Specialty

Until now, for patients with cardiovascular risk factors, postpartum mothers, or for those in whom their doctors want to avoid oestrogen, there have been limited oral contraceptive options to offer. In this interview we will be exploring new progesterone only contraceptive options for women.

Preterm birth is the single greatest cause of death in young children in Australia. It is also a major cause of disabilities including deafness, blindness, cerebral palsy and learning difficulties. While this information is not new to us, there is a general lack of awareness about the importance of preterm birth in the community. Over the last twenty years the rates of preterm births have been rising in Australia, making this issue more pressing. In this interview we discuss ways we can safely lower the rate of preterm births.

In recent years, there have been significant advances in gene therapy for retinal disease including progress in targeting particular retinal cell types and the development of more efficient gene therapy vectors. Advances in the technology and in our understanding of the genetic basis of retinal diseases suggests we may be at the dawn of a new therapeutic era in ophthalmology. In this interview we discuss cutting edge research into novel gene therapy strategies.

The Royal Australian New Zealand College of Psychiatrists released updated clinical practice guidelines for mood disorders in 2021. In this interview we’re talking with one of the co-authors of the guidelines, about the changes with particular emphasis on the sometimes controversial additions, and new sections such as the seven ‘Choice’ antidepressants, circadian function as a potential intervention target, and moving away from the term treatment-resistant depression.

It’s well established that cognitive functioning can be significantly affected in people with all mental illnesses and cognitive impairment is one of the known symptoms of schizophrenia. Cognitive deficits significantly impact our patients’ overall functioning, quality of life, but earlier treatment and functional recovery may help improve outcomes. In this interview we talk about cognitive impairment in mental illness, the value of cognitive assessment tools and treatments that can improve cognitive functioning in people with schizophrenia, with a focus on lurasidone.

Renal: Haemodialysis remains the most common type of kidney replacement therapy, with more than 2 million people on haemodialysis worldwide. Arteriovenous fistulas created with native vessels are considered the vascular access of choice for haemodialysis and maintaining the integrity of the fistula is a key component of management. Vascular access dysfunction is a major cause of morbidity, mortality and excess healthcare costs, and maintaining effective, functioning vascular access to provide adequate dialysis is an ongoing challenge. In this interview we discuss AV fistula maintenance, including the use of plastic cannulas versus metal needles, as well as treatments for access flow dysfunction.
30 minute listen

Psychiatry: When we treat patients with major depressive disorder, we do achieve remission in a significant proportion, but many patients may continue to have residual symptoms such as tiredness, the inability to concentrate and ongoing feelings of a lack of pleasure and emotional attachment in their lives. These may affect a patient’s ability to function in the workplace, at home while studying and can reduce their quality of life. In this interview we discuss the impact of residual symptoms. 19-minute listen

Psychiatry: We’ve become increasingly aware about the importance and impacts of residual symptoms such as tiredness, anhedonia and cognitive symptoms in patients being treated for major depressive disorder¹. In this interview we discuss how we can better manage residual symptoms in our patients. 28 minute listen

Haematology: The treatment landscape in multiple myeloma has changed considerably over the past few years, resulting in a significant shift in the treatment paradigm in the relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma space. Join myeloma expert Prof. Hang Quach as she discusses the implications of these changes to current guidelines and treatment practices, and shares her thoughts on the optimal use of new therapies moving forward. 26-minute listen

Haematology: Earlier this year, the PBAC expanded the listing for carfilzomib to include once-weekly dosing in addition to twice-weekly dosing, in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. In addition, daratumumab achieved its first listing, in combination with bortezomib and dexamethasone. Join haematologist Dr Wojt Janowski as he discusses these recent changes to the PBS, and learn how he manages relapsed/refractory myeloma patients in his clinic.  30-minute listen