Author
add_circle_outline Add Author

Comment
Do you have any competing interests to declare? *

I/we agree to assign copyright to the Medical Journal of Australia and agree to the Conditions of publication *
I/we agree to the Terms of use of the Medical Journal of Australia *
Email me when people comment on this article

Online responses are no longer available. Please refer to our instructions for authors page for more information.

The MJA 2017: the year in review, and looking forward to 2018

Nicholas J Talley
Med J Aust 2017; 207 (11): . || doi: 10.5694/mja17.01025
Published online: 11 December 2017

In multicultural Australia, whatever your religious beliefs or cultural background, we celebrate together the summer holiday period and our shared values of family and community. On behalf of the entire MJA team, we welcome you to the 2017 Christmas issue of the Journal, a tradition in which we strive to amuse and entertain our readers over the holiday season.

Please login with your free MJA account to view this article in full


Please note: institutional and Research4Life access to the MJA is now provided through Wiley Online Library.


  • Editor-in-Chief, Medical Journal of Australia



Competing interests:

No relevant disclosures.

  • 1. Talley NJ. A prize, an award and Christmas crackers: season’s greetings from the MJA. Med J Aust 2016; 205: 494-495. <MJA full text>
  • 2. McCullough AR, Pollack AJ, Hansen MP, et al. Antibiotics for acute respiratory infections in general practice: comparison of prescribing rates with guideline recommendations. Med J Aust 2017; 207: 65-69. <MJA full text>
  • 3. Moayyedi P, Yuan Y, Baharith H, Ford AC. Faecal microbiota transplantation for Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhoea: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials. Med J Aust 2017; 207: 166-172. <MJA full text>
  • 4. Archer BN, Chiu CK, Jayasinghe SH, et al. Epidemiology of invasive meningococcal B disease in Australia, 1999–2015: priority populations for vaccination. Med J Aust 2017; 207: 382-387. <MJA full text>
  • 5. Tong EY, Roman CP, Mitra B, et al. Reducing medication errors in hospital discharge summaries: a randomised controlled trial. Med J Aust 2017; 206: 36-39. <MJA full text>
  • 6. Chew DP, Scott IA, Cullen L, et al. National Heart Foundation of Australia and Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand: Australian clinical guidelines for the management of acute coronary syndromes 2016. Med J Aust 2016; 205: 128-133. <MJA full text>
  • 7. Parsonage WA, Milburn T, Ashover S, et al. Implementing change: evaluating the Accelerated Chest pain Risk Evaluation (ACRE) project. Med J Aust 2017; 207: 201-205. <MJA full text>
  • 8. Cullen L, Greenslade JH, Hawkins T, et al. Improved Assessment of Chest pain Trial (IMPACT): assessing patients with possible acute coronary syndromes. Med J Aust 2017; 207: 195-200. <MJA full text>
  • 9. Chambers GM, Paul RC, Harris K, et al. Assisted reproductive technology in Australia and New Zealand: cumulative live birth rates as measures of success. Med J Aust 2017; 207: 114-118. <MJA full text>
  • 10. Ibrahim JE, Bugeja L, Willoughby M, et al. Premature deaths of nursing home residents: an epidemiological analysis. Med J Aust 2017; 206: 442-447. <MJA full text>
  • 11. Rakhra SS, Opdam HI, Gladkis L, et al. Untapped potential in Australian hospitals for organ donation after circulatory death. Med J Aust 2017; 207: 294-301. <MJA full text>
  • 12. Playford D, Ngo H, Gupta S, Puddey IB. Opting for rural practice: the influence of medical student origin, intention and immersion experience. Med J Aust 2017; 207: 154-158. <MJA full text>

Author

remove_circle_outline Delete Author
add_circle_outline Add Author

Comment
Do you have any competing interests to declare? *

I/we agree to assign copyright to the Medical Journal of Australia and agree to the Conditions of publication *
I/we agree to the Terms of use of the Medical Journal of Australia *
Email me when people comment on this article

Online responses are no longer available. Please refer to our instructions for authors page for more information.

