Wardround 12v6

This week’s theme was Spirochaetal diseases, Syphilis, Yaws, Pinta, Leptospirosis and Lyme disease. I think this was quite a challenge, but the talks were excellent and a good stimulus for further reading on my part. I will try to get the fact sheets you made scanned and made available, but if you could email the files to me it would be easier.

Next week’s theme is inflammatory bowel diseases: UC, Crohn’s, Coeliac, C.difficile. You have your assignments. Two minute talks please, concise and precise.

This week’s reading was Clinical craft: a lesson from Liverpool. D M Gore Journal of Medical Ethics 27:74-75 (2001). "Surely now is a good time to revisit the concept of clinical craft. ... we also need a certain amount of pride to keep up our morale. By celebrating our craft we can identify with skilled workers anywhere." Pride in a job well done is a precious crop, full of nourisment for the spirit and vitamins for the soul. It is all too easy to tend the plant but allow the fruit to wither on the branch or fall to rot on the ground. My advice: Take some time each week to reflect on what you have achieved as an individual or as part of a team.

For next week I have chosen a different subject: The Iowa Car Crop, S E Landsburg, from The Armchair Economist (1995). I have left a copy on the ward. I would like you to read this and ponder two things: why I have chosen it and what relevance it has for medicine.

Interesting topics this week
SIRS (Systemic inflammatory response syndrome) with hypoxia, eosinophilia, myalgia and anti-MPO antibodies.
CSS
SIRS
Eosinophilia myalgia syndrome (as a fascinoma)

Ultrasound for pleural effusions

Staph. septicaemia. How to confirm SBE; do you know the Duke criteria? And if you do....Are they useful in clinical practice?

MJM