Arch Dis Child 2001 Volume 84 No 4
A question that regularly crops up at editorial meetings is: “But will it help paediatricians treat their patients more effectively?”. The question goes for methodological and laboratory research papers as well as clinical investigations. We can't put hand on heart and admit we always get it right but we do, at least, try—as I hope is evident from some of this month's offerings.
Rings a bell?
We asked Michael Riordan what to do about acute lower motor neurone facial paralysis. He has responded (page 286) by starting with a brief anatomy lesson, followed up by an aetiological list—useful in practice and useful for membership examinees (and examiners if they want to keep one step ahead). He reminds us when to seek specialist advice and what investigations we might reasonably request. Don't forget hypertension. I can't as it was described in the first copy ofADC that I ever read1-1 and I haven't discovered a case since. Nor should we forget acute leukaemia, sometimes with subtle haematological …