COPD-X Australian and New Zealand guidelines for the diagnosis and management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: 2017 update

Ian A Yang, Juliet L Brown, Johnson George, Sue Jenkins, Christine F McDonald, Vanessa M McDonald, Kirsten Phillips, Brian J Smith, Nicholas A Zwar and Eli Dabscheck
Med J Aust 2017; 207 (10): . || doi: 10.5694/mja17.00686
Published online: 20 November 2017

Abstract

Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterised by persistent respiratory symptoms and chronic airflow limitation, and is associated with exacerbations and comorbidities. Advances in the management of COPD are updated quarterly in the national COPD guidelines, the COPD-X plan, published by Lung Foundation Australia in conjunction with the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand and available at http://copdx.org.au.

Main recommendations:

  • Spirometry detects persistent airflow limitation (post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC < 0.7) and must be used to confirm the diagnosis.
  • Non-pharmacological and pharmacological therapies should be considered as they optimise function (ie, improve symptoms and quality of life) and prevent deterioration (ie, prevent exacerbations and reduce decline).
  • Pulmonary rehabilitation and regular exercise are highly beneficial and should be provided to all symptomatic COPD patients.
  • Short- and long-acting inhaled bronchodilators and, in more severe disease, anti-inflammatory agents (inhaled corticosteroids) should be considered in a stepwise approach.
  • Given the wide range of inhaler devices available, inhaler technique and adherence should be checked regularly.
  • Smoking cessation is essential, and influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations reduce the risk of exacerbations.
  • A plan of care should be developed with the multidisciplinary team. COPD action plans reduce hospitalisations and are recommended as part of COPD self-management.
  • Exacerbations should be managed promptly with bronchodilators, corticosteroids and antibiotics as appropriate to prevent hospital admission and delay COPD progression.
  • Comorbidities of COPD require identification and appropriate management.
  • Supportive, palliative and end-of-life care are beneficial for patients with advanced disease.
  • Education of patients, carers and clinicians, and a strong partnership between primary and tertiary care, facilitate evidence-based management of COPD.

 

Changes in management as result of the guideline: Spirometry remains the gold standard for diagnosing airflow obstruction and COPD. Non-pharmacological and pharmacological treatment should be used in a stepwise fashion to control symptoms and reduce exacerbation risk.


  • 1 University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD
  • 2 Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane, QLD
  • 3 COPD National Program, Lung Foundation Australia, Brisbane, QLD
  • 4 Centre for Medicine Use and Safety, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC
  • 5 Curtin University, Perth, WA
  • 6 Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, WA
  • 7 Austin Hospital, Melbourne, VIC
  • 8 University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC
  • 9 Priority Research Centre for Healthy Lungs, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW
  • 10 John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, NSW
  • 11 Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide, SA
  • 12 University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW
  • 13 Alfred Health, Melbourne, VIC


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

Acknowledgements: 

We thank Lung Foundation Australia and the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand for their support in the preparation of these guidelines.

Competing interests:

The conflict of interest declarations for Ian Yang, Johnson George, Sue Jenkins, Christine McDonald, Vanessa McDonald, Brian Smith, Nick Zwar and Eli Dabscheck are listed on the Lung Foundation Australia website ().

