Why being a doctor is one of the best jobs in the world

Dr Mark Cavill has been one of the dedicated doctors working for National Home Doctor Service for more than ten years.  Below he shares what it’s like to be on the road visiting patients and what he enjoys most about his job every day. 

The variety each day brings: 

• Ask any GP if treating patients is all coughs and colds and they'll probably laugh and say “if only”! The diversity of patients and symptoms that you can treat on a daily basis is one of the most enjoyable aspects of my job. I thrive on the variety and thrill of not knowing what will come from each home visit.

Feeling valued:

• The biggest tick of all is the people; it is the patients who make my job so enjoyable. To be invited into a person’s home to offer medical care is an honour, and you are always welcomed. I have been met in the driveway with cups of tea, offered to have my car parked and even offered dinner. I know it's a small thing, but as doctors we always appreciate our relationships with patients.

Flexibility: 

• Home visiting is a unique and privileged job. The work is flexible, not only for us as doctors, but for the patients too. We know how valuable it is for parents who are worried about a child’s high fever or earache; or for carers who want a doctor to check their elderly parent after a fall as the service allows them to stay home. In my view, young families and the elderly find this service invaluable. 

Seeing the good with the bad: 

• Being a GP you get the highs with the lows. Treating patients can be tough at times, but there are many positives. Think of managing patients during positive times in their life such as pregnancy and seeing patients get back to good health after a chronic illness. 

If you need a visit from National Home Doctor Service, call 13 SICK.  Home Doctor is available for home visits from 6pm weeknights, 12 noon on Saturdays, all day Sundays and public holidays. To find out if we cover your area, simply type your postcode in our suburb locator here.

 

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Cuban doctor with Ebola is stable, fever reduced: official

HAVANA (Reuters) - The Cuban doctor who contracted Ebola while treating patients in Sierra Leone was in stable condition with a reduced fever and no further complications, a Cuban health official said Wednesday.

The doctor, Felix Baez, 43, cannot recall any mistake in procedure that could have led to him catching the virus from a patient, said Jorge Perez, director of the tropical diseases hospital where Cuban doctors train for their Ebola missions.

Baez, a specialist in internal medicine, is the first Cuban known to have contracted Ebola, which has killed at least 5,450 people since March in the worst outbreak of the disease on record.

"He's doing fine. He's lost a little appetite but otherwise has no complications at the moment," Perez told Reuters a few hours before he was due to travel to Geneva to help with Baez's case.

Baez, who is married with two children, was due to arrive in Geneva late Thursday, Perez said.

Some 165 Cuban doctors and nurses have gone to Sierra Leone for six-month missions, with another 53 in Liberia and 38 in Guinea.

The Cuban commitment has won international praise as more substantial than contributions from many wealthy countries.

A Geneva doctor specializing in infectious diseases will organize Baez's care in a special hospital room separate from other wards at University Hospital, the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health said.

British and Cuban doctors treating Baez in Sierra Leone reduced his fever from 39 degrees Celsius (102.2 degrees Fahrenheit) to 37 degrees C (98.6 degrees F) using the drug duralgina, said Perez, who has reviewed medical reports on Baez and has spoken to his supervisor in Sierra Leone.

"He sent information saying he doesn't remember how or where, doesn't know what his mistake may have been in getting infected," Perez said.

Doctors and nurses wear protective, full-body suits when treating Ebola patients with strict procedures on how to remove them. The Cubans trained for their mission for three weeks in Cuba and another 15 days upon arriving in West Africa.

Baez, who normally works at a military hospital in Havana, was one of 15,000 volunteers for the Ebola mission and one of 465 who received training.

"Be strong, Dad, everything's going to be all right," the doctor's elder son, second-year medical student Alejandro Baez, said via official website CubaSi. "All of Cuba is waiting for you."

Baez also has an 18-month-old son, Felix Luis.

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Ebola spreading intensely in Sierra Leone as toll rises: WHO

WHO members and health directors stand outside the Port Loko District Hospital September 27, 2014, where the maternity ward has been converted into an isolation holding centre for people with suspected cases of the Ebola virus.

GENEVA (Reuters) - The toll in the Ebola epidemic has risen to 5,420 deaths out of 15,145 cases in eight countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday, with transmission of the deadly virus still "intense and widespread" in Sierra Leone.

The figures, through Nov. 16, represent a jump of 243 deaths and 732 cases since those issued last Friday, and cases continue to be under-reported, the WHO said in its latest update.

Sierra Leone, a former British colony, confirmed 533 new cases in the week to Nov. 16, it said, accounting for much of the increase. It also reported 63 deaths since last Friday.

"Much of this was driven by intense transmission in the country's west and north," the WHO said.

The capital Freetown, which accounted for 168 new confirmed cases, and nearby Port Loko were particularly hard-hit.

