Myiasis: diagnosis, treatment and medical use of maggots.

Two myiasis cases are presented which illustrate aspects of this infestation, and the role of the medical laboratory scientist with regard to the importance of critical thinking, problem-solving, and interprofessional communication skills. The purpose is to heighten awareness of myiasis, and emphasize the role of the medical laboratory scientist as a member of the healthcare team in confirming diagnosis.

Acanthamoeba keratitis--a diagnostic challenge.

This is a case study of a 23 year old male diagnosed with Acanthamoeba keratitis. Initial misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment lead to increased severity of the infection requiring surgical intervention. This case illustrates the complexity of Acanthamoeba keratitis infection, highlighting the diagnostic challenges which often begin with misdiagnosis and treatment, the role of the laboratory in providing confirmatory testing, and the relevance of patient knowledge related to contact lens wear and care.

An exploratory study of live vs. web-based delivery of a phlebotomy program.

UNLABELLED: Changes in student population and increased Web-based education offerings provided the impetus to assess pedagogy, cognitive outcomes and perceptions of course quality. OBJECTIVE: This study explored cognitive outcomes and students' perception of course quality related to the Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education between live classroom delivery, compared to a Web-based delivery of a phlebotomy program. DESIGN: Quasi-experimental; students self-selected to enroll in live or Web-based program. RESULTS: For cognitive outcomes, no significant difference was found between the groups. Student perception of course quality differed only for Principle One (student-instructor contact). Students in the live classroom rated Principle One higher for the Part I course compared to the Web-based group. For the Part II course, there was no significant difference in perception of course quality related to any of the Seven Principles. CONCLUSIONS: The more constructivist pedagogy in the Part II course did not improve cognitive outcomes however, it may have contributed to knowledge retention. The live group rated Principle One in the Part II course evaluation relatively the same as they did for the Part I course evaluation. However, the Web-based group rated Principle One considerable higher for the Part II course than for Part I course. Future studies with a larger sample could explore improved course quality assessment instruments.