Aust Fam Physician
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Accidental drowning causes over 300 deaths annually in Australia, and many more instances of 'near drowning'. ⋯ Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is the mainstay of immediate management. Continuing CPR for 30 minutes if necessary is appropriate, particularly in hypothermic patients. Patients who have been successfully resuscitated and those with clinical features suggesting aspiration should be given 100% oxygen and transferred to hospital. Drowning prevention is a significant public health issue, and the GP's role in education and support of rescue services and public awareness campaigns is important.
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Many venomous marine creatures inhabit Australian waters, causing significant morbidity and occasional fatalities. Part 1 of this article looks at jellyfish envenomations, an important overall cause of marine injuries. ⋯ It is intended that the information contained in this article will be informative to general practitioners dealing with jellyfish stings throughout Australia. Much of what we know has come from the astute observations of GPs in tropical Australia. However, there remains a lot to be learnt about jellyfish envenomation.
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Anaphylaxis is not uncommon in Australia, representing the most severe form of allergy. It is most likely to be triggered by food with the most common allergen being peanuts. It constitutes a medical emergency that requires a rapid medical response. ⋯ With the increased prevalence of allergy in the community, it is likely that at some stage most general practitioners will have to treat a case of acute anaphylaxis. It is imperative that GPs are prepared for such an event as failure to recognise the condition or to follow a validated protocol can have fatal consequences.
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Life threatening asthma is not an uncommon emergency and all doctors need to have an ordered approach to managing this problem both in the surgery and the home. ⋯ The key to successful treatment of life threatening asthma is a rapid assessment of severity, an early emergency call for an ambulance, oxygen, continuous nebulised beta 2 agonist, corticosteroids and the use of parenteral adrenaline for the patient in extremis.