The journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
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J R Coll Physicians Edinb · Jan 2013
Biography Historical ArticleJames Taylor (1859-1946): favourite disciple of Hughlings Jackson and William Gowers.
In neurological circles today the name James Taylor (1859-1946) is probably remembered mainly for his role in editing the Selected Writings of John Hughlings Jackson, the most readily available source of Jackson's contributions to neurological knowledge. Taylors' own neurological achievements are largely or entirely forgotten, but in his day he was an influential figure whose career linked the great figures of the golden era of late nineteenth century British neurology to the neurology of the first half of the twentieth century. Not only was he a junior professional colleague and close friend of both John Hughlings Jackson and William Gowers, he also produced a substantial corpus of neurological writings in his own right, including a textbook of child neurology and the first English language account of subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord.
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J R Coll Physicians Edinb · Jan 2013
Social media: the way forward or a waste of time for physicians?
Social media is everywhere; its use has grown exponentially over recent years. The prevalence of these outlets for communication raises some interesting and potentially risky issues for physicians. On the one hand, some believe that physicians should have a strong social media presence and can benefit greatly from access to a global community of peers and leaders through blogs, online forums, Facebook, Twitter and other communication channels. ⋯ With an already time-pressured day, the priority should be patients, not tweets. Whatever your thoughts on the benefits and risks of social media, it is here to stay. Specific guidelines and guidance are needed to ensure that physicians who decide to join an online community reap the benefits of global communication, rather than regret it.
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J R Coll Physicians Edinb · Jan 2013
A pilot survey of decisions by acute medicine staff after thunderclap headache.
Traditionally, neurologically pristine patients with a thunderclap headache are investigated with a non-contrast computed tomography (CT) brain scan, which if negative is followed by a lumbar puncture (LP) to exclude important secondary causes, particularly subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH). However, misdiagnosis of such patients is still a cause of significant human and financial cost and a regular reason for medical litigation. This study explores the approach of emergency medicine and acute medicine clinicians to the investigation of a patient with thunderclap headache. ⋯ Most clinicians investigate neurologically intact patients with thunderclap headache following a CT/LP strategy, but deviations from recommended practice are common.