British journal of hospital medicine
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The anatomical structure of the eye is accurately reproduced by the ultrasound B scan. When the light-conducting media are opaque, making ophthalmoscopy impossible, ultrasound scanning is the most practical and rapid method of obtaining images of the posterior segment, yielding information for diagnosis and preoperative planning.
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Amiotic fluid embolism is still a significant cause of maternal mortality. It must be suspected in all cases of sudden maternal collapse. For successful resuscitation, surgical delivery should be performed without delay.
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Home ventilation has become practical recently because of improvements in the equipment available to support respiration in the long term. It is especially effective in neuromuscular and skeletal disorders, but may also have a limited place in chronic lung diseases. Both positive- and negative-pressure ventilators may be suitable for home ventilation.
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With infection rates approaching 80% for patients staying in ICU for more than 5 days there is clearly a need for effective prophylaxis. SPEAR is a system of antimicrobial prophylaxis which extends the regimen of selective digestive tract decontamination to encompass systemic antimicrobial prophylaxis and includes oral non-absorbable antibacterial and antifungal agents with initial use of a broad-spectrum systemic antibacterial.