Urologists don't always agree about the need for inserting stents into the urethra after lithotripsy. A prospective randomised controlled trial has concluded that for uncomplicated cases of small stones, stents are probably not necessary. Patients allocated to the non-stent group tended to have similar recovery of kidney function and satisfactory reduction of pain, with fewer symptoms of irritation, than those treated with stents (Journal of Urology 2002;167:1977-80).

The letters page of the Mayo Clinic Proceedings (2002;77:600-1) carries a discussion about religion and health. One writer says that appropriate spiritual support should be available to all patients who desire it, in the same way as meals and warm bedding. Raising a null hypothesis to question which, if any, spiritual intervention is best, he says, serves no purpose. The answer to this research question lies within the heart and soul of the individual, and evidence based medicine plays no role.

Most reports about what drugs people take focus on older people. We don't know much about the average twentysomething. A cohort of 26 year olds in New Zealand disclosed that 78% had used prescribed or over the counter drugs at …