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New clinical pathway reduces rate of debilitating complications for frail elderly trauma patients

A standardized interdisciplinary clinical pathway to identify and manage frailty in older patients has reduced the rate of one of the most debilitating complications for older patients--delirium--and kept patients from returning to the hospital within 30 days of treatment for traumatic injury.

5 Apr 2019

New guidelines developed for children recovering from concussion

New guidelines that reduce the amount of rest required for children recovering from a concussion have been developed by CanChild, a McMaster University research institute.

12 Mar 2019

Mediterranean diet can improve athletes' endurance exercise performance within days

Researchers at Saint Louis University have found that eating a Mediterranean diet can improve athletes' endurance exercise performance after just four days.

7 Mar 2019

Urban park visit improves emotional well-being

Researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Occupational Therapy have published new findings that suggest spending 20 minutes in an urban park will make someone happier regardless of whether they are engaging in exercise or not during the visit.

26 Feb 2019

Young cannabis users have increased risk of depression and suicidal behavior

Adolescent cannabis use has been linked to an increased risk of depression and suicidal behavior in young adulthood, according to the first meta-analysis by a team of scientists at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre and McGill University, in collaboration with the University of Oxford and Rutgers University-Camden, which is published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry today.

13 Feb 2019

New guidelines to make swallowing safer for people in Australian nursing homes

The ability to eat and drink are things most Australians take for granted. That’s why Speech Pathology Australia is an active participant in an international initiative that is working to make swallowing safer for people in Australian hospitals and nursing homes.

18 Jan 2019

Nerve transfer surgery restores arm movement in children with acute flaccid myelitis

An innovative and complex surgery involving nerve transfers is restoring hope and transforming lives torn apart by a mysterious and devastating illness. Acute flaccid myelitis, also known as AFM, strikes without warning, shows no mercy and frequently results in paralysis.

15 Jan 2019

When should dementia patients stop driving? A new guidance for clinicians

New guidance on when people living with dementia should stop driving has been published to support doctors and other health care professionals.

13 Dec 2018

RKI publishes new data on disease prevention and utilization of medical services

Has tooth brushing frequency improved among children and adolescents? At what age is occupational therapy most commonly used? How many girls have been vaccinated against Human papillomavirus (HPV)? What influence does social status have on the utilization of medical services?

12 Dec 2018

Rural children with mild head injuries pay more for medical care and get less of it

Families of rural children with mild head injuries pay more for medical care and get less of it, a Washington State University analysis has found.

4 Dec 2018

Will Maine voters decide to make aging in place affordable?

As Election Day draws near, a ballot initiative in Maine to provide universal home care is shining a spotlight on the inadequacies of the nation's long-term care system.

11 Oct 2018

Mechanically ventilated patients treated with vasopressor may develop ICU-related weakness

At least 25 percent of critically ill patients who receive mechanical ventilation in intensive care units develop muscular weakness severe enough to impair their quality of life.

11 Sep 2018

Sexuality essentially silenced following stroke

Stroke survivors and their partners are not adequately supported to deal with changes to their relationships, self-identity, gender roles and intimacy following stroke, according to new research from the University of Sydney.

6 Sep 2018

Father’s and son’s injuries lead to the mother of all therapy bills

Angel Dean Lopez is a Hollywood television writer and father who enjoys doing projects with his three kids. Every fall, he helps them transform 7-inch-long blocks of wood into whimsical race cars for the neighborhood’s annual Pinewood Derby in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles.

29 Jun 2018

Fearing deportation, immigrant parents are opting out of health benefits for kids

The fear of family separation is nothing new for many immigrants already living in the U.S. In fact, that fear, heightened in recent weeks, has been forcing a tough decision for a while. Advocates say a growing number of American children are dropping out of Medicaid and other government programs because their parents are not citizens.

25 Jun 2018

Study underscores need for resistance training in older women to fight effects of aging

Regular physical activity may help older women increase their mobility, but muscle strength and endurance are likely to succumb to the effects of frailty if they haven't also been doing resistance training.

24 Apr 2018

Scrutinizing Medicare coverage for physical, occupational and speech therapy

For years, confusion has surrounded the conditions under which older adults can receive physical, occupational and speech therapy covered by Medicare.

29 Mar 2018

Researchers measure whether transcranial direct current stimulation generates EFs in deep brain areas

A defining characteristic of stroke is the loss of motor control due to structural damage in specific brain areas. In fact, motor impairments (or deficits) are the number one complication after stroke.

27 Mar 2018

Lifting therapy caps proves a load off Medicare patients’ shoulders

Physical therapy helps Leon Beers, 73, get out of bed in the morning and maneuver around his home using his walker. Other treatment strengthens his throat muscles so that he can communicate and swallow food, said his sister Karen Morse. But in mid-January, his home health care agency told Morse it could no longer provide these services because he had used all his therapy benefits allowed under Medicare for the year.

14 Mar 2018

How Medicaid became a go-to funder for schools

Gerardo Alejandrez used to punch classmates, throw chairs and curse at his teachers, conduct that forced him to switch from school to school. "I had a lot of anger issues," the 16-year-old said recently.

9 Mar 2018