[The dying patient].

It is important for dying patients that their doctors are trained to diagnose that death is near. Typical clinical signs of impending death are described: the patient is bedbound, semicomatose, only able to take sips of fluid and no longer able to take oral drugs. Care of the dying is exclusively focused on palliation.

[Frequent attenders in general practice. Who are they and how are they managed?].

Introduction: Frequent attenders (FAs) account for a large number of the consultations and a large part of the workload in general practice. We need knowledge about the way general practitioners (GPs) characterise this group of patients and about their proposals for clinical management. This study aims to describe the types of FAs seen in general practice and their proposed management.

[Early diagnosis of cancer].

Early diagnosis of cancer makes a positive difference in morbidity and mortality. It requires patients to consult their GP about the symptoms and the physician's alertness to cancer as a possible diagnosis. Patients do not exhibit stable patterns of reaction to the warning signs.