General Medical issues thread

[Milboo]

Well back from the GP and at the moment not going back to work until at least Friday.

I feel like death warmed up.

My GP had a student so the examination was very thorough which is always good. I'm happy to let students practice on me and learn under supervision.

Hope you're feeling better soon.

I know what you mean about the learning. The Physio I saw last week (not my usual) had a grad with her on Saturday so she went through everything with him and asking him about diagnosis etc. And now I actually know the cause of my knee issue and back pain!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I got bitten by a dog last night (domestic pet). While researching about the need for a tetanus booster I came across this, suggesting tetanus boosters probably aren't required every ten years, but more like every 30: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160322133817.htm

Interesting if true.

 

[mannej]

Food poisoning 2-6 hours after eating contaminated food. (Virus, Bacteria, Parasite)

Stomach Bug 24-48 hours after exposure to virus.

Me and my mother got a stomach bug nearly 2 months ago. Both ends. Worst stomach bug we ever had.

I can tell you that isn't necessarily accurate.

Different types of food poisoning have different incubation periods.

 

[JohnK]

And just like that the sore throat is gone and with it the BMS. Very mysterious how the body works. Think the Augmentin has helped.

 

[Quickstatus]

I got bitten by a dog last night (domestic pet). While researching about the need for a tetanus booster I came across this, suggesting tetanus boosters probably aren't required every ten years, but more like every 30: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160322133817.htm

Interesting if true.

Dont know why there is a general view that tetanus booster is required every 10 years.
Apart from the boosters in childhood and adolescence, for adults:


[h=3]Adults[/h][h=4]Booster doses[/h]All adults who reach the age of 50 years without having received a booster dose of dT in the previous 10 years should receive a further tetanus booster dose. This should be given as dTpa, to also provide protection against pertussis (refer to 4.12 Pertussis). This stimulates further production of circulating tetanus antibodies at an age when waning of diphtheria and tetanus immunity is commencing in the Australian population.9




(From immunise.health.gov.au ).

Generally the problem is in the >50 age group very few can remember when their last tetanus booster was, so easier to just give another shot.
I'm unsure the cost calculation in the article is accurate as adults given tet boosters are already at the hospital or Drs with medical problems which raise the issue of tetanus, so the incremental cost is only the cost of the tetanus shot plus syringe and needle.

 

[Pushka]

Dont know why there is a general view that tetanus booster is required every 10 years.

Maybe that's what our Doctors told us at the time

 

[Quickstatus]

Maybe that's what our Doctors told us at the time

Yes I meant general view in medical commmunity. It's often done in emergency departments and tet tox often given if patient says no tetanus or can't remember. Easier to just give it as its another tick box completed in an increasingly tickbox driven environment.

In one of our tickbox forms before an operation have to tick whether antibiotics given but no tickbox to confirm oxygen is being administered.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

20 Amoxicillin (sp?) anti-biotics... USD70.55 :shock:

 

[wandering_fred]

20 Amoxicillin (sp?) anti-biotics... USD70.55 :shock:

Where?

I ask because in SE Asia the prices are even less than the PBS full cost...

Just wandering

Fred

 

[Cynicor]

How about food that was prepared hygienically but poorly refrigerated or not reheated properly then?

If cooking managed to destroy all bacteria and one prevented any from getting on before storage, the food could keep indefinitely, assuming you kept out fungal spores too.

Realistically this is impossible, so food will go mouldy if it doesn't spoil form bacteria because these things are airborne and everywhere.

In terms of reheated food, a few of the common culprits are always there but not killed fully/enough by cooking. You might reduce an initial population of 100k to only 200, but then they reproduce.
Refrigeration slows this process down, and room temp ->30-40C is their maximal reproduction rate. So the longer it's left out, the quicker it spoils, but food left in the fridge also spoils eventually.

Reheated meat spoils quicker than carbs because it's often harder to kill the bacteria and it starts with more.
Rice and such often has bacillus cereus which is ok at the start but over repeated reheatings reproduces until it makes you sick.

 

[Pushka]

If cooking managed to destroy all bacteria and one prevented any from getting on before storage, the food could keep indefinitely, assuming you kept out fungal spores too.

Realistically this is impossible, so food will go mouldy if it doesn't spoil form bacteria because these things are airborne and everywhere.

