Contents: April 2007

Editor's choice

Frontiers

News

Education

Anaesthesia Postoperative care
"All patients who have had an operation under either regional or general anaesthesia are in a potentially unstable cardiorespiratory state." Jonathan M Behar and colleagues explain this statement from the Royal College of Anaesthetists

Picture quiz When vomiting relieves severe abdominal pain

The medic's guide to prescribing: Rational prescribing
In the first of a seven-part educational series on prescribing, Lucy J Thomas and Jamie J Coleman explore the fundamentals of rational prescribing

Laboratory medicine in primary care Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) monitoring
Glycation of haemoglobin to produce HbA1c occurs throughout the 120 day average lifespan of the red blood cell. Repeat testing in fewer than 120 days or situations that shorten this lifespan will produce HbA1c results that do not fully reflect current diabetic control. Timothy M Reynolds and colleagues discuss

Careers

Experience - the best teacher?
Manique Wijesinghe and colleagues consider the role of early practical experience in medical education

Assessing assessments
Robert Annan and Kirsty Ross interviewed several important figures involved in the assessment of medical students at Edinburgh Medical School

People

From Mozambique to the world
Francisco Songane has been health minister of Mozambique, and he is now director of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health. This global organisation aims to achieve the fourth and fifth Millennium Development Goals-to reduce mortality in children under 5 by two thirds and maternal mortality by three quarters by 2015 from their levels in 1990. Kaushal Raj Pandey interviews him

Papers

Exercise for breast cancer: randomised controlled trial
Does regular exercise have any tangible benefits for women who have early stage breast cancer? Leanne Tite

Life

Putting the cart before the horse: testing to improve learning

On evolution and homosexuality

Spotlight on: Where do we draw the line?
Numerous attempts have been made to change the rules on abortion since it was legalised 40 years ago. Jonathan Gornall examines current arguments for reform

A black dot on a sheet of white paper
The disappointment of failing an exam is understandable. Parisa Karimi used techniques from self help books to find the strength to move on

On the frontline: A day in Côte d'Ivoire
Clara van Gulik-Mackenzie spends a day observing Dr Bile as he performs fistula repairs in resource poor Côte d'Ivoire

Reviews

Physician, heal thyself

Online medical libraries

Role play and real life

Eyespy