The sophisticated literacy practitioner and the global pandemic.

Negative portrayals in the Australian media situate teachers as a problem and teaching as a deficit practice. Society is positioning teachers, especially teachers of literacy, as the reason for poor student performance. In addition, negative media discourse around deficit initial teacher education, especially with regard to the teaching of reading and writing, is adding to the overall assumption that teachers of literacy are failing.

Initial experience with a general population colorectal cancer screening clinic.

Background: Recognition of adenoma to carcinoma progression has established colorectal cancer as a preventable malignancy. Colorectal cancer is, therefore, an ideal malignancy for preventative screening given the presence of a benign precursor. We set out to establish a pilot low-risk endoscopic screening clinic and we discuss our initial results.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy for symptoms of biliary colic in the absence of gallstones.

Background: Acalculous cholecystitis is a controversial entity that accounts for 5% to 22% of cholecystectomies in some series. Multiple attempts have been made to find an objective clinical algorithm for diagnosis; however, we postulate that careful evaluation of clinical presentation is adequate to allow accurate diagnosis without reliance on ancillary tests, such as cholecystokinin-stimulated scintigraphy studies.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was made of all patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy at Cariboo Memorial Hospital between April 1997 and September 2001.

Day-care laparoscopic appendectomies.

Objective: To demonstrate the safety of laparoscopic appendectomy in a day-care setting and to compare patients selected for laparoscopic versus open appendectomy.

Design: A retrospective, nonrandomized study.

Setting: A community hospital in a small town in British Columbia.