Environmental Health Responses to COVID 19 in Western Australia: Lessons for the Future.

The COVID-19 pandemic tested the health system of Western Australia (WA) and the relatively new overarching legislative framework that guided the state-wide public health response to the pandemic. This study aimed to evaluate the experiences and roles of environmental health officers (EHOs) in WA during the management of COVID-19 and to identify any policy changes that are needed to facilitate the rapid deployment of EHOs during a future public health crisis. An online survey with 78 respondents was administered and analysis was both qualitative and quantitative.

Lithium therapy.

Affective (mood) disorders are common in all ages often chronic or recurrent, destructive of personal and social functioning with significant morbidity and mortality. Diagnosis still rests on the clinical skills of interview, observation and a knowledge of the disorders. Lithium is simple, cheap and effective although underused.

Familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and atrial fibrillation caused by Arg663His beta-cardiac myosin heavy chain mutation.

More than 40 different beta-cardiac myosin heavy chain (beta-MHC) missense mutations have been identified that cause familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (FHC). Some of these are recognized to have important clinical manifestations, such as an increased incidence of sudden death. We report that the beta-MHC missense mutation Arg663His causes predominant cardiac morphology and atrial fibrillation.

Systolic aortic valve compression from partial dehiscence of an aortic valve homograft.

Implantation of valve prostheses provide improvement of symptoms and prolongation of life in selected patients with valvular heart disease. Meticulous follow-up of patients after valve surgery is essential as complications of valve failure, valve dehiscence, valve thrombosis, and infection may occur. The major mode of failure of aortic valve homografts is valve regurgitation, which is readily detected by physical examination.