Australian Family Physician audio

Addiction to opioids, or opioid dependence, encompasses the biopsychosocial dysfunction seen in illicit heroin injectors, as well as aberrant behaviours in patients prescribed opioids for chronic nonmalignant pain.

Dr Frei talks to Dr Deepa Daniel about the risks associated with the use of the so-called ‘party drugs’, and discusses a useful approach to general practitioner assessment and management of patients who may be using party drugs.

Party drug use, the intermittent use of stimulants, ecstasy and so-called ‘designer drugs’ at dance parties or ‘raves’, is now part of the culture of many young Australians.

Professor Dan Lubman talks about cannabis use; the complex pharmalogy that underlies its the physical and psychosocial effects; and the links between cannabis and psychosis and affective disorders. He discusses the importance of adopting a a non judgemental approach to engage the patient, assess substance abuse and psychological comorbidity and minimise harm from cannabis use. Motivational interviewing techniques can assist the patient in making links between their cannabis use and mood and psychosocial difficulties

Dr Matthew Frei talks about the risks associated with the use of the so-called ‘party drugs', and discusses a useful approach to general practitioner assessment and management of patients who may be using party drugs

Dr Matthew Frei discusses the management of opioid dependence using opioid pharmacotherapy, as part of a comprehensive chronic illness management strategy. Dr Frei discusses the risks and benefits of opioid pharmacotherapy and how it works. He also discusses how to assess and manage appropriate opioid-dependent patients, including the different opioid pharmacotherapy formulations available in Australia. He goes on to discuss other possible treatment options, including drug withdrawal. Finally, Dr Frei explains how GPs can become a trained opioid prescriber and how to get more information.

Dr Simon McRae, author of the article on pulmonary embolism in the July edition of AFP, discusses key issues in the diagnosis and management of pulmonary embolism, particularly considering the general practice setting.

Pulmonary embolism remains a common and potentially preventable cause of death.

Dr Simon McRae discusses key issues in the diagnosis and management of pulmonary embolism, particularly considering the general practice setting

Dr Aris Siafarikas talks to Dr Deepa Daniel about how to approach the assessment and management of a child presenting in diabetic ketoacidosis due to Type 1 diabetes.

Fifteen to sixty-seven percent of patients with new onset type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) present in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), of which approximately 79% initially see their general practitioner. Diabetic ketoacidosis is the most common cause of diabetes related deaths, mainly due to cerebral oedema that occurs in 0.4–3.1% of patients.

Dr Mike Starr talks to Dr Deepa Daniel about three childhood emergency presentations: meningococcal sepsis, croup, and minor head injuries, all of which are of significant importance in general practice.

Meningococcal disease remains a significant illness with an overall mortality of around 8%. The majority of deaths occur in the first 24 hours, before the commencement of specialist care. Missing a diagnosis of meningococcal disease is a fear among health care practitioners.

Croup is a common childhood disease characterised by sudden onset of a distinctive barking cough that is usually accompanied by stridor, hoarse voice, and respiratory distress resulting from upper airway obstruction. The introduction of steroids in the treatment of croup has seen a significant reduction in hospital admissions and improved outcomes for children.

Traumatic head injury is a common occurrence in the paediatric population, with the majority of patients sustaining only mild head injury.