Medical webwatch.

International Herpes Management Forum (IHMF) www.ihmf.org

Established in 1993, this large, well-formatted web site is brimming with information. One of the main features of the site--heavily weighted in favor of healthcare professionals--is "Management Strategies in Herpes." These are comprehensive summaries of the practical recommendations made in their more detailed series of "Monographs." These are supported by a "Diagnostic Atlas" of clinical photographs with accompanying notes that highlight best practices in the diagnosis, treatment, and support of patients with genital herpes simplex virus infection. The "Herpes Journal" is a free online publication of scientific papers covering prevention, treatment, and management of herpes virus infections, with strong emphasis on clinical applications. If that is not enough, IHMF also offers slide presentations from keynote lectures with accompanying notes. This user-friendly web site is packed full of information.

As a quick reference point for the effects of neonatal exposure to drugs, Perinatology at www.perinatology.com/exposures/druglist.htm is worth a visit. It focuses on both neonatal and breast-feeding effects. The "Exposure" category on the side menu expands for chemicals, infections, and physical agents. Where there is a paucity of information, a direct link to PubMed is offered. Other interesting perinatal categories on the side menu include: "Calculators related to pregnancy/critical care"; "Genetics"; "Guidelines"; "Medication & Diagnostic Agents." A large number of these modalities are dealt with in-house, with others being outsourced. Perinatology is maintained by Focus Information Technology and is written by perinatologists and genetic counselors of The San Gabriel Valley Perinatal Medical Group.

Another one-stop site, this time for all things fungal, is Mycology Online www.mycology.adelaide.edu.au/ from the University of Adelaide. The "Fungal Jungle" contains mycology lecture notes, slide presentations, antifungal guidelines, a glossary of mycological terms, and a digital image library containing 500 images. "Mycoses" presents clinical groupings for fungal infections, while "Fungal Descriptions" contains taxonomic descriptions of over 115 species of fungi likely to be isolated in the medical mycology laboratory. "Laboratory Method" describes procedures for antifungal susceptibility testing, specimen collection, microscopy techniques, and recipes for stains and culture media. This appears to be a rounded treatise on mycology.

A useful revision of Parasitology is supplied by the College of Biological Sciences, Ohio State University http://www.biosci.ohio-state.edu/|~parasite/home.html, with over 550 images of more than 180 species of parasites, together with information about their biology, including images of parasites listed alphabetically or taxonomically, life cycles, and a separate section presenting labeled images and drawings. It also expands on the interaction of parasites and pets. Although not dealing specifically with treatment or disease processes, Parasitology does provide a fascinating biological background.

Dream Anatomy www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/dreamanatomy/index.html from National Library of Medicine promises "Anatomical imagination in some of its most astonishing incarnations from 1500 to present," and it certainly engenders a wonder at the debt we owe the pioneers of anatomical illustration. However much we "understand" anatomy it is only by reading a work such as this that we can truly empathize with these anatomists. This web site is a sinecure--with the laudable payback of eliciting a perspective that these erstwhile anatomists were once at the forefront of research. This will be a sobering thought when we come to write our own research papers. Also visit http://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/historicalanatomies/browse.html for a selection of equally enthralling historical anatomical atlases.

The problems associated with obesity in the United States can be assimilated by reading the National Institutes of Health Strategic Plan for NIH Obesity Research http://obesityresearch.nih.gov/About/strategic-plan.htm. Various PDF presentations are offered, including the whole 95 page report (August 2004). Although this is a general overview of obesity research and not a therapeutic guide, it does provide a perspective on the problem. It describes its function as "Discovering and building understanding of the molecules and biological pathways that regulate appetite, energy expenditure, and the storage of energy as fat." However, it does have a chapter discussing "Pharmacologic, Surgical, and Other Medical Approaches." Future therapy will be based on the findings of such fundamental research activities. The UK Select Committee Report (May 2004) www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200304/cmselect/cmhealth/23/2302.htm will provide a UK comparison under their headings: Introduction, Causes, Solutions, and Conclusion.

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