  • 1. Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease. Global strategy for the diagnosis, management, and prevention of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; 2017 report. Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease; 2017. http://goldcopd.org/gold-2017-global-strategy-diagnosis-management-prevention-copd (accessed July 2017).
  • 2. Toelle BG, Xuan W, Bird TE, et al. Respiratory symptoms and illness in older Australians: the Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) study. Med J Aust 2013; 198: 144-148. <MJA full text>
  • 3. Abramson MJ, Crockett AJ, Frith PA, McDonald CF. COPDX: an update of guidelines for the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with a review of recent evidence. Med J Aust 2006; 184: 342-345. <MJA full text>
  • 4. Bellamy D. Spirometry in practice: a practical guide to using spirometry in primary care. London: British Thoracic Society (BTS) COPD Consortium; 2005. www.brit-thoracic.org.uk/document-library/delivery-of-respiratory-care/spirometry/spirometry-in-practice-a-practical-guide-(2005) (accessed Sept 2017).
  • 5. British Thoracic Society. British guideline on the management of asthma. Thorax 2008; 63 Suppl 4: iv1-121.
  • 6. Jones PW, Harding G, Berry P, et al. Development and first validation of the COPD Assessment Test. Eur Respir J 2009; 34: 648-654.
  • 7. Alison JA, McKeough ZJ, Johnston K, et al. Australian and New Zealand pulmonary rehabilitation guidelines. Respirology 2017; 22: 800-819.
  • 8. McCarthy B, Casey D, Devane D, et al. Pulmonary rehabilitation for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2015; 2: CD003793.
  • 9. Spruit MA, Singh SJ, Garvey C, et al. An official American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society statement: key concepts and advances in pulmonary rehabilitation. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2013; 188(8): e13-e64.
  • 10. Puhan MA, Gimeno-Santos E, Cates CJ, Troosters T. Pulmonary rehabilitation following exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2016; 12: CD005305.
  • 11. Garber CE, Blissmer B, Deschenes MR, et al. American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, and neuromotor fitness in apparently healthy adults: guidance for prescribing exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2011; 43: 1334-1359.
  • 12. Gimeno-Santos E, Frei A, Steurer-Stey C, et al. Determinants and outcomes of physical activity in patients with COPD: a systematic review. Thorax 2014; 69: 731-739.
  • 13. Karner C, Chong J, Poole P. Tiotropium versus placebo for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2014; 7: CD009285.
  • 14. Geake JB, Dabscheck EJ, Wood-Baker R, Cates CJ. Indacaterol, a once-daily beta2-agonist, versus twice-daily beta(2)-agonists or placebo for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2015; 1: CD010139.
  • 15. Calzetta L, Rogliani P, Ora J, et al. LABA/LAMA combination in COPD: a meta-analysis on the duration of treatment. Eur Respir Rev 2017; 26: 160043.
  • 16. Kew KM, Seniukovich A. Inhaled steroids and risk of pneumonia for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2014; 3: CD010115.
  • 17. Horita N, Goto A, Shibata Y, et al. Long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) plus long-acting beta-agonist (LABA) versus LABA plus inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) for stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2017; 2: CD012066.
  • 18. Rojas-Reyes MX, Garcia Morales OM, Dennis RJ, Karner C. Combination inhaled steroid and long-acting beta(2)-agonist in addition to tiotropium versus tiotropium or combination alone for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2016; 6: CD008532.
  • 19. Chrystyn H, van der Palen J, Sharma R, et al. Device errors in asthma and COPD: systematic literature review and meta-analysis. NPJ Prim Care Respir Med 2017; 27(1): 22.
  • 20. Molimard M, Raherison C, Lignot S, et al. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation and inhaler device handling: real-life assessment of 2935 patients. Eur Respir J 2017; 49: 1601794.
  • 21. Bosnic-Anticevich S, Chrystyn H, Costello RW, et al. The use of multiple respiratory inhalers requiring different inhalation techniques has an adverse effect on COPD outcomes. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis 2017; 12: 59-71.
  • 22. Gershon AS, Mecredy GC, Guan J, et al. Quantifying comorbidity in individuals with COPD: a population study. Eur Respir J 2015; 45: 51-59.
  • 23. Westerik JA, Metting EI, van Boven JF, et al. Associations between chronic comorbidity and exacerbation risk in primary care patients with COPD. Respir Res 2017; 18(1): 31.
  • 24. Ekström MP, Wagner P, Ström KE. Trends in cause-specific mortality in oxygen-dependent chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2011; 183: 1032-1036.
  • 25. Fan VS, Gylys-Colwell I, Locke E, et al. Overuse of short-acting beta-agonist bronchodilators in COPD during periods of clinical stability. Respir Med 2016; 116: 100-106.
  • 26. Okazaki R, Watanabe R, Inoue D. Osteoporosis associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. J Bone Metab 2016; 23: 111-120.
  • 27. McNicholas WT. COPD-OSA Overlap Syndrome: evolving evidence regarding epidemiology, clinical consequences, and management. Chest 2017; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chest.2017.04.160 [Epub ahead of print].
  • 28. Houghton AM. Mechanistic links between COPD and lung cancer. Nat Rev Cancer 2013; 13: 233-245.
  • 29. van Agteren JE, Carson KV, Tiong LU, Smith BJ. Lung volume reduction surgery for diffuse emphysema. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2016; 10: CD001001.
  • 30. van Agteren JE, Hnin K, Grosser D, et al. Bronchoscopic lung volume reduction procedures for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2017; 2: CD012158.
