Medicine is full of paradoxes, but there are also glimmers of hope
What happens when you combine a global pandemic with unprecedented access to instant mass communication in a culture that is suspicious of expertise and authority?…
Sophie Attwood
Sophie is a journalist at Australian Doctor.
How another La Niña season will affect patients with hay fever
Australia has among the highest prevalence of asthma and hay fever globally. La Niña (and El Niño) will undoubtedly affect patients with allergies. Sea-surface temperatures…
Medical Must-See: Patient impaled by her Christmas tree
It may be September, but ’tis always the season to reflect on trauma protocols. One of which is the timely transfer of patients with life-threatening…
There’s a new Omicron subvariant spreading – everything we know about BA.4.6
BA.4.6, a subvariant of the Omicron COVID-19 variant which has been quickly gaining traction in the US, is now confirmed to be spreading in the…
What happens when the two oldest professions in the world meet?
I was recently approached by a GP seeking my advice about a potential boundary violation of a sexual nature. This middle-aged male GP, who is…
20 questions is a fun game – but not during a consult
I often get calls requesting a medication for a recurrent problem, like a sinus infection or UTI. And sometimes, after I send something in and…
How to talk to patients seeking VAD
By the end of 2023, voluntary assisted dying will be a legal right in some circumstances for patients with life-ending illnesses in every state in…
Why we mourn Queen Elizabeth II – when most of us never knew her
The death of Queen Elizabeth II has prompted public displays of grief around the world — from public gatherings at Buckingham Palace in London and…
As my career as a GP comes to an end, I wonder, ‘Have I been a mug?’
The 31 December will be my last day in general practice. The Seekers’ signature tune The Carnival is Over is an appropriate epitaph. I’ve had…
Medical Must-See: Doctors discover ‘tuft’ of fur inside patient’s thumb
Like a dog with a bone, ED doctors got to the root of their patient’s swollen and painful thumb. The man, in his 60s, reported…
