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Each month, MedIndex flags some of the clinical review articles published in the ADR Bulletin, AFP, Australian Prescriber, Medicine Today, NPS News and The MJA. Would you like to receive this newsletter via email? Click Here
 February News Highlights
Watching stressful sporting events may more than double risk for CV emergencies [Physician's First Watch] read article Artificial sweeteners could make you gain weight [Medical News Today]read article HPV vaccination for older women [AMA/MJA] read article Deaths stop part of diabetes trial [Medical News Today] read article Stress during pregnancy associated with schizophrenia in children [Medical News Today] read article Antiepileptic suicide link queried [Medical Observer] read article Women given acupuncture at embryo transfer do better in IVF [Physician's First Watch] read article Glucosamine no better than placebo for hip OA [Physician's First Watch] read article Read more of the latest news by clicking here
February: Recommended Reading ……………………clicking on the title will link you to the article Weight watchers, meal replacements, exercise, acupuncture – which can really lead to weight loss? Helping patients lose weight – what works is an excellent article in AFP addressing these and other weight loss modalities. Find articles on weightloss
The patient has had an allergic reaction to sulfonamide antibiotics - Will he also develop an allergy to frusemide (also a sulfonamide)? This terrific Australian Prescriber article, Sulfur allergy' label is misleading finally explains sulphomonide hypersensitity and its clinical consequences. Find articles on sulfur allergy
If your patients tell you they are too busy, tired or simply not sporty enough to exercise, the AFP article Encouraging physical activity – five steps for GPs will give you some comebacks as well as straightforward guidelines to help you motivate your patients into increasing their physical activity. Find articles on exercise
Alcohol intervention – what works? in AFP reminds us that fewer than 5 minutes of motivational counselling by a GP can make a difference. This article reviews pharmacological and other treatment options. Find articles on alcohol
Smoking cessation - What works? is a great AFP article that includes a handy flowchart which provides a practical approach to breaking the habit. Find articles on smoking cessation
Sleep through too many statistics lectures? Interpreting risks and ratios in therapy trials is a nifty article in Australian Prescriber clearly explaining relative risks, hazard ratios, p values and the like. Find articles on statistics
This month Australian Prescriber looks at Long-term management of patients taking proton pump inhibitors, which includes useful information guiding when long term use is appropriate as well as possible interactions and adverse effects. Find articles on PPIs
The new MJA Position Statement Guidelines for the use of infant formulas to treat cows milk protein allergy: an Australian consensus panel opinion includes clear advice on what formula to use according to the allergy syndrome. Find articles on cows milk allergy
What’s Happening Online
MJA now requires registration
The MJA website now requires registration to access its full content. In other words, you will need to spend a minute or two registering your details on the MJA website before you next access the articles. Access remains free and there are options available to avoid extra emails arriving in your inbox ; however, the website does not appear to have a “remember me” option so at present you need to login (with your email address) each time you go to the site.
Medicine Today has removed most online articles
Last year Medicine Today began publishing some articles online as part of its CPD program. Wit the new triennium many of those articles have been pulled from the web. We will continue to link to and index the online articles and will be removing the WebLinks from past articles. February: Further Reading  … clicking on the title will link you to the article
In AFP, Beyond chemotherapy - Demystifying the new 'targeted' cancer treatments is a comprehensive article on the newer cancer medications, explaining how they are used, what survival advantages have been shown and outlining common side effects and drug interactions. Up to 5% of your patients with chronic back pain have ankylosing spondylitis or axial spondyloarthritis - this MJA consensus statement will help you identify which patients these are. If you are in a hurry scan to Box 2 which lists the recommendations in Evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis: results from the Australian 3E initiative in rheumatology. This month the ADR Bulletin reports on MRI scans with gadolinium-containing contrast, hepatic reactions with terbinafine and interactions with glucosamine and warfarin. The MJA Lesson from Granulomatous hepatitis: tuberculosis or not? describes a case of TB in which the diagnosis could not be confirmed with investigation – nonetheless anti-tuberculous treatment was indicated and was associated with clinical improvement. An interesting case of Methaemoglobinaemia following ingestion of a commonly available food additive is published this month in the MJA. Tumour necrosis factor α inhibitors: screening for tuberculosis infection in inflammatory bowel disease clearly provides screening guidelines for latent TB infection, as well as describing the newer diagnostic tests for TB including Interferon gamma release assays such as the QuantiFERON-TB Gold (QFT-G) test. The prevention and management of herpes zoster in the MJA is a great review of this condition and includes guide to assessing pain severity as well as a treatment algorithm for post-herpetic neuralgia. The current issue of NPS News takes a look at Managing hyperglycaemia in type 2 diabetes. A nice update On the correct use of eye drops is in Australian Prescriber this month, together with an informative update on Emerging indications for magnetic resonance imaging in neuroradiology. Learn about 'chemofog' in Australian Prescriber's Neurocognitive effects of chemotherapy in adults. New drugs in Australian Prescriber looks at nitric oxide, varencicline and a zoster virus vaccine. Using a case presentation, Pitfalls in managing falls in AFP has a focus on neurally mediated syncope and the use of tilt table testing. Have you need wondering about Human papillomavirus vaccination for the prevention of cervical neoplasia: is it appropriate to vaccinate women older than 26? If so read the article in this months MJA.
Declaration of Interest Audra Barclay - author / editor of the MedIndex Focus of the Month Newsletter- has a working relationship with Medicine Today - chiefly in the development of the continuing education program.
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