Dr Mark Kennedy
Western Hills Clinic
74 Western Hills Drive
Kensington
Whangarei 0112
www.healthpoint.co.nz
Dr Mark Kennedy - Private Internal Medicine Specialist
Postal Address
Contact Details
Phone (09) 435 4627, or if URGENT, Linda Clinical Nurse Specialist 021 689 447 outside of clinic hours
Mobile Emergency Phone (021) 702 395
Email admin@westernhillsclinic.co.nz
Healthlink EDI: west74hc
For any urgent Echocardiogram, Exercise Stress Echocardiogram or Exercise Tolerance Test, contact Clinical Nurse Specialist (Linda) on (09) 435 4627 on Tuesday and Thursday (or 021 689 447 outside those days). If she is unavailable and it is URGENT, call Mark Kennedy on (021) 702 395. We can undertake Transthoracic Echocardiograms most weekdays.
Polymyalgia Rheumatica and Giant Cell Arteritis
Patient information:
These are systemic conditions of unknown cause that cause significant disability. Giant cell arteritis is a serious inflammation that involves medium and large sized arteries. There is an associated risk of sudden blindness, stroke and other artery and cardiac problems. Giant cell arteritis requires an urgent diagnosis with temporal artery biopsy.
Polymyalgia rheumatica is a less worrying condition, though untreated can cause significant disability. Some patients have both giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia together. Both giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica are typically managed with corticosteroid tablets over months or short years. Regular blood tests are required for monitoring. On occasions more powerful treatment with methotrexate is required.
https://www.healthpoint.co.nz/private/internal-medicine/dr-mark-kennedy-private-internal-medicine/