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DSU Bulletins

The Statements of Principles Monitoring, Aetiology and CCPS Commentary Unit

4th floor AMP Place, 10 Eagle St Brisbane Qld 4000.

Facsimile: 07 3223 8722.  email: smaccu@powerup.com.au

Bob Connolly

07 3223 8325  (Manager, Brisbane)

Dr Bev Grehan

07 3223 8376

Maureen Anderson

08 8290 0365  (Manager, Adelaide)

Dr Jon Kelley

07 3223 8412

Duncan Cape

07 3223 8757

Sue Lee

08 8290 0227

Gaynor Cavanagh

07 3223 8331

Bernadette McCabe

07 3223 8393

SOP BULLETIN # 12

11 May, 1998

THE FOLLOWING RMA SOPS ARE TO BE GAZETTED ON 13 MAY 1998

New SOPs

Symptomatic Epstein-Barr virus infection

Psoriatic arthropathy

Goitre

Panic disorder

Revocations

Malignant neoplasm of the thyroid

Cirrhosis of the liver

Amendments

None

IMPORTANT OPERATIONAL FEATURES

Symptomatic Epstein-Barr virus infection

New  -  25 & 26 of 1998

  • This SOP covers glandular fever / infectious mononucleosis.
  • Evidence of Epstein-Barr virus infection can be found on blood (serology) testing in a high proportion of the population, but the RMA has decided that the presence of the virus alone does not constitute a disease.  Hence the inclusion of “symptomatic” in the title.
  • Note that chronic fatigue syndrome has its own SOP (90 and 91 of 97) and is not covered by this SOP.

Psoriatic arthropathy

New  -  27 & 28 of 1998

  • This new SOP was requested by the SMACC unit to clear up some operational confusion as to whether psoriatic arthritis was covered by the psoriasis SOP. 
  • The only causal factor in the SOP is “suffering from psoriasis”.

Goitre

New  -  29 & 30 of 1998

  • Goitre means thyroid enlargement.
  • However, this SOP does not cover thyroid enlargement due to neoplasms (benign or malignant), thyroiditis or Grave's disease (these are non-SOP conditions, except for MN of the thyroid).

Panic disorder

New  -  31 & 32 of 1998

  • This is the first psychiatric SOP issued since the RMA Consensus Conference on stress and disease, held in March.  Further SOPs (revocations) are anticipated over the coming months for alcohol and drug abuse/dependence, depressive disorders and anxiety disorders. 
  • This SOP contains a new style, more detailed definition of a stressor.  This type of definition will appear in future relevant psychiatric SOPs and this will hopefully provide some clarification to all concerned as to what is required.
  • The definition of panic disorder in this SOP is a slight departure from that found in DSM IV.  The two DSM IV definitions have been amalgamated and paragraph 2 (b) (A) (2) (i) (four attacks in four weeks) has been added.

Malignant Neoplasm of the Thyroid

Revocation  -  33 & 34 of 1998 (replacing 23 & 24 of 1997)

  • Following a query to the RMA concerning a claim under appeal, a change has been made to omit medullary thyroid carcinoma as one of the types of thyroid cancer to which the causal factors apply.  The definition has also been changed to specify that medullary carcinoma is (still) covered by the SOP.  This means that “inability to obtain appropriate clinical management” is now the only factor applying to medullary carcinoma of the thyroid.

Cirrhosis of the liver

Revocation  -  35 & 36 of 1998 (replacing 75 & 76 of 1996)

  • There has been a change to the hepatitis factors (previously- 5c & 5q, now 5c, 5d, 5r & 5s).  This change was made following a SMACC unit request, to clarify that chronic hepatitis (B or C) infection is required.

If you are having any problems with SOPs, including if you think a SOP needs to be changed, talk to us!