Clinical practitioners' views on the management of patients with medically unexplained physical symptoms (MUPS): a qualitative study.

OBJECTIVES: By identifying strategies that practicing physicians use in managing patients with medically unexplained physical symptoms (MUPS), we present an interim practical management guide (IPMG) that clinical practitioners may find useful in their clinical practices and that may help guide future research. DESIGN: A qualitative research study based on interview data from practicing physicians with experience in dealing with MUPS and known to the physician members of the research team. A parallel exploration of patient experiences was carried out simultaneously and is reported elsewhere. SETTING: 2 urban centres in 2 different Canadian provinces in a healthcare system where family physicians provide the majority of primary care and self-referral to specialists rarely occurs. PARTICIPANTS: The physician members of the research team invited practicing family and specialty physicians to participate in the study. RESULTS: We characterise the care of patients with MUPS in terms of a 4-part framework: (1) the challenge of diagnosis; (2) the challenge of management/treatment; (3) the importance of communication and (4) the importance of the therapeutic relationship. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of the details in the different parts of the framework, we propose an IPMG that practitioners may find useful to facilitate the clinical care of patients with MUPS. The guide can be readily implemented into the practice of any physician who cares for patients with MUPS.

Neurologic complications of metronidazole.

Metronidazole (Flagyl®) is an antimicrobial agent commonly used in clinical practice. Although it is generally well tolerated with minimal side effects, there are a host of still under-recognized neurologic complications of metronidazole treatment. The following review is aimed at summarizing current literature pertaining to metronidazole-induced neurotoxicity including clinical syndromes, neuroradiological findings, prognosis and proposed pathophysiology. Recognition of the neurotoxic effects of metronidazole is critical as prompt discontinuation is generally associated with full clinical recovery and radiological resolution. Complications neurologiques du métronidazole. Le métronidazole (Flagyl®) est un agent antimicrobien utilisé couramment en pratique clinique. Bien qu'il soit généralement bien toléré et que ses effets secondaires soient minimes, il existe une myriade de complications neurologiques du traitement par le métronidazole qui ne sont pas toujours reconnues. Le but de cette revue constitue un sommaire de la littérature actuelle concernant la neurotoxicité induite par le métronidazole dont les syndromes cliniques, les constatations neuroradiologiques, le pronostic et l'hypothèse physiopathologique expliquant cette neurotoxicité. Il est important d'identifier ces effets neurotoxiques du métronidazole étant donné que l'arret immédiat du traitement est généralement associé à une guérison clinique complète et à la disparition des signes radiologiques.

Homozygous lamin A/C familial lipodystrophy R482Q mutation in autosomal recessive Emery Dreifuss muscular dystrophy.

Autosomal recessive Emery Dreifuss muscular dystrophy (AR-EDMD) is rare, with few reports in the medical literature. We describe the first cases of AR-EDMD and autosomal dominant familial partial lipodystrophy (FPLD) in the Hutterite population resulting from homozygous or heterozygous R482Q mutations in the lamin A/C gene (LMNA). Heterozygosity for LMNA R482Q mutation causes FPLD, which is associated with increased risk of hyperlipidemia and hypertension. The overall carrier frequency of the R482Q mutation in Dariusleut and Leherleut Hutterites in Alberta was found to be 1.45%. Homozygosity for this mutation has not been previously reported and here resulted in a combination of generalized lipodystrophy and EDMD. Knowledge that the LMNA R482Q mutation is present in this population is important for genetic counseling, surveillance, and management of the associated disorders.

Assessment of non-cognitive traits through the admissions multiple mini-interview.

CONTEXT: Contemporary studies have shown that traditional medical school admissions interviews have strong face validity but provide evidence for only low reliability and validity. As a result, they do not provide a standardised, defensible and fair process for all applicants. METHODS: In 2006, applicants to the University of Calgary Medical School were interviewed using the multiple mini-interview (MMI). This interview process consisted of 9, 8-minute stations where applicants were presented with scenarios they were then asked to discuss. This was followed by a single 8-minute station that allowed the applicant to discuss why he or she should be admitted to our medical school. Sociodemographic and station assessment data provided for each applicant were analysed to determine whether the MMI was a valid and reliable assessment of the non-cognitive attributes, distinguished between the non-cognitive attributes, and discriminated between those accepted and those placed on the waitlist (waiting list). We also assessed whether applicant sociodemographic characteristics were associated with acceptance or waitlist status. RESULTS: Cronbach's alpha for each station ranged from 0.97-0.98. Low correlations between stations and the factor analysis suggest each station assessed different attributes. There were significant differences in scores between those accepted and those on the waitlist. Sociodemographic differences were not associated with status on acceptance or waiting lists. DISCUSSION: The MMI is able to assess different non-cognitive attributes and our study provides additional evidence for its reliability and validity. The MMI offers a fairer and more defensible assessment of applicants to medical school than the traditional interview.

The Canadian Medical Association Code of Ethics 1868 to 1996: a primer for medical educators.

The Canadian Medical Association's (CMA) Code of Ethics applies to all physicians, residents, and medical students in Canada. Learning about the code must be a part of every physician's education, and keeping current with it must be a part of every physician's continuing medical education. This article, based on a review of the 19 CMA codes of ethics issued from 1868 to 1996, shows how deeply the Code of Ethics is tied to the past, highlights those topics that have been part of every version, and demonstrates how the code changed over time. This article should assist medical educators as they develop teaching material on codes of medical ethics, and would be of interest to practising physicians.