March 2025

Peer Reviewed Feature Articles
Arthritis

Osteoarthritis: best-evidence care

Sarah Kobayashi, David J. Hunter, Jillian P. Eyles

Evidence-based care for people with osteoarthritis includes first- and second-line strategies, and should be person-centred, support self-management and use an interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary approach.

Free Access
Free access
Cardiovascular medicine

Cardiac tachyarrhythmias: a primary care approach

Souk Kumar Das, Joseph B. Morton

GPs can optimally manage patients with cardiac arrhythmias by establishing a diagnosis based on the ECG findings, initiating immediate and long-term management strategies and providing ongoing patient education and follow up.

Rheumatology

Acute rheumatic fever: altering the long-term trajectory

Kaitlin Shen, Narainraj Kamalaraj

Group A streptococcus (GAS) infection can lead to acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and subsequently rheumatic heart disease. ARF primarily affects young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, with clinical features including arthritis, carditis, Sydenham’s chorea, erythema marginatum and subcutaneous nodules. Early identification and treatment of GAS pharyngitis and impetigo are crucial in preventing the development of ARF.

Peer Reviewed Regular Series
Travel medicine update

Immunisation against tuberculosis for children travelling overseas

Sonny Lau

The bacille Calmette–Guérin vaccine is recommended for children aged younger than 5 years travelling to countries with a high tuberculosis (TB) incidence or residing in high-incidence Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Adequate funding and public health initiatives are key to improving vaccine access and minimising TB risk.

Respiratory medicine clinic

Managing COPD in general practice: the role of the COPD Clinical Care Standard

Kerry Hancock

The chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) Clinical Care Standard highlights evidence-based timely interventions to help ease symptoms, reduce the risk of exacerbations and prevent hospitalisations for people with COPD. GPs are key to implementing best-practice COPD care.

Therapeutics clinic

Atopic dermatitis: new and emerging treatments

Laxmi Iyengar, Lena Ly

Atopic dermatitis is a complex, multifactorial disease with a chronic relapsing and remitting course. Specific targeted treatments offer promise to patients who have not responded to conventional management.

Supplements

Physician-authored summaries and commentary on the most important medical research, provided by the NEJM Group, a division of the Massachusetts Medical Society.

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