Who really decides? Feeding decisions 'made' by caregivers of children with cerebral palsy.

Background:  There are no definitive guidelines for clinical decisions for children with cerebral palsy (CP) requiring enteral feeds. Traditionally, medical doctors made enteral feeding decisions, while patients were essentially treated passively within a paternalistic 'doctor knows best' approach. Although a more collaborative approach to decision-making has been promoted globally as the favoured model among healthcare professionals, little is known about how these decisions are currently made practically.

A Comparative Review of Key Isothiocyanates and Their Health Benefits.

Isothiocyanates are biologically active products resulting from the hydrolysis of glucosinolates predominantly present in cruciferous vegetables belonging to the family. Numerous studies have demonstrated the diverse bioactivities of various isothiocyanates, encompassing anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidative properties. Nature harbors distinct isothiocyanate precursors, glucosinolates such as glucoraphanin and gluconastrin, each characterized by unique structures, physical properties, and pharmacological potentials.

Dietary counselling plus omega-3 supplementation in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder: protocol for a randomized wait-list controlled pilot trial (the "EASe-GAD Trial").

Background: Anxiety disorders are prevalent and disabling conditions involving excessive worry and tension. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), the most common anxiety disorder, affects 5% of individuals from high-income countries and many individuals report that treatment options are not accessible, effective, or tolerable. Clinical evidence suggests that nutrition interventions, based on the Mediterranean diet and supplementation of omega-3 fatty acids, can significantly improve symptoms of depression; however, the effect of nutrition interventions on anxiety symptoms has not been studied in a clinical population.

Validation of the Rapid Prime Diet Quality Score Screener (rPDQS), A Brief Dietary Assessment Tool With Simple Traffic Light Scoring.

Background: Dietary pattern is a determinant of chronic disease, but nonregistered dietitian nutritionist (non-RDN) clinicians rarely assess diet because of barriers such as time constraints and lack of valid, brief diet quality assessment tools.

Objective: The study aimed to evaluate the relative validity of a brief diet quality screener using both a numeric scoring system and a simple traffic light scoring system.

Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted using the CloudResearch online platform to compare participants' responses to the 13-item rapid Prime Diet Quality Score screener (rPDQS) and the Automated Self-Administered 24-hour (ASA24) Dietary Assessment Tool.

Speech-language therapy educator reflections on the planning and implementation of education and training during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background:  Universities across the world experienced lockdown and closure of all learning institutions around March 2020 because of the advent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This lockdown and closure presented challenges to the traditional pedagogical approaches in the health sciences, which typically include both campus-based and clinical site-focused activities involving face-to-face interactions and work integrated learning. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a shift to emergency remote teaching (ERT) and learning.

The experiences of speech-language therapists providing telerehabilitation services to children with autism spectrum disorder.

Background:  There has been an increased emergence of the use of telerehabilitation by speech-language therapists (SLTs) in South Africa since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Objectives:  To explore the criteria that SLTs use when recommending telerehabilitation for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the technical skills required, strategies used by SLTs, the restrictions encountered when conducting telerehabilitation and the views of SLTs on telerehabilitation in comparison to face-to-face therapy for children with ASD.

Method:  A descriptive, phenomenological, qualitative study design was utilised.

A rare case of gastrointestinal amyloidosis secondary to myeloma with predominant jejunal involvement.

Amyloidosis is a condition identified by the accumulation of abnormal proteins in various tissues and organs that eventually lead to impaired function. Systemic amyloidosis with gastrointestinal (GI) tract involvement is more common than localized GI amyloidosis, whereas predominant jejunal involvement is even more uncommon. We report a rare case of systemic amyloidosis with predominant jejunal involvement in a 76-year-old female who presented with lower abdominal bloating and lethargy.

Diet and Anxiety: A Scoping Review.

Anxiety disorders are the most common group of mental disorders. There is mounting evidence demonstrating the importance of nutrition in the development and progression of mental disorders such as depression; however, less is known about the role of nutrition in anxiety disorders. This scoping review sought to systematically map the existing literature on anxiety disorders and nutrition in order to identify associations between dietary factors and anxiety symptoms or disorder prevalence as well as identify gaps and opportunities for further research.

Nutrition as Metabolic Treatment for Anxiety.

Despite the overwhelming prevalence of anxiety disorders in modern society, medications and psychotherapy often fail to achieve complete symptom resolution. A complementary approach to medicating symptoms is to address the underlying metabolic pathologies associated with mental illnesses and anxiety. This may be achieved through nutritional interventions.