A Cuban doctor infected with Ebola in Sierra Leone will be flown to Switzerland in the next 48 hours for hospitalization in Geneva, Swiss health authorities said on Wednesday. He is the first Cuban known to have contracted the disease.

The outbreaks in Guinea and Liberia currently appear to be driven by intense transmission in several key districts, the WHO said, citing N'Zerekore and Macenta in Guinea and Montserrado in Liberia, which includes the capital Monrovia.

In the three most affected countries - Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone - 1,159 beds are now operational in 18 Ebola treatment centers, or one-quarter percent of beds planned, according to the U.N. agency. But only 13 percent of Ebola patients in Sierra Leone are in isolation, its figures show.

"As this number increases, so does the capacity to isolate patients and prevent further transmission of the disease."

Authorities in Mali have reported 6 Ebola cases including five deaths, the WHO said. All contacts of its first case, a two-year-old girl who died in October, have survived the 21-day incubation period.

The remaining cases have been in Nigeria, Senegal, Spain and the United States.

Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said on Wednesday that her government has the upper hand in the fight against Ebola, but warned against complacency or any reduction in international support.

WHO said that in Liberia, 80 probable cases were reported in the week to 15 November. "Nationally, on average, between 10 and 20 laboratory-confirmed cases are being reported each day."

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Chickenpox 101 from Huggies

 

Did you know approximately nine in ten people will catch chickenpox if they haven’t been vaccinated against it? 

 

Chickenpox is a disease caused by the herpes zoster virus, Varicella Zoster. It spreads from person to person through direct contact and can be very contagious. 

 

If your child has chickenpox, he or she might have:

• An elevated temperature 
• A prickling sensation on the skin
• A flushed and sweaty face
• The tell-tale rash - small red spots which quickly turn into clear fluid filled blisters which start to appear on the trunk and back
• An  intense feeling of itchiness that becomes almost impossible not to scratch 

 

Concerned your child might be developing symptoms of chickenpox? National Home Doctor Service can help. We’re a bulk-billing, after hours, doctor home visiting service and we’re available for home visits from 6pm weeknights, 12 noon on Saturdays, all day Sundays and public holidays.  Call us on 13 SICK (7425).

 

Click here to visit the Huggies website and learn more about chickenpox and how to alleviate the symptoms. 

 

To find out if we cover your area, simply type your postcode in our suburb locator here.

 

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Germs 101: How to protect your family from getting sick

The truth is that protecting yourself from germs can be fairly simple, and it just takes a bit of common sense!

We hear a lot about germs from the time we're young children, but do you know what "germs" really are?

Types of Germs

The term "germs" refers to four types of pathogens in the environment:

1. Bacteria – Bacteria is a type of germ that feeds on its environment, so it needs a source of food in order to live. Many bacteria thrive in the human body, as they need a warm, humid environment like the intestines, the mouth, the ears, and the nose. They can cause infections like tonsillitis, pneumonia, and urinary tract infections, but not all bacteria are harmful. Without the bacteria in our intestines, we couldn't digest food or eliminate wastes.
2. Fungi – Fungi are multi-celled germs with a structure similar to plants. They cannot make their own food, so they have to find nutrients from their host be it plants, animals, or even the soil. Fungi aren't dangerous to people who are healthy, but they can cause problems when they grow out of control or when the immune system is compromised.
3. Viruses – A virus is a germ that has to be INSIDE a living cell in order to spread, reproduce, and grow. Without a host, viruses die. Viruses take over a cell, grow inside of it, and use the cell's structure to spread throughout the host. However, a virus can live longer without a host than the other types of germs.
4. Protozoa – A protozoa is basically a tiny single-celled organism that thrives in moist environments. Protozoa can spread diseases through water, causing nausea, stomach pain, and diarrhea. They live in stagnant and dirty drinking water.

How Germs Behave

Once a germ finds an environment that is favorable, they tend to occupy the place. They set in and begin to feed, finding moisture and nutrients in their new environment. As they are fed, they begin to grow and become stronger. The more they grow, the wider the germ infection will spread. What starts out with a single germ can quickly turn into a full-blown infection in a very short amount of time, provided the environment in which the germ lives is conducive to its growth.

