BMJ : British medical journal
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To investigate the factors associated with long term backache after childbirth, to assess all women reporting new onset long term backache, and to investigate any relation with pain relief in labour. ⋯ Though new long term backache is reported more commonly after epidural analgesia in labour, it tends to be postural and not severe. There were no differences in the nature of the backache between those who had or had not received epidural analgesia in labour.
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To evaluate the usefulness of Gram staining and culture of skin lesions in patients with acute meningococcal infections. ⋯ Microbiological examination of skin lesions is informative, especially in patients with sepsis and inconclusive results from cerebrospinal fluid, and may provide a diagnosis in such patients within 45 minutes. It differentiates well between meningitis with and without haemodynamic complications, and the result is not affected by previous antibiotic treatment.