JAMA 28 Dec 2011 Vol 306 2684 When I first became a GP in England well over 30 years ago, the early diagnosis of myocardial infarction was a matter of slight importance, since there was no intervention which made any difference to survival. You tried to reach patients in their homes quickly to relieve their […]
“BMJ covers get everywhere” is a new blog we have launched featuring humorous photos of BMJ covers sent in by our readers. Please submit your photos to JDobson@bmj.com, or send a twitpic to @bmj_latest. Look at the blog at bmj.com/blogs Excessive crying in infants Photo taken by Rhona Dornan […]
A 75 year old man who was diagnosed with coronary heart disease when he was 60, and has been treated with medication since, represents a typical patient in primary care and hospital care in Spain. He has also been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Treatment with drugs and insulin therapy started when he was 72 […]
Whenever I read a story or novel about doctor and patient interactions, I’m often bewildered. Primarily out of interest, but also because I feel like I’ve been short changed. How come I’ve never come in contact with a pregnant evangelical Christian who requests her obstetrician to cut her fallopian tubes during a C section so […]
Dark, quiet, and desolate. At 7.45 am on the mornings after Christmas, the streets look sad and neglected. A few Christmas lights blink unconvincingly. No traffic, no pedestrians, no kids going to school, and no radio except the news. But, the surgery lights are on, cars parked outside, shutters open, patients waiting… […]
I am running the Dubai marathon in January to help raise money to pay for a 2 year old girl with cerebral palsy to go to the US for an operation. This will be my 14th marathon, and I don’t need much persuasion to run it—but am I doing the right thing in helping raise […]
After a hard morning interviewing enthusiastic young people who wanted to get into medical school I went for a coffee. These days this is a highly complicated business. Did I want a latte or a cappuccino, mocha or skinny, to go or with a shot, without chocolate, or with a small umbrella? I chose an […]
An uneasy calm rests on Tripoli these days. A lack of effective security is having disruptive consequences. Recently local doctors took matters into their own hands by shutting down their hospital for ten days. Staff at the Central Hospital went back to work after ending the strike action on 20 December. It follows an incident where local […]
Chicago. A compelling show. An intriguing narrative based on real events. Posters advertising the musical, with its ever changing cast, greet me like an old friend on the escalators of London’s underground as I travel to the BMJ office. My first visit to the city recently was equally enthralling. The modern glass skyscrapers, amazing art institute, […]
War may not be good for much, but it has proved to be an effective incubator for innovation. I’m not just talking about the Slinky: the development of nylon, polythene, and aerosol sprays also benefitted from conflict. The urgency of war has also lead to many of the most important innovations in medicine. It was […]