J Natl Med Assoc
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Family physicians are in the best position to diagnose incest because of the nature of their practice. Yet many cases of incest are not recognized by the medical community and many incest victims are thus untreated. ⋯ Treatment is directed at the whole family, rather than just the active participants. Further research is needed to improve the application of various treatment modalities.
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Perforated bowel or diseases of the retroperitoneal organs may be complicated by retroperitoneal abscess formation. Six cases of retroperitoneal abscess treated at Ife University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, over a two-year period are reported. Delayed presentation was responsible for the only death in the series and was also associated with prolonged morbidity in the remaining five cases. Early presentation and diagnosis, use of appropriate antibiotics, and prompt surgical intervention are factors that appear to influence the morbidity of the disease.
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The psychosomatic disorder termed Munchausen's syndrome has gained official recognition in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, in which it is referred to as a "chronic factitious disorder with physical symptoms." Sporadic case reports have been published over the years. Few patients with this disorder allow themselves to be psychologically evaluated or seek treatment for the disorder itself. We report here an unusual case in which a young woman sought help for her hospital-peregrinating behavior.
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The use of drugs during cardiopulmonary resuscitation is often a crucial factor in saving the lives of patients suffering cardiac arrest. However, inappropriate use of these agents may produce deleterious effects that may increase morbidity and adversely affect the outcome of resuscitative measures. It is imperative to realize that cardiac arrest is a frank disease entity with very specific signs and symptoms deserving specific and precise treatment.