Remember when we had to do life-saving in PE? Or those first aid courses? Yeah, me neither. Which is why I think this is one of the most useful episodes we have made so far. Click through to see the most researched show notes I have ever done. There are numbers for non-emergency medical services for every state and territory, mental health help lines, Priceline first aid kits, and more! If you have any services to contribute, find our Facebook group and we can start a thread!
Janani is a final year med-student and soon to be trainee doctor. She is a wonderful human who is quite literally making the world a happier, healthier place. Neither of us are experts on the subject of health (yet), but we’ve done a lot of reading and research to put this together for you. J more so than me, but still. We had a lot of fun making the episode, and I hope you feel a bit more capable at the end of it.
Keep well,
-Paula
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EPISODE NOTES:
Things We Mentioned
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Components of a first aid kit include: bandages, antiseptic, the good band aids, bandage wraps for slings, self-adhesive bandages (the kind you can cut to size), safety pins, Panadol or something similar, I like to have a bit of leucoplast handy, instant ice, a plastic bag, and scissors.
Overwhelmed with the idea of assembling your own? Me too! I bought one from Aldi, you can find it here at Priceline.
Here is a slightly cheaper version
Here is a more expensive version, but I reckon you could keep half in your car and put half in your bathroom cupboard so you’re fully prepared.
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If you wanted to know more about bandages and band aids than you ever needed to, I found this hierarchy of band aids
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It’s summer, so it’s snake season. Yikes. Check out this video on how to treat a snake bite. Also, you don’t need to catch the snake, the hospital can test the venom to figure out what to treat it with. Snakes should be left alone and blocked on Instagram, not chased after.
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Non-emergency health contacts put ‘em in your phone! Copy paste go go go!
Australia Wide:
Health Direct: 1800 022 222
Poisons Info Hotline: 13 11 26 (it’s based in NSW but is available 24/7 from anywhere in Australia
Lifeline 13 11 14
Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636
Kids Help Line: 1800 55 1800 (this is for anyone between 13 and 25)
MensLine Australia: 1300 78 99 78 (for men of any age)
National Home Doctors Service: 13 74 25
Doctor Doctor: 13 26 60
QLD (click here for the state health directory)
13 Health: 13 43 25 84
MH Health: 1300 642255
NSW
Mental Health Line: 1800 011 511
VIC
Suicide Help Line: 1300 651 251
Nurse On Call: 1300 60 60 24
WA
Mental Health Emergency Response Line: 1800 676 822
SA
Mental Health Assessment and Crisis Intervention Service: 13 14 65
Rural and Remote Distance Consultation and Emergency Triage and Liaison Service: 13 14 65
NT
Top End Mental Health Service: 08 8999 4988
Click here for a list of physical places that offer after hours care
ACT
Click here for more mental health services
Mental Health Triage Service: 1800 629 354 OR 02 6205 1065
Click here for a health service directory
TAS (click here for a full, pretty specialised list)
Rural: 1300 4357 6283
Mental Health Service Hotline: 1800 332 388
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Burns are one the most common semi-serious things you’ll face. If you burn yourself, put that burn under TEPID water for at least 20 minutes. Chuck on the Good Place and let the water run over the burn while you contemplate what Kant would say about it. If you reach for the butter, DON’T. And that burn cream we mentioned? Everywhere I look keeps saying not to use any, so I assume it is only for numbing. Ideally you don’t want to use it because it can trap heat and slow healing. So if you can, pop a Panadol instead.
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Cuts! Find more info about how to treat cuts and abrasions here
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Melanoma check! If the mole is bigger than 6m, which doesn’t have a coin equivalent, then you should keep a close eye on it. So you’re looking for… if it is about the size of the back/end of a pencil, or bigger, watch it. Find out more about early detection and research from Cancer Council and this PDF from the Australian Melanoma Institute. Also, lol, my special awareness is so bad I thought a 10c coin was about 6mm. It’s not. It’s 23.60mm.
And in case you were wondering, yes. Queensland is the skin cancer capital of the world, according to this tid bit from Cancer Council back in 2016.
I did learned that BIRTHMARKS ARE A TYPE OF MOLE.
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Cervical and screenings start at age 25. Or at least that’s when Medicare covers them. Here’s what you need to know about them. Turns out there isn’t a government for prostate cancer screening, check out the fact sheet on prostate cancer here. Read this to find out why population based screening has been ruled out.
Breast cancer can occur in both men and women. Here is a handy guide on how to perform a breast check on yourself.
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SUN MUM is probably my favourite Australian ad of all time. ALL. TIME. Here is the original (or as close as I can get) of the original 30 second ad. There is a whole series of them which has disappeared from Youtube and I am BLOODY HEARTBROKEN. Here is a little case study Mumbrella did on it.
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Heat Stroke and heat exhaustion read all about it right here
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Janani is a bit too busy kicking butt and healing people to be on socials, so follow Queensland Health instead!
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Produced by That’s Not Canon Productions. Graphics by Claudia Piggott. Music by Jessica Fletcher.
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