  • 31. Shah PL, Herth FJ. Current status of bronchoscopic lung volume reduction with endobronchial valves. Thorax 2014; 69: 280-286.
  • 32. Zwar NA, Mendelsohn CP, Richmond RL. Supporting smoking cessation. BMJ 2014; 348: f7535.
  • 33. Cahill K, Stevens S, Perera R, Lancaster T. Pharmacological interventions for smoking cessation: an overview and network meta-analysis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2013; 5: CD009329.
  • 34. Poole PJ, Chacko E, Wood-Baker RW, Cates CJ. Influenza vaccine for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2006; 1: CD002733.
  • 35. Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, Department of Health. The Australian immunisation handbook. 10th ed. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia; 2015. www.immunise.health.gov.au/internet/immunise/publishing.nsf/Content/Handbook10-home (accessed Sept 2017).
  • 36. Walters JA, Tang JN, Poole P, Wood-Baker R. Pneumococcal vaccines for preventing pneumonia in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2017; 1: CD001390.
  • 37. Furumoto A, Ohkusa Y, Chen M, et al. Additive effect of pneumococcal vaccine and influenza vaccine on acute exacerbation in patients with chronic lung disease. Vaccine 2008; 26: 4284-4289.
  • 38. McDonald CF, Whyte K, Jenkins S, et al. Clinical Practice Guideline on Adult Domiciliary Oxygen Therapy: executive summary from the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand. Respirology 2016; 21: 76-78.
  • 39. Long-Term Oxygen Treatment Trial Research Group. A randomized trial of long-term oxygen for COPD with moderate desaturation. N Engl J Med 2016; 375: 1617-1627.
  • 40. Philip J, Crawford G, Brand C, et al. A conceptual model: redesigning how we provide palliative care for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Palliat Support Care 2017: https://doi.org/10.1017/S147895151700044X [Epub ahead of print].
  • 41. McDonald VM, Higgins I, Gibson PG. Managing older patients with coexistent asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Drugs Aging 2013; 30: 1-17.
  • 42. Majothi S, Jolly K, Heneghan NR, et al. Supported self-management for patients with COPD who have recently been discharged from hospital: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis 2015; 10: 853-867.
  • 43. Zwerink M, Kerstjens HA, van der Palen J, et al. (Cost-)effectiveness of self-treatment of exacerbations in patients with COPD: 2 years follow-up of a RCT. Respirology 2016; 21: 497-503.
  • 44. Zwerink M, Brusse-Keizer M, van der Valk PD, et al. Self management for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2014; 3: CD002990.
  • 45. Dickens C, Katon W, Blakemore A, et al. Complex interventions that reduce urgent care use in COPD: a systematic review with meta-regression. Respir Med 2014; 108: 426-437.
  • 46. Howcroft M, Walters EH, Wood-Baker R, Walters JA. Action plans with brief patient education for exacerbations in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2016; 12: CD005074.
  • 47. Hurst JR, Vestbo J, Anzueto A, et al. Susceptibility to exacerbation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. N Engl J Med 2010; 363: 1128-1138.
  • 48. Soltani A, Reid D, Wills K, Walters EH. Prospective outcomes in patients with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease presenting to hospital: a generalisable clinical audit. Intern Med J 2015; 45: 925-933.
  • 49. Aleva FE, Voets LWLM, Simons SO, et al. Prevalence and localization of pulmonary embolism in unexplained acute exacerbations of COPD: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Chest 2017; 151: 544-554.
  • 50. Chandra D, Tsai CL, Camargo Jr CA. Acute exacerbations of COPD: delay in presentation and the risk of hospitalization. COPD 2009; 6: 95-103.
  • 51. Selroos O, Borgstrom L, Ingelf J. Use of dry powder inhalers in acute exacerbations of asthma and COPD. Ther Adv Respir Dis 2009; 3: 81-91.
  • 52. Walters JA, Tan DJ, White CJ, Wood-Baker R. Different durations of corticosteroid therapy for exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2014; 12: CD006897.
  • 53. Walters JA, Tan DJ, White CJ, Gibson PG, et al. Systemic corticosteroids for acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2014; 9: CD001288.
  • 54. Therapeutic Guidelines. Therapeutic guidelines: antibiotic. Version 15. Melbourne: Therapeutic Guidelines; 2014. www.tg.org.au (accessed Sept 2017).
  • 55. Jeppesen E, Brurberg KG, Vist GE, et al. Hospital at home for acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2012; 5: CD003573.
  • 56. Beasley R, Chien J, Douglas J, et al. Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand oxygen guidelines for acute oxygen use in adults: ‘Swimming between the flags’. Respirology 2015; 20: 1182-1191.
  • 57. Austin MA, Wills KE, Blizzard L, et al. Effect of high flow oxygen on mortality in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients in prehospital setting: randomised controlled trial. BMJ 2010; 341: c5462.
  • 58. Osadnik CR, Tee VS, Carson-Chahhoud KV, et al. Non-invasive ventilation for the management of acute hypercapnic respiratory failure due to exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2017; 7: CD004104.
  • 59. Puhan MA, Gimeno-Santos E, Scharplatz M, et al. Pulmonary rehabilitation following exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2011; 10: CD005305.
  • 60. Guyatt GH, Oxman AD, Vist GE, et al. GRADE: an emerging consensus on rating quality of evidence and strength of recommendations. BMJ 2008; 336: 924-926.
  • 61. Andrews J, Guyatt G, Oxman AD, et al. GRADE guidelines: 14. Going from evidence to recommendations: the significance and presentation of recommendations. J Clin Epidemiol 2013; 66: 719-725.

