Kidney Punch

$20bn for Medical Research!

John Pickering • May 15, 2014

• $100Dialysis,
• Australia,
• budget,
• future fund,
• HRC,
• medical research,
• NHMRC,
• Tony Abbott

Alas, not in New Zealand, but close … our Australian counterparts in medical research appear on the face of it to have scored big in what appears otherwise to be a grim Australian budget.  An AUD$20bn medical research “future fund” is to be established. This effectively means that by 2022-3 there will be twice the … Continue reading → … Read More

Does being unconscious mean you should miss out?

John Pickering • May 14, 2014

• Acute Kidney Injury,
• clinical trial,
• Coma,
• Critically Ill,
• ethics,
• Intensive Care Unit,
• research,
• The Auckland Herald

The front page of the Herald this morning questions the participation of unconscious patients in clinical trials. While I understand Auckland Women’s Health Council co-ordinator Lynda Williams unease, I also detected a failure to understand the process of how progress in medicine is made. First, all research in such cases is approved by ethics committees which include … Continue reading → … Read More

Oh hell

John Pickering • Apr 16, 2014

• Acute Coronary Syndrome,
• Cardiac Arrest,
• Chest Pain,
• ed,
• Emergency Department,
• Emergency Room,
• ER,
• Heart Attack,
• Myocardial Infarction

Oh Hell, that hurts!  I sat down in a hurry. My first thought was “I’m having a heart attack.”  My second was “Don’t be silly you’re only 49 and probably just gobbled lunch too quickly, again.”  Jess came up to me and said “Gosh, you look pale.”  I mumbled something about a bit of pain.  … Continue reading → … Read More

A day to celebrate

John Pickering • Mar 13, 2014

• $100Dialysis,
• Dialysis,
• Home dialysis,
• kidney,
• Nephrology,
• pee,
• Urine,
• Wearable Artificial Kidney,
• World Kidney Day

If it weren’t for your kidneys where would you be? You’d be in the hospital or infirmary, If you didn’t have two functioning kidneys. (with apologies to John Clarke aka Fred Dagg) Happy World Kidney Day everyone. This blog started off life as $100 Dialysis because I believe that if we can make a computer … Continue reading → … Read More

The patient volunteer

John Pickering • Feb 25, 2014

• clinical trials,
• Emergency Department,
• patient,
• volunteer

Me Curious Ignorant Seeker of understanding Hunter of truths   Volunteer Hurting Vulnerable Seeker of healing Hunter for relief   Volunteer Willing Generous Seeker of understanding Hunter of truths Tagged: Clinical trials, Emergency Departmen... Read More

Publish And Perish

John Pickering • Jan 20, 2014

• PBRF,
• Perish,
• publish,
• Science policy,
• university

I didn’t want to be in a position to write this post.  I’ve procrastinated and debated whether I should or not – mainly because I don’t want it to come across as sour grapes.  However, procrastination over… 2013 was a great year from the academic metrics point of view – many articles were written, twice … Continue reading → … Read More

How Academia Resembles a Drug Gang

John Pickering • Dec 02, 2013

• $100Dialysis

Originally posted on Alexandre Afonso:In 2000, economist Steven Levitt and sociologist Sudhir Venkatesh published an article in the Quarterly Journal of Economics about the internal wage structure of a Chicago drug gang. This piece would later serve as a basis for a chapter in Levitt’s (and Dubner’s) best seller Freakonomics. [1] The title of the… … Read More

A taste of success

John Pickering • Nov 18, 2013

• bleach,
• chlorine,
• Christchurch,
• Chronic Kidney Disease,
• Dialysis,
• Doug Sellman,
• Food addiction,
• free radical,
• heart disease,
• Maori/Indigenous Health Institute,
• Marsden,
• MIHI,
• Obesity,
• Rutherford fellowship,
• Suetonia Palmer,
• Tony Kettle,
• Transplant,
• University of Otago

Some recent successes of University of Otago Christchurch researchers: Chlorine bleach key in disease? Professor Tony Kettle from the Centre for Free Radical Research has won a prestigious Marsden Fund grant to better understand a ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ chemical with a role in heart disease, cancer, cystic fibrosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Professor Kettle will investigate … Continue reading → … Read More

Medical professionals act up

John Pickering • Nov 13, 2013

• Acting,
• Christchurch,
• medical school,
• medical student,
• University of Otago Christchurch,
• volunteer

Actors are helping Christchurch medical students practise the skills necessary to relate to patients. Dr Lynette Murdoch organises the General Practice component for 4th year medical students at the University of Otago, Christchurch.  She says the General Practice Department has long employed professional actors to play the role of simulated patients. “The consultations our students … Continue reading → … Read More

Legionnaires’ disease more common than once thought

John Pickering • Nov 11, 2013

• David Murdoch,
• gardening,
• Legionnaires disease,
• Pneumonia,
• potting mix,
• University of Otago,
• University of Otago Christchurch

Infectious diseases expert Professor David Murdoch is passionate about his work in better understanding legionnaires’ disease and its causes. “If I ever have the opportunity in my career to help eradicate a disease it would likely be legionnaires’ disease. It’s the most common cause of pneumonia for much of the year in Christchurch and it … Continue reading → … Read More