Management strategies of mothers of school-age children with autism: implications for practice.

Background/aim: Mothering children with autism results in mothers spending more time on daily tasks as well as managing the disorder. The need for mothers to self-manage often increases when the child is school aged. Mothers develop strategies, and occupational therapists and other health professional rely on or expect mothers to be involved in meeting the extra needs of their children with autism and other family members.

The experiences of mothers of children with autism: managing multiple roles.

Background: Mothers of children with autism experience poorer health and wellbeing compared to mothers of children with other disabilities or typically-developing children. This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to explore the daily life experiences of mothers of children with autism, and the strategies they use to manage their roles, their emotions, and their child's behaviours.

Method: In-depth interviews were conducted with 7 mothers and the data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis.

Providing treatment for hepatitis C in an Australian district centre.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) poses a major public health problem world wide. The introduction of combined therapy (interferon and ribavirin) and the recent development of pegylated interferon have offered the opportunity to alter the natural history of HCV, potentially reducing morbidity and mortality. Until recently, treatment has been confined to larger Australian cities.

Retrospective audit of the value of the pancreolauryl test in a district general hospital.

Objectives: To audit the specificity and value of the pancreolauryl test (PLT) for the diagnosis of pancreatic insufficiency.

Design: A retrospective case note review of 47 patients who had a PLT during three consecutive years.

Setting: A 650 bedded district general hospital.

Role of serology in monitoring treatment for Helicobacter pylori infection in elderly patients.

Fifteen elderly patients with type B gastritis caused by Helicobacter pylori infection were treated with triple therapy consisting of colloidal bismuth subcitrate, amoxycillin and metronidazole. All were followed up every 6 weeks for 3 months. After triple therapy, eradication of the infection was confirmed in 12 patients (85%) by histology and bacteriology.