Latest news
18 June 2026
Behind the scenes with an unseen first responder
If you’ve ever called RBWH or STARS, you may have spoken to Juanita, one of the switchboard team who keep patients, families and clinicians connected.
17 June 2026
RBWH nurses armed with a new training tool
Nurses at RBWH now have access to a realistic simulator arm to help them practice and refine complex vascular access techniques for dialysis patients.
15 June 2026
Secrets for longevity from a centenarian
Eloise reflects on a life well lived and the secrets to making it to 101 years of age over a piece of birthday cake.
News , Metro North , TPCH
15 June 2026
Emergency care in the comfort of your own home: The Virtual Emergency Care Service
The Virtual Emergency Care Service (VECS) is a free, Queensland-wide service for non-life-threatening emergencies for both adults and children.
News , Metro North , STARS
Events
Advanced Life Support - Level 1 Course
Date: 26 August 2026
Time: TBC
Venue: The Prince Charles Hospital
Level 1 courses are for those clinicians who want general competence in airway management and basic life support for a deteriorating patient and cardiac arrest. Suitable if you normally are part of team rather than the lead.
Advanced Life Support - Level 1 Course
Date: 9 September 2026
Time: TBC
Venue: The Prince Charles Hospital
Level 1 courses are for those clinicians who want general competence in airway management and basic life support for a deteriorating patient and cardiac arrest. Suitable if you normally are part of team rather than the lead.
Advanced Life Support - Level 1 Course
Date: 16 September 2026
Time: TBC
Venue: The Prince Charles Hospital
Level 1 courses are for those clinicians who want general competence in airway management and basic life support for a deteriorating patient and cardiac arrest. Suitable if you normally are part of team rather than the lead.
Masks are an important defence against respiratory illness and protection from dust and other airborne hazards.Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital
Cnr Butterfield St and
Bowen Bridge Rd
HERSTON QLD 4029
Phone: (07) 3646 8111
Feedback about your care
RBWH-PLS@health.qld.gov.au
Phone: (07) 3646 8216
/ MetroNorthHHS
Healthmaxxing, more like exxhausting! 🫠 The latest trend to sweep the internet, incorporating ‘Looksmaxxing’ and other health and physical wellbeing goals to maximise your health, is likely doing you more harm than good.
The trend is encouraging everything from starving yourself to eating dangerous amounts of protein and fibre, ‘dryscooping’ where pre-workout is consumed dry without water, through to illegal steroid or drug use.
RBWH Dietitian Helen unpacks the toxxic trend all over our feeds, sharing her thoughts on some of the big impacts on our health to beware of, including:
1. Protein toxicity: Excess protein ends up being stored as fat. High protein foods are often highly processed too, with added sweeteners, emulsifiers and additives – which can have a negative impact on gut health!
2. Nutrient deficiency: Maxxing up one nutrient risks creating deficiencies in others. Nutrient deficiencies can result in skin conditions, brittle nails and lacklustre hair (which may be the opposite of Looksmaxxing!), and that’s just the start.
3. Steroids and hormonal ‘T-maxxing’ issues: T-maxxing is adding testosterone, but our bodies have finely tuned mechanisms to keep our hormones at optimal levels for health. Testosterone levels both too low and too high disrupt the balance and have consequences – that’s why our bodies work hard to keep our hormone levels stable. Too much testosterone, or T-maxxing can cause acne, mood swings, baldness and increased risk of high blood pressure and prostate cancer.
