Diana Egerton-Warbuton: Reducing alcohol related harm in adolescents at DFTB17

This talk was recorded live on the opening plenary session of day two at DFTB17 in Brisbane.

Associate Professor Diana Egerton-Warburton is an emergency physician in Melbourne and chair of the Public Health committee of the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine. Rather than focus on treating one patient at a time though she has made it her mission to advocate for change. Whether it is reducing unnecessary IV cannulation, or needless CT KUB’s for ureteric colic she always tries to make a difference – hence her twitter handle @first_do_noharm.

Do you ask your adolescent patients about alcohol consumption or is it something you are scared of?

In this talk she shares the story of how one patient, Abbie, helped her understand the true long lasting effects of alcohol consumption in youth. The knock effects of this have led to her campaigning for stricter licensing laws. With one in eight patients attending the emergency department as a result of alcohol  we can truly make a difference.

If you want to read more on the hows and whys of brief intervention measures then take a look at this paper.

Patton R, Deluca P, Kaner E, Newbury-Birch D, Phillips T, Drummond C. Alcohol screening and brief intervention for adolescents: the how, what and where of reducing alcohol consumption and related harm among young people. Alcohol and alcoholism. 2013 Nov 13;49(2):207-12.

Like that other great Diana, Diana Prince, she truly is a Wonder Woman,

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