My positive experience that changed a patient's life

In 2005, 600km from Alice Springs, in one of the Northern Territories' remotest communities, a six-year-old old girl had travelled 170km overnight with 21 relatives in two trucks to attend an important funeral which was a further 200km north, where her Pastor Grandfather was due to officiate.

The girl presented with a single widespread convulsion, T39.4, R 22, Sats% and feverish headache, but with no obvious signs of meningism or a rash, which prompted a careful assessment from me.

She was treated with antipyretics and fluids whilst grateful, but anxious, relatives urged me constantly to allow her to continue travelling.

At the third reassessment and amid further protests, my wide-angled lenses focused on three small pinprick petechiae in the right groin.

Gestault in action I treated the evolving Meningococcal Meningitis with IV Cephtriaxone, IM, Midazolam, antipyretics, fluids, and a Royal Flying Doctors Service urgent evacuation request while providing continuous education to her family.

The rash extended all over the abdomen, parts of all limbs, and neck at evacuation. Intubation was not needed. She did need minor areas of specialist skin surgery in a Plastic Unit but made excellent short and long term neurological and educational progress. I still follow her progress occasionally. I gave all of the relatives preventative IM Cephtriaxone and all were fearful but none infected!

My experience with a peer that deeply affected me

Professor Archie Cochcrane was my friend and mentor when I was a Clinical Epidemiologist at the Institute of Community Medicine and Biometry, University of Exeter.

As a pioneer of Randomised Controlled Trials and "Effectiveness and Efficiency" his collaboration developed exponentially.

On my return to the University of Tasmania in 1975 I closely followed the Colleges' support, research, promotion, development, recommendations and contributions in these fields.

My memories often flood back to this brilliant, modest, dapper and charismatic Scottish bachelor's international creation.

In 1972 the University of Exeter received a million pound grant to build a computer for research and development. Archie would be really pleased to see that his giant computer had, by progressive "Effectiveness and Efficiency" become reduced from "acreage" to" apps" in this expansive digital age.

Awards

Northern Territory Health Workforce Award for '15 years Service to the people of the Northern Territory' (2011)

Tasmanian Faculty "Friend of the Faculty" Medal (2016)