Profound Bilateral Hearing Loss in a Low-Risk Newborn: A Case Reflection from Primary Care

In primary care, universal newborn hearing screening is a key preventive service that allows early detection of hearing loss, even in infants without risk factors. Early identification and prompt referral are essential for optimal language, cognitive, and long-term outcomes. This case report outlines the evaluation and coordinated management of a term newborn diagnosed with bilateral…

Persistent Headaches: When Obstructive Hydrocephalus Hides in Plain Sight

Chronic headaches are a frequent presentation in general practice and are usually benign, but atypical or refractory forms may conceal a serious intracranial disorder. Diagnostic difficulty increases when initial investigations are non-contributive or when MRI is contraindicated. This case illustrates such a challenge: progressively worsening headaches with transient neurological symptoms ultimately revealing a periaqueductal tumor…

When Continuity Makes the Difference: A Family Doctor’s Role in the Diagnosis of a Ovarian Mass in an Adolescent

Family continuity implies thi mplies the same clinician caring for multiple family members, often across generations. same clinician caring for multiple family members, often across generations.A previously healthy 13-year-old girl with regular menstrual cycles began experiencing left abdominal pain radiating to the left leg in June, without other associated symptoms. Due to the severity of…

A national learning community to improve antibiotic prescribing in out-of-hours general practice

Approximately 15% of the Dutch population visits a general practitioner at out-of-hours general practice services (OOH-GPS) at least once per year. Antibiotics are among the most frequently prescribed medications at these services, with considerable variation between locations, suggesting room for improvement. Inappropriate or excessive prescribing can contribute to antibiotic resistance, increased side effects, higher healthcare…

Vaccine hesitancy

Vaccine hesitancy remains a significant barrier to achieving optimal immunization coverage and public health outcomes. Even though vaccination might be a public heath workers'concern in many countries, general practitioners and family physicians are in a privileged position to play a key role in vaccination due to their holistic view of the patient and the strenght…

Bright beginnings: protecting mothers from postpartum depression

Postpartum mental health conditions are highly prevalent: baby blues affect up to 50–80% of new mothers, postpartum depression (PPD) 10–20%, postpartum anxiety disorders 15–21%. Postpartum psychosis, though rare (0.1–0.26%), requires urgent intervention. While baby blues resolve spontaneously, untreated PPD has major consequences for maternal functioning, infant development and the wellbeing of the entire family. Psychiatric…

Deprivation index of Patients Seen by Medical Students During Primary Care Placements

Primary care placements expose students to the communities they will serve, offering opportunities to engage with patients across the socioeconomic spectrum. Little is known whether the socioeconomic characteristics of patients seen by students, measured using postcode-linked Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) deciles, reflect the host practice population. Understanding this is important for promoting equitable and…

The Spiritual Dimension of Care in Bioethical Primary and Paediatric Practice: The Role of Family Physicians, Paediatricians, and Neonatal Clinicians

Spirituality, understood as the pursuit of meaning, connection, and purpose, is increasingly recognised as a core dimension of patient-centred care. Despite its non-religious and deeply human character, it remains under-integrated in European primary and paediatric care, particularly in Portugal.To synthesise recent scientific literature on the role of spirituality in ethical primary and paediatric care across…

Case report: Persistent hematuria

First consult in the emergency department (ED), with resolution in Primary Healthcare.Woman, 88 years old was evaluated for intermittent episodes of macroscopic hematuria associated with dysuria, without fever or any other symptoms. On initial assessment in the ED the patient was hemodynamically stable, afebrile and with an unremarkable physical examination. Blood tests revealed no significant…

Drugs, Chemical Vulnerability, Women & Prostitution: What We’re Not Supposed to Know

Women in prostitution face heightened exposure to drugs and chemical vulnerability, which increase health risks and complicate access to care. Many times, prostitution is not a choice at all, but a survival method or a forced necessity.   Primary care physicians often encounter these patients, making early identification and harm reduction crucial. Awareness of the intersection between substance use and sex work enables physicians to…