Archive for the ‘Richard Lehman's weekly review of medical journals’ Category

JAMA 22/29 Aug 2007 Vol 298

Monday, August 27th, 2007

A question for all GP readers – where do you keep your paediatric sphygmomanometer cuff? Do you know if your practice actually has one? (more…)

NEJM 23 Aug 2007 Vol 357

Monday, August 27th, 2007

The world’s largest swede weighed in at 171.56kg, according to a highly entertaining website mocking the rutabaga (which is the American word for this estimable root vegetable); (more…)

BMJ 25 Aug 2007 Vol 335

Monday, August 27th, 2007

Every week or two we detect an irregular pulse and send the patient off for an ECG, but we’ve never audited how many with ?AF written on the form actually have it. Some researchers in the Birmingham (UK) Department of Primary Care, however, have made something of a specialty of atrial fibrillation (more…)

Lancet 25 Aug 2007 Vol 370

Monday, August 27th, 2007

Here is a painstaking meta-analysis of trials involving 64,000 people randomised to take calcium, vitamin D (in various doses) or placebo for the prevention of fractures and bone loss in people aged over 50. (more…)

Ann Intern Med 21 Aug 2007 Vol 147

Monday, August 27th, 2007

How grateful we should be for those who delve in the dark places of the earth, bringing up ores and jewels for our use and pleasure. Systematic reviewers share the glory of the mining tribe, and many of its hardships; (more…)

Plant of the Week: Viburnum cylindricum

Monday, August 27th, 2007

This big handsome shrub is about to display its flat cymes of dull white flowers, exuding a faint sweetish smell. Clearly it is not for these that we in limy places grow this plant: (more…)

JAMA 15 Aug 2007 Vol 298

Saturday, August 18th, 2007

There aren’t many vaccines which work after the infection has been acquired, (more…)

NEJM 16 Aug 2007 Vol 357

Saturday, August 18th, 2007

The initials RLS are forever associated with the great Scottish teller of tales who died on Samoa at the age of 44. He certainly had restless legs, and rarely remained in one place for very long; (more…)

BMJ 18 Aug 2007 Vol 335

Saturday, August 18th, 2007

“Good germs” to help acute diarrhoea in children have become very popular, and with some reason. For a decade or more, I used to advise parents to give their kids some live yoghourt, (more…)

Lancet 18 Aug 2007 Vol 370

Saturday, August 18th, 2007

This week’s Clinical Update is titled “codeine maintenance in opioid dependence”, but it’s actually a useful summary of all varieties of opioid maintenance, (more…)