{"title":"'This wretched state': Robert Burns's illness and the daybook of Charles Fleeming.","authors":"Moira Hansen","doi":"10.1177/14782715231223327","DOIUrl":"10.1177/14782715231223327","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>While now known globally as Scotland's national poet, in November 1781 the daybook of surgeon Charles Fleeming simply records him as 'Robert Burns, Lint Dresser'. Discovered in the 1950s, the daybook documents Fleeming's treatment of Burns during a period of illness which would have a profound impact on the poet's life and creative output. The book's discovery added to the theories about the nature of Burns's illness, often at odds with Burns's own later descriptions. This paper presents a fresh examination of Burns's treatment, challenging those theories by considering Fleeming's prescriptions in the context of key medical authorities of the time. In considering Burns's entry in the daybook in its entirety, the wider value of Fleeming's daybook as a private record of medical practice at the time is highlighted, pointing to the potential value of this and other such volumes as underappreciated archival research material.</p>","PeriodicalId":46606,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139730726","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Katherine Stark, Cormac Rowe, Abhinav Mathur, James Matossian, Alastair Lawrie
{"title":"Drug-induced secondary haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in hairy cell leukaemia.","authors":"Katherine Stark, Cormac Rowe, Abhinav Mathur, James Matossian, Alastair Lawrie","doi":"10.1177/14782715231220108","DOIUrl":"10.1177/14782715231220108","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare, aggressive, excess immune activation syndrome. Diagnosis can be challenging due to its several clinical mimics including sepsis. There are multiple aetiologies of HLH; in adults, it is most commonly triggered by infection, malignancy, drugs and autoimmune processes. Failure to rapidly diagnose and treat this condition can be fatal. The management of HLH includes identifying and removing the trigger, supportive management and immunosuppression. Identifying the trigger is essential to inform the most appropriate type of immunosuppression. Here, we report a case of likely drug-induced HLH in a patient recently treated for hairy cell leukaemia. The culprit drug was thought to be co-trimoxazole and this case report highlights a very rare complication of this commonly used drug. We discuss our management approach with steroid monotherapy and withdrawal of co-trimoxazole.</p>","PeriodicalId":46606,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139075453","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Final call: Climate change and us.","authors":"Hugh Montgomery","doi":"10.1177/14782715241239085","DOIUrl":"10.1177/14782715241239085","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":46606,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140144312","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Isaac Ks Ng, Sarah Ml Tan, Lawrence Sc Law, Li Feng Tan, Desmond B Teo
{"title":"Spotlighting 'Medical Collegiality'.","authors":"Isaac Ks Ng, Sarah Ml Tan, Lawrence Sc Law, Li Feng Tan, Desmond B Teo","doi":"10.1177/14782715231221833","DOIUrl":"10.1177/14782715231221833","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>'Collegiality' comes from the Latin term 'Collegium', which essentially refers to a community of individuals bounded by their collective pursuit of a common goal. The concept has historical roots in both organised religion and academia, with its use subsequently extended to various industrial and corporate settings including healthcare. Nowadays, 'collegiality' has become a common buzzword adopted by the medical fraternity - often deemed as having a polite and respectful demeanour, maintaining cordial work relationships and being a team player who demonstrates willingness to help others and avoid speaking ill of fellow colleagues. While it is true that workplace incivility, aggression, bullying and verbal abuse are not uncommonly reported in highly stressful healthcare settings, which are concerning phenomena that should be addressed and prevented, the concept of 'medical collegiality' is, in reality, a rich and multi-faceted concept that is not limited to behavioural attributes, but extends to larger cultural principles and organisational constructs. In this article, we herein define 'medical collegiality' as 'a collective manifestation of respect, empathy and solidarity within the medical fraternity, driven by a common pursuit of clinical excellence in patient care, demonstrated through interpersonal/work relationships and organisational culture', by referencing historical origins of 'collegiality' in organised religion and academia. We further review the concept of 'medical collegiality' through three core lenses of cultural, behavioural and structural collegiality. Finally, we discuss the importance of medical collegiality for physician mental health and well-being, and quality of clinical care.