Contents: April 2005

Editorials

What to do if your patient is going to die
Palliative care services are letting patients down. Scott A Murray and colleagues argue that we need to move from prognostic paralysis to active total care

HIV testing no longer needs special status
Heterosexual sex is now the most common means of HIV transmission in the United Kingdom. Kaveh Manavi and Philip D Welsby argue that the routine testing of homosexual men and injecting drug users no longer makes sense

News

Girls hit at home are more likely to be hit by boyfriends

World Health Day to focus on children and mothers

In Brief...

Binge working is bad for health and family life

Medics worldwide: news and opportunities from the IFMSA

Killing or caring?

Education

First aid: Bleeding and hypovolaemic shock
In the third part of our series, Martin S Roth and colleagues focus on detection and treatment of haemorrhage

Common skin infections in children: Molluscum contagiosum and viral warts
In the first a two part series about children’s skin infections, Michael J Sladden and Graham A Johnston give an evidence based approach to the diagnosis and treatment of viral infections

Body dysmorphic disorder: through a glass darkly
Is body dysmorphic disorder a real disease or simply vanity? Simon Clausen takes a second look

ABC of preterm birth: Epidemiology of preterm birth

10 minute consultation: Tinnitus

Puzzle: Pneumonia

Careers

The founder of Operation Smile
William P Magee Junior is the leading US plastic and craniofacial surgeon who set up the global children’s charity Operation Smile with his wife Kathleen in 1982. Negin Shamsian met Magee at a Fight for Life charity event

Understanding personality type: What do type dynamics tell us about life stages and stress reactions?
In the seventh article of her series, Anita Houghton explains how preferences interact and develop over time

Life and loathings of a new doctor: All change

Post-traumatic stress disorder in doctors
Doctors have an increased risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder. Raj Persuad considers the reasons why and describes the treatments available

Tips on... Communicating with elderly patients with sensory impairment

NHS Links: a new approach to international health links
For too long health links between the NHS and less developed countries have been an amateur pastime, say John Wright, Mike Silverman, and John Sloan. Here they explain how a new NHS network should help

Working with the drug industry: is your reputation at risk?
Working with the drug industry has its risks and you should enter into it with your eyes wide open, say Peter Aitken and Cornelius Katona

The advice zone

Papers

Paper plus: Do warm-up exercises prevent leg injuries?
Leanne Tite considers a study that asks whether warm-up exercises reduce injury. She also looks in depth at the weaknesses of this cluster randomised controlled trial

Life

Living with Ed
A medical student shares the experiences of living with anorexia

Doctors and nurses
The rise of the nurse is the fall of the doctor - myth or reality? Sabina Dosani finds out

A glass half full: looking on the bright side
Thomas Wells explains how living with a disability has taught him what really matters in life

Uganda: an uncivil war
The people of Uganda, affected by decades of civil war, must make do with third rate health services. Michael J Westerhaus reflects on his time in northern Uganda and explains how it shaped his beliefs

For richer, for poorer
The G8 summit in July could be used to enable developing countries to meet the millennium development goals. Ronald Labonte and colleagues discuss what world leaders should commit to

Found in translation
After she was called upon to translate for patients in clinic placements, Heba Al-Naseri decided to help set up Medic Interpreters. She explains the importance that interpreters have in health care

Letters

Video games have health benefits

Happiness is... more feedback and better appraisals

Give me a break; fast track me

Reviews

Kinsey

The Woodsman

Nanotechnology: small science, big deal

First aid

Medical schools: the makings of a liar

Eyespy: April 2005