The Lactobacillus flora in vagina and rectum of fertile and postmenopausal healthy Swedish women.

Background: Lactobacillus species are the most often found inhabitants of vaginal ecosystem of fertile women. In postmenopausal women with low oestrogen levels, Lactobacillus flora is diminishing or absent. However, no studies have been performed to investigate the correlation between oestrogen levels and the lactobacilli in the gut.

Problem based learning and the case method--medical students change preferences during clerkship.

Background: The Case Method (Case) and Problem Based Learning (PBL) are two student active methods, increasingly used in medical education.

Aim: The aim of this study was to compare medical student satisfaction with the two different active methods of learning and to see if there was any variation in preference between two stages in medical training.

Methods: A short questionnaire was given out to 254 students during the eighth and eleventh term of medical training.

Medical students learning the pelvic examination: comparison of outcome in terms of skills between a professional patient and a clinical patient model.

Objective: To compare two models of learning the pelvic examination (PE) for medical students, with professional patients (PP) or with clinical patients (CP), by measuring perceived distress and learning outcome in terms of skills.

Methods: Prospective longitudinal study. Assessments of self-perceived distress on four occasions at the prospect of performing a PE.

Applying the case method for teaching within the health professions--teaching the teachers.

The case method provides training in problem solving and is useful in clinical education within health professions. The method consumes less teaching resources and might be useful in a situation with increasing numbers of students and staff cuts. As it is a relatively new method within the Faculty of Medicine, University of Lund, a training program for teachers has been established with a short, practical, course.

[After the early termination of the Women's Health Initiative study. New American recommendations for postmenopausal hormone therapy].

One treatment-arm of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study was recently terminated because the overall risks of hormone treatment were considered to outweigh the benefits. The main findings were an increased risk of venous thromboembolism and a decreased risk of osteoporotic fractures with treatment. No beneficial effects on cardiovascular disease could be detected.

Short term complications of the tension free vaginal tape operation for stress urinary incontinence in women.

Objective: To assess the prevalence of intra- and post-operative complications with the tension free vaginal tape operation for female urinary incontinence.

Design: Non-control case series.

Setting: University Hospital.