Investigating the frail elderly patient with lower bowel symptoms: what do we do now and can we improve?

Aims: To assess the utility of flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS) and minimal preparation CT (MPCT) in investigating lower gastrointestinal (LGI) symptoms in elderly patients who are too frail to undergo colonoscopy or spiral CT.

Methods: All FS examinations performed in patients aged over 70 between 1 January and 31 December 2008 were analysed. Predictors of usefulness were determined using multivariable analysis.

Stillbirth and newborn mortality in India after helping babies breathe training.

Objective: This study evaluated the effectiveness of Helping Babies Breathe (HBB) newborn care and resuscitation training for birth attendants in reducing stillbirth (SB), and predischarge and neonatal mortality (NMR). India contributes to a large proportion of the worlds annual 3.1 million neonatal deaths and 2.

The importance of illness perceptions, quality of life and psychological status in patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

The present study investigates illness perceptions of inflammatory bowel disease patients in an outpatient population, examining whether these illness perceptions are related to disease severity, quality of life and psychological adjustment. A cohort of 102 inflammatory bowel disease outpatients was prospectively enrolled on the study. The participants completed a questionnaire assessing illness perceptions, anxiety, depression and disease-specific symptoms.

Long-term outcomes for surgeons from 3- and 4-year medical school curricula.

Background: New approaches are needed to ensure that surgical trainees attain competence in a timely way. Traditional solutions have focused on the years spent in surgic al training. We sought to examine the outcomes of graduates from 3-year versus 4-year medical schools for differences in surgeon performance based on multisource feedback data.