Rachel Fieldhouse ALL patients aged 35 or older with

commission ’ s COPD working group , said : “ There is evidence that spirom-

if a patient was hospitalised for an exacerbation .

see a respiratory specialist for review to watch for adverse effects , such as

at least one recurring COPD symp-

etry is not used as much as it could be

Pharmacotherapy should follow the

cardiac toxicity .

tom and risk factor should undergo

for diagnosis , and there are probably

Lung Foundation Australia ’ s COPD-X

Professor Nick Zwar , Bond Uni-

spirometry , new guidance says .

not as many COPD action plans out

stepwise approach , with inhaler tech-

versity ’ s executive dean of health

Australia ’ s first COPD Clinical Care

there as there could be .

nique checked with every exacerba-

sciences and medicine , said the stand-

Standard has been drawn up by the

“ More people could be referred for

tion or therapy alteration , the guidance

ards “ set the benchmark ” for COPD

Australian Commission on Safety and

pulmonary rehabilitation . And do we

stated .

management .

Quality in Health Care .

always see the optimal use of corti-

For patients with severe symptoms

But he said GP spirometry rates

It also encourages influenza , pneu-

costeroids or antibiotics in COPD ? Not

and repeat hospitalisations despite

remained below pre-pandemic levels —

mococcal disease , COVID-19 and

always .”

maximum therapy , long-term , low-

mostly because of a lack of money for

potentially herpes zoster vaccination

The standard suggested compre-

dose macrolide antibiotics could be

equipment and a lack of time to con-

for patients diagnosed with COPD . Dr Lee Fong , chair of the

hensive COPD assessments annually after diagnosis and repeat spirometry

considered . Dr Fong said these patients should

duct the tests and educate patients . Clinical Care Standard : bit . ly / 40hc3Pb

Dr Lee Fong .

Ciara Seccombe A GASTROENTEROLOGIST

has helped save a group of

teenagers from an ocean rip ,

paddling out in unpatrolled ,

rough seas to rescue them .

Dr Chris Hair was at

Torquay Surf Beach near Geelong

last month on a day off ,

thinking about taking his

paddleboard out , when he

spotted the youngsters on

surfboards caught in a rip current

in “ pretty terrible ” conditions

amid strong winds and a

south-westerly swell .

He realised that the teenagers

were beginning to panic .

Some had abandoned

their surfboards to swim

to shore , but the rest were

drifting further out .

“ They were a long way

out . I thought they were

from a local surf academy ,

but they kept drifting away

from shore .”

As he took a work call ,

the doctor at Epworth Geelong

Hospital realised that

nobody else was there to

make the rescue .

The beach was not

patrolled by surf lifesavers ,

and the local kiosk manager

was not around .

“ I cut my work call short ,

quickly grabbed my board off

the roof of my car and pulled

on my wetsuit .”

He paddled out to where

three teenagers had drifted

and towed them back to

shore with help from three

other beachgoers .

“ You are often in a crisis

situation in hospitals ,

so I am used to much worse

than going somewhere I am

familiar with and having a

bit of a paddle .”

Dr Chris Hair .