How to Protect Your Family from Germs

Worried about coming in contact with germs today? Here are some ways to protect your family:

• Wash your hands. Washing your hands with soap will kill off most of the germs that have collected on your hands. Every time you touch a door handle, cut food, pet an animal, or shake someone's hands, germs accumulate. Regular hand washing is the way to get rid of these germs, but alcohol-based hand rubs work as well.
• Dry your hands. Hands that are damp tend to pick up a lot of germs, so use disposable paper towels to dry your hands after washing. Avoid sharing cloth towels, but air dryers are a good alternative to paper towels.
• Avoid cuts. Wounds and open cuts are a breeding ground for germs, but hands that are dry and cracked (contact dermatitis) are just as bad. If your hands suffer from using soap, alcohol-based gels, or too much washing, eliminate the problem and protect your hands.
• Wear protection. During flu season, there are a lot of germs floating through the air. Cover your mouth and nose with a face mask, and you won't have to worry about any germs getting in and making you sick. Wear gloves to protect your hands and prevent them from picking up germs. Wash your hands before you put on the gloves, but make sure they are dry.
• Practice proper cough or sneeze etiquette. Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, or turn your face away from others. Teach your family the proper etiquette, and it can minimise the spread of illness.
• Exclude the sick. If your children or spouse get sick, keep them away from the rest of your family. Make sure they avoid contact with the healthy until their symptoms have passed.
• Get vaccinated. Vaccines are effective at protecting you against sickness. With the right set of vaccinations, you can resist most of the colds, coughs, and illnesses floating in the air.

 

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Vaccinations Are Agony For Mummies! VACCINATIONS ARE ESSENTIAL KEEP CALM AND TAKE LOLLIPOPS

By Abi Gold, Family and Parenting Expert, Juggle Family and Parenting Consultancy

When you take your kids for their essential vaccination jabs, keep calm and take lollipops writes Family and Parenting Expert, Abi Gold.

What's the worst bit about being a mum? Is it the relentless fatigue, the tantrums, or perhaps finding poo in the bath?

 

For me, it's vaccinations, or rather being the one who takes my children to the doctor, holds them down and watches their faces crumple in agony. That's my very worst bit.

I don't doubt that vaccinations are essential to their good health and longevity. I believe my littlies are very lucky to have been born in a place where such things are taken for granted, when they are in fact extremely valuable gifts.

 

And I believe that as a mother and my kids' protector, that having them immunised, is a ‘no brainer’. But that's the ‘logical me’.

 

The ‘emotional me’ finds it really hard. The ‘emotional me’ wants to scoop my littlies up, and run far, far away. I want to save them from the needle, from their terrified struggles and that ‘little scratch’ which never really is little.

 

Then there's the expression of horror on their faces, the shock and the condemning look that says ‘traitor’. That bit makes me feel like a heel, and the logic, at that stage, is forgotten.

 

Ultimately though, taking the kids for their jabs has to be done, so the best way to approach it is in a calm and matter-of-fact way.  Your children look to you for their cues.  They rely on you to tell them how to behave in every situation, and vaccination time is no different.  

 

Hysteria and panic will not soothe your children, but will heighten their sensitivity, and make them hysterical too.  

 

Don't invite fear by talking about it in advance, just go in, keep calm, help the nurse to get the job done, and you'll be out of there before you know it.  Oh, and don't forget the lollipops. 

 

Actually, calm isn't a bad thing to take with you wherever you go. And your children will learn to roll with the blows. And there are blows out there, so give them a head start, and teach them how to cope.

 

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Marijuana poisoning incidents spike in Washington state

SEATTLE (Reuters) - Marijuana exposure incidents, or 'pot poisonings,' have spiked in Washington state, especially among teenagers, in a trend experts said on Tuesday appears to be linked to the state's largely unregulated medical marijuana industry.

Marijuana exposures are defined as any situation where an adult or child suffers an adverse reaction to the consumption of marijuana, such as increased heart rate, paranoia or stomach illness, according to the Washington Poison Center.

Some 210 marijuana exposures were reported in the first nine months of the year, more than in all of 2013, according to Washington Poison Center Clinical Managing Director Alexander Garrard.

"Our thought is that the spike is potentially related to the number of unlicensed medical marijuana dispensaries that are opening up around the state," he said.

Washington legalized recreational marijuana use in 2012, with the first retail stores opening in 2014 under a highly regulated and taxed system in contrast to the relatively lax pre-existing regime for medical pot.

The state's medical marijuana industry, legalized in 1998, sells products of unconfirmed potency as well as marijuana edibles attractive to children, like gummy bears and lollipops.

While retail stores have been slow to open, Garrard said medical dispensaries have been expanding steadily over the past year.

He said most exposures among young children are accidental, with parents reporting their children found and ate marijuana-laced items such as cookies and candy bars.

Exposure incidents among teens ages 13 to 19 have seen the biggest spike, a trendline possibly linked to accessibility, Garrard said. There were 39 teen exposures in all of 2013, with almost as many reported this year through August, data shows.

"A kid may have access to it (medical marijuana) and who knows what they are doing with those products when they go to school, and they are hanging out with their friends," Garrard said. "It's really hard to track that information."

Marijuana detractors argue the push to legalize pot, which remains illegal under federal law, comes amid a lack of clear data about how cannabis affects young brains and bodies.

Garrard urged anyone suffering from illness linked to marijuana to report the incident to the poison center, which keeps patient information confidential.

"A lot of what we know about these adverse effects comes from these case reports or people having shown up in the hospital," he said.

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