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2010 Conference Program

Assessing And Managing Back Pain:
Back pain is one of the most common – and frustrating – conditions seen by GPs. This module focuses on patient assessment, including identification of ‘yellow flags’ and ‘red flags’ and management of nociceptive and neuropathic components of pain. The module is designed to provide you with the knowledge and skills to help you manage patients suffering from acute, nociceptive and neuropathic back pain.

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea
OSA is a very significant medical condition comparable in mortality and frequency to hypertension. Yet over 90% of OSA sufferers in Australia remain undiagnosed and untreated. Stroke, headaches, lethargy, sexual dysfunction, depression and somnolesence being just some of the sequelae. This audit involves questionnaire screening and if appropriate home monitoring for OSA. Speaker Dr. Andrew Dunn

Healthy Bones
Practical dietary and lifestyle tips GPs can give their patients to forestall osteoporosis. Case presentations will allow GPs to provide input and discuss treatment and management options. The simple tips provided will also lower the risk of many lifestyle diseases, especially as we realise vitamin D, calcium and bio-active compounds in food have wider benefits. Speaker Glenn Cardwell 

Claims Against General Practitioners - A case study 
This session will discuss the common clinical basis of claims and complaints lodged against genera practitioners. These case studies will overview the medico-legal and risk management challenges, including information about the risks of an adverse event and strategies to avoid them. Speakers Greg Pynt B.Juris, LLB and Catherine Carroll, LLB

Dermoscopy for general practice
Skin cancer is increasing in incidence and prevalence within Australia. Accurate diagnosis is important, especially to avoid unnecessary excisions and other related procedures. Dermoscopy is the suitable tool to augment current methods of diagnosis. This workshop will discuss various techniques for effective dermoscopy in the general practice environment including the use of hand held dermatoscopes and imaging systems. Finally, a brief synopsis on the effectiveness of short term digital monitoring will be presented. Speaker Dr. Damien Foong

Obesity MX, options & the role of surgery   
This seminar will look at the management of obesity and the various options available and in particular the increasing role of bariatric surgery. In Australia, an estimated 2.5 million adults were obese in 2004-05 and rates are predicted to increase such that as many as 7.2 million Australians could be obese by 2025. This seminar will look at the co-morbidities associated with obesity, who is suitable for bariatric surgery, long term weight loss results & the importance of multidisciplinary bariatric team. Included will be an overview of statistics; a review of “real” patient case studies & results; and a video of gastric band surgery.

Antioxidants / Oxidative stress: the reality for clinical practice
The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) has long been proposed as leading to random deleterious modification of macromolecules with an associated progressive development of age associated systemic disease. ROS and RNS formation has been posited as a major contributor to the ageing process. On the contrary, this seminar will present evidence that superoxide anion (and hydrogen peroxide) and nitric oxide (and peroxynitrite) constitute
regulated prooxidant second messenger systems, with specific sub-cellular locales of production and are essential for normal metabolome
and physiological function. The resultant consideration has significant implications for clinical practice. Speaker A/Prof. Luis Vitetta

Practical: Suturing
This session will provide an introduction to suturing, whilst outlining and demonstrating the current trends in wound closure. This is a practical session in setting up, assisting with and performing suturing.