</p>","PeriodicalId":46606,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139075454","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Aseptic meningitis following spinal anaesthesia: An uncommon and challenging diagnosis.","authors":"Sugata Dasgupta, Anurag Chatterjee, Atanu Chandra","doi":"10.1177/14782715231223262","DOIUrl":"10.1177/14782715231223262","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Drug-induced aseptic meningitis (DIAM) or chemical meningitis following spinal anaesthesia has rarely been reported. DIAM is caused by meningeal inflammation due to intrathecally administered drugs or secondary to systemic immunological hypersensitivity. We hereby present a case of a young adult with aseptic meningitis following neuraxial anaesthesia possibly provoked by bupivacaine. The initial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) picture revealed neutrophilic pleocytosis and normal <i>glycorrhachia.</i> CSF culture was negative. The patient was put on invasive mechanical ventilation and started on intravenous antibiotics. There was a rapid improvement in clinical condition without any residual neurological deficit within the next few days. Aseptic meningitis following neuraxial anaesthesia can be prevented by strict aseptic protocols and careful inspection of visible impurities while administering the intrathecal drug. Detailed history taking, clinical examination, and focused investigations can distinguish between bacterial and chemical meningitis. Appropriate diagnosis of this entity may guide the treatment regimen, reducing hospital stay and cost.</p>","PeriodicalId":46606,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139425706","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"More than the malady - patients as role models.","authors":"Clive Weston","doi":"10.1177/14782715241237571","DOIUrl":"10.1177/14782715241237571","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":46606,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140040644","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Physicians, know thy patient.","authors":"Isaac Ks Ng","doi":"10.1177/14782715241240510","DOIUrl":"10.1177/14782715241240510","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Person-centered care is presently the standard healthcare model, which emphases shared clinical decision-making, patient autonomy and empowerment. However, many aspects of the modern-day clinical practice such as the increased reliance on medical technologies, artificial intelligence, and teleconsultation have significantly altered the quality of patient-physician communications. Moreover, many countries are facing an aging population with longer life expectancies but increasingly complex medical comorbidities, which, coupled with medical subspecialization and competing health systems, often lead to fragmentation of clinical care. In this article, I discuss what it truly means for a clinician to know a patient, which is, in fact, a highly intricate skill that is necessary to meet the high bar of person-centered care. I suggest that this can be achieved through the implementation of a holistic biopsychosocial model of clinical consultation at the physician level and fostering coordinated and continuity of care at the health systems level.</p>","PeriodicalId":46606,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140207866","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"George Charles Jenkins MB PhD FRCPath, FRCPE.","authors":"Anthony Seaton","doi":"10.1177/14782715241236263","DOIUrl":"10.1177/14782715241236263","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":46606,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139973877","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Anticoagulation in venous thromboembolism for the general physician.","authors":"Katherine Stark, Abhinav Mathur, Mohammed M Khan","doi":"10.1177/14782715241241834","DOIUrl":"10.1177/14782715241241834","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is frequently encountered across various specialties. The management of VTE has become more nuanced, requiring consideration of several factors when deciding on the choice and duration of anticoagulation. This evidence-based review article summarises the current practice and evidence behind anticoagulation in VTE, incorporating national and international guidelines. Factors influencing decision-making around the choice and duration of anticoagulation, along with special circumstances such as cancer and antiphospholipid syndrome, are discussed. The clinical utility of thrombophilia screening is also addressed.</p>","PeriodicalId":46606,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140319476","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Erosive pustular dermatosis of the scalp secondary to Erlotinib: A rare occurrence with trichoscopic perspective.","authors":"Sharang Gupta, Dimple Chopra, Preeyati","doi":"10.1177/14782715231196606","DOIUrl":"10.1177/14782715231196606","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors are anti-tumour agents that are frequently used for the treatment of neoplastic disorders. In addition to their cutaneous adverse effects, these drugs can rarely lead to erosive pustular dermatosis of the scalp. We report a case of a 67-year-old female who developed erosive pustular dermatosis of the scalp after being started on erlotinib from a trichoscopic perspective, which has been described in literature only once till now.</p>","PeriodicalId":46606,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10112565","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}