With great interest, we read the study of Line Dussourd et al. concluding that ultrasonography allows better identification of anatomical structures before performing a lumbar puncture. We cannot concur with the conclusions of the study because the authors did not visualize the conus medullaris directly, nor did they assess the individual intervertebral levels. In our commentary, we make some s...

Cryotherapy machines, also known as cryosurgery machines, continue to be widely used for surgical procedures of the eye such as retinal detachment repair, cataract extraction, glaucoma and so on. Cryotherapy machines (Figure 1) control the release of a compressed gas, stored under high pressure in a cylinder. When the foot pedal is depressed, the gas is regulated to a lower working pressure and...

I begin with an explication of “thought experiment”. I then clarify the role that intuitions play in thought experiments by addressing two important issues: (1) the informativeness of thought experiments and (2) the legitimacy of the method of thought experiments in philosophy and the natural sciences. I defend a naturalistic account of intuitions that provides a plausible explanation of the in...

Dr Philip G. Winkelaar raises the issue of drug diversion by the father of a child being prescribed methylphenidate. He correctly advises that assessment of the child’s condition is one method of confirming proper use of the medication. A more reliable method would be to randomly test the child’s urine, with parental consent, for the presence of methylphenidate. Absence of the drug in the child...

Several factors contribute to organ dysfunction in septic shock patients, and once the inflammatory response has been activated, many organ systems can be adversely affected. A marked fall in systemic vascular resistance results from arterial and venous dilatation. This is accompanied by leakage of plasma into the extravascular space, leading to relative hypovolemia. The microcirculation is adv...