Acute low back pain is common and most patients will fully recover within three months. Serious causes are rare and can be excluded with careful history and examination. It is not necessary, and often not possible, to make an exact diagnosis and radiological investigations are usually not required in the absence of red flags.

Key aspects of management include reassurance, education and encouraging the patient to remain active – adequate analgesia is important to facilitate this. Patients should be reviewed regularly to ensure that pain is resolving.

Instructions and illustrations for performing a quick examination on a patient presenting with acute low back pain and neurological symptoms.

A guide for appropriate selection of antibiotics for infections commonly seen in general practice.

In healthy people influenza is usually self-limiting and uncomplicated however for some groups of people it can be a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Immunisation is the primary way to prevent influenza and its complications. Treatment with antivirals should be considered for those at risk of serious illness.

Recent changes to the immunisation schedule include a new pneumococcal vaccine for infants, introduction of the High Risk Pneumococcal programme and the removal of the MeNZB vaccination programme from the schedule. New Zealand appears to be in the early phases of a pertussis epidemic and since the start of 2009 there has been an increased number of confirmed cases of measles.

• Upfront:- The funding maze - A clinical pathologist’s perspective.
• Short articles:
  • Fluoroquinolone-associated tendon disorders
  • Accessing funded medicines in New Zealand
  • What’s new in the 2009 New Zealand Cardiovascular Guidelines Handbook?
  • Self Management Plans for asthma - obsolete or needing a fresh start?
  • Adverse reaction reporting tool
• Correspondence: Management of impetigo, CVD and Antioxidants, Erratum - STI testing report