Guatemalan coffee is revered as a most tasty brew throughout the world. I’ve even read reports from connoisseur “cuppers,” or coffee tasters, about it being a “kaleidoscope” coffee. Apparently that’s […]
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Emily Spry on infant mortality in Sierra Leone
A relatively newly-posted medical officer told me how she resisted returning to the children’s hospital after her three month stint here as a house officer last year. “It was so […]
Joe Collier: Seeing beyond the first impression
I have long believed that first impressions, and even visual clues generally, can cause trouble. Indeed, it is my view that their (mis)use is possibly a key component in the development of […]
Tom Nolan on how to kiss during a flu pandemic
The first cases of H1N1 infection resistant to oseltamivir (Tamiflu) spreading from person-to-person were found in Wales last week. The spread of the resistant strain occurred at the University Hospital […]
Harry Brown on electronic communications with patients
Patient and doctor interactions are one of the cornerstones of medical care and with the advent of modern technology, there is now more than one way for doctors and patients […]
Andrew Potter on not taking the swine flu vaccine
Increasing numbers of clinical staff at the hospital where I work declined invitations to be vaccinated against pandemic “swine” influenza. I think this is a worrying trend for both public […]
Tom Nolan: New pandemic flu guidelines – don’t forget your oximeter
New guidelines on the management of pandemic H1N1 influenza were published recently by the Department of Health. They include guidelines on when to refer patients to hospital (see below) and […]
Louise Kenny on paraquat poisoning
The night before last, one of the other doctors admitted a 22 year old male who had ingested concentrated paraquat whilst intoxicated. At the time of admission he was 24 […]
Emily Spry on ER in the Pikin Hospital
I am happy and exhausted at the end of the first week of the new Triage system and Emergency Room at the Children’s Hospital. Around 80 children present to the […]
Joe Collier on swine flu and ministries of fear
One thing about the current swine flu pandemic is that it has brought with it a universal sense of fear. As with all fears, individuals respond differently, but we know […]