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Editor's Choice | This Week in BMJ | Press releases
BMJ No 7128 Volume 316
Press Releases Saturday 31 January 1998
Embargoed: 00.01 hrs 30 January 1998 UK time
"Save your face - drink sensibly"
Assault and alcohol major causes of facial injury
How important are medical students' final examinations?
The new NHS must address needs of black and minority groups
Screening for chlamydia could occur at same time as smear
Chlamydia testing of urine samples can be successful
"Save your face - drink sensibly"
Assault and alcohol major causes of facial injury
(Trends in facial injury: increasing violence more than compensates for
decreasing road trauma)See Editorial, p 242
Assault and alcohol consumption are the two major factors responsible for serious facial injuries in young adults, suggest Shepherd et al in this week's BMJ. The authors found that one half of the facial injuries in the 15 - 25 year age group were sustained in assaults, usually in bars or streets, and were associated with alcohol consumption by the victim or the assailant. The authors note that the increase in vulnerability of those who have been drinking heavily may be more important than the effect of alcohol on aggression. From 1977 to 1987 the proportion of patients with facial injuries sustained in road accidents fell by 34 per cent. However, according to Shepherd et al, violent crime has more than compensated for this decrease. The proportion of injuries sustained in assaults increased from 40 per cent in 1977 to 50 per cent in 1987 and since then has continued to rise. The authors estimate that around 500,000 people suffer facial injuries annually, 125,000 of them in assaults. The authors note that the psychological legacy of facial injury can persist long after the injury has occurred, as facial scars serve as a constant reminder of the assault. Four times more men than women sustained facial injuries in assaults, but in the home the reverse was true. Nearly half of all facial injuries sustained in assaults on women occurred in the home and one half of these incidents were associated with alcohol. One fifth of the injuries involving children were related to assault, underlining the need for anti-bullying policies in schools. Road traffic accidents accounted for only five per cent of facial injuries and, interestingly, 15 per cent of road accident victims had consumed alcohol within four hours of their injury.
Contact:
Professor Jonathan Shepherd,
Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery,
University of Wales College of Medicine,
Cardiff.
tel/fax: 01222 742442
How important are medical students' final examinations?
(Clinical experience, performance in final examinations and learning style in medical students: prospective study)
In a paper in this week's BMJ McManus et al throw some doubt on the validity of medical students' final examinations. In their study the authors find that students with the most clinical experience are not those who perform best in their finals. If it is important in medical training for students to obtain as much clinical experience as possible, then final examinations require restructuring to assess and reward clinical experience. The authors conclude that medical school recruitment should stress the need for deep learning abilities in addition to assessing potential candidates on their A level grades.
Contact:
Professor Chris McManus,
Professor of Psychology and Medical Education,
Centre for Health Informatics and Multiprofessional Education,
University
College London Medical School
tel: 0171 288 3363
fax: 0171 288 3322
email: i.mcmanus@ucl.ac.uk
or
Professor Peter Richards, Medical Director,
Northwick Park and St Mark's
Trust,
Northwick Park Hospital,
Harrow
tel: 0181 869 2609
fax: 0181 869 2995
The new NHS must address needs of black and minority groups
(Meeting the needs of black and minority ethnic groups)The new NHS white paper emphasises the importance of ensuring that ?black and minority ethnic groups are not "disadvantaged" in their access to health services. In a paper in this week's BMJ Free and McKee note that current access for these groups is disadvantaged as some people have a limited knowledge of health services and the health services that are planned for the majority are not always appropriate. These groups may also lose out as there is an increasing reliance on the telephone as a means of obtaining care (exemplified by the new helpline NHS Direct). Such a move does not take into account those who do not speak English or do not have access to an interpreter (estimated to be around 600,000 people). The authors conclude that for these groups "inappropriate" attendance at an accident and emergency department may remain the only source of medical care outside working hours.
Contact:
Dr Caroline Free, research fellow,
Department of General Practice and
Primary Care,
Kings College School of Medicine and Dentistry,
London.
tel: 0171 836 5454
fax: 0171 312 5686
Screening for chlamydia could occur at same time as smear
(Opportunistic screening for chlamydial infection at time of cervical smear testing in general practice: prevalence study)
See Education and debate, p 290
In a paper in this week's BMJ Oakeshott et al report the findings of their study to ascertain the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis in women having smears at 30 practices in inner London. They found a prevalence rate of around three per cent overall. With higher rates of infection in certain groups, the authors advocate that women under the age of 25 years and women who show clinical signs of infection, should be offered screening when undergoing their regular smear test. Oakeshott et al suggest that a cost benefit analysis is undertaken before pursuing such an initiative.
Contact:
Dr Pippa Oakeshott, Clinical Lecturer,
Department of General Practice and
Primary Care,
St George's Hospital Medical School,
London.
tel: 0181 725
5712 or 0181 672 9944 or 0171 587 0628
fax: 0181 767 7697
email: oakeshot@sghms.ac.uk
Chlamydia testing of urine samples can be successful
(Home sampling versus conventional contact tracing for detecting Chlamydia trachomatis infection in male partners of infected women: randomised study)
In a Danish study conducted by Andersen et al, published in this week's BMJ, the authors conclude that male partners of women with Chlamydia trachomatis infection may be deterred from seeking medical help because of the intimate nature of the infection and because a urethral swab is needed. They suggest that urine samples obtained at home, which can then be sent for analysis, provide a non-invasive and less time consuming alternative. Andersen et al also purport that a similar procedure could be adopted for female partners of males known to be infected.
Contact:
Dr Berit Andersen, Research Assistant,
Research Unit and Department of
General Practice,
University of Aarhus,
DK-8000 Aarhus C,
Denmark.
tel:
00 45 8942 3101
fax: 00 45 861 24788
email: ba@alm.aau.dk
Embargo: 00.01 hrs Friday 17 January 1998
Please contact Public Affairs Division for the text of the paper & the authors for further comment
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