4. Liver failure from vitamin stacking: Supplement stacking and vitamin stacking uses combinations of supplements and vitamins that have never been tested to work together. The stacked nutrients may be competing for the same binding site in the gut, or interact with each other with a bad outcome, such as extra stress on the liver, kidneys and nutrient deficiencies. They are a biohack that seems like an easy fix, a way to bypass the things we all know are really helpful, but veg-maxxing is a much harder sell, right? 🥕🌽🥑
Read more about healthmaxxing here: metronorth.health.qld.gov.au/metro-north-news/toxxic-trend-sweeping-social
As a vegan, I always joke that im "fibremaxxing" 😂
Veg-maxxing! Love it! 🥗🥦🥕🌽🥑
This post mixes a few real concepts with a lot of exaggeration and some incorrect biology. 1. “Protein toxicity” / protein - fat storage / gut damage Mostly misleading. * There is no such thing as “protein toxicity” in healthy people eating normal or even high protein diets. * Protein does not automatically turn into fat. It can be converted to glucose or oxidised for energy, but fat gain only happens when total calories are in surplus, regardless of source. * The “high protein foods are highly processed” claim is partly true for some products (protein bars, flavoured powders), but: * Whole food high-protein sources (meat, eggs, fish, Greek yoghurt, legumes) are not “ultra-processed”. * Gut health impacts come from overall diet quality (especially fibre diversity), not protein itself. Reality: Very high protein intakes are generally safe in healthy kidneys and are commonly used in sports nutrition. 2. “Nutrient deficiency from maxxing one nutrient” Partly true, but overstated. * It is true that extreme, unbalanced diets can displace other nutrients (e.g., eating only protein shakes or only meat). * But in normal “high protein” or “high fibre” or “high carb” diets: *Deficiencies are usually about lack of variety, not “one nutrient blocking another”. * The body regulates absorption quite well in most cases. Reality: Deficiencies come from restricted diets over time, not from simply increasing one macronutrient. 3. “T-maxxing / testosterone dangers” Mix of truth and exaggeration. * The body does maintain hormonal balance via feedback loops (hypothalamus–pituitary–gonadal axis). * Raising testosterone above natural physiological range with steroids/TRT misuse can cause: * Acne * Mood changes/irritability * Hair loss in genetically susceptible people * Increased hematocrit (thicker blood) * Cardiovascular risk changes (context-dependent and dose-dependent) But: * “Prostate cancer risk” is not clearly proven to increase from normal or medically supervised testosterone therapy. That claim is debated and often overstated online. * Natural “optimising testosterone” through sleep, training, weight loss does not push levels into dangerous territory. Reality: Problems arise mainly with supraphysiological steroid use, not normal hormonal variation or medical TRT when monitored. 4. “Vitamin stacking → liver failure / organ stress” Mostly misleading as written. * It is true that: * Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) can accumulate and become toxic at very high doses. * Some supplements (like high-dose vitamin A or iron) can harm the liver in excess. But: * “Vitamin stacking hasn’t been tested together” is not accurate — nutrient interactions are well studied. * Most common supplements (multivitamins, protein, magnesium, etc.) are not causing liver failure in normal doses. * Liver/kidney damage from supplements usually involves: * Extremely high dosing * Or specific toxic compounds, not general “stacking” Reality: Supplement risk is about dose and specific substances, not the concept of combining vitamins. Bottom line This is written in a “biohacking fear” tone. It: * Takes real edge cases (steroids abuse, extreme diets, megadoses) * And presents them as if they apply broadly to normal fitness / nutrition behaviour A more accurate summary would be: Balanced high-protein diets are safe, nutrient balance matters, testosterone is safe within physiological or medically supervised ranges, and supplements are generally safe at recommended doses - problems arise with extremes, not normal optimisation. Not fear mongering.
The people following this trend aren’t going to take advice from a rainbow maxxer…
Never take advice from a rainbow 🌈 wearer
Just having lunch here with Paul… well his bowling ball 🎳 as Paul’s dead, and well domestic violence related issues came to mind to low testosterone and stems to mind for recent events the mood problems associated with low testosterone are not mentioned here and that’s a dangerous thing for men’s health issues and well can’t forget that lack of sleep burning yourself out to fit in the schedule
Our very own Associate Professor Michael Steyn has received a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the General Division for significant service to anaesthesiology and peri-operative medicine, as well as health leadership.💫
Dr Michael, who grew up in Scotland and trained as a rural GP before he admits he 'got lost in anaesthetics' says he's always been passionate about supporting our regional and rural colleagues.
