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Referral Unit (referral + unit)
Selected AbstractsEquality, Fairness and Rights , The Young Person's VoiceBRITISH JOURNAL OF SPECIAL EDUCATION, Issue 3 2002Paul Hamill This article presents findings from a one,year research project undertaken by experienced researchers and practitioners from the University of Strathclyde. Eleven comprehensive schools in Scotland were involved and the aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of in,school support systems for young people who display challenging behaviour. Pupil Support Bases (Pupil Referral Units) had been set up in most of the schools aimed at reducing exclusion rates and these were examined from the perspective of all stakeholders , teachers, parents, young people and key inter,agency personnel. The specific focus of this article is the views of the young people who, although often perceived as disruptive, disaffected and troubled, were surprisingly articulate. They had clear messages for all professionals and, in this article, Paul Hamill, Head of the Department of Educational Support and Guidance, and Brian Boyd, a Reader in the Language Education Department, ensure that their voices are heard. [source] Trends in fungal colonization of pancreatic necrosis in patients undergoing necrosectomy for acute pancreatitisHPB, Issue 2 2005N. K. K. KING Abstract Background. This study examines fungal colonization of post-inflammatory pancreatic necrosis in a cohort of patients undergoing open surgical necrosectomy in a single, tertiary referral unit over a 10-year period. Methods. The charts of all patients with acute pancreatitis who underwent surgical necrosectomy during the period January 1992 to December 2001 were examined. Following exclusions a population of 30 patients were identified. There were 18 men with a median (range) age of 42 (20,69) years. Sixteen (53%) underwent surgery because of positive fine needle aspirates and the remainder underwent surgery on clinical grounds. Twenty-nine (97%) received antibiotics prior to necrosectomy. Principal outcomes were the results of microbiological culture with reference to isolation of fungi, site of isolates, trends in colonization and outcome. Results. Candida were cultured from pancreatic necrosis in 5 (17%). These 5 individuals also had positive candidal cultures from sputum or bronchial aspirates. There were no deaths in patients with fungal colonization of necrosis. There was no change in the annual incidence of fungal colonization of necrosis over the study period. Conclusion. Although this is a small study, there are two consistent observations: mortality in fungal colonization of necrosis was low and there was no change in the annual incidence of fungal colonization of necrosis over the decade. Discrepancies between these findings and those of previous reports mandate larger prospective evaluation. [source] Is physical activity influenced by urinary incontinence?BJOG : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS & GYNAECOLOGY, Issue 5 2004Beata Stach-Lempinen Objective To evaluate physical activity among urinary incontinent women seeking treatment and to assess the change of physical activity after treatment. Design Part of a prospective observational intervention study to examine the factors influencing the severity of urinary incontinence. Setting Tampere University Hospital,referral unit. Population Eighty-two urinary incontinent women were evaluated in the baseline and 69 (84%) one year (mean 13 months, range 6,21) after treatment. Methods Physical activity was measured by self-report questionnaire and electronic motion sensor: Caltrac accelerometer worn by women for one week. The diagnosis and severity of urinary incontinence was estimated on the basis of urodynamics, pad test, diary and incontinence-specific quality of life measures. Treatment outcome was assessed according to objective parameters and patients satisfaction. Main outcome measures Physical activity at work, leisure and sport expressed in MET (metabolic unit) and kilocalories, change in physical activity after treatment. Results Twenty-one (25.6%) of all women reported exercise of more than three times per week. Incontinent women with the highest leisure time activity ,6 MET (n= 23, above 75th centile) were younger; they had less body mass index and greater urine leakage than others. One year after treatment, there was no change in any parameters of physical activities. Also exercise habits among women who were completely dry (n= 37) after treatment were not changed. Conclusion Urinary incontinent women who seek treatment are as physically active as the normal population. Even after successful incontinence treatment, exercise habits do not change. [source] ORIGINAL ARTICLE: The bone-anchored hearing aid in the rehabilitation of single-sided deafness: experience with 58 patientsCLINICAL OTOLARYNGOLOGY, Issue 4 2010T.P.C. Martin Clin. Otolaryngol. 2010, 35, 284,290 Objectives:, To assess the efficacy of the bone-anchored hearing aid (BAHA) in the rehabilitation of single-sided deafness (SSD). Study design:, Retrospective case,control series review. Setting:, Tertiary referral unit. Patients:, Fifty-eight consecutive patients that had a bone-anchored hearing aid for single-sided deafness completed outcome questionnaires, building upon earlier audiological assessment of 19 patients. Single-sided deafness controls (n = 49) were mainly acoustic neuroma patients. Main outcome measurements: speech discrimination testing in directional noise, speech and spatial qualities of hearing questionnaire and the Glasgow Benefit Inventory (GBI). Results:, The mean follow-up time was 28.4 months. Five (13%) of the bone-anchored hearing aid patients were non-users because of lack of benefit. The audiometric testing confirmed that when noise was on the bone-anchored hearing aid side speech perception was reduced but benefited when noise was on the side of the hearing ear. There was no difference between the Speech and Spatial Qualities of Hearing Scores in bone-anchored hearing aid users and controls. In particular there was no difference in the spatial subscores. In the bone-anchored hearing aid users the median Glasgow Benefit Inventory score was 11. If the non-users are included then 13 (22%) patients had no or detrimental (negative) Benefit scores. No or negative benefit scores were more frequent in those deaf for <10 years. In open-field questions, patients felt the bone-anchored hearing aid was most useful in small groups or in ,one-to-one' conversation. Conclusions:, Bone-anchored hearing aid rehabilitation for single-sided deafness is less successful than for other indications, reflected here by relatively low median Glasgow Benefit Inventory scores. There was also no significant difference between controls and bone-anchored hearing aid users in the Speech and Spatial Qualities of Hearing Questionnaire. Patients with a longer duration of deafness report greater subjective benefit than those more recently deafened, perhaps due to differing expectations. [source] | ||||||||||