South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde
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The most important question in biomedical ethics is really whether a researcher should do what he can do. The interventional model of modern medicine, which makes medical decisions on medical grounds, can threaten human values. In a Christian perspective we are responsible to God for our humanity. ⋯ The position of the woman who undertakes to be a surrogate mother is also questionable. Pregnancy is not just physical fact, it is an existential and human concern. The human womb is thus more than just an organ--it is a part of a woman's identity.
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Case Reports
Fracture-dislocation of the lumbosacral spine during a grand mal epileptic seizure. A case report.
A patient with a lumbosacral fracture-dislocation is described. This serious injury can easily be missed; it is caused by severe trauma and multiple injuries are often present. Radiological examination should include the cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacral vertebrae as well as the pelvis.
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Twenty-three patients undergoing a wide variety of neurosurgical procedures were anaesthetised using fentanyl and propofol (Diprivan; Stuart Pharmaceuticals) for induction and a continuous infusion of propofol with 50% nitrous oxide for maintenance of anaesthesia. All patients were premedicated with midazolam, and hypotensive anaesthesia was employed using labetalol. ⋯ The quality of anaesthesia and surgical conditions were good. A rapid, smooth recovery was obtained in 22 patients.