Laura Finn reports that raised levels of cardon dioxide may be the cause of near-death experiences in survivors of cardiac arrest {openx:269} Near-death experiences (NDEs) are reported to include sensations such as seeing your life flash before your eyes; feelings of peace and joy; and apparent encounters with mystical entities and deceased persons.

Waiting times across the country for some critical diagnostics procedures exceed international standards by more than a year, according to new figures obtained by IMT.

The number of patients seen in emergency departments around the country is not relative to the number of ED staff, writes Gary Culliton {openx:269} There is no correlation between the number of emergency department (ED) staff and the number of patients seen, the Comptroller and Auditor General has found.

The Chairman of the IMO NCHD Committee has described recent predictions of an impending crisis in NCHD numbers as a ‘phoney war’.

Mary Anne Kenny looks at the causes of nocturia and examines the associated sleep-related risks that accompany the condition {openx:269} Nocturia causes a person to wake during the night one or more times in order to urinate.

Irish and international perspectives in the treatment of immune thrombocytopenic purpura were recently discussed at a Dublin meeting {openx:269} Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), an autoimmune disease, is characterised by a decreased number of circulating platelets.

With the 99s in full force on Tramore beach, Dr Garrett FitzGerald is looking forward to a long, hot summer of stimulating sporting activity {openx:269} Summeroid conditions burst upon us without adequate warning last week.

However insignificant in numbers, Dr Ruairí Hanley believes those who rioted outside the Dáil this month were launching an assault on democracy itself {openx:269} On Monday, May 11, a minor riot took place outside Leinster House.

Dr Paul Heslin writes that to get us off the hamster wheel of vicious cycles, we sometimes have to approach things a bit differently {openx:269} A virus (upper respiratory tract infection, or URTI) can irritate the throat.

Dr Mick Molloy believes that we will all have to ‘turn and face the strain’ posed by the possible loss of 900 recognised NCHD training posts this summer {openx:269} July is an interesting period in the life of an Irish hospital, as each year, hundreds of newly qualified doctors take their first steps in what should be a long and