What's new this month in BMJ Journals

Adding mesalazine enemas improves outcome in extensive ulcerative colitis

A randomised placebo controlled trial has shown that adding a nightly mesalazine enema improves remission rates in patients with extensive ulcerative colitis who are already being treated with the oral preparation. After eight weeks, nearly 90% of those receiving combined treatment had improved (44% in remission) compared with under 70% of those having placebo enemas (34% in remission). Treatment was safe and well accepted, so should be considered as first line for those with colitis extending beyond the splenic flexure.

Beware of treating umbilical granulomas with silver nitrate

Periumbilical ulceration in a 30 day old baby treated by her general practitioner with silver nitrate for an umbilical granuloma. The authors say that salt crystals are an effective …