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Background and aims Power of Attorney as a form of surrogate decision making was introduced within the Adults with Incapacity, Scotland Act (2000) to help individuals who lack mental capacity due to illnesses like dementia. Even after a decade, little was known if it has been useful. We sought to find out how useful the power of attorney document has been so far in supporting people when they lose their capacity and identify any barriers.Methods and results We did a survey and approached a random sample of 5000 attorneys in Scotland. A total of 1226 attorneys responded; 59% of the respondents had never used their powers but still considered it useful for ‘peace of mind’. For the majority, the costs of arranging a power of attorney ranged in between £150 and £300.Conclusions The study confirms that power of attorney is useful to safeguard interests of people when they lose capacity. Costs remain a big barrier. Further studies are required to understand the long-term impact of providing financial support to arrange a power of attorney at an early stage on reducing delayed discharges in hospitals.

Fifty healthy, elderly subjects in whom a cardiovascular assessment, including 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiography had been performed, have been followed until death, or if surviving, for five years. Eight patients have died and 88 per cent of the survivors have had repeated 24-hour electrocardiography. Coronary death and the development of cardiovascular or neurological symptoms were not related to the presence in the original recording of significant dysrhythmias including frequent ventricular and supraventricular premature beats, R on T phenomena or sinus arrest. Treatment of these and other dysrhythmias in the asymptomatic elderly individual to prevent development of serious clinical sequelae is not justified.

A case of cholangiocarcinoma at the liver hilum presenting with jaundice is described. Pre-operative transhepatic cholangiography, hepatic arteriography and splenoportography led to liver split, with successful resection of tumour and triple hepatico-jejunostomy. Despite tumour recurrence eight months of palliation were achieved. Current methods of treating the condition are discussed.

Optimal metabolic control during the first twelve hours after myocardial infarction may be associated with improved survival in diabetic subjects. A comparison of an intravenous insulin infusion regimen aimed at improving blood glucose levels (n = 35), with ‘routine control’ (n = 34) in the post infarction period has been carried out in diabetic subjects admitted to four Coronary Care Units over a two year period. However, glycaemic control was similar in both groups (intravenous infusion regimen, mean ± SD capillary blood glucose 10.3 ± 2.1 mmolll, ‘routine control’ glucose 10.7 ± 3.6 mmol/l). There were no differences in the rates of arrhythmias (31% v 32%), heart failure (46% v 47%) or mortality (17% v 18%). Mortality in diabetic subjects was lower than that quoted in previous studies but was higher than in non-diabetic subjects admitted to the Coronary Care Unit during the same period. Attempts to improve glycaemic control by means of intravenous insulin infusion were unsuccessful.

The introduction of thrombolysis for the treatment of acute ischaemic stroke has increased the importance of prompt and accurate diagnosis. Research has shown a high rate of misdiagnosis of acute stroke in the community by paramedics and primary care doctors (PCDs). In this study, referral letters for presumed acute stroke or Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA) were audited to assess the diagnostic accuracy of PCDs and the quality of the referral letters. In 30 % of cases, the diagnosis of stroke was correct. Important stroke mimics included sepsis, delirium and functional disorders. PCDs may benefit from a stroke recognition tool to increase diagnostic accuracy.

There is no detailed description of negligence claims made against clinicians treating neurological disease in the U.K. Here negligence claims concerning treatment of neurological disease, which were handled by the Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland (MDDUS), were audited. Sixty-two cases were identified; in 38 cases the clinician was a neurosurgeon, in 16 a neurologist and in 8 a General Practitioner (G.P). The most common conditions were inter-vertebral disc disease and neoplasia, the most common misadventure was improper performance of procedure and most of the cases resulted in severe permanent disability.

Phaechromocytomas are rare cause of secondary hypertension with significant morbidity and mortality, if left untreated. Paroxysms with hypertension are considered as “textbook” presentations but atypical forms represent considerable diagnostic challenge. We report an unusual association between phaechromocyotoma and post-exertional malignant arrhythmia in a normotensive subject.

A 40 year old man suffered eight years of vague but disabling symptoms, initially thought to be related to post viral fatigue syndrome, but ameliorated by the removal of a large atrial myxoma. The diagnosis of atrial myxoma is notoriously difficult, but should be excluded by echocardiography if there are predominant symptoms of progressive exertional dyspnoea, even in the absence of cardiological signs.

The case is reported of a 63-year-old female patient with psychogenic polydipsia. As part of investigations she received synthetic vasopressin, and developed severe hyponatraemia due to continued excessive intake of water. She became decorticate, but made a complete recovery on treatment with hypertonic saline. Careful monitoring is required when vasopressin is used in the investigation of polydipsia which may be psychogenic.

We describe a case of metastatic basal cell carcinoma, an extremely rare tumour, which caused cord compression. This is the first case presenting in this fashion.