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18 October 2001
RELEASE NOTES - CCPS VERSION 2001.09
Version 2001.09 of the Medical Knowledge Base for CCPS was released into production this week. This Bulletin provides a summary of the new and amended SOPs that this version of CCPS incorporates. This Bulletin also details changes to some existing rulebases and commentary.
No new SOPs incorporated | |
Hypertension Acquired cataract Soft tissue sarcoma Chondromalacia patellae | |
Hypertension Plantar fasciitis Therapeutic radiation Inability to ...... Severe psychosocial stressor Headaches | |
Sensorineural hearing loss |
SOP amendments incorporated into CCPS
- The instruments dated 24/5/01 have been incorporated.
- New causal and worsening factors for sleep apnoea are the most noteworthy features. In CCPS the factor for sleep apnoea, is combined with the SOP factors chronic renal failure, Cushing's syndrome, and primary aldosteronism into one CCPS contention called A specified condition for hypertension.
For information about the SOP see SOP Bulletin No. 50 4/6/01
Acquired cataract
- The instruments dated 24/5/01 have been incorporated.
- The SOP factor Physical trauma to the eyeball is dealt with by 3 contentions in CCPS – Penetrating injury to the eyeball, Intraocular surgery, and Blunt trauma to the eyeball.
- The SOP factor Being treated with a drug as specified is dealt with by 3 contentions in CCPS – Treatment with phenothiazine, Amiodarone therapy and Treatment with allopurinol.
For information about the SOP see SOP Bulletin No. 50 4/6/01
Soft tissue sarcoma
- The instruments dated 1/5/01 contain several new factors, some of which are extremely unlikely to have been encountered by our veterans.
- For those with Vietnam service, it will be easier to succeed under the factor Being on land in Vietnam or at sea in Vietnamese waters than the factor Inhaling or absorbing a herbicide – both these factors require at least 30 days relevant service and, with the former, you won't need to delve into possible dealings with herbicides in Vietnam.
- The SOP has a 'treatment with immunosuppressive drugs' factor for operational service cases. The corresponding factor for eligible service cases is limited to treatment with cyclophosphamide and applies only to leiomyosarcoma of the bladder. In the CCPS rulebase these drug treatment factors have been combined and then divided into 3 contentions which will deal with operational and/or eligible service as appropriate:
- Treatment with immunosuppressive drugs for an organ transplantation
- Treatment with immunosuppressive drugs for a malignant neoplasm excluding non-metastatic non-melanotic malignant neoplasm of the skin, autoimmune disease or renal disorder
- Treatment with immunosuppressive drugs for psoriasis or inflammatory bowel disease
- Chlorophenols have been widely produced since the 1950s and some of the activities which meet the RMA definition of inhaling or absorbing a chlorophenol may have been undertaken in the course of military employment. Any contention of such exposure to a chlorophenol may not be able to be confirmed by the Department of Defence. However, the presence of such compounds would normally be the subject of an OH&S operating manual or of an adverse report. An assertion that there were chlorophenols present is insufficient for the purpose of determining exposure. Some attempt to follow up must be made.
For information about the SOP see SOP Bulletin No. 48 4/5/01
Chondromalacia patellae
- The new running factor applies only to operational service. It is extremely unlikely that veterans on operational service would have done the running required to satisfy the SOP.
For information about the SOP see SOP Bulletin No. 50 4/6/01
Enhancements of CCPS rulebases and commentary
Hypertension and Salt Supplements
The rules for the salt supplements factor in hypertension have been changed to reflect the fact that a causal link between post-service salt consumption and service must be considered. Commentary has been provided by the Director Policy, Eligibility and Research, and you are urged to read both the questions and the commentary carefully when considering this factor. This change does not represent an acceptance by the Department of a "salt habituation" argument.
Plantar fasciitis
The commentary for rulebase questions dealing with the 'running' factor now gives more guidance on the meaning of running on average at least 10 km (RH)/20 km (BOP) per week in the six months immediately before the clinical onset/worsening of plantar fasciitis. In essence, the requirement is to have run a total of 260 (RH)/520 (BOP) km in the 6 months before onset/worsening. Whether the veteran did this in 2 days or took the full six months doesn't matter. This advice has been provided following discussion with the RMA Secretariat.
(This issue was raised by Loretto Shearer from Qld SO)
Therapeutic radiation
The "therapeutic radiation" hotword now contains more detailed information about the former and current uses of therapeutic radiation. This change was made in the last version of the CCPS Research Library.
Inability to ........
The commentary for factors involving an inability to do something (the most common of these is the inability to undertake more than a mildly strenuous level of physical activity used in ischaemic heart disease and cerebrovascular accident) now includes advice on how to deal with cases where more than one illness or injury has contributed to the inability. The detail is contained in a new Hotword: When more than one illness or injury has contributed to an inability to do something.
In summary, the factor can only succeed if the inability was due to service-related disabilities alone.
(Thanks to Celia Perry from the Vic SO for raising this issue)
Severe psychosocial stressor
The commentary for this hotword has been revised to focus more on service in a war zone.
(Thanks to Margaret Jenyns from Qld and Mike Abbott from W.A for their contributions).
Headaches
There are new diagnostic protocols for cluster headache syndrome and tension type headache, a new diagnostic report and a new claimant report. The claimant report is located in National Standard letters, and is designed to help in establishing a diagnosis. These changes were recommendations of the SOP Monitoring Report on Headache.
Additional amendments
Amendments to the following incorporated conditions are included in this release. However, there are no noteworthy CCPS features:
Sensorineural hearing loss – the aural barotrauma factor has been renamed otitic barotrauma
Remember! If you are having any problems with SOPs, or SOPs in CCPS, talk to us!