Communicating about loss : experiences of older australian adults with cerebral palsy and complex communication needs

Loss and grief is a universal human experience, yet little is known about how older adults with a lifelong disability, such as cerebral palsy, and complex communication needs (CCN) experience loss and manage the grieving process. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 Australian participants with cerebral palsy and CCN to determine the types of loss experienced by this group in their later years, sources of support available to manage loss, and the role of communication as a barrier or facilitator to a successful grieving process. The results are discussed in light of current grief and loss theory, and clinical implications and opportunities for further research are suggested

Effects of wearing gumboots and leather lace-up boots on lower limb muscle activity when walking on simulated underground coal mine surfaces

This study aimed to investigate the effects of wearing two standard underground coal mining work boots (a gumboot and a leather lace-up boot) on lower limb muscle activity when participants walked across simulated underground coal mining surfaces. Quadriceps (rectus femoris, vastus medialis, vastus lateralis) and hamstring (biceps femoris, semitendinosus) muscle activity were recorded as twenty male participants walked at a self-selected pace around a circuit while wearing each boot type. The circuit consisted of level, inclined and declined surfaces composed of rocky gravel and hard dirt. Walking in a leather lace-up boot, compared to a gumboot, resulted in increased vastus lateralis and increased biceps femoris muscle activity when walking on sloped surfaces. Increased muscle activity appears to be acting as a slip and/or trip prevention strategy in response to challenging surfaces and changing boot features

Assessing flucloxacillin contamination and decontamination - a laboratory study

Background: Flucloxacillin is a widely used antibiotic but data are lacking on the risks associated with occupational exposure. Aim: To evaluate flucloxacillin stability; to identify an effective decontamination reagent for flucloxacillin; and to identify glove material that will prevent flucloxacillin permeation. Method: Decontamination reagents used for flucloxacillin wipe sampling and degradation/stability tests included: isopropanol 50% and 70%, ethanol 60% and 100%, benzalkonium chloride 0.1% (Pine O Cleen), sodium hypochlorite 0.5% (Chloroclens), sodium hydroxide 0.03M and distilled water. Short term (0 to 90 minutes) and daily degradation (0 to 6 days) of flucloxacillin in these media and flucloxacillin recovery from surface wipe sampling was investigated using high pressure liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. Flucloxacillin permeation was tested using disposable, powder-free latex and nitrile gloves in a disposable test cell to which solution was applied on one side of the glove material and wiped from the other side after 3 hours. Results: This analytical method for assessing flucloxacillin contamination has a limit of detection of 0.1 microg/mL. Distilled water was the most suitable solvent as degradation of flucloxacillin was minimal. Sodium hypochlorite 0.5%, followed by sodium hydroxide 0.03M and benzalkonium chloride 0.1%, were the most effective decontamination reagents. No permeation of flucloxacillin was detected through the latex or nitrile gloves after a 3 hour period. Conclusion: A method for assessing occupational exposure to flucloxacillin is described in this paper. Sodium hypochlorite 0.5% was the most effective decontamination reagent for flucloxacillin. Both the latex and nitrile gloves prevented flucloxacillin permeation for up to 3 hours.Su-Gil Lee, Ganyk J. Jankewicz, Nae-Woo Le