transit time. In patients with formed stools (scores 1-4) and normal or slow transit frequent defecation and urgency are actually pseudodiarrhoea, presumably due to an irritable or hyperreactive rectum, and constipating agents should be avoided. As patients with slow and fast transit may respond differently to high fibre diets and bulking agents, respectively, perhaps they should be asked to record their stool form so that the doctor can assess the transit rate and plan treatment. Nineteen women who did not receive a leaflet thought that they had cancer compared with only one of the women who did receive a leaflet (X2= 22-56, df= 1, p

SUMMARYThe symptoms reported by patients who have experienced minor head or minor neck injury are compared. Symptoms were identified using a questionnaire-based out-patients interview.Rank order correlation analyses were carried out on data obtained at 2 and 6-12 weeks post-injury. Data on 24 head-injured and 29 neck-injured patients are presented. There was a significant rank order correlation at both assessments but neck injured patients reported more phobia (fear of travelling in car) and depression, and head-injured more dizziness. It is likely that neck-injury contributes to the symptomatology experienced after minor head injury, and vice-versa.

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n58), sulphamethoxazole-trimethoprim 800 mg/160 two times daily (n53), and doxycycline 100 mg two times daily (n51). Before receiving oral antibiotics 84% of patients received intravenous antibiotics for a median of 30 days. After a median of 24 months, 23 patients (60%) had not experienced an adverse event. Nine (24%) adverse events were due to unrelated deaths, with six patients (16%) experiencing treatment failure. Failures included persistent infection (n51), relapse (n53), infection-related death (n51), and treatment discontinuation (n51).