Health Report

Latest Episodes:

Senate report on ADHD | ABC Birth Project responses | Yellow fever and mosquito-borne diseases | Assessing our spending on health Nov 13, 2023

Show notes

In March 2023 a Senate inquiry began to review how the health system manages people with ADHD, and the Government has now three months to respond.

The ABC's Birth Project invited people to share their experiences of birth in Australia—and if improvements could be made to the system. The responses indicate that there's plenty of scope

Yellow Fever is spread by mosquitoes, and some U.S. researchers say that it's ripe for a comeback. The same species of mosquito is already either in Australia or nearby.

The latest report on what we're spending on health in Australia has offered a clear picture of what COVID has cost.

What's that rash contact details:

What's that rash email: thatrash@abc.net.au

on Instagram @abcheal

Narcolepsy and its strange symptoms | Body clocks and our sleep Nov 06, 2023

Show notes

If we don't get enough sleep we're apt to doze off in the day, but for some people, dozing off can signal rare disorder of the brain's sleep-wake cycles, and it plays havoc with their lives.

In one 24-hour period our body undergoes a number of synchronised biological changes, which are also linked to our mental health.

Vitamin C, COVID, and cancer | Hand arthritis, and new treatment | Birthing in the COVID world | Blood cancer treatment advances Oct 30, 2023

Show notes

A question asked about COVID-19 was whether high doses of intravenous vitamin C could fight it. Two randomised controlled trials showed no benefit for COVID-19. But high-dose Vitamin C can benefit cancer treatment.

Arthritis of the hands is common, painful, a bit of a mystery, and hard to treat. Researchers have trialled a drug commonly used for rheumatoid arthritis, and found some benefit.

In Victoria, hospital researchers have been watching how COVID and lockdowns affected births there. Some hospital adaptations persisted well past the lockdown phases—including shorter hospital stays after birth.

Blood cancers often affect people younger than the average person who develops cancer, and Australian and New Zealand haematologists have been pioneers in trialling new treatments—this year marking the 50th anniversary of the clinical trial group that coordinates studies.

Atrial fibrillation, catheter ablation, stroke, and dementia | A bank for poo | Survey to improve care in general practice Oct 23, 2023

Show notes

Two of the most common causes of death in Australia, and globally, are stroke and dementia. One cause of stroke is atrial fibrillation—an abnormal heart rhythm—it may also cause dementia.

Faecal microbe (or poo) transplants are something we've talked about on the program, but until recently, they've not been widely available. In fact, the product is made in Australia.

Australia is to participate in a survey of the experiences of patients in general practice who have a chronic illness.

A new treatment for PTSD | Why blood pressure cuff size matters | Diversity of participants in cancer trials Oct 16, 2023

Show notes

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an extreme form of anxiety caused by the laying down of bad memories when someone is involved in a threatening situation. A new treatment has been developed for people to write about their experience, and feelings about the memory.

Having your blood pressure checked at the doctor's or hospital is a health care basic. A recent trial has found a significant and possibly unexpected source or error: the size of the cuff, relative to the thinness or thickness of your upper arm.

For people with cancer, being offered a place in a clinical trial can provide hope of a better outcome, but trial participants are far less likely to be from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds than the general population.

Hosts: Dr Norman Swan and Tegan Taylor

The Voice is a health issue—hearing again the reasons why | Diabetes and cause of death Oct 09, 2023

Show notes

Australians will soon vote on changing the Australian Constitution to recognise First Nations people—the Voice to Parliament. When it comes to health, there's a strong evidence base for the Voice. In a slightly edited form, we hear again a conversation from a few weeks' ago with two key people working in this area.

Over the past two decades, deaths from cardiovascular disease among people with diabetes have gone down, but is revealing other trends

The versatility of 3D printing in healthcare—for prosthetics, training surgeons, scaffolds, and new skin for burns Oct 02, 2023

Show notes

3D printing is becoming an incredibly versatile modern tool—there’s scope in engineering, manufacturing, architecture and design—as well as in several aspects of health care. Today we tour the Herston Biofabrication Institute—part of the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital—where clinicians, academics, and industry work together in a state of the art facility.

Pre-operative assessments | Kids, sinusitis, and antibiotics | Kids, fainting, and an unusual heart rhythm | Knee replacements and digital rehab Sep 25, 2023

Show notes

To have you in the best physical condition before major surgery many surgeons send you for a pre-operative assessment by a physician—does it help?

When a child has persistent cold symptoms, it might be sinusitis and require antibiotics.

If a child faints it's really only a worry when it causes an injury. But there might be an abnormality of the heart's electrical system, called congential Long QT syndrome, and prompt parents to have their child checked.

Rehab after knee replacement is controversial because some hospitals keep you in for it, but if you go home soon after the surgery, maybe digital rehab will become an option.

The science of sleep Sep 18, 2023

Show notes

Humans spend around a third of their lives sleeping, and its management has created a multi-million dollar industry. We discuss the sleep of FIFO workers, the sleep of people with PTSD, and what we can do to improve our shut-eye time with a therapy called circadian medicine.

A clearer view of diagnostic error | Monkeys, semaglutide, and addiction | Exercise and gamification Sep 11, 2023

Show notes

A clearer picture of where and how mistakes are made in medical diagnoses.

Monkeys on some Caribbean islands are helping researchers understand more about addiction.

Sydney's Liverpool Hospital developed a program using gaming to spur on patients recovering from traumatic brain injury.

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