Cardiorespiratory physiotherapy education – are we achieving the vision?

This action research project comprised a broad macro situational analysis type review targeting clinicians conducting cardiorespiratory placements and those providing mentoring/supervision for the The University of Notre Dame Australia. The intent was to gain a perspective from the clinicians and supervisors whether current curriculum content and design was effectively preparing students for the real world of cardiorespiratory physiotherapy. By inference, an avenue for reflection on teaching skill and performance was provided

Profiling Physiotherapy in Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care

Physiotherapy for ICU patients is considered essential by many health professionals and professional bodies, yet the evidence base for this service is insufficient. No published research outlining optimal management of this service exist. Effective evaluation and implementation of best practice ‘critical-care physiotherapy’ requires knowledge of the current profile of ICU physiotherapists’. Leslie, K., & Patman, S. (2008). Profiling physiotherapy in Australian and New Zealand intensive care. Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, 36(6), 897. ISSN: 0310-057

Benchmarking Intensive Care Physiotherapy Staffing in Australian Tertiary Hospitals

Physiotherapy is an important component in the management of patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Existing guidelines on ICU physiotherapy staffing represent European settings and are not contemporary. With no specific recommendations in Australia, medical and nursing staffing guidelines reflected the need to have designated physiotherapy services available and accessible 24 hours a day in ICU. Therefore, this study aimed to pinpoint a guideline for ICU physiotherapy staff allocation by examining the current physiotherapy staff levels in ICU of Australian tertiary hospitals and comparing it with staff levels desired by senior physiotherapy leaders

Systematic Review of Physiotherapy during Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (AECOPD)

In COPD patients, acute exacerbations are important events. Reviews of studies investigating treatment during AECOPD focus on medical management, with little discussion of physiotherapy. Therefore a systematic review was undertaken of the studies pertaining to physiotherapy during AECOPD. Methods: Studies were identified by searching databases and scanning reference lists. Appropriate studies were reviewed by two independent investigators. Data were extracted using a standardized form. Where possible, a score was assigned using the PEDro scale for assessment of study quality. HIll, K., Patman, S., & Brooks, D. (2008). Systematic review of physiotherapy during Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (AECOPD). American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 177, Abstracts Issue, A137. ISSN: 1073-449

Developing minimum clinical standards for physiotherapy in South African ICUs: A qualitative study

Rationale, aims, and objectives: Physiotherapists are integral members of the intensive care unit (ICU) team. Clinicians working in ICU are dependent on their own experience when making decisions regarding individual patient management thus resulting in variation in clinical practice. No formalized clinical practice guidelines or standards exist for the educational profile or scope of practice requirements for ICU physiotherapy. This study explored perceptions of physiotherapists on minimum clinical standards that ICU physiotherapists should adhere to for delivering safe, effective physiotherapy services to critically ill patients. Method: Experienced physiotherapists offering a service to South African ICUs were purposively sampled. Three focus group sessions were held in different parts of the country to ensure national participation. Each was audio recorded. The stimulus question posed was “What is the minimum standard of clinical practice needed by physiotherapists to ensure safe and independent practice in South African ICUs?” Three categories were explored, namely, knowledge, skill, and attributes. Themes and subthemes were developed using the codes identified. An inductive approach to data analysis was used to perform conventional content analysis. Results: Twenty-five physiotherapists participated in 1 of 3 focus group sessions. Mean years of ICU experience was 10.8 years (±7.0; range, 3-33). Three themes emerged from the data namely, integrated medical knowledge, multidisciplinary teamwork, and physiotherapy practice. Integrated medical knowledge related to anatomy and physiology, conditions that patients present with in ICU, the ICU environment, pathology and pathophysiology, and pharmacology. Multidisciplinary teamwork encompassed elements related to communication, continuous professional development, cultural sensitivity, documentation, ethics, professionalism, safety in ICU, and technology. Components related to physiotherapy practice included clinical reasoning, handling skills, interventions, and patient care. Conclusions: The information obtained will be used to inform the development of a list of standards to be presented to the wider national physiotherapy and ICU communities for further consensus-building activities

