[Problem-based learning during surgery courses--good experiences with combination curriculum]. / Problembaserad inlärning under kirurgterminen--goda erfarenheter av blandad kursplan.

Problem solving and critical thinking are important components of problem based learning (PBL). The driving forces are the students' interest, involvement and sense of responsibility. A curriculum comprising a combination of PBL and conventional instruction was introduced during the surgery course at Huddinge Hospital in the autumn term 1993. The results showed the level of knowledge attained by the students to be comparable with that attained under conventional instruction. The authors of the article conclude that good results can be obtained by introducing PBL in isolated sections of medical education within the framework of an otherwise traditional curriculum.

An effective, simplified medium for the culture of Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

A new culture medium for Neisseria gonoorhoeae is described. The frequency of isolation of gonococci was significantly higher when this medium was used than when Thayer-Martin medium containing vancomycin, colistin, and nystatin was used in a study of cervical, urethral, and analy specimens. In a similar comparative study, Thayer-Martin medium containing trimethoprim and polymyxin B as antimicrobial agents gave a significantly lower frequency of isolation of gonococci than did the new medium. A modified McLeod medium containing human placenta was found to have the same high performance as the new medium, but, like the modified Thayer-Martin medium, the modified McLeod medium is more expensive and more difficult to prepare.