"As anaesthetists, we work throughout the hospital, not just in theatre, but in helping patients to cope with all areas of their healthcare journey," he said.
"I've been at RBWH since I moved to Australia, but I've always been involved in supporting people across the State and further afield."
In 2011, Michael had to temporarily hang up his scrubs as he was cared for as a patient, after learning he had bowel cancer.
"I was very ill - this hospital did all my imaging, and they did a great job," he said.
Michael recovered from cancer and returned to work to continue caring for patients as well as mentoring and training junior staff, which remains his current passion.
Congratulations Michael!
Well deserved!
What a star, congratulations
Congratulations Michael, well deserved, I also had the privilege of working with Michael. One of the good guys
Congratulations Michael, it was a privilege and honour to work with you, a well deserved award, thank you.
Congratulations Michael
Congratulations Michael! Very well deserved. I’ve learnt many great things from you
Congratulations sir. You deserve it
Hi Michael, Congratulations, this is well deserved.
Congratulations Michael! Well deserved 👏
Well deserved Michael. Congratulations. Glad to see you are doing so well.
Well deserved Mike
Warmest congratulations Michael - Always so thoughtful, calm and caring!
It was a pleasure to meet & work with Dr Michael Steyn many years ago ago with the first team supporting all Anaesthetist across QLD
Well deserved recognition Michael. Thank you
It’s about time our outstanding Doctors and staff are truly recognised
Congratulations Michael! 🎉
Congratulations Michael!!
Congratulations Michael
Who’s a clever boy then?! Congrats 🥳
Congratulations!!!
Congratulations!
An amazing doctor
Well done Michael. Great leader, educator and colleague.
To say that Emmett and Eamon were eager to be in this world is an understatement! 👶👶
Mum Shannon was 23 weeks pregnant with her twin boys when one of the amniotic sacs broke. This is known as a pre-term pre-labour rupture of membranes (PPROM). 🤰
Shannon was admitted to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital (RBWH) to delay early labour and to monitor her and her twins for any complications. 🏥
"The twins eventually made their way into the world one hour shy of 28 weeks," Shannon said.
"I had to have a c-section due to Emmett being transverse. Eamon had other plans and he came out headfirst there and then, four minutes later Emmett was born breech."
The great news is, Emmett and Eamon are now home with their family and loving life. 🙌
Wow awsome go you and your boys 🫶
Aww congratulations, i have a son named Emmett too it wasn't very popular 10 years ago but now there is Emmetts everywhere hehe how cute 🩵
Aren't the boys just beautiful, and bonny! 💗
Congratulations and many blessings💙💙🏄🏻♂️🏄🏻♂️⛄️⛄️ Double the fun and the joy
Great news all is good with the boys.
My waters broke at 24weeks and 3 days . Only lasted to 25weeks . 645 gm and 821gm Girls are 23 this year. Miracles do happen. Congratulations on your precious boys 💙💙🎉🎉
Congratulations mother of 28weeker who is 30 this year
Super mum Shannon Lines🤍🤍🤍
Beautiful congratulations
Well done mum 💕
Congratulations on your gorgeous boys...Lovely family 💙💙
Thank you for sharing the twins' story 🩵🩵 The boys are now going on nearly 8 months old and 20 weeks corrected. The house is filled with lots of giggles. What a journey to finally get there and the many people that helped us 🤍
💙💙 E1 & E2 strong babies like their parents. Roomies 💙💙
❤️❤️❤️
Congratulations 🩵
Congratulations. Welcome to the world beautiful boys
Brave mom and strong babies ❤️❤️
Congratulations Happy Family. 🩵💙
Congratulations to you all 👏🫶👍👌. Great job Mum.✔️
Nice
Fantastic news they are home now. How old are they now? Gorgeous babies
So good to hear, the twins are now home, and doing well ! 😌
Super Mum 🦸♀️
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