Postgraduate Medical Journal articles from November 2003

Postgraduate Medical Journal archives from November 2003

Plagiarism and fraud: the death knell of research.(Plagiarism and Fraud)
November 1, 2003... As editor, the appearance of an excellent article is always exciting. The quality that sometimes exudes from every line is a joy to the reader. The thought that your journal has been selected by the authors gives you an inner glow. The citation...

Cardiology update: a new series on cardiovascular disease.(Cardiology)
November 1, 2003... This issue of Postgraduate Medical Journal introduces a new series that will review some recent developments, and some emerging technologies, in cardiovascular medicine and how they impact on patient care. Medical practice has undergone...

Tropical chronic pancreatitis.(Review)
November 1, 2003... Postgrad Med J 2003;79:606-615 Tropical chronic pancreatitis (TCP) is a juvenile form of chronic calcific non-alcoholic pancreatitis, seen almost exclusively in the developing countries of the tropical world. The classical triad of TCP...

Management of childhood constipation.(Review)
November 1, 2003... Postgrad Med J 2003;79:616-621 The effective management of constipation in childhood requires an understanding of the ways that the physical and psychological factors interact. The early difficulty with defecation that leads to pain, fear,...

Education of senior house officers: current challenges.(Review)
November 1, 2003... Postgrad Med J 2003;79:622-626 Over recent years several factors have impacted upon the education of doctors in training in medicine and other specialties. These factors include the European Working Time Directive and shift patterns of...

Child safety locks.(Filler)
November 1, 2003... A 75 year old man on thyroxine replacement and ascorbic acid presented with hypothyroidism. Due to a complex child safety lock he had found it impossible to open the container holding thyroxine. He did, however, manage to take his ascorbic acid...

Chronic non-malignant musculoskeletal pain in older adults: clinical issues and opioid intervention.(Review)
November 1, 2003... Postgrad Med J 2003;79:627-633 Musculoskeletal pain is common, frequently under-reported, and inadequately treated in the older adult. The objective of this article is to review the management of musculoskeletal pain syndromes in older...

Drug therapy in chronic heart failure.(Cardiology Update)
November 1, 2003... Postgrad Med J 2003;79:634-642 Chronic heart failure is widely recognised as a common and escalating problem that causes major disability and often shortens life. Diuretics and digoxin have formed the mainstay of treatment for many years....

Prostate cancer management: (2) an update on locally advanced and metastatic disease.(Best Practice)
November 1, 2003... Postgrad Med J 2003;79:643-645 Just under half of men with prostate cancer present with locally advanced or metastatic disease. A multidisciplinary approach is required to improve survival, minimise complications, and provide adequate...

An industry based approach to colorectal cancer screening in an asymptomatic population.(Original Article)
November 1, 2003... Postgrad Med J 2003;79:646-649 The uptake of faecal occult blood testing in a workplace based colorectal cancer screening programme was investigated. Altogether 1828 employees aged 41-65 years at a large British industrial company were...

Acceptability of oesophagogastroduodenoscopy without intravenous sedation: patients' versus endoscopist's perception with special reference to older patients.(Short Report)
November 1, 2003... Postgrad Med J 2003;79:650-651 Background: Unsedated oesophagogastroduodenoscopy (OGD) is considered by most endoscopists to be a quick, safe, and well tolerated procedure. Older patients are said to tolerate it better than younger...

Completion of the audit cycle: standardised nurse-led information for patients.(Audit)
November 1, 2003... Postgrad Med J 2003;79:652-654 Background: It is increasingly accepted that patients want information about their proposed treatment, and that provision of such information may alleviate fear and may improve the process of obtaining...

From trench fever to endocarditis.(Case Report)
November 1, 2003... Postgrad Med J 2003;79:655-656 The case of a 44 year old woman with infective endocarditis due to Bartonella quintana, an organism long recognised to cause a condition known as trench fever, is reported. This case illustrates the lengthy...

Sinoatrial block complicating legionnaire's disease.(Case Report)
November 1, 2003... Postgrad Med J 2003;79:657-659 A 59 year old woman presented with acute onset of fever, chills, diaphoresis, vague chest discomfort, and was found to be hypotensive and tachypnoeic. An electrocardiogram demonstrated sinoatrial block with a...

Aborted sudden death in a young male.(Cardiology)
November 1, 2003... Answers on p 664. The Emergency Medical Service (EMS) crew was asked to attend to a 40 year old man, after he suddenly lost consciousness in the midst of a family get together at his home. On arrival, the EMS crew found him to be...

An unusual cause of abdominal pain.(Abdominal Pain)
November 1, 2003... Answers on p 665. A 54 year old man came to the emergency department with acute postprandial abdominal pain, vomiting, and collapse. He was known to have learning difficulties, chronic renal impairment, and hypertension. There were no...

A case of severe, unexplained breathlessness.(Breathlessness)
November 1, 2003... Answers on p 665. A 58 year old man presented with progressive dyspnoea on walking over several weeks. On lying down, he became more dyspnoeic; sitting up brought immediate relief. A few days later he noted severe discomfort over the...

An unusual case of relapsing Graves' disease.(Graves' Disease)
November 1, 2003... Answers on p 666. In August 1993, a 42 year old woman presented for definitive treatment of hyperthyroidism secondary to Graves' disease. In 1970 she had undergone subtotal thyroidectomy for the first episode of hyperthyroidism but after a...