Background Dextrocardia is a rare congenital abnormality in the general population, with an estimated incidence of 1 in 12,000 live births. Isolated dextrocardia, the condition of right-sided heart with situs solitus is most commonly referred to as dextroversion. Case Presentation A 2-month-old Ugandan baby boy discovered to have isolated dextrocardia with situs solitus presented with fever, cough, and difficulty in breathing. Physical examination revealed moderate respiratory distress, bilateral basal fine crepitations, tachycardia with regular pulse, and heart sounds best heard on the right hemithorax, but no murmurs. Chest X-ray confirmed right-sided cardiac shadow with cardiac apex pointing to right. Echocardiography showed D-loop ventricular morphology with right cardiac axis and ventricular apex to right, plus tiny patent ductus arteriosus. Abdominal ultrasound showed normal situs solitus; however, the left kidney was noted in pelvic space. Conclusion Isolated dextrocardia with situs solitus (dextroversion) is a rare scenario. This case exhibits a learning point in the significance of routine medical examination of patients to identify anomalies and upon suspicion a thorough evaluation to prevent wrong diagnosis or poor prognosis due to delayed management.

Experiments on isolated mammalian gut are essential components of the physiology curriculum worldwide. Over the years, these routine experiments have been largely replaced by simulation modules, to reduce the euthanization of animals for understanding established facts and mechanisms in gut physiology. However, a medical undergraduate needs hands-on training to handle a living tissue to have a better understanding of physiology. The present sourcebook update describes the use of avian gut, which is usually discarded in abattoirs, as an effective replacement of mammalian gut to understand basic gut smooth muscle physiology. The avian gut can be used to study the effect of various drugs and ions as used in mammalian gut experiments. The experiment protocol described in the update can be performed by students of basic sciences and medical students using minimal laboratory set up and at low cost, producing results comparable to mammalian gut experiments. Ethical permissions may not be necessary; however, the disposal of tissue waste has to follow proper guidelines.

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