The history of ideas of Nordic midwives’ excursions from the early 19th century to the millennium

The midwifery art has emphasised the uniqueness of human beings throughout its Nordic history. The educated Nordic midwife has in the last decade celebrated several hundred years of memories. This article studies how the key ideas of the midwifery art and patterns of ideas become evident in the zeitgeist from the beginning of the 19th century to the millennium in the Nordic countries. The legacy and pattern of ideas of the art of midwifery are interpreted in relation to the texts of the selected historical sources and based on Ricoeur's phenomenological-hermeneutic approach to the text and further to the dedication of understanding and interpretation. The historical sources refer to unprinted primary sources from historical archives and printed secondary and tertiary sources. The patterns of ideas include a tripartite whole: the true cultivation of the head, the philosophy and aesthetics of the hand, the strength of the heart and the drive of calling. These ideas open for unique visions and attest to the evident in modern midwives. Today's midwives have academic training with examinations, and the education is based on scientific evidence. The midwife profession is authorised by the state and supervised by the authorities.     

Metastatic transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder causing Addison's disease

Addison's disease is rarely caused by metastatic cancer. We report a unique case of hypoadrenalism owing to metastatic transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. The relevant literature is reviewed.     

Retrospective review of pemetrexed with or without platinum in malignant mesothelioma: The Australian 'Special Access Scheme' experience

Background: Pemetrexed and cisplatin have recently been shown to significantly improve survival compared with cisplatin alone. However, there are only limited data reflecting teaching hospital experience outside a clinical trial. Pemetrexed has only been available in Australia on a restricted basis since 2002. We reviewed our experience of patients treated on the Australian ‘Special Access Scheme’ at three major thoracic oncology units. Methods: Charts were reviewed for all patients enrolled on the scheme. Data was extracted on age, World Health Organization (WHO) performance status, histology, prior therapy, time from diagnosis to starting pemetrexed, chemotherapy (pemetrexed alone or with a platinum), cycle number, response rate, actuarial progression‐free and overall survival. Doses were cisplatin 75 mg/m² or carboplatin AUC = 5 and pemetrexed 500 mg/m² every 21 days. Results: 52 patients (32 male and 20 female) were reviewed. Median age was 58 years and 88% were WHO 0–1. Histology included 54% epithelial, 17% biphasic (epithelial and sarcomatoid) and 21% undefined. The median time from diagnosis to administration of pemetrexed was 145 days. Sixty‐five percent had minimal surgical intervention with video assisted thoracoscopy, pleurodesis and biopsy, while 19% had received prior palliative radiation. Seventy‐one percent were chemotherapy naïve, the remaining 29% having received previous platinum and/or gemcitabine regimens. Twenty‐three percent had pemetrexed alone, 35% in combination with carboplatin and 42% with cisplatin. The median number of cycles was 4 (range 1–13). The response rate was 33%. No toxicity was observed in 20% grade 3–4 toxicity in 10% (majority nausea/vomiting). The median progression‐free and overall survival times from starting pemetrexed were 184 days and 298 days, respectively. Conclusions: Pemetrexed‐based regimens are safe and effective in a community setting in malignant mesothelioma.     

Evidence for a maternal yolk factor associated with increased tolerance and resistance of feral white sucker (Catostomus commersoni) to waterborne copper

White suckers, collected from lakes containing elevated levels of copper (12 micrograms liter-1) and zinc (250 micrograms liter-1), were evaluated for reproductive performance, growth and survival of the larvae, and tolerance of the larvae to waterborne copper. Fertilization success was not impaired in white suckers from contaminated sites; metal-exposed males performed better than control males in fertilization trials with control eggs. Larvae hatched from eggs collected at contaminated sites and fertilized in clean water were smaller, developed at a slightly increased rate, and exhibited poorer growth and survival than larvae from control sites. Larvae showed significant changes in resistance and tolerance to copper with age. During the period of endogenous nutrition, larvae from eggs taken at contaminated sites showed increased resistance and tolerance to waterborne copper relative to controls. The effect was not seen in larvae at first feeding, at ages older than 4 days after the onset of feeding (25 days posthatch) or in larvae hatched from control eggs fertilized with sperm from males taken at contaminated sites. This study provides evidence for a maternal yolk factor associated with increased tolerance and resistance of larvae to copper.     