Author

remove_circle_outline Delete Author
add_circle_outline Add Author

Comment
Do you have any competing interests to declare? *

I/we agree to assign copyright to the Medical Journal of Australia and agree to the Conditions of publication *
I/we agree to the Terms of use of the Medical Journal of Australia *
Email me when people comment on this article

Online responses are no longer available. Please refer to our instructions for authors page for more information.

Spirometry: key to the diagnosis of respiratory disorders

John R Wheatley
Med J Aust 2017; 207 (10): . || doi: 10.5694/mja17.00684
Published online: 20 November 2017

Spirometry remains the cornerstone of respiratory function testing and is the key to diagnosing and monitoring the most common respiratory disorders. Spirometry measures how quickly the air can empty from the lungs (flow) and how much air can be moved during a maximal expiration (volume). It is a valuable clinical tool to detect diseases that impair respiratory function, help exclude respiratory disease as a cause of current symptoms, assess the severity of any impairment in function, and monitor the effects of any therapeutic intervention or of disease progression.


  • Westmead Hospital and University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW


Correspondence: john.wheatley@sydney.edu.au

 

Series editors

Balakrishnan (Kichu) Nair

Simon O’Connor


Competing interests:

No relevant disclosures.

  • 1. Miller MR, Hankinson J, Brusasco V, et al. Standardisation of spirometry. Eur Respir J 2005; 26: 319-338.
  • 2. Levy ML, Quanjer PH, Booker R, et al. Diagnostic spirometry in primary care: proposed standards for general practice compliant with American Thoracic Society and European Respiratory Society recommendations. Prim Care Respir J 2009; 18: 130-147.
  • 3. Borg BM, Thompson BR, O’Hehir RE. Interpreting lung function tests: a step-by-step guide. Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons Ltd, 2014; pp 13-36.
  • 4. Pellegrino R, Viegi G, Brusasco V, et al. Interpretative strategies for lung function tests. Eur Respir J 2005; 26: 948-968.
  • 5. Quanjer PH, Stanojevic S, Cole TJ, et al. Multi-ethnic reference values for spirometry for the 3–95 year age range: the global lung function 2012 equations. Eur Respir J 2012; 40: 1324-1343.

Author

remove_circle_outline Delete Author
add_circle_outline Add Author

Comment
Do you have any competing interests to declare? *

I/we agree to assign copyright to the Medical Journal of Australia and agree to the Conditions of publication *
I/we agree to the Terms of use of the Medical Journal of Australia *
Email me when people comment on this article

Online responses are no longer available. Please refer to our instructions for authors page for more information.

Legal does not mean unaccountable: suing tobacco companies to recover health care costs

Ross MacKenzie, Eric LeGresley and Mike Daube
Med J Aust 2017; 207 (10): . || doi: 10.5694/mja17.00310
Published online: 20 November 2017

It is time for legal action to recover health care costs from the tobacco industry

Australia’s 2011 precedent-setting plain packaging legislation1 reinforced the country’s reputation within the tobacco industry as “the darkest market in the world”.2 The country’s commitment to tobacco control, and a declining national smoking rate that is among the lowest in the world should not, however, mislead the public or policy makers into a mistaken belief that tobacco is done.


