OPINION
Across Europe there are different answers to the question of who should manage intensive care. In Germany the issue is linked to a discussion on which medical field could claim surgical intensive care for itself.
Paediatrics
The Kitten Scanner
The Philips Kitten Scan is a miniature CT (or CAT) scanner for children - no, not to be scanned in it, but for them to use while awaiting checkups themselves.
Funds for adults with hospitalised children
Germany - The Federal Associations of Health Insurance Funds and the German Hospitals Association are now following Germany's Regulation 1 on the co-admission of child/adolescent patients and accompanying adults.
Euthanasia debate rekindled
The Netherlands - Although this country became the first, in 2002, to legalise euthanasia for people aged 16 years and over, child euthanasia remains illegal.
Paediatrician is European of the Year
Russia - Leonid Roshal, 71, paediatrician and head of the Moscow Scientific Research Institute for Emergency Children's Surgery and Traumatology, has received the Reader's Digest European of the Year Award 2005 for his tireless and dedicated work helping children who have been injured in disasters and conflicts around the world.
Childhood leukaemia
UK - A large number international and renowned experts are set to converge on London's Westminster Hall to examine environmental and other factors affecting the incidence of leukaemia and other childhood cancers, as well as their mechanisms of action and interaction across a range of scientific disciplines.
Successfully treating CHD in infancy
Germany - 0.7% of newborn babies need surgery for congenital heart defects (CHD) - i.e. around 5,000-6,000 children in every 700,000 born.
The MRI-MARCB project
Despite advances in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that have revolutionised diagnostic possibilities, e.g. for functional imaging (fMRI), motion artifacts are still extremely detrimental in multi-slice 3D sequences, often used in fMRI or with uncooperative patients (children, elderly, accidents, stroke...).
Baby food & meningitis
An extensive international study, presented at the American Society for Microbiology meeting in New Orleans, concludes that baby foods contain worrying levels of disease-causing microbes, including Enterobacter sakazakii (linked to some fatal outbreaks of meningitis at children's hospitals in Europe and the USA*).
Learning by looking
The diagnosis of kidney and urinary tract problems can be particularly difficult when young patients are involved.
Mobile PC
Since November last year, the Pen Tablet PC 3500, with MagicWeb/ Acom.web image distribution software, was field tested there by Dr Martin Herbst,
