Postgraduate Medical Journal articles from October 2001

Postgraduate Medical Journal archives from October 2001

Some high pitched thoughts on chest examination.(using a stethoscope)
October 1, 2001... Observation reveals that about half of chest physicians use the stethoscope bell when auscultating the lungs and the other half use the diaphragm. None directly apply their ears. Despite extensive reading we have not encountered an evidence...

Imaging of the pulmonary manifestations of systemic disease.
October 1, 2001... Lung involvement in systemic disease may be a manifestation of the underlying pathological process, may be a complication of the underlying disease or may be related to the treatment. Lung pathology is dominant in certain diseases, such as in...

Hyperaldosteronism: recent concepts, diagnosis, and management.
October 1, 2001... As a cause for hypertension, aldosterone excess is now thought to be more prevalent than previously quoted in textbooks. Classical features of hypokalaemia and metabolic alkalosis can be absent even in the presence of marked hypertension. This...

Management of shoulder pain in patients with stroke.
October 1, 2001... Abstract Shoulder pain affects from 16% to 72% of patients after a cerebrovascular accident. Hemiplegic shoulder pain causes considerable distress and reduced activity and can markedly hinder rehabilitation. The aetiology of hemiplegic...

Formal education programmes for senior house officers: comparison of experience in three hospital specialties.
October 1, 2001... Abstract This study was designed to compare the attendance rate of senior house officers (SHOs) in three specialties at formal educational events, examine experiences of protected time, use of educational objectives, and perceived barriers...

Prescription of eye drops.
October 1, 2001... Abstract The aim of this study was to assess whether patients have their ocular drops correctly prescribed during non-ophthalmic admissions to hospital. A retrospective review of notes of patients who were admitted to hospital for general...

Review of the complications and medicolegal implications of vasectomy.
October 1, 2001... The operation of vasectomy is a commonly performed procedure for male sterilisation. It should normally be a straightforward day case procedure undertaken by a competent medical practitioner under local anaesthesia. But how is competence...

Pseudoarthrosis in neurofibromatosis type-1.
October 1, 2001... A 27 year old man presented with multiple papules, nodules, and hyperpigmented spots on the body, which he had had since early childhood. In addition, he had a deformity of the right forearm. Examination revealed multiple large sized...

Obstetric difficulties due to Graves' disease.
October 1, 2001... A 14 year old girl was referred to the paediatricians with symptoms of hyperthyroidism. She had a smooth diffuse goitre with dysthyroid eye disease (proptosis, lid lag, and lid retraction). Hyperthyroidism was confirmed biochemically (protein...

A rare presentation of a common disease.(Colonic diverticular perforation resulting in pneumomediastinum, retroperitoneal inflammation, and pneumoperitoneum)
October 1, 2001... A previously well 77 year old man presented with acute left iliac fossa pain. He was pyrexial and tachycardic with localised abdominal guarding but there was no palpable mass or generalised peritonitis. Respiratory examination revealed...

Adrenal mass in a diabetic with hypergastrinaemia.(Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) syndrome with primary adrenal carcinoma)
October 1, 2001... A 50 year old man originally presented in 1980 at the age of 31 with diarrhoea, weight loss, and abdominal pain. He was initially treated with steroids for presumed inflammatory bowel disease. About a month later he presented with severe...

Adult intussusception--an elusive diagnosis.
October 1, 2001... An 81 year old woman presented, as an emergency, with a two day history of abdominal pain. The pain was intermittent and confined to the right upper quadrant. She had no other symptoms and normally enjoyed good health. Examination revealed...

Acute respiratory failure in a middle aged woman.(myotonic dystrophy)
October 1, 2001... A 61 year old woman presented with a one week history of headache, drowsiness, and shortness of breath. Initial examination revealed bilateral ptosis, which the patient stated had been present for three to four years before this admission. She...

Cor pulmonale: variation on a theme.(pulmonary tumor metabolism abnormality causes cor pulmonale)
October 1, 2001... A woman aged 89 was admitted with a three month history of effort dyspnoea. She had had a previous admission, at the age of 86, for left lower lobe pneumonia, with coincidental atrial fibrillation. On examination she was centrally cyanosed,...

Rectal bleeding in a patient with portal hypertension.
October 1, 2001... A 77 year old woman presented for the first time in 1997 with severe haematemesis and melena. After initial resuscitation she underwent an emergency upper gastrointestinal endoscopy which showed bleeding oesophageal varices. She was treated...

A state of confusion.(caused by rheumatoid vasculitis)
October 1, 2001... A 66 year old right handed man was admitted via the accident and emergency department with confusion and weakness. His wife gave most of the history, saying he had not been able to express himself clearly for the last day and looked weak. He...

Dysphagia in a patient with palmoplantar keratoderma.(tylosis, or palmoplantar keratoderma)
October 1, 2001... A 72 year old man was referred by his general practitioner with a four month history of dysphagia. Physical examination was unremarkable with the exception of his hands and feet which showed hyperkeratosis on the palms (fig 1) and soles of his...

Decreased sexual function in a young man.(hypogonadism)
October 1, 2001... A 36 year old professional man presented with an 18 month history of difficulty in achieving and maintaining an erection. He also described "lack of sex drive", malaise, and non-specific ill health over several months. He was sometimes able to...

Epidemiology of Work Related Diseases, 2d ed.(Review)
October 1, 2001... Epidemiology of Work Related Diseases. 2nd Ed. Edited by Corbett McDonald. (Pp 556; [pound] 65.00.) BMJ Books, 2000. ISBN 0-7279-l432-4. [****] This small volume at first glance appears too slight to adequately cover the subject of its...

Extended Matching Questions for the MRCS.(Review)
October 1, 2001... Extended Matching Questions for the MRCS. By A Auplish and M K Hossain-Ibrahim. (Pp 228; [pound]22.50.) Greenwich Medical Media, 2001. ISBN 1-841-1000-625. [****] Extended matching questions now form roughly one third of the new MRCS...