  • 1 Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW
  • 2 Ottawa, ON, Canada
  • 3 Curtin University, Perth, WA


Correspondence: ross.mackenzie@mq.edu.au

Acknowledgements: 

Ross MacKenzie is supported by the National Cancer Institute, US National Institutes of Health, grant no. R01-CA091021.

Competing interests:

No relevant disclosures.

Author

remove_circle_outline Delete Author
add_circle_outline Add Author

Comment
Do you have any competing interests to declare? *

I/we agree to assign copyright to the Medical Journal of Australia and agree to the Conditions of publication *
I/we agree to the Terms of use of the Medical Journal of Australia *
Email me when people comment on this article

Online responses are no longer available. Please refer to our instructions for authors page for more information.

Challenging how tobacco is sold in Australia

Becky Freeman
Med J Aust 2017; 207 (10): . || doi: 10.5694/mja17.00544
Published online: 20 November 2017

Despite being addictive and deadly, tobacco is widely accessible in all communities

Given that two-thirds of regular smokers in Australia will die from smoking-related causes,1 tobacco is remarkably available and easy to purchase. Tobacco is sold in every community, on every high street and in every retail precinct. Australian consumers can freely purchase cigarettes in the same places where they buy healthy household staples such as fruit and vegetables, milk and bread. With an estimated 40 000 outlets selling tobacco across Australia,2 it is one of the most widely accessible consumer goods on the market — yet the most dangerous when used as intended. While Australia has delivered crippling hits to the tobacco industry’s ability to promote its products, we have yet to land even a glancing blow to how and where it sells its products.


  • University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW


Correspondence: becky.freeman@sydney.edu.au

Acknowledgements: 

On 31 May 2017, I attended the Tobacco Retail Summit hosted by the Cancer Council New South Wales. Australian and international speakers and participants discussed reforming the tobacco retail sector and I am indebted to their collective wisdom in helping inform this commentary.

Competing interests:

No relevant disclosures.

Author

remove_circle_outline Delete Author
add_circle_outline Add Author

Comment
Do you have any competing interests to declare? *

I/we agree to assign copyright to the Medical Journal of Australia and agree to the Conditions of publication *
I/we agree to the Terms of use of the Medical Journal of Australia *
Email me when people comment on this article

Online responses are no longer available. Please refer to our instructions for authors page for more information.

Determining the contribution of Streptococcus pneumoniae to community-acquired pneumonia in Australia

J Kevin Yin, Sanjay H Jayasinghe, Patrick G Charles, Catherine King, Clayton K Chiu, Robert I Menzies and Peter B McIntyre
Med J Aust 2017; 207 (9): . || doi: 10.5694/mja16.01102
Published online: 6 November 2017

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate trends in the proportion and severity of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) attributable to Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) in Australians aged 18 years and over.

Study design: Systematic review with unpublished data from the largest study.

Data sources: Multiple key bibliographic databases to June 2016.

Study selection: Australian studies on the aetiology of CAP in adults.

Data synthesis: In the 12 studies identified, pneumococcus was the most common cause of CAP. Four studies were assessed as being of good quality. Participants in two studies were predominantly non-Indigenous (n = 991); the proportion of pneumococcal CAP cases declined from 26.4% in 1987–88 to 13.9% in 2004–06, and the proportion with bacteraemia decreased from 7.8% to 3.8%. In two studies with predominantly Indigenous participants (n = 252), the proportion with pneumococcal bacteraemia declined from 6.8% in 1999–2000 to 4.2% in 2006–07. In the largest study (n = 885; 2004–06), 50.8% (60/118) of pneumococcal CAP occurred in people who were ≥ 65 years old. Among patients aged ≥ 65 years, intensive care unit admission and death were more common in patients who were ≥ 85 years old compared with younger patients (12.5% v 6.8%; 18.8% v 6.8% respectively), and also more common in the 19 patients with bacteraemia than in those without it (15.8% v 2.6%; 10.5% v 7.9% respectively). Of 17 cases of bacteraemia serotyped, 12 were due to 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (13vPCV) serotypes and three to additional serotypes in 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (23vPPV).