In terms of reheated food, a few of the common culprits are always there but not killed fully/enough by cooking. You might reduce an initial population of 100k to only 200, but then they reproduce.
Refrigeration slows this process down, and room temp ->30-40C is their maximal reproduction rate. So the longer it's left out, the quicker it spoils, but food left in the fridge also spoils eventually.

Reheated meat spoils quicker than carbs because it's often harder to kill the bacteria and it starts with more.
Rice and such often has bacillus cereus which is ok at the start but over repeated reheatings reproduces until it makes you sick.

Are you reading this JohnK?

 

[Quickstatus]

Nothing grows on Maccas burgers.

 

[JohnK]

20 Amoxicillin (sp?) anti-biotics... USD70.55 :shock:

In the US? I think you visit China a lot and think medication should be cheap there.

Amoxyl in Thailand is around 500 baht. Generic amoxycillin is 60 baht. Generic Roxythromycin is 150 baht for 10 tablets and I also bought generic Ketoconazole cheaply. These go with me everywhere and used as needed.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

20 Amoxicillin (sp?) anti-biotics... USD70.55 :shock:

In the US? I think you visit China a lot and think medication should be cheap there.

Amoxyl in Thailand is around 500 baht. Generic amoxycillin is 60 baht. Generic Roxythromycin is 150 baht for 10 tablets and I also bought generic Ketoconazole cheaply. These go with me everywhere and used as needed.

Indeed, USA!

On discovering the price of a walk-in 'urgent care' facility - $109 + cost of doctor speaking to you (or something like that) - I shopped around and managed to find a walk-in 'nurse' facility. She was lovely, but the highlight was after looking at my hand I asked the prognosis. "Oh' she said 'I have an app for that' and proceeded to speak in to her phone 'dog bite, prophylaxis, other treatment'. And her phone gave the answer!

The tiny tube of antibiotic ointment was $58. But being America my friend said 'hang on a minute' and found a coupon on their phone! Reduced the price to $14 :shock:

 

[JohnK]

Are you reading this JohnK?

Reading and find it very surprising.

If all bacteria has not been killed by the process of cooking then we are consuming bacteria when we eat. But then bacteria multiplies in the fridge and we consume more bacteria if we eat cold but less bacteria if we reheat.

Damned if you do and damned if you don't. I had cold chicken again this morning. Wife offered to put in microwave but I said no. Oh well. There's one more piece of chicken for tomorrow morning.

 

[Cynicor]

You consume bacteria all the time, the body is made for it. Requires a critical load of pathogenic bacteria to make you sick.

And reheating doesn't kill any bacteria so cold or hot it's the same amount at any given time, they will keep on multiplying until consumed. If you leave it out, however, they will multiple quicker than leaving it in a fridge.

 

[JohnK]

You consume bacteria all the time, the body is made for it. Requires a critical load of pathogenic bacteria to make you sick.

And reheating doesn't kill any bacteria so cold or hot it's the same amount at any given time, they will keep on multiplying until consumed. If you leave it out, however, they will multiple quicker than leaving it in a fridge.

That makes sense. We try not to leave food outside too long. Mum keeps saying not to leave cooked in fridge too long either.

 

[Quickstatus]

Sometimesit's not the bacteria per se that is bad. It's the toxins released by the bacteria or from decaying fish that is hard to neutralise by cooking such as:

Scrombroid - histamine
Ecoli - Shiga toxin
Ecoli - haemolytic uremic syndrome (can't remember toxin)

Kill the bugs but the toxins remain

Dont forget viruses are also implicated - most common and featured in recent cruise ships : norovirus. Very difficult to contain requiring very strict quarantine and hygiene procedures.

 

[love_the_life]

Dentist tomorrow as I seem to have lost a filling (either that or the tooth broke) . I don't have a good track record when it comes to dentists so hopefully this one will be OK. Not sure if I need to take out a mortgage for the expected fees yet.

Daughter has second lot of hip surgery on Monday. It's been 13 months since the original surgery to repair labral tears and still not fixed. Scans don't show up anything but she's had cortisone, physio and all the rest so something is not right there somewhere. She's a bit young for a hip replacement.

 

[Cynicor]

I fell asleep while getting a scale and clean once
Apparently I have a gentle dentist.