志愿者同伴教育在慢性阻塞性肺疾病病人健康教育中的应用

[目的]探讨志愿者同伴教育在慢性阻塞性肺疾病(COPD)病人健康教育中的应用。[方法]将70例COPD病人采用随机数字表法分为观察组和对照组各35例,对照组采用常规健康教育,观察组在常规健康教育基础上应用志愿者同伴教育,比较干预前后两组病人健康教育对病情的改善情况。[结果]观察组病人干预后戒烟、家庭氧疗、呼吸功能训练干预、心理干预等方面优于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。[结论]志愿者同伴教育可帮助COPD病人提高自护行为能力,是COPD病人健康教育的有益方式。     

Self-reported temporomandibular disorder symptoms and severity of malocclusion in prospective orthognathic-surgical patients

Objective: The objective of this study is to analyze the association between self-reported symptoms of temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) and the severity of malocclusion in prospective orthognathic-surgical patients.

Material and methods: The subjects consisted of 50 consecutive patients (13 males and 37 females) referred to two university clinics for assessment of orthodontic-surgical treatment need. Data considering self-reported TMD symptoms were gathered using a semi-structured diary. At the first appointment, all patients rated the importance of treatment (on a scale of 1–10) and assessed self-perceived dental appearance using a VAS scale. The scale was anchored with photographs 1 and 10 from the Aesthetic Component (AC) of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN). Study models were assessed by an experienced orthodontic specialist using the Peer Assessment Rating (PAR) index and the Index of Complexity, Outcome and Need (ICON). Association between the PAR and ICON scores and the number of reported symptoms was analyzed statistically.

Results: Seventy-one percent of patients reported experiencing TMD symptoms. The most prevalent symptoms were pain in the head and/or neck region and fatigue in the TMJ region. The number of symptoms was highest in the morning. Ninety percent of males and 86% of females rated the importance of treatment as high; males experiencing TMD symptoms tended to rate surgery as more important compared with males with no symptoms (p?=?0.056).

Conclusions: In this sample, the results cannot unambiguously confirm an association between self-reported symptoms of TMD and objectively defined severity of malocclusion.     

Brief report: increasing communication skills for an elementary-aged student with autism using the Picture Exchange Communication System

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) on the spontaneous communication skills of a 6-year-old girl with autism across her home and school environments. The effects of the PECS were also examined for social interaction. Results indicated increases in spontaneous language (i.e., requests and comments) including use of the icons and verbalizations across those settings in which PECS was implemented. Intelligible verbalizations increased in two of three settings, and changes in peer social interaction were noted in one of the two school settings.