For H.R. II and S. II to Strengthen the Robinson-Patman Act and Amend the Antitrust Law Prohibiting Price Discrimination

H. R. 11 and S. 11 are modest and simple legislative proposals.\u27They provide for no change in our antitrust laws prohibiting price discrimination except to limit somewhat the use of the good faith defense. The extent of this limitation goes no further than to assist the Act by providing that the good faith defense shall not operate as an absolute and complete bar to a proceeding by the Government against the practices of destructive price discrimination: In other words, those discriminations which would have the effect of substantially lessening competition and tending to create a monopoly may not be defended by showing that they were practiced in good faith. It appears that those opposing H. R. 11 and S. 11 want to insure legality of price discriminations, even at the cost of lessening competition and creation of monopoly. Actually, they are arguing for those ugly results, with the concession that the ugliness my be covered with the veil of good faith meeting of competition. Therefore, the naked issue over whether H. R. 11 and S. 11 should be enacted into law is, like the bill, quite simple. It is this: Shall we tolerate practices which destroy competition and create monopoly, even when those practices are based upon good intentions? It should not be difficult for us to resolve that issue, especially in the light of our national anti-monopoly public policy. Certainly, no practice destructive of competition and creative of monopoly can be said to be consonant with our antimonopoly public policy, even though the architect of such practices had some good, though misguided, purposes in mind. For ex-ample, mergers of corporations which destroy competition violate the antimerger law even though based on good intentions and for good purposes. In criminal causes, to be sure, evidence of intent is relevant to the issue. Here, we are not discussing proposals for amending the Criminal Code. Instead, we are discussing legislative proposals out of which only civil actions may arise

Critically appraised paper: Preoperative physiotherapy education halved postoperative pulmonary complications in patients after upper abdominal surgery [commentary]

No abstract available for this paper

Morphologic Variation in the Genus Brassica

The genus Brassica, a member of the Family Cruciferae, contains approximately fifty species, including experimental forms. It is one of the more important genera of the family, and includes such economic plants as cabbage, turnip, kale, rutabaga, cauliflower, broccoli and table mustards. The entire genus is indigenous to the Old World, and many species have been cultivated since very early times

Mental wellbeing in non-ambulant youth with neuromuscular disorders: What makes the difference?

The physical and social challenges associated with neuromuscular disorders may impact mental wellbeing in non-ambulant youth during the more vulnerable period of adolescence. This cross-sectional survey investigated non-ambulant youths’ mental wellbeing and relationships with physical health, participation and social factors. The conceptual model was the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). Thirty-seven youth aged 13 – 22 years old (mean age 17.4 years; n = 30 male; n = 24 Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy) and their parents provided biopsychosocial data through a comprehensive self-report questionnaire. The primary outcome measure was the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS). Relationships between mental wellbeing and variables within and across each ICF domain were explored using linear regression models. Mean WEMWBS scores (55.3/70 [SD 8.1]) were higher than for typically developing youth and comparable to youth with other chronic conditions. Over half of youth reported severe co-morbidities across all body systems. Multivariable modelling indicated that mental wellbeing was independently associated with academic achievement and perceived family support but not with physical health variables. Beyond management of physical co-morbidities, enabling youths’ educational attainment and attending to social support likely optimises youth’s wellbeing

Globalization, the Obama administration and the refashioning of US exceptionalism

The Obama leadership has seemingly gone further than previous administrations in recognizing that globalization has fundamentally reshaped the structure of world politics, and made the idea of US unilateralism deeply problematic. In the words of Susan Rice, while US leadership in the world ‘is necessary it’s rarely sufficient’. But the Obama team’s fresh emphasis on diplomacy, its tilt towards multilateralism and its desire to lighten the US global military footprint has not led to the abandonment of US exceptionalism. Rather, US exceptionalism has been reframed in terms of the resilience and power of the American democratic and economic example in an interconnected world. History, the Obama administration contends, is on the side of the American democratic political system. In contrast to authoritarian rival states, the US democratic model is not only more prosperous and stable, but is also able to more successfully adapt to the pressures and opportunities of globalization