Endobronchial ultrasound: real progress or just a new toy?

CAPAP in acute pancreatitis: just another marker or real progress?

There are no pathognomonic symptoms in acute pancreatitis. In reaching a diagnosis the patient’s history, physical findings, and serum amylase or lipase concentrations have to be considered. Serum amylase is one of the oldest clinically useful laboratory tests, having been around for almost 70 years. However, too great a reliance on amylase or lipase will lead to underdiagnosis owing to the lac...

CAPAP in acute pancreatitis: just another marker or real progress?

Iptakalim: a new or just another KCO?

Cardiac hypertrophy, especially left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), is a major compensatory mechanism in response to pressure overload derived from hypertension. Also, tissue remodelling through LVH is known to lead to heart failure if the increased workload is sustained over a long period of time. In a nutshell, hypertension can result in hypertrophy which, if sustained, leads to heart failure...

Interactive whiteboards: Real beauty or just "lipstick"?

There has been extensive investment by governments and individual schools in interactive whiteboard technology in developed countries premised on the assumption that their use in education will impact positively on learners’ achievements. Developing countries, such as South Africa, keen to raise attainment among their learners are following suit. While at least one of the nine provinces in Sout...

Nanomedicine: real commercial potential or just hype?

What is the real commercial potential for nanotechnology and, in particular, nanomedicine? Depends on your definition. For example, if you think nanomedicine refers to Michael Crichton's self-replicating nanorobots traversing the body and healing disease (as in his 2002 novel Prey), I bet you will be waiting a long time (if ever) to see commercial fruition. On the other hand, if you envision na...