Aust Fam Physician
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To assess the suitability and effectiveness of EMLA cream (a eutectic mixture of lignocaine and prilocaine) as a topical anaesthetic for routine neonatal circumcision. ⋯ EMLA anaesthetic cream, properly applied, is a safe and effective method of anaesthesia for circumcision of neonates to 7 months of age. It reduces or eliminates pain, restlessness, agitation and interference with parent bonding. The common practice (in Australia) of suggesting that parents postpone circumcision until the child is suitable for general anaesthesia should be seriously questioned.
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The management of most gunshot wounds and penetrating war injuries can be adequately performed by doctors without specialised training. A basic knowledge of wound ballistics and adherence to the principles outlined in this paper will allow these patients to be treated successfully in their own locality, thus negating the necessity for transfer to a major centre.
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Dedicated to two young volunteers killed in a landmine clearing accident, this story of Afghanistan is just one among thousands of others that never leave its borders. To understand Afghanistan is to come to terms with the religious, racial and cultural faultlines that divide it. A 3 month medical placement provided insights rather than answers. An indomitable people through famine, war, firce winters and foreign intrusion, the Afghanis are set to continue their struggle into succeeding generations.