Eat to Beat Stress.

There is a tendency to accept anxiety as an inevitable part of living in a stressful modern world. However, simple dietary changes can help attenuate the stress response. While there are several approaches to treating anxiety, research by Peter Roy-Byrne in 2015 has shown that only 50% to 60% of people respond to medication and psychotherapy, and only a quarter of patients have complete resolution of their symptoms.

Recombinant human parathyroid hormone (1-84) replacement therapy in a child with hypoparathyroidism.

First line conventional therapy of hypoparathyroidism comprises oral calcium and active vitamin D analogues. This approach may fail to correct hypocalcemia and hyperphosphatemia caused by the absence of parathyroid hormone and carries the risk of long-term complications including ectopic calcifications and renal damage. Full-length recombinant human parathyroid hormone (rhPTH[1-84]) is approved for the treatment of hypoparathyroidism in adults refractory to conventional therapy.

Complementary Medicine and Natural Medications in Psychiatry: A Guide for the Consultation-Liaison Psychiatrist.

Background: Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is commonly and increasingly used in America and worldwide and can include both pharmacologic (e.g., vitamins and supplements) and nonpharmacologic (e.

Participant incentives in rehabilitation research: a pilot study of researchers' perspectives.

Background: Despite the use of research incentives in the recruitment and retention of participants for research studies, there remains debate over the acceptable use of participant incentives in research. There appears to be a paucity of guidelines that can assist researchers in demonstrating practically how incentives may be ethically used in research.

Objective: This single site pilot study explored the experiences of key stakeholders involved in rehabilitation research to highlight what may constitute acceptable practices for incentives.

Barriers and facilitators to utilisation of rehabilitation services amongst persons with lower-limb amputations in a rural community in South Africa.

Background:: Persons with disabilities who reside in rural areas experience challenges accessing and utilising health services and rehabilitation. Due to the high prevalence of diabetes mellitus in rural regions, the risk of having a lower-limb amputation is increasing. Comprehensive rehabilitation is vital to mitigate the negative impact that a lower-limb amputation has on a person.

A Novel Sample Processing Method for Rapid Detection of Tuberculosis in the Stool of Pediatric Patients Using the Xpert MTB/RIF Assay.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is difficult to diagnose in children using molecular tests, because children have difficulty providing respiratory samples. Stool could replace sputum for diagnostic TB testing if adequate sample processing techniques were available.

Methods: We developed a rapid method to process large volumes of stool for downstream testing by the Xpert MTB/RIF (Xpert) TB-detection assay.

Multi-centre experience on the use of perhexiline in chronic heart failure and refractory angina: old drug, new hope.

Aims: The objective of this study is to report on our 5-year collective experience on the use of perhexiline in the UK, in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and/or refractory angina with respect to 'real-life' drug side effects and toxicity, therapeutic drug level monitoring, 5 year mortality outcomes and predictors of response to perhexiline therapy.

Methods And Results: Data on clinical history, perhexiline monitoring, follow-up, and mortality were retrospectively collated from centralized perhexiline databases from two tertiary referral centres. A total of 151 patients were on perhexiline therapy at two UK tertiary referral centres.

Attitudes of South African oral hygienists towards compulsory community service.

Unlabelled: Compulsory Community Service (CCS) was introduced into the health service by the government to address the shortage and maldistribution of health professionals within the public sector. The aim of this study was to assess the perceptions of oral hygiene (OH) students, registered in 2004 at the five dental universities regarding the introduction of a 1-year-long CCS.

Objectives: To determine: (a) the students' socio-demographic profile and (b) their attitudes towards CCS.

Using a hypothetical scenario to inform psychiatric advance directives.

Objectives: The study addressed whether a hypothetical psychiatric scenario is a feasible approach for eliciting psychiatric treatment preferences and identified consumer preferences regarding involuntary care.

Methods: Community-residing adults with serious mental illness (N=150) voluntarily completed the Health Care Preferences Questionnaire to determine treatment preferences in response to the use of psychiatric medications, seclusion and restraint, and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). A vignette was used to determine preferences first with respect to an imaginary patient and then with respect to the respondent.

Hyperprolactinemia and bone mineral density: the potential impact of antipsychotic agents.

The prevalence of schizophrenia is about 1% worldwide. Individuals with schizophrenia are at increased risk for osteoporosis and fractures for several reasons, including poor diet, lack of exercise, cigarette smoking, and polydipsia. Some antipsychotic medications may further increase the risk of fractures by causing dizziness, orthostatic hypotension, and falls.