Mount Medical Centre Newsletter
February 2012 – NEWSLETTER
Keeping your details up to date
As many of you may have noticed we are trying to update your records. In order to keep these up to date could you let our reception staff know if you change any of your details. Most of these do appear on the consultation slip you are given when you arrive to see your doctor.
Details we require are current address and phone numbers (including mobile), country of birth, next of kin details, occupation and if you have any allergies. Many of the above can change from time to time
The other thing we update regularly is your smoking status, so if you have recently quit please let us know.
Alcohol and your teenager
Alcohol is our favourite recreational drug, to the point where we don’t even acknowledge that it is a drug. If you want your teenager to avoid or take care with alcohol, you would be best to give them the facts. Start with acknowledging your own use of alcohol, what you like and dislike about it, and what warnings you would like to give about drinking too much. Let them know that 15 % of NZ does not drink alcohol, and that drinking is not always associated with good times.
The facts that you could give them are:
1 . Alcohol is a drug that is very easy to overdose on. It impairs judgment, so in the heat of the moment, excitement or irritability can lead to a person drinking more than they really wanted to. This may lead to coma or death if someone drinks over 30 standard drinks ( a 12 pack of 8 % 320 ml Codys , 4 bottles of wine, ¾ of a bottle of spirits)
The recommended guidelines for adult ( over 18 ) drinking are
No more than 6 standard drinks at a time for a male, and 4 for a female
No more than 14 Standard drinks per week for both male and female.
Above this level, people start to get hurt from their use of alcohol. Teach your young person that food, hydration, mental state, physical environment all play a part in a person’s response to alcohol .
2 Alcohol causes aggression in males. This is now scientifically proven. This means take care around people who are drinking heavily- fights can occur
3 Alcohol causes cancer – it’s on the same list as asbestos and tobacco for this
4 Alcohol causes depression, especially in binge drinkers, and especially in young binge drinkers. Heavy drinking is linked to suicide.
5 Alcohol causes brain damage- it is neurotoxic, and rather than “chill someone out” it actually irritates the brain. Therefore it is not good to drink or take drugs when you are stressed.
Suggestions around introducing alcohol to your teenager
1 Note the legal purchase age is not the actual drinking age, but the law is changing around the supply of liquor to minors – keep in touch with this, as it soon may be an offence to give alcohol to the friend of your teenager.
2 Why not use low dose alcohol such as 0.5% or 2 % to reduce the chance of intoxication
3 Do not supply more than 6 standard drinks to your teenager-. There are often 2.3 standard drinks in 8% cans of premix ( eg woodys, KGB) . Drinking a dozen of these is just plain overdose.
4 Always supervise young people drinking. Their brains are developing, and the stage that they are at is the risk taking stage- they will take risks with alcohol, and given that it has the same safety ratio as metamphetamine ( P) , there should always be adults keeping an eye on things.
5 If someone is grossly intoxicated and unconscious, always get medical advice. People overdose and die on alcohol.
Suggested websites > www.alcohol.org.nz
www.drugfoundation.org.nz
www.alcohol.org.nz/TeenagerInfo.aspx?PostingID=926
http://www.kiwifamilies.co.nz/Topics/Health/Drugs-Alcohol-Smoking/Alcohol-and-Young-People.html
Rotavirus
What is Rotavirus?
Rotavirus is the leading cause of severe vomiting and diarrhoea in babies and young children in New Zealand. Rotavirus affects all children, with more than 90% infected by 3 years of age. The illness can begin suddenly and the most common symptoms which can last for up to 7 days include:
Diarrhoea, Vomiting and Fever.
Rotavirus is the leading cause of admission to hospital for gastroenteritis in New Zealand children, especially in those under 2 years. Babies are vulnerable to dehydration from the loss of body fluid from diarrhoea and vomiting.
Rotavirus is highly contagious.
When can you have vaccination?
The first dose is given when your child is 6 weeks and the second dose 4 weeks later. The vaccination course should be completed before your baby is 24 weeks of age.
Cost of vacination:
The government is discounting the cost of this vaccination The cost is $140 for the two vaccinations. Discounted offer lasts for this year only 2012.
Are you travelling overseas?
Do you require any vaccinations, information etc.? We have insect repellents, sunscreens with repellent included, lip balms, kits to treat clothing, sheets, sleeping bag liners, mosquito netting etc to kill mosquitoes, bedbugs, lice, ticks and other insects that come into contact with it. If so ask your doctor or receptionist
CVD
(Cardiovascular Risk Assessment)
Have you had yours????
If you are an enrolled patient with us and female between the ages of 45 to 75 or male 35 to 75 you could qualify for a free assessment. Many of you have taken advantage of this already and will be recalled for another one within the next 5 years depending on the outcome.
The assessment tool assists in predicting and managing the risk of heart attack and stroke and therefore supports doctors in optimizing individual cardiovascular risk reduction. Ask our receptionist to see if you qualify.
Afterhours
Please phone 5753073 and you will be put straight through to Accident and Healthcare who are open until 9pm. Their phone system will direct you to the appropriate place.
Coming in to see us?
Yes we do ask you to make an appointment for everything whether it be a consultation with the doctors, nurse, dressing, injection etc.
This helps us plan our day and keep as near as possible to appointment times.
If you feel that the 15 minute slot is not going to be long enough please let our receptionist know when you are booking your appointment.
Please also look at the consultation slip given to you and let us know if any of your details have changed.
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