Medical News

Nine-year-old Dakalo Ndou is trapped in a body riddled with severe tremors and spasms, collectively called Dystonia. The only way out is Deep Brain Stimulation, surgery in which electrodes are placed in the brain and connected to a device that, once activated, should enable the brain circuits that control movement to function better. But will it work for little Dakalo? Carte Blanche Medical scrubs up for theatre.

By the time women reach age 40, their chances of falling pregnant are greatly diminished. But as their biological clocks tick away, South African-born fertility specialist Dr Geoff Sher is researching a process called comparative genomic hybridisation to isolate and freeze only healthy eggs, and so increase the chances of an embryo. But some believe this so-called pre-implantation genetic screening is not the answer to couple's prayers and needs more research. And how far does the genetic testing of eggs go? Are we delving into the realm of creating designer babies? Carte Blanche Medical investigates.

Imagine being so tired you can barely lift your head from your pillow without... zzz. Combine that with aching swollen joints and headaches and it's no laughing matter. Now a Belgian expert in chronic infectious diseases is offering hope to people suffering from this syndrome. Carte Blanche Medical reports on a disease called fatigue.

Florence Nightingale's pioneering work in nursing is well-documented and, every year, International Nurses Day coincides with her birthday in May, 190 years ago this year. Nursing is an under-appreciated profession and Carte Blanche Medical pays tribute to the most important people in any patient's stay in hospital.

Each year more than a million women around the world are diagnosed with breast cancer, and not only grown women. Carte Blanche Medical meets Onalenna, only eight years old, who has an aggressive invasive carcinoma in her left breast. But there's hope.

There may be doubts about the ability of some cities to deal with medical emergencies during the 2010 World Cup, but in the Western Cape there are plans to convert a simple container into an eight-bed ICU. It's an emergency unit that can be assembled in half an hour, right next to the stadium and can deal with anything from a cholera outbreak to a medical emergency. And, as Carte Blanche Medical found out, it's designed to live on long after the vuvuzelas have died down.