Clin Med
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Doctors deal with patient's disabilities every day but many in the profession have been nonplussed to see the focus of the disability rights lobbies shift from the recipients of care to the carers themselves. Until recently the number of practising doctors known to have significant disabilities was very low and for many reasons potential medical students were deterred from entering medical education. ⋯ Disability Discrimination Act 1995 was passed. It is a measure of the change in society's view of disability, reinforced by law, that the issue of whether there are disabilities which, in themselves, render a doctor Unfit to practise can be analysed and discussed.
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Myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke are the first and third leading causes of death in the U. S. A. accounting for more than 1 in 3 deaths per annum. ⋯ Human umbilical cord blood (hUCB) appears to be a logical candidate as a source of cells. hUCB is readily available, and presents little ethical challenges. Stem cells derived from hUCB are multipotent and immunologically naive. Here is a critical literature review of the beneficial effects of hUCB cell therapy in preclinical trials.
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Comparative Study
A postal survey of doctors' attitudes to becoming mentally ill.
A postal survey of 3512 doctors in Birmingham was carried out to assess attitudes to becoming mentally ill. The response rate for the questionnaire was 70% (2462 questionnaires). In total, 1807 (73.4%) doctors would choose to disclose a mental illness to family and friends rather than to a professional. ⋯ Stigma to mental health is prevalent among doctors. At present there are no clear guidelines for doctors to follow for mental healthcare. Confidential referral pathways to specialist psychiatric care for doctors and continuous education on the vulnerability of doctors to mental illness early on in medical training is crucial.
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Case Reports Comparative Study
Discrepancies between histology and serology for the diagnosis of coeliac disease in a district general hospital: is this an unrecognised problem in other hospitals?
The objective of this study was to assess the increasing number of patients with positive biopsies yet negative serology at Medway Hospital, Kent, through a retrospective data collection. All coeliac serology undertaken between 2003-5 (n=3056) with coeliac positive duodenal biopsy results (n=26) were compared. ⋯ This study shows that a small but significant number of cases of coeliac disease will be missed by relying on serology alone. As the diagnosis and management of disease shifts further towards general physicians and primary care, it is important that the limitations of serological testing are recognised.