PCSK9 inhibitors on PBS – who can be on it?

24th December 2020, Dr Chee L Khoo

PBS Authority

It’s been a couple of years since we first previewed the PCSK9 inhibitors (PCSK9i) on the PBS for patients with dyslipidaemia despite maximal statins and ezetimibe. Since then PCSK9i have been demonstrated in many trials of its efficacy in patients with high cardiovascular risk with dyslipidaemia despite maximally tolerated statins. The qualifying criteria  under the PBS has significantly loosened and suddenly we all have a number of patients who will meet those PBS criteria.…

Covid-19 vaccine roll out – something to get excited about?

14th December 2020, Dr Chee L Khoo

Covid-19 vaccine

We explored the Covid-19 vaccine candidates in the last issue. You would have read that the Pfizer vaccine has been approved and has been rolled out in UK and US. I have yet to come across the full disclosure of the trial anywhere. The Oxford/AstraZeneca trial has been published in full and it is worthwhile dissecting the study and ponder the implications as other vaccines are being rolled out internationally and will hit Australian shores in early 2021.…

Weekly insulin is coming. Is it any good?

13th December 2020, Dr Chee Khoo

Insulin

First, we have twice daily then once daily GLP1 injections. This was followed by weekly GLP1 injectables. The same is occurring with the insulins. Once daily insulins have been around for a few years and is well established as basal insulins in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. We now have a weekly insulin coming onto the market.…

Stroke prevention – are two agents better than one?

13th December 2020, Dr Chee L Khoo

Stroke prevention

If you have been following GPVoice over the years, you would have realised that I am easily confused. I am confused again. Why are some patients who has had a TIA or minor stroke on aspirin and some on dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT)? With supplies of some of these agents interrupted during the pandemic, can we swab one anti-platelet agent for another?…

Taking the hassles out of workers comp referrals

28th November 2020, Spectrum Radiology

paperwork galore

Don’t we hate it? Paperwork, approvals, waiting for more forms, more tick boxes, scan and fax and more waiting. That is what happens frequently with workers comp cases when patients need more investigations. What if you can get someone else to do it? Someone else other than you practice staff.

You now have a choice.…

Covid-19 vaccines – what are the issues?

27th November 2020, Dr Chee L Khoo

Covid-19 vaccine

Coronaviruses compose a family within the Nidovirales order and replicate by use of a nested set of mRNAs. Four seasonal human coronaviruses (229E, NL63, OC43, and HKU1) have been identified as causing up to a third of community-acquired upper respiratory tract infections. Yet our knowledge about the immune response against this family of viruses is very limited.…

Pro-opio-melanocortin deficiency obesity – what has it taught us?

obese kids?

27th November 2020, Dr Chee L Khoo

Every so often you come across reports of some “ultra-rare” disease that has a treatment available now and you probably thought that it really doesn’t concern you or your patients. In a recent small study reported in The Lancet, Karine Clément, Erica van den Akker et. al. presented the results of setmelanotide in participants with proopio-melanocortin (POMC) gene mutation which is associated with severe childhood obesity.…

Does wearing a facemask cause hypoxia?

14th November 2020, Dr Chee L Khoo

facemasks

It’s been at least 12 weeks since we started to wear facemasks at the practice full time with all face to face consultations. I must admit that during the first week, I did feel a bit suffocating with the mask on. I remember having to stop mid-sentence to catch my breath. I could sympathise with many patients, particularly patients who has COPD, asthma or heart failure.…

Maximising iron supplement absorption – what works and what doesn’t

14th November 2020, Dr Chee L Khoo

Iron supplements

We all know how difficult it is to treat iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) with oral iron supplements. Oral iron supplements not only cause constipation in many patients but they take forever to reverse the iron deficiency anaemia. Gastrointestinal absorption is a problem no matter how many iron tablets you take a day.…

Multi-use lancet device for blood glucose monitoring – URGENT cautionary tale

27th October 2020, Dr Chee L Khoo

blood glucose monitoring

Some of you would have read about the use of the multi-use lancet devices for testing different individuals that was in mandatory quarantine in Victoria between March and August this year. The lancets were disposable but the device holding the lancets were not. I thought everyone knew. I was wrong. Judging by the comments online after the publication of that issue in the Medical Republic, I suspect many of you don’t actually know the infection risk these devices pose and I felt the imperative to write this urgent article.…

Ultrasound School of Excellence

25th October 2020, Spectrum Medical Imaging

Spectrum Medical Imaging

Spectrum Medical Imaging in Liverpool is proud to announce the opening of the Ultrasound School of Excellence. Spectrum is committed to further educate and up-skill their team of sonographers to ensure that they are providing you and your patients with the highest quality ultrasound imaging and the most accurate results. The Ultrasound School of Excellence provides their sonographers with the opportunity to receive one-on-one training with senior sonographer Khai Tran.

Covid-19 and newborn – scary stuff?

25th October 2020, Dr Chee L Khoo

Covid-19 and newborn

Although our numbers of new Covid-19 infections and community transmission is pretty good in comparison with most other countries in the world, it isn’t zero. This is as good as it gets for at least the next 12 months. One of the scariest things is transmission of the virus to the newborn if the pregnant mother has the Covid-19 infection.…