Strong Democracy in Crisis: Promise or Peril? (Trevor Norris)

E-cigarettes: promise or peril?

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are battery-operated devices that produce a vapour consisting of nicotine (although some are nicotine-free), propylene glycol or glycerol, and flavourings. E-cigarettes were invented in 2003 in China and entered the United States and European markets in 2006 [1]. Hence, it is obvious that no observational data on the long-term health effects of e-cigarettes ...

Cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors: promise or peril?

The discovery of two isoforms of the cyclooxygenase enzyme, COX-1 and COX-2, and the development of COX-2-specific inhibitors as anti-inflammatories and analgesics have offered great promise that the therapeutic benefits of NSAIDs could be optimized through inhibition of COX-2, while minimizing their adverse side effect profile associated with inhibition of COX-1. While COX-2 specific inhibitor...

Clinical documentation standards--promise or peril?

Imagine a future of integrated clinical information systems that transcend the physical boundaries of clinical units, institutions and community care, providing nurses with comprehensive access to information and knowledge to support the delivery of care to individuals and families. Imagine not having to gather the same information repeatedly, ask the same questions over and over again, or stru...

Certain promise and uncertain peril

A Hippocratic oath is required not only for the individual patient but also for the community at large. This thought is provoked by a number of debates in health care on the potential conflict between personal need and the common good. Should high-tech medicine be funded at the expense of preventative and community health? Did the saving of individual lives through antibiotics spawn killer stra...

The Promise and Peril of Executive Federalism: