Internal medicine journal
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Although previous academic performance is acknowledged as the best predictor of achievement in medical school, no one has succeeded in finding a selection method which will choose students who will become doctors with the qualities the community expect. Australian medical schools use various selection methods. It could well be argued that the most important phase in the selection process is informed decision-making by potential applicants. More effort should be made by medical schools to achieve this.
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Internal medicine journal · Apr 2012
Meta AnalysisAngiotensin-converting enzyme gene insertion/deletion polymorphism and essential hypertension in the Chinese population: a meta-analysis including 21,058 participants.
The angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism has been suggested to influence susceptibility to essential hypertension (EH), but the results of many individual studies are conflicting. ⋯ In the whole Chinese population, the D allele was significantly linked with EH susceptibility. However, the relation between the I/D polymorphism and EH is still inconclusive in some national minorities and must await larger scale studies.
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Internal medicine journal · Apr 2012
A 5-year follow up of patients discharged with non-specific abdominal pain: out of sight, out of mind?
Acute non-specific abdominal pain (NSAP) is prevalent in 6-25% of the general population and is a common cause of admission to the emergency department (ED). Despite involvement of substantial financial and human resources, there are few data on long-term outcome after initial diagnosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate long-term outcome of patients initially admitted with NSAP to an ED. ⋯ The long-term impact for patients initially admitted to our ED with acute NSAP is significant--28% of patients continue to suffer from recurring NSAP after 5 years. NSAP therefore remains, despite more advanced diagnostic tools, a true and, as yet, unsolved problem.
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Internal medicine journal · Apr 2012
Comparative StudyDiagnostic utility of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration compared with transbronchial and endobronchial biopsy for suspected sarcoidosis.
Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is an accurate and minimally invasive technique that has been shown to have excellent diagnostic yield in the investigation of mediastinal and hilar lymphadenopathy. There is, however, little evidence comparing this procedure to the traditional diagnostic approach of transbronchial lung (TBLB) and endobronchial (EB) biopsies combined with characteristic clinical and radiological features in sarcoidosis. ⋯ Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration alone has a high diagnostic yield with a very low complication rate for patients with suspected sarcoidosis.
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Internal medicine journal · Apr 2012
Psychology of earthquake-induced stress cardiomyopathy, myocardial infarction and non-cardiac chest pain.
To compare psychological factors in patients presenting to hospital with earthquake-induced stress cardiomyopathy, myocardial infarction (MI) and non-cardiac chest pain. We hypothesised that patients with stress cardiomyopathy and non-cardiac chest pain would be more psychologically vulnerable than those with MI. ⋯ Our hypothesis was incorrect. Women with non-cardiac chest pain following an earthquake have higher anxiety and neuroticism scores than women with either MI or stress cardiomyopathy. Stress cardiomyopathy following an earthquake is not specific to psychologically vulnerable women. The psychology of natural disaster-induced stress cardiomyopathy may differ from that of sporadic cases.