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Hot water best for bluebottle stings
20 December 07
Medical research occasionally throws up a treatment that is completely counter-intuitive.
Last year, researchers proved that hot water immersion for twenty minutes is the most effective way to relieve the pain of bluebottle stings — overturning decades of established practice.
AMA Victoria President Dr Doug Travis says bluebottle pain relief is just one example of a traditional treatment being turned on its head as new research is undertaken.
“This research, published in the Medical Journal of Australia last year, [MJA2006; 184(7)], proves that we should be using hot water for bluebottle stings.
“I’m sure that the research team spent hours sitting on beaches waiting for test subjects — which sounds a lot more fun than the typical medical laboratory.
“Australia and Victoria have a reputation for innovative medical research,” Dr Travis said. “This is another example where medical research can improve patient outcomes, and particularly timely for a long hot summer by the beach.”
Victorian Medical Directory
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