Tetanus managed in a peripheral hospital--a case report and a review of management.

Tetanus has become increasingly uncommon. However, with many people failing to maintain adequate levels of immunisation it will continue to present sporadically, with patients who are affected frequently requiring intensive care management. A case of tetanus, and its management in a peripheral hospital in New Zealand, is described.

Buteyko Breathing Technique for asthma: an effective intervention.

Aim: To assess the impact of the Buteyko Breathing Technique (BBT) on medication use in asthma.

Methods: A blinded randomised controlled trial comparing BBT with control was conducted in 38 people with asthma aged between 18 and 70. Participants were followed for six months following the intervention.

Clinicians' contributions to healthcare management.

Primary tasks for clinical directors are to disseminate information to colleagues, provide feedback to senior professional managers, and to play key roles in strategic planning and resource allocation in health services. These tasks are seen to reduce barriers between clinicians and management. The application of clinical directorates across healthcare organisations is inconsistent and ambiguous.

Cryptococcal peritonitis in a CAPD patient.

A 50-year-old diabetic woman with end-stage renal disease, who had been on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis for 8 months, developed peritonitis caused by Cryptococcus neoformans var. neoformans. The patient was completely asymptomatic and infection was confirmed by detection of budding yeast cells in Gram-stained smears of turbid peritoneal fluid.

Cutaneous larva migrans--a traveller's disease.

A New Zealander who had travelled to Malaysia presented with cutaneous larva migrans. Treatment with mebendazole was successful.

Asthma: a provincial study.

To identify factors contributing to increased mortality and morbidity we prospectively evaluated 200 consecutive adult (greater than 17 years) asthmatic presentations (105 patients) referred to Gisborne Hospital over a 28 month period between 1985 and 1987 using a modified protocol adapted from previous national studies. In the moderate asthmatic group (113 presentations, 56%), 6% failed to use beta agonists prior to admission and 43% were not on regular steroid inhaler therapy. No patient had a crisis plan although 45 (22.