Conclusions: Available data suggest that the proportion of CAP attributable to pneumococcus (both bacteraemic and non-bacteraemic) has been declining in Australian adults. Should 13vPCV replace the 23vPPV currently funded by the National Immunisation Program for persons aged ≥ 65 years, surveillance to track non-bacteraemic pneumococcal CAP will be essential to evaluate the impact.


  • 1 National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, Kids Research Institute, Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW
  • 2 University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW
  • 3 Austin Health, Melbourne, VIC
  • 4 University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW


Correspondence: jk.yin@hotmail.com

Acknowledgements: 

The Australian Government Department of Health supported the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) of vaccine preventable diseases in Australia. However, the views expressed are not necessarily those of the department. The study was undertaken as part of the regular policy deliberations of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation. We thank the members of the Australian Community-acquired Pneumonia Study Collaboration.

Competing interests:

Since the completion of this study and the submission of the manuscript for publication, J Kevin Yin left his employment at the NCIRS to work for Sanofi Pasteur Australia and New Zealand.

  • 1. Janssens JP, Krause KH. Pneumonia in the very old. Lancet Infect Dis 2004; 4: 112-124.
  • 2. Fuller A, Pickles R, Spelman D, et al. Community acquired pneumonia at the Alfred Hospital, Melbourne: a prospective study with particular reference to Chlamydia pneumoniae [abstract]. Proceedings for the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases; Darwin (Australia), 21-24 May 1995.
  • 3. Lim WS, Macfarlane JT, Boswell TC, et al. Study of community acquired pneumonia aetiology (SCAPA) in adults admitted to hospital: implications for management guidelines. Thorax 2001; 56: 296-301.
  • 4. van der Eerden MM, Vlaspolder F, de Graaff CS, et al. Value of intensive diagnostic microbiological investigation in low- and high-risk patients with community-acquired pneumonia. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2005; 24: 241-249.
  • 5. Mandell LA, Wunderink RG, Anzueto A, et al. Infectious Diseases Society of America/American Thoracic Society consensus guidelines on the management of community-acquired pneumonia in adults. Clin Infect Dis 2007; 44: S27-S72.
  • 6. Said MA, Johnson HL, Nonyane BAS, et al. Estimating the burden of pneumococcal pneumonia among adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic techniques. PLoS One 2013; 8: e60273.
  • 7. Musher DM, Thorner AR. Community-acquired pneumonia. N Engl J Med 2014; 371: 1619-1628.
  • 8. Bonten MJM, Huijts SM, Bolkenbaas M, et al. Polysaccharide conjugate vaccine against pneumococcal pneumonia in adults. N Engl J Med 2015; 372: 1114-1125.
  • 9. Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee. Recommendations made by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) in March 2015: 1st time decisions not to recommend. Canberra: PBAC; 2015. http://www.pbs.gov.au/info/industry/listing/elements/pbac-meetings/pbac-outcomes/2015-03 (accessed July 2015).
  • 10. Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee. Recommendations made by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) in July 2015: positive recommendations. Canberra: PBAC; 2015. http://www.pbs.gov.au/info/industry/listing/elements/pbac-meetings/pbac-outcomes/pbac-outcomes-2015-07 (accessed Aug 2015).
  • 11. Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee. Recommendations made by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) in July 2016 meetings: positive recommendations. Canberra: PBAC; 2016. https://www.pbs.gov.au/industry/listing/elements/pbac-meetings/pbac-outcomes/2016-07/positive-recommendations-2016-07.pdf (accessed Sept 2016).
  • 12. Smith MD, Sheppard CL, Hogan A, et al. Diagnosis of Streptococcus pneumoniae infections in adults with bacteremia and community-acquired pneumonia: clinical comparison of pneumococcal PCR and urinary antigen detection. J Clin Microbiol 2009; 47: 1046-1049.
  • 13. Effective Public Health Practice Project. Quality assessment tool for quantitative studies. Ontario: EPHPP; 2009. http://www.ephpp.ca/tools.html (accessed Nov 2016).
