Inside Aotea August 2010

Access the articles from Inside Aotea, August 2010, below.

Throat health, new Kilbirnie premises, private fee changes

This winter we have analysed plenty of throat swabs from doctors looking to diagnose whether their patients’ sore throats are caused by bacteria, or if they are simply a winter virus that many of us get at this time of year and that rest is one of the best treatments for. Find out more here.

The journey of a throat swab 

A sore throat is a common affliction many of us will suffer from time to time. It’s a well-known fact that the majority of sore throats are viral, where rest and symptomatic relief are prescribed, rather than antibiotics. However in around 20 per cent of cases a bacterial infection will be the culprit, and a throat swab needed to confirm the diagnosis. Find out more here.

Health tips for sore throats

Viruses are responsible for 70-80 per cent of sore throats, so the best way to side-step a sore throat is to avoid catching a virus. Find out more here.

Staff profile: Nicholas Heffernan

Nicholas Heffernan is our medical laboratory technician in the biochemistry lab. Find out more here.

No charges for private patients as from November 2011

Good news for patients referred by private specialists -- your charges for pathology tests come to an end as of November 2011. Find out more here.

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