Cognitive schemes and strategies in diagnostic and therapeutic decision making: a primer for trainees.

Unlike novices, expert clinicians develop refined schemes and strategies that predictably allow them to provide a better quality, prompt and less error-prone patient care input. Empowering novices with cognitive aids or mental schemes as early as possible in their clinical career may significantly improve their critical thinking, problem-solving and decision-making skills. These cognitive aids may also improve trainees' use of evidence-based medicine in addition to reducing their diagnostic errors and improving their therapeutic care inputs.

Raised D-dimer levels in acute sickle cell crisis and their correlation with chest X-ray abnormalities.

Objective: Quantitation of D-dimer level during a sickling crisis and its correlation with other clinical abnormalities.

Design: Prospective longitudinal study.

Setting: Armed Forces Hospital, Southern Region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Significant bronchospasm during sickle cell painful crises is associated with a lower peripheral eosinophil count.

Background: Bronchial hyperresponsiveness and/or bronchospasm are recognized complications of sickle cell disease.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of bronchospasm during painful crises, using simple spirometry in patients with sickle cell disease.

Methods: A prospective, non-randomized study was undertaken in patients with homozygous sickle cell disease, who presented with increasing pain.