  • 14. Armijo-Olivo S, Stiles CR, Hagen NA, et al. Assessment of study quality for systematic reviews: a comparison of the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias Tool and the Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment Tool: methodological research. J Eval Clin Pract 2012; 18: 12-18.
  • 15. Charles PG, Whitby M, Fuller AJ, et al. The etiology of community-acquired pneumonia in Australia: why penicillin plus doxycycline or a macrolide is the most appropriate therapy. Clin Infect Dis 2008; 46: 1513-1521.
  • 16. Elliott JH, Anstey NM, Jacups SP, et al. Community-acquired pneumonia in northern Australia: low mortality in a tropical region using locally-developed treatment guidelines. Int J Infect Dis 2005; 9: 15-20.
  • 17. Jacups SP, Cheng A. The epidemiology of community acquired bacteremic pneumonia, due to Streptococcus pneumoniae, in the Top End of the Northern Territory, Australia — over 22 years. Vaccine 2011; 29: 5386-5392.
  • 18. Jeremiah CJ, Hannan LM, Baird R, et al. Low utilisation of diagnostic microbiology for community acquired pneumonia in regional Victoria. Pathology 2013; 45: 162-166.
  • 19. Lim I, Shaw DR, Stanley DP, et al. A prospective hospital study of the aetiology of community-acquired pneumonia. Med J Aust 1989; 151: 87-91.
  • 20. Rémond MG, Ralph AP, Brady SJ, et al. Community-acquired pneumonia in the central desert and north-western tropics of Australia. Intern Med J 2010; 40: 37-44.
  • 21. Skull SA, Andrews RM, Byrnes GB, et al. Hospitalized community-acquired pneumonia in the elderly: an Australian case-cohort study. Epidemiol Infect 2009; 137: 194-202.
  • 22. Thompson JE. Community acquired pneumonia in north eastern Australia–a hospital based study of aboriginal and non-aboriginal patients. Aust N Z J Med 1997; 27: 59-61.
  • 23. Tramontana AR, Sinickas V. Microbiological diagnostic tests for community-acquired pneumonia are useful. Med J Aust 2010; 192: 235-236. <MJA full text>
  • 24. Weatherall C, Paoloni R, Gottlieb T. Point-of-care urinary pneumococcal antigen test in the emergency department for community acquired pneumonia. Emerg Med J 2008; 25: 144-148.
  • 25. Wilson PA, Ferguson J. Severe community-acquired pneumonia: an Australian perspective. Intern Med J 2005; 35: 699-705.
  • 26. Waight PA, Andrews NJ, Ladhani SN, et al. Effect of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine on invasive pneumococcal disease in England and Wales 4 years after its introduction: an observational cohort study. Lancet Infect Dis 2015; 15: 629.
  • 27. Moore MR, Link-Gelles R, Schaffner W, et al. Effect of use of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in children on invasive pneumococcal disease in children and adults in the USA: analysis of multisite, population-based surveillance. Lancet Infect Dis 2015; 15: 301-309.
  • 28. Rodrigo C, Bewick T, Sheppard C, et al. Impact of infant 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine on serotypes in adult pneumonia. Eur Respir J 2015; 45: 1632-1641.
  • 29. Torres A, Blasi F, Peetermans WE, et al. The aetiology and antibiotic management of community-acquired pneumonia in adults in Europe: a literature review. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2014; 33: 1065-1079.
  • 30. Jain S, Self WH, Wunderink RG, et al. Community-acquired pneumonia requiring hospitalization among US adults. N Engl J Med 2015; 373: 415-427.
  • 31. Welte T, Torres A, Nathwani D. Clinical and economic burden of community-acquired pneumonia among adults in Europe. Thorax 2012; 67: 71-79.
  • 32. Steering Committee for the Review of Government Service Provision. Overcoming Indigenous disadvantage: key indicators 2014. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia; 2015. http://www.pc.gov.au/research/recurring/overcoming-indigenous-disadvantage/key-indicators-2014#thereport (accessed June 2015).

Author

remove_circle_outline Delete Author
add_circle_outline Add Author

Comment
Do you have any competing interests to declare? *

I/we agree to assign copyright to the Medical Journal of Australia and agree to the Conditions of publication *
I/we agree to the Terms of use of the Medical Journal of Australia *
Email me when people comment on this article

Online responses are no longer available. Please refer to our instructions for authors page for more information.

Pagination

Subscribe to