Tidsskrift for den Norske lægeforening : tidsskrift for praktisk medicin, ny række
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Accidental human injury due to ionizing radiation is rare. Industrial accidents are comparatively the most common. Life saving procedures should always have priority to any concern about radiation injury or contamination. ⋯ Damage to the bone marrow and gut are the most important. Local radiation injuries to the hands are common in industrial accidents. The Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority should always be called when a potential ionizing radiation accident takes place within Norway.
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Treatment of coccygodynia is primarily conservative and symptomatic. Operative treatment is controversial and the results are confusing. A thorough examination including X-rays is recommended in order to exclude other diseases. ⋯ Three had suffered aggravation of the symptoms. Patient opinion varied widely; 18 were satisfied with the long-term result, and five regretted the procedure. The importance of preoperative information and patient selection before surgery is emphasized.
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This article deals with the phenomenon of hope in seriously ill and dying patients. Uncertainty is seen as a prerequisite for hope, fear as the "negative" side of hope. A scheme involving three particular kinds of hope is introduced: Hope on a daily basis; hope concerning a possible eternity; and hope based upon unrealistic premises. ⋯ It should be directed against the physical aspects of the disease, as well as the psychological, social, spiritual and existential dimensions of life. There are two fundamental questions patients with terminal cancer disease almost always ask: "Will the disease eventually cause my death?"; and, "Am I going to experience great pain and suffering?" These questions are clearly marked by hope. The hope that there will be little pain, for example, may not only relate to physical pain but to psychological and social pain as well.