Are routine superficial cultures worth while in neonatal practice?

Which prescriptive screening programmes are worth while?

Prescriptive screening is defined as screening for diseases solely for the benefit of the individuals participating in the programme. Currently used screening programmes are examined at each stage of life-antenatal, postnatal, school age, adult life, and old age. It is concluded that most disorders for which screening can be confidently recommended for the benefit of the individual are those oc...

Holding relationships in general practice: what are they? How do they work? Are they worth having?

Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) for large pancreatic stones: are these shocks worth while?

Chronic pancreatitis is characterized by irreversible damage to the pancreas that leads to pain and/or exocrine and endocrine insufficiency [1–3]. Abdominal pain is the most common and distressing symptom and is the most common indication for endoscopic or surgical intervention [1, 4, 5]. One of the mechanisms responsible for pain in chronic pancreatitis is obstruction to the pancreatic duct by...

Faster identification of pathogens in positive blood cultures by fluorescence in situ hybridization in routine practice.

Rapid identification of microorganisms in blood cultures is required to optimize empirical treatment at an early stage. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) can reduce the time to identification of microorganisms in growth-positive blood cultures. In this study, we evaluated the performance, time to identification, and potential clinical benefits of FISH compared to those of conventional c...

Intermittent claudication: is a supervised exercise class worth while?

Twenty-one patients (19 men and two women) with disabling exercise-related leg pain attended a physiotherapy department on one afternoon each week for an exercise training programme lasting one month. The clinical diagnosis of intermittent claudication and localisation of the atherosclerotic occlusions were confirmed in all but one case by pulse volume recordings and segmental Doppler systolic ...