Tidsskrift for den Norske lægeforening : tidsskrift for praktisk medicin, ny række
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Accidental human injury due to ionizing radiation is rare. Industrial accidents are comparatively the most common. Life saving procedures should always have priority to any concern about radiation injury or contamination. ⋯ Damage to the bone marrow and gut are the most important. Local radiation injuries to the hands are common in industrial accidents. The Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority should always be called when a potential ionizing radiation accident takes place within Norway.
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This article deals with the phenomenon of hope in seriously ill and dying patients. Uncertainty is seen as a prerequisite for hope, fear as the "negative" side of hope. A scheme involving three particular kinds of hope is introduced: Hope on a daily basis; hope concerning a possible eternity; and hope based upon unrealistic premises. ⋯ It should be directed against the physical aspects of the disease, as well as the psychological, social, spiritual and existential dimensions of life. There are two fundamental questions patients with terminal cancer disease almost always ask: "Will the disease eventually cause my death?"; and, "Am I going to experience great pain and suffering?" These questions are clearly marked by hope. The hope that there will be little pain, for example, may not only relate to physical pain but to psychological and social pain as well.
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Tidsskr. Nor. Laegeforen. · Mar 1999
Case Reports[Possibility of serious damage when handling air guns].
The possibilities of serious injury being caused by firearms are well known. Less known is the fact that air guns also have such potential. We present the case of a six year old boy shot in the back with an air gun at a distance of four meters. ⋯ An X-ray taken some days later showed no projectile; it seems to have migrated into the gastrointestinal tract and been shed along with faeces. The available literature suggests that air guns have considerable penetration abilities; this case underlines that. Articles on this subject are summarized and we discuss the options available in similar cases.
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Screening can be defined as the process of identifying preclinical disease in asymptomatic people. The main objective of screening is to reduce the incidence and the mortality from disease. There are several prerequisites for successful screening, and screening has both beneficial and adverse effects. ⋯ Screening for colorectal cancer is planned as a pilot project. Also a study on screening for prostate cancer is planned. Screening for other cancers is not recommended.
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Tidsskr. Nor. Laegeforen. · Feb 1999
Review Practice Guideline Guideline[Guidelines for basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation of adult patients. European Resuscitation Council].
In this article, 15 experts from six countries present an abridged version of the 1998 European Resuscitation Council guidelines for adult basic life support. Persons trained in advanced life support should use these guidelines together with the guidelines for advanced life support, also published in this journal. There are a few changes from the previous guidelines published in 1993. ⋯ In Norway, but not in the rest of Europe, the evaluation of the circulation by a pulse check has been eliminated in basic, but not in advanced cardiopulmonary resuscitation. This is due to reports that pulse checks performed by lay rescuers require much time with poor specificity and sensitivity. Finally, in evaluating the patient's own ventilation the differentiation between agonal gasps and regular breaths is stressed.