A patient with pica and Lennox Gastaut syndrome suddenly refused oral intake. Neck radiographs revealed no foreign body. Barium swallow identified an irregular filling defect in the cervical esophagus. Esophagoscopy showed a gold ball-like object (half a lemon) 3 cm distal to the cricopharyngeus. This object had to be removed by esophagotomy after…

A discussion is presented on the safety and potential side effects of radial keratotomy, a surgical procedure that results in a flattening of the cornea and a reduction of refractive myopia (nearsightedness). (JD)

Analysis of questionnaires completed by 116 laryngectomees revealed that extensive surgery did not lesson Ss' ability to learn esophageal speech. Educational level, socioeconomic status, length of time in speech therapy, and time since surgery did not statistically influence speech results. Ss still employed did achieve esophageal speech more…

Describes a quick, simple tie-through suture technique (in which a collodion packing is secured to the auricle with two buttons) for preventing cauliflower ear following external ear trauma in wrestlers and boxers. The technique ensures constant compression; multiple treatments for fluid reaccumulation are rarely necessary. (SM)

Teaches nurses to name three characteristics of a normal stoma, describe treatment for three common stomal complications, describe treatment for two complications of peristomal skin, and identify at least two factors to consider before preparing an ostomy patient for a radiologic procedure. (CT)

Discusses the scope of the surgeon's involvement in teaching disease prevention and health promotion to medical students, enumerates possible learning objectives, and describes seven examples of programs that have used innovative methods to include prevention teaching in surgery curricula. Examples include the universities of Kentucky, South…

The availability of cochlear implants in younger children has provided the opportunity to evaluate the relative impact of the production system, or the sounds young children can say, and the auditory system, or the sounds children can hear, on early vocal communication. Limited access to the acoustic properties of speech results in differences in…

The Waldo General Hospital Podiatric Residency Program, designed to be an intense, "well-rounded," multifaceted, single year of postgraduate practical training for the podiatric physician, is described. Surgical training, internal medicine, "outside rotations," in-hospital rotations, and meetings and lectures are discussed. A…

Social work's potential role in preoperative evaluations was generally unheard of only 15 years ago, as it was considered the domain of direct health care professionals such as nurses and surgeons. Social workers have traditionally focused on the peri- and post transplant phases. However, clinical social workers are playing an increasingly vital…

The Arnold-Chiari malformation is present in most infants born with myelomeningocele (a form of spina bifida) and hydrocephalus. The syndrome is responsible for structural abnormalities in the brain, and peripheral nervous system. Etiology, symptoms, impact on central nervous system structures, surgical treatment, and implications for education…

Reports on a faculty exchange program between Seton Hall University and the Hangzhou School of Nursing in Zhejiang, China. Discusses the differences in medical treatment and learning strategies between the two countries. (JOW)

This article describes a device, the Visual Hand Display, used by pediatric ophthalmologists at the Children's Low Vision Center (Boston) to evaluate a child's postoperative visual functioning. The device consists of different sized black stripes on white circles and a face. (DB)

Reports on the increasing use of virtual-reality devices at Pennsylvania State University's Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and other institutions that allow medical residents to practice their skills in simulated operations. Notes that both students and professors are enthusiastic about the simulations but that the necessary technology and…

The era of technical and scientific progress ushered in with the twentieth century brought new medical knowledge such as the Halstead 'radical' mastectomy, which promised a cure for breast cancer. These advances in medical knowledge were premised on an epidemiological model of disease, which shaped the treatment and public understanding of breast…

With American children on course to grow into the most obese generation of adults in history, Sonia Caprio argues that it is critical to develop more effective strategies for preventing childhood obesity and treating serious obesity-related health complications. She notes that although pediatricians are concerned about the obesity problem, most…