The use of cadaver models to diagnose rib fractures: A pilot study

Background

In the emergency department, rib fractures are a common finding in patients who sustain chest trauma. Rib fractures may be a sign of significant, underlying pathology, especially in the elderly patients where rib fractures are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. To date, no studies have evaluated the ability of ultrasound to detect rib fractures using cadaver models and subsequently use this model as a teaching tool.

Circumstances of substance use by street youth in Egypt support the case for intervening to prevent adverse childhood experiences

Background: Egyptian street youth use substances including tobacco, illicit drugs, and pharmaceutical drugs. To understand the circumstances, including adverse childhood experiences, that place adolescents at risk for engaging in substance use, we conducted in-depth interviews among a sample of Egyptian street children. Methods: From youth residing at or attending Caritas, a non-profit organization, which provides shelter and education to street youth, seven girls and twelve boys, aged 12–18 years, participated in open-ended, in-depth interviews. Results: Eight out of the 19 participants reported family history (early exposure) to substance use; and seven of them were initiated by either a family member (sibling), friend or coworker. Most of the participants reported a history of conflict with or abuse (verbal or physical) by their parents or siblings, or stressful situations at home; they used substance(s) to alleviate their stress. Few attended school, and some were forced to work and help their family. Conclusions: Among Egyptian youth, adverse childhood experiences, such as poverty, child abuse, and family substance use, challenge somewhat susceptible youths and lead them to the path of substance use and addiction. Prevention intervention should be multifaceted, culturally adaptable, and primarily targeting the social environment during childhood.     

Patterns of relapse after successful completion of initial therapy in primary central nervous system lymphoma: a case series

Journal of Neuro-Oncology - Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a subtype of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that involves the brain, spinal cord, or leptomeninges, without evidence of...     

A review of gait disorders in the elderly and neurological patients for robot-assisted training

Abstract

Purpose: Ambulation is an important objective for people with pathological gaits. Exoskeleton robots can assist these people to complete their activities of daily living. There are exoskeletons that have been presented in literature to assist the elderly and other pathological gait users. This article presents a review of the degree of support required in the elderly and neurological gait disorders found in the human population. This will help to advance the design of robot-assisted devices based on the needs of the end users.

Methods: The articles included in this review are collected from different databases including Science Direct, Springer Link, Web of Science, Medline and PubMed and with the purpose to investigate the gait parameters of elderly and neurological patients. Studies were included after considering the full texts and only those which focus on spatiotemporal, kinematic and kinetic gait parameters were selected as they are most relevant to the scope of this review. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted.

Results: The meta-analysis report on the spatiotemporal, kinematic and kinetic gait parameters of elderly and neurological patients revealed a significant difference based on the type and level of impairment. Healthy elderly population showed deviations in the gait parameters due to age, however, significant difference is observed in the gait parameters of the neurological patients.

Conclusion: A level of agreement was observed in most of the studies however the review also noticed some controversies among different studies in the same group. The review on the spatiotemporal, kinematics and kinetic gait parameters will provide a summary of the fundamental needs of the users for the future design and development of robotic assistive devices.

• Implications for rehabilitation

• The support requirements provide the foundation for designing assistive devices.

• The findings will be crucial in defining the design criteria for robot assistive devices.