Black lung disease found in coal miners

Black lung, a potentially fatal disease, has been diagnosed in four Queensland coal miners and unions fear it could be just the tip of the iceberg.

Alcohol harm in EDs takes a huge toll

“They are often violent and aggressive, make staff feel unsafe and negatively impact on the care of other patients,“ says Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor Diana Egerton-Warburton, lead author of research conducted by Monash University and the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM) about people affected by alcohol, presenting at emergency departments.

Health Check: the low down on trans fats

When you buy commercially baked goods such as pies, pastries, cakes and biscuits, there’s a good likelihood they’ll contain one of the nastier types of fatty acids: trans fats. These unsaturated fats have been chemically altered to give them a longer shelf life and withstand repeated re-heating.

What is pain and why do we feel it?

What is pain? It might seem like an easy question. The answer depends on who you ask, according to Professor Lorimer Moseley  from the University of South Australia.

4 tips for making the medicine go down

Our ability to detect bitter and sour tastes has evolved in humans to protect us from poisoning and eating spoiled foods, scientists believe. The trouble is, bitterness is a key feature of many beneficial medicines. There are ways to make swallowing bitter medicine a little easier (see the 4 tips below).

A hospital for the future - Health City

Ebola - one year on, where are we?

One year ago, the world held its collective breath. Were we going to be able to reverse the death and suffering we were seeing on the streets of capital cities in West Africa?

Men taking a stand against domestic violence

Today is White Ribbon Day! The White Ribbon Campaign is the largest global, male-led movement to stop violence against women.  It engages and enables men and boys to lead this social change.  

Can we die from a broken heart?

Dying of a broken heart is more than a myth. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (also known as broken heart syndrome) is a condition first recognised by Japanese researchers more than 20 years ago, and it has gained a great deal of attention in Western countries in the past ten years.

New president appointed for ACIPC

Professor Ramon Shaban has been appointed President of the Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control (ACIPC). The announcement was made at the ACIPC AGM in Hobart where the college is currently hosting its annual conference.

Virtual reality opens up blocked heart

Virtual reality (VR) has the potential to revolutionize aspects of medicine and healthcare. Several medical specialties are already using it to train physicians and assist diagnosis and treatment. A group of cardiologists from the Institute of Cardiology, Warsaw, Poland  has successfully used a VR device to guide the opening up (revascularisation) of a chronically blocked right coronary artery.

Nurse fronts penalty rates campaign

Teidi Chad, veteran nurse, is the face of a campaign defending penalty rates launched by UnionsACT in October.

Stronger warning for popular painkillers

Following a review by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), a range of popular painkillers will carry a stronger warning, alerting users to the potential for increased risk of heart attack, stroke and in the case of diclofenac, liver toxicity.

The hospital built by doctors

Men need to break a sweat to avoid stroke

Emerging evidence suggests physical activity is a good means of preventing a stroke. In the event that someone who regularly exercises does have a stroke, they are likely to have a less severe stroke and better outcomes in the early and later stages of rehabilitation.