Australian Family Physician March 2006 - Psychosis
Vol 35, No. 3 (82-176)
The theme for the March issue of AFP is psychosis.
This month's articles include the acutely psychotic patient - assessment
and initial management, road testing the newer antipsychotic agents,
substance use and psychosis and psychotic symptoms in the elderly -
assessment and management.
This mirror has two faces
Steve Trumble
There is possibly no disease with greater impact on a patient, their family, and the community than a psychotic disorder.
Letters to the editor
The opinions expressed by correspondents in this column are in no way endorsed by either the Editors or The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
Management of psychosis in Australian general practice
Janice Charles, Graeme Miller, Anthea Ng
The BEACH program, a continuous national study of general practice
activity in Australia, gives us an overview of consultations involving
the management of psychoses.
The acutely psychotic patient. Assessment and initial management
Nicholas Keks, Grant Blashki
Acute psychosis is a medical emergency; apart from distress and behavioural dysfunction,
there may be danger to the patient and others.
Road testing the newer antipsychotic agents
Jayashri Kulkarni, Richard J Inglis
Increasing community treatment of patients with psychotic disorders
over the past 20 years has led to the general practitioner being more
intimately involved the monitoring and management of these
patients.
Contemporary psychosocial treatment of psychosis. Not simple, but many opportunities
Margaret Foulds
The range of needs of people experiencing schizophrenia or other
psychotic illnesses is great, this however provides those treating them
with many opportunities for effective intervention.
Psychotic symptoms in the elderly. Assessment and management
Daniel O'Connor
Psychotic symptoms in the elderly arise in mood disorders, schizophrenia, dementia, and delirium.
Substance use and psychosis
Brendan Pawsey, David Castle
The use of alcohol and illicit substances is high among people with
mental illnesses. Clinicians experience a range of complex issues while
treating such patients
Item 291. Progress in cooperation between GPs and psychiatrists
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, with input from J Buchanan, C Johnson, and D Fryer
With a 12 month prevalence for mental health disorders at just over 17%
and data indicating that 75% of those who seek help for a mental health
problem do so in the first instance from a general practitioner, there is a strong need for GPs and psychiatrists to work together in providing mental health care for Australians.
Psychotic illness. Does complementary medicine have a role in management?
Vicki Kotsirilos
This is the first in a series of articles looking at the available
evidence for complementary medicine relating to the theme topic in
Australian Family Physician.
Breast Cancer. Guiding your patient through treatment
Meagan Brennan, Elisabeth Black, James French, John Boyages
This twelfth article in our series on breast disease provides practical
advice on overcoming obstacles faced by both the woman and her general
practitioner on the diagnosis of breast cancer.
National Drugs Campaign. The GPs role in reducing illicit drug use
Adam Winstock
According to the most recent National Drug Strategy Household Survey,
almost two in every 5 Australians have used an illicit drug at some
time in their life.
Is your teenager trying drugs?
Adam Winstock
It can often be difficult to differentiate normal teenage behaviours from behavioural changes associated with
substance related problems. To complicate matters those teenagers who may be expressing unusual or worrisome behaviours because of personal/social problems are often the most vulnerable to using substances and developing problems associated with their use.
Sexually transmitted infections. Ten common myths
Antonio AT Chuh, William CW Wong, Albert Lee MD
The management of sexually transmitted infections serves as a good
example of how medical practitioners should offer continuous and 'whole
person' care to patients and their contacts.
Sarcopenia. Exercise as a treatment strategy
Dennis R Taaffe
Sarcopenia, the age related decline in muscle mass, is associated with
a reduction in muscle function, physical performance, quality of life,
and loss of independence.
Compliance with treatment in osteoporosis patients. An ongoing problem
Philip Sambrook
Osteoporosis is a chronic condition that generally requires long term
therapy with agents such as bisphosphonates, selective oestrogen
receptor modulators, or hormone therapy for fracture risk reduction to
be apparent.
Clinical challenge
Questions for this month's clinical challenge are based on articles in this issue. The style and scope of questions is in keeping with the MCQ of the College Fellowship exam. The quiz is endorsed by the RACGP Quality Assurance and Continuing Professional Development Program and has been allocated 4 CPD points per issue.
Evaluation of an interpractice visit peer review program for rural Australian general practice registrars
John Fraser
Changes to the Australian General Practice Training Program occurred in
2001 allowing registrars in small rural communities to undertake all of
their training in one practice.
Mental illness and the law
Sara Bird
A recent New South Wales Supreme Court case explored some interesting and novel concepts with respect to the law and mental illness.
Seek first to understand. A foray into research
Michelle L Galea
PHCRED funds a number of 'research clinicians' who choose a project to
research for a year. This article explores one researcher's perspective
of the transition from clinician to researcher, including motivation
for researching, challenges of research and hopes for research.
BEACH overview
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Australian GP Statistics and Classification Centre
The BEACH (Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health) program, a
continuous national study of general practice, began in April 1998 and
is now in its eighth year.
Secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. A possible model for Australian general practice
Tom Brett, Sean McGuire, Brian Meade, John Leahy
Heartwatch is a national program in Irish general practice for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease.
Depression. What should the doctor ask?
Kay Wilhelm, Suzanne Brownhill, Jessica Harris, Peter Harris
There are barriers to doctors detecting depression in general practice.
We wondered what questions patients thought the doctor should ask to
explore it appropriately.
Osteoporosis. Diagnosis and treatment in a general practice population
Arthur Chiang, Judith Jones, Jessica Harris, Bruce Farnell, Cheryl Martin
Osteoporosis may be underdiagnosed and undertreated. General practitioners are best placed to redress this.
Substance abuse and other comorbidities. Management in Australian general practice
Susan D Whicker, Geoffrey Sayer, Deborah Saltman
Comorbidity of substance abuse with chronic conditions may have a
synergistic impact on patients' health. Recognition of this may improve
patient care.
A population survey. Would Australian general practice be the first point of contact during an anthrax bioterrorism event?
David N Durrheim, Reinhold Muller, Vicki L Saunders, Richard Speare, John B Lowe
Anthrax bioterrorism is a new threat to Australians. How they would respond to an anthrax bioterrorism event is unknown.
R U OK 2 TXT 4 RESEARCH? Feasibility of text message communication in primary care research
Dagmar Haller, Susan Sawyer, Carolyn Coffey, George Patton
Young people have led the recent rise in prevalence of text message usage, which is increasingly used in clinical settings.