eMJA: In Other Journals, 4 August 2008

Extracorporeal life support appears to have a benefit in terms of survival over conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in patients who suffer an inhospital witnessed cardiac arrest.

Diabetes and deafness

Hearing impairment is common in people with diabetes, and diabetes appears to be an independent risk factor for hearing loss, according to the results of a large US study.

Ann Intern Med 2008; 149: 1-10

Nature and nurture

An international group of medical researchers has suggested that environmental factors acting during development influence the subsequent susceptibility of an individual to disease, and should be accorded greater importance in models of disease causation.

N Engl J Med 2008; 359: 61-73

Reducing the “ouch” factor

Use of a topical vapocoolant spray containing pentafluoropropane and tetrafluoroethane appears to be useful in reducing pain and anxiety in children undergoing intravenous cannulation, say Canadian researchers.

CMAJ 2008; 179: 31-36

A pain in the back

Low back pain is a common problem in primary care and affects millions of people on a daily basis, with significant economic and personal costs.

BMJ 2008; 337: a171

Dr Tanya Grassi, MJA

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