General Medical issues thread

Quickstatus said:
Personally I don't understand why people feel the need to visit someone in hospital. If I were the inpatient, my directive to the ward nurses would be "no visitors"
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I even sidelined my kids when I was in hospital. Was not worth it with zero immunity.
Didn't tell them I was sick for a month. Waited until diagnosis was assured.
 
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And RSV was pretty common in 2017 but not often tested for. My dose of RSV I got courtesy of the flu ward I was running so it was important to find out just what I had.
 
I have beene sick for three days. Felt tired on the first day, feverish on the second day and noticed yellow sputum and dried yellow snot on the third day especially when I wake up. Of course the usual irresistable coughing like I did for 5 weeks after I caught COVID (hey long COVID did occur, and it happened to me!) Felt compelled to see my GP for some reason. Self tested and thank god it's not COVID this time. Have't gone to the pathologist since it's closed. Anyone care to guess what I have?

Usually do what most people do go to the chemist and get panadol and cough syrup but in recent years I just let nature take its course.

Feel like everyone is sick or coughing this week.
 
RooFlyer said:
More anecdotally, there is the weekly FluTracking ‘fever and cough’ survey. The weekly survey asks more than just ';fever and cough'

View attachment 391259

I’d say the % figures aren’t as relevant at the trends.
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I’ve been filling this in for years…they do a good job. Well worth joining if you have a minute to spare to do this once a week.
 
Pushka said:
Some of the RATs now test for the evil three.
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They had multiple tests back then for RSV,Influenza and parainfluenza back then of course no Covid. But what usually happened the doctor would order a flu test and that is all that was done.
 
Canberra changed over to a Digital Health Record system a few years ago, integrating the government health services onto a single platform. It has after visit information, appointments, reports, test results (from government labs/imaging), etc.

My GP hates the formatting that DHR reports are sent to him in.

Someone can use the MyDHR system (an app or on the act health website) to access their own record. One of the options buried in there is to see who else has accessed your record. Just the date, department and position of the person logged in.
I looked at my record this morning so I had my recent ER discharge on hand if my GP needed it when I saw him, and I saw that yesterday someone from "North Canberra Hospital Infection Control" looked at my record.

Any ideas why "Infection Control" would have been in there? I'm just waiting for movement on Urology and Neurology issues.
 
I have 'slow dark adaptation' in one eye - had it for years but suspect it is getting worse. If I go from a brightly illuminated area to a dark one (eg inside to outside or lit room to an unlit room, after sunset) my right eye sees almost total black, whereas my left eye sees a gloomy scene and I can see where to go with that one. The right eye comes to the same perception as the other after about 10 mins. If a light comes on, vision in both eyes is good and the same. Light off, I have monovision for 10 mins or so. The main problem for me is that, if I am subject to stumbling and falling in the gloom if I'm not careful.

The condition predates my retinal tears and cataract surgery by a long time.

I have an excellent ophthalmologist locally who has sent me for a number of optical and neurological tests. The first was in Melbourne, sent for electroretinography and dark adaptometry test. The first was normal, both eyes and the practitioner declined to do the DA test 'as its not reliable'. Later, I did a Visual Evoked Potential test and it too showed both eyes the same, and normal.

The Save the Sight Institute in Sydney can do a dark adaptometry test, but my ophthalmologist has said, if he refers me, that they too may decline to do the test.

My question isn't so much about the condition (but any ideas welcome!) but the fact that a clinic practitioner can elect not to do a referred test. Other than for some medical situation on the day, how can a test facility decline a test referred by a specialist? I mean mechanically - what's the guidance/directions these facilities work under where they say a test isn't needed when a specialist thinks it is?
 
RooFlyer said:
I have 'slow dark adaptation' in one eye - had it for years but suspect it is getting worse. If I go from a brightly illuminated area to a dark one (eg inside to outside or lit room to an unlit room, after sunset) my right eye sees almost total black, whereas my left eye sees a gloomy scene and I can see where to go with that one. The right eye comes to the same perception as the other after about 10 mins. If a light comes on, vision in both eyes is good and the same. Light off, I have monovision for 10 mins or so. The main problem for me is that, if I am subject to stumbling and falling in the gloom if I'm not careful.

The condition predates my retinal tears and cataract surgery by a long time.

I have an excellent ophthalmologist locally who has sent me for a number of optical and neurological tests. The first was in Melbourne, sent for electroretinography and dark adaptometry test. The first was normal, both eyes and the practitioner declined to do the DA test 'as its not reliable'. Later, I did a Visual Evoked Potential test and it too showed both eyes the same, and normal.

The Save the Sight Institute in Sydney can do a dark adaptometry test, but my ophthalmologist has said, if he refers me, that they too may decline to do the test.

My question isn't so much about the condition (but any ideas welcome!) but the fact that a clinic practitioner can elect not to do a referred test. Other than for some medical situation on the day, how can a test facility decline a test referred by a specialist? I mean mechanically - what's the guidance/directions these facilities work under where they say a test isn't needed when a specialist thinks it is?
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possibly because there needs to be certain medical indications before Medicare will pay their fee to the clinic and in your situation it mightn't meet those and the specialist knows that even though they think it might be helpful.
 
Pushka said:
possibly because there needs to be certain medical indications before Medicare will pay their fee to the clinic and in your situation it mightn't meet those and the specialist knows that even though they think it might be helpful.
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In that case, they would be putting their pecuniary interests ahead of my health. I would think a referral by a specialist (ophthalmologist) would be evidence enough that a test is required, and the only medical indications for a 'dark adaptation test' is surely ... abnormal dark adaptation 🤷‍♂️
 
RooFlyer said:
My question isn't so much about the condition (but any ideas welcome!) but the fact that a clinic practitioner can elect not to do a referred test.
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All I know about Dark Adaptometry is they shine a dim light in to your eye and you press a button if you see it. Its a test of the Rods in the retina

But to answer your question:

A referred test or procedure can be refused if in the opinion of the Referred Dr, it is not indicated, not in the patient's interest, irrelevant, not going to work, too risky
So on a scale of possibility of test refusal, lets say at one end is removal of part of the brain due to intractable epilepsy - a very risky procedure and high probability of morbidity/mortality. So it may be refused on one or more of the grounds above.
However a Da test is non invasive - its just shining a very dim light into the eye in a dark room, with zero risks to the patient - its less risky compared to a blood test - which puts this test at the other end of the scale. Therefore a refusal to perform the tests can't IMO be for any of the above reasons, including "not indicated", as you have been referred by the eye specialist. You can't force someone to perform a test but good medical practice says they should give you a reason why they can't do it. Maybe their equipment is not working, not calibrated, no one to intepret the test etc or maybe they are not accredited by their professional body to do the test. If they can't do the test, why advertise that they can?

It is also a medicare item 11211, with no prerequisites.

All very odd
 
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