On the edge of healthcare reform.

The chief executive officer and president of Bayfront Medical Center, St. Petersburg, Fla., says healthcare providers must use information tools to demonstrate quality at comparably low costs.

A simplistic approach to restocking crash carts.

An organized crash cart can bring a sense of structure to a potentially chaotic situation. By standardizing every crash cart, time and confusion can be saved, which in turn may save a life during an emergency situation. This article describes one hospital's solution to the design and restocking of crash carts.

Colorectal cancer screening.

Colorectal cancer is a common and devastating disease. Many authorities recommend screening asymptomatic person, although the benefit of such screening is without scientific validation. Each of the screening modalities available has been examined, and their merits and shortcomings have been discussed.

Eosinophilic cystitis during pregnancy.

The first report of a case of eosinophilic cystitis during pregnancy is presented. Premature cervical dilatation was associated with onset of the disease at 19 weeks' gestation.

Family practitioner's guide to patient self-treatment of acute diarrhea.

The majority of cases of acute, nonspecific diarrhea are of short duration, can be treated symptomatically with nonprescription medications and adequate hydration, and do not require a visit to the physician's office. If the family practitioner can determine via telephone that the patient, or the caller's child, is not experiencing certain signs and symptoms often associated with diarrheal illness that may indicate a more severe condition (e.g.

Macroamylasemia: a simple stepwise approach to diagnosis.

Typically, macroamylasemia is a condition of elevated serum amylase in the absence of symptomatic disease. However, in the presence of symptoms, especially of abdominal origin, it is important that this condition be identified accurately in order to avoid unnecessary treatment for pancreatitis or other related diseases. This report offers a review of the literature, a case example, and an algorithm for systematically considering the diagnosis of macroamylasemia.

Venomous snakebites in the United States.

Venomous snakebite treatment is controversial. Venomous snakebites are known to occur in all but a few states. Approximately 10 to 15 individuals die from snakebites each year, with bites from diamondback rattlesnakes accounting for 95 percent of fatalities.