World Antimicrobial Awareness Week – How SA Pathology is fighting Antimicrobial Resistance |
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Left: Frank Zhang, Xiao Chen, and Dr Kelly Papanaoum. Right: Malissa Amato, Samantha Pitson, Kija Smith, Dr Helena Torpy, Matthew Richens and Dr Morgyn Warner. |
Earlier this month we celebrated World Antimicrobial Awareness Week by showcasing the incredible work SA Pathology do to help patients receive the best treatment, first time. Read how their contribution to antimicrobial surveillance is helping everyday Australians to fight infections. |
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Doctors gathered in Mount Gambier for Omega-3 presentation. |
| Earlier this month, the SA Pathology Marketing Team arranged an educational meeting in conjunction with SAHMRI and Professor Maria Makrides, Principal Research Fellow.
Held at the Hawkins Medical Clinic in Mount Gambier, 17 doctors from all over the south-east came together to discuss Omega-3 testing. The meeting covered a variety of topics, including result interpretation, evidence background and supplements. Omega-3 testing is already delivering incredible results to expecting mothers across South Australia. To learn more, book an educational Omega-3 meeting at your practice. |
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Dr Morgyn Warner speaking at the Port Pirie Educational Dinner. |
| Paragon Medical Breakfast Meeting and Port Pirie Dinner |
We have been extra busy this month coordinating a wealth of external events for our GP partners.
We kicked off the month hosting an educational dinner in Port Pirie. Speakers included Dr Morgyn Warner, Dr Penelope Coates and Clinical Service Director, Dr Sophia Otto. We also opted for an early start later in the month – hosting breakfast for the Solitaire Medical Group. Dr Sophia Otto, Professor Maria Makrides (SAHMRI) and Tina Grasso, Nurse Clinical Educator all delivered presentations at the Paragon Medical Centre. We thank everyone who attended each of the events, both in person and online. We look forward to hosting more in the future. Interested in hosting an educational event at your practice? |
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| Glucose Tolerance Testing |
SA Pathology performs Glucose Tolerance Testing (GTT) at most collection centres across metropolitan Adelaide, the Adelaide Hills and regional South Australia.
Because a GTT measures how well the patient’s body uses glucose, the test must be performed in the morning, following a minimum 10-hour fasting period. Exercise should also be avoided during the fasting period. We’ve put together a list of other helpful tips to help patients prepare for the test. |
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Professor Susan Branford with The Howard Morris Quality Use of Pathology Award in 2020. |
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This month’s research update looks at the work of Professor Susan Branford, of the SA Pathology Genetic and Molecular Pathology laboratory and the Centre for Cancer Biology.
Susan, or Sue as she prefers to be called, is a home-grown hero at SA Pathology. As a technical officer at SA Pathology (then named the Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science, IMVS) Sue pursued research training with the University of South Australia and the Molecular Pathology Department IMVS, and went on to develop an internationally renowned research program studying chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). CML was an invariably fatal cancer until 2001, when a new drug, imatinib, was released to treat CML patients. Imatinib proved so successful that many CML patients today live relatively normal lives. Sue’s early research led to diagnostic advances that are used world-wide to monitor CML patients taking imatinib, and the related drugs that have followed. |
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Long-term use of imatinib and related drugs by patients does come with challenges and side effects. What doctors know is that 20-25% of stable CML patients can stop taking the drug without the disease re-emerging (relapse). If patients relapse, taking the drug will again control their leukaemia, but relapse is emotionally stressful for patients, families and carers.
Sue’s current work is seeking out tests that will identify patients most likely to be able to cease drug treatment. If successful, these tests will provide doctors with the information needed to target drug withdrawal only to those patients likely to benefit. What Sue has discovered, quite serendipitously, are genetic signatures in the normal cells of a patient’s blood that appear to predict if a patient can stop taking their drug without the cancer coming back. It is early days for this work. Sue is using the large number of CML samples that are held at SA Pathology to gain a deeper understanding of what is happening in the blood of CML patients who are stably in remission. Success will mean that the odds of a relapse-free future for patients after drug withdrawal will be better than 1 in 5. Head to Research Pulse to hear more about Sue's research. |
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