Monthly media digest: December 24/January 25

07 January 2025

A digest of college news coverage for December 2024/January 2025

Surf lifesaving resuscitation techniques breakthrough

ANZCA fellow and honorary historian Dr Christine Ball was interviewed by ABC Gold Coast for an online article "Australian surf lifesavers remembered for brave act to improve CPR techniques" on 26 December about a groundbreaking research trial involving Queensland lifesavers that improved CPR techniques. 

Dr Ball published a paper in the international journal Anaesthesia and Intensive Care on the experiments which were conducted more than 60 years ago. They were a joint initiative between Surf Life Saving Australia and the medical fraternity to help drowning victims.

By voluntarily being anaesthetised and paralysed, the lifesaver "guinea pigs" helped pave the way for modern resuscitation techniques still in use today.


A/Prof Mick Vagg interviewed about new paracetamol packaging

FPM's Director Professional Affairs Associate Professor Mick Vagg commented on the TGA's paracetamol packaging changes due to come into effect on 1 February in Australia.

He was quoted in a syndicated News Limited article "Paracetamol packets to shrink as doctors warn Aussies not to just substitute with other pain relievers" (paywalled) on 4 January warning people of the dangers of switching to alternate painkillers such as ibuprofen.

The article appeared in 10 print and online articles including the Herald Sun, the Weekly Times, the
Adelaide Advertiser and the Daily Telegraph.


  

New ‘sip til send’ initiative improves patient comfort

The anaesthesia department at Northeast Health Wangaratta in Victoria featured in an article in the Wangaratta Chronicle (paywalled) on 16 December about the new 'Sip Til Send' initiative.

Dr Jade Radnor, director of anaesthesia and perioperative medicine at NHW, said the initiative aimed to improve the patient experience by helping them stay hydrated and comfortable while waiting for their surgery. 

Patients aged over 16 years of age undergoing surgery can now sip up to a cup of water per hour while waiting for their procedure, and children can also sip on a prescribed smaller amount of water or have lemonade icy
poles while waiting for their procedure.

The change replaces the previous requirement which had prohibited any fluids within two hours of surgery. 

Last updated 15:13 7.01.2025