Should we still be doing duplicate immunoassays?

IgA deficiency: what we should-or should not-be doing.

Although IgA deficiency (IgAD) is currently recognised as the most frequent immunodeficiency in humans, individuals with IgAD are largely considered to be healthy and when discovered are usually not investigated further or followed up. The rare occasion when IgAD is a cause for concern is when these individuals require blood or blood products, in which case current practice advises that product...

Incentive spirometry following thoracic surgery: what should we be doing?

BACKGROUND Thoracic surgery may cause reduced respiratory function and pulmonary complications, with associated increased risk of mortality. Postoperative physiotherapy aims to reverse atelectasis and secretion retention, and may include incentive spirometry. OBJECTIVES To review the evidence for incentive spirometry, examining the physiological basis, equipment and its use following thoracic...

Should clofibrate still be prescribed?

Why should we still care about oncogenes?

Although oncogenes and their transformation mechanisms have been known for 30 years, we are just now using our understanding of protein function to abrogate the activity of these genes to block cancer growth. The advent of specific small-molecule inhibitors has been a tremendous step in the fight against cancer and their main targets are the cellular counterparts of viral oncogenes. The best-kn...

Should we all be vegetarians?