FEASIBILITY OF CONDUCTING CARDIOVASCULAR OUTCOME RESEARCH IN AUSTRALIAN GENERAL PRACTICE: RESULTS FROM THE ANBP2 PILOT STUDY

1. The present study aimed to determine the feasibility of conducting a 5 year cardiovascular outcome trial of the treatment of 6000 elderly hypertensive patients in Australian general practices. 2. General practitioners (GPs) were invited to participate by mail and personal follow-up. Patient records were reviewed to identify subjects for a blood pressure (BP) screening programme. Blood pressure was measured on three occasions and eligible subjects were included if the average BP was 160 mmHg systolic or 90 mmHg diastolic if systolic BP was 140 mmHg. 3. Seven hundred and forty-one GPs were approached and 89 were enrolled in the study (12% of mail invites and 75% of those receiving a personal contact). In 16 practices where screening was completed, 82 000 records were reviewed to identify 4% patients eligible for screening. Twenty-two per cent of eligible subjects attended screening. Of 1938 subjects screened, 180 (9%) had BP 5=160/90 mmHg. Forty-seven percent of subjects (n = 916) were receiving antihypertensive therapy and 184 (20%) were withdrawn from therapy. One hundred and sixteen (63%) of these subjects had BP return to study entry levels within 6 weeks. Fifty-seven newly diagnosed and 81 previously treated subjects were randomized (7% of the screened population). 4. Based on the high participation rate of GPs, the response rate of patients to attend a BP screening programme and the 7% randomization to screening ratio for entry into the study, the ANBP2 pilot study has demonstrated that it is feasible to recruit subjects from Australian general practices to a cardiovascular outcome trial.     

Inhaled sodium metabisulphite induced bronchoconstriction: inhibition by nedocromil sodium and sodium cromoglycate.

1. The effects of nedocromil sodium and sodium cromoglycate on bronchoconstriction induced by inhaled sodium metabisulphite have been studied in eight atopic subjects, three of whom had mild asthma. 2. Nedocromil sodium (4 mg, 7.8 X 10(-6) M), sodium cromoglycate (10 mg, 24.1 X 10(-6) M) and matched placebo were administered by identical metered dose inhalers 30 min before a dose-response to sodium metabisulphite (5-100 mg ml-1) was performed. 3. Maximum fall in sGaw after placebo pre-treatment was -43.9 +/- 3.3% baseline (mean +/- s.e. mean). At the same metabisulphite concentration maximum fall in sGaw after sodium cromoglycate was -13.0 +/- 3.6% and after nedocromil sodium was +4.3 +/- 6.8%. Nedocromil sodium prevented any significant fall in sGaw even after higher concentrations of metabisulphite. 4. Both nedocromil sodium, 4 mg, and sodium cromoglycate, 10 mg, inhibited sodium metabisulphite induced bronchoconstriction but nedocromil sodium was significantly more effective. Relative in vivo potency of the two drugs is broadly in line with other in vivo and in vitro studies.     

Iotrol versus metrizamide in lumbar myelography: a double-blind study

In a prospective, randomized, double-blind study, 49 patients underwent lumbar myelography using iotrol (24 patients) or metrizamide (25 patients). The diagnostic imaging adequacy of iotrol was comparable with that of metrizamide. After iotrol myelography, adverse reactions were fewer, less severe, and of shorter duration than were those following metrizamide myelography. Thirteen of 24 patients (54%) receiving iotrol reported some adverse reactions compared with 24 of 25 patients (96%) receiving metrizamide. Five moderate and one severe adverse reaction occurred in the group receiving iotrol. Fourteen moderate and eight severe adverse reactions occurred in the group receiving metrizamide. Thirty-eight patients underwent electroencephalography both before and after myelography (19 iotrol and 19 metrizamide). None of the EEGs obtained after iotrol myelography changed from baseline, while seven of the EEGs obtained after metrizamide myelography showed changes from baseline. Iotrol was judged superior to metrizamide as a contrast medium in this patient population.