BACKGROUND Up to 12% of Australian adults and almost one in five adolescents are estimated to have engaged in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) at some time in their life. Friends and family are most likely to notice signs of NSSI, but may be unsure how to intervene. Mental health first aid guidelines were developed in 2008 on how to do this through providing initial support and encouraging appro...

We describe an evidence-based approach to enhancing the resilience of healthcare workers in preparation for an influenza pandemic, based on evidence about the stress associated with working in healthcare during the SARS outbreak. SARS was associated with significant long-term stress in healthcare workers, but not with increased mental illness. Reducing pandemic-related stress may best be accomp...

The aphorism of Hippocrates has become a cliché. From Larrey to Pirogov, Winnett-Orr and Trueta to DeBakey, the cliché has been proven to be a reality. The idea that surgery during armed conflict advances our knowledge of medicine and surgery has become commonplace. After 35 years’ experience, I think back on some of the implications of these clichés and commonplace ideas. Some progress has bee...

Most people take the stability of chromosomes for granted. Some may imagine metaphase chromosomes lined up like a butterfly collection on a page, reassuringly in order and unchanging. However, evidence that has been accumulating for over half a century indicates that genome stability is a dynamic, not a static, process. In the 1940s natural chromosomes ends, or telomeres, were shown to be speci...

HANDBOOK OF FIRST AID. By Arthur D. Belilios, M.B., B.S., Desmond K. Mulvany, M.S., F.R.CS., Katherine F. Armstrong, S.R.N., S.C.M. (Pp. 482; figs. 195. 12s. 6d.) London: Bailliere, Tindall & Cox, 1962. THE last edition of this book was in 1955. The chapter on Shock and Resuscitation has been rewritten, and a new chapter on First Aid and Nuclear Warfare added. Other items have been revised and ...

Does volunteer selection by peers have a measurable effect on volunteer performance? This paper examines this question in the context of a field experiment which used community organizations as a means to select people to serve as Emergency Medical Coordinators (EMCs). Field sites were 36 rural Georgia communities with populations ranging from 150 to 1850. EMCs were trained in a 40 hour program...

Most nose bleeds can be controlled by compressing the ala nasi, thus applying direct pressure over Little's area. The ability to demonstrate the correct position for this manoeuvre was assessed in 115 members of the staff of the accident and emergency (A&E) department of a major teaching hospital. Overall, the correct response rate was only 33% and even trained medical and nursing staff achieve...

INTRODUCTION Epilepsy is a continuing tendency to have seizures, i.e., a convulsion or any transient abnormal event resulting from paroxysmal cerebral neurons discharge, even if the attacks are separated by long intervals. Eighty-nine percent of the global burden of epilepsy is in developing countries. Knowledge about the disease is the cornerstone for its treatment and prevention. OBJECTIVES...

INTRODUCTION Epilepsy associated stigma remains a main hindrance to epilepsy care, especially in developing countries. In Africa, anti-epileptic drugs are available, affordable and effective. As of now, no community survey on epilepsy awareness and attitudes has been reported from this area Cameroon with a reported high prevalence of epilepsy. METHODS To contribute data to the elaboration of ...