Intrathecal Baclofen Therapy and the Role of the Rehabilitation Nurse.

Spasticity is a common problem encountered by those who have suffered a neurological injury either cerebral or spinal in origin. Multiple interventions are utilized to manage spasticity to decrease the pain and stiffness. These interventions can include an implanted device that delivers medication directly to the spinal cord.

An Unreported Cause of Intrathecal Baclofen Withdrawal Symptoms in a Woman With Spastic Cerebral Palsy Who Received Intrathecal Gablofen.

This article details an unreported potential cause of withdrawal symptoms in a patient with cerebral palsy who experienced intrathecal baclofen withdrawal shortly after placement of a baclofen pump with subsequent refill with Gablofen. Initial implantation of the baclofen pump with Lioresal occurred after a successful hospital trial of intrathecal injection via lumbar puncture. However, later, the patient did experience signs and symptoms of baclofen withdrawal after a pump refill was performed with Gablofen.

The Importance of Monitoring Patients' Responses to Medications: Increased Arousal after Administration of Zolpidem in Those with Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy-A Case Study.

In rehabilitation, nurses are the first team members to note or be told when a patient is having a positive or negative response to a medication. In brain injury medicine, medications are often used to augment cognitive or physical rehabilitation by increasing alertness, attention, focus, concentration, improving sleep, decreasing agitation, or easing spasticity and rigidity. Rehabilitation nurses not only should be aware of how medications work but also how medications may work differently in a chronically ill or disabled population.

Nutritional intake, body mass index, and activity in postacute traumatic brain injury: a preliminary study.

Purpose: In the United States, traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains a serious health problem contributing to lifelong disability. Little has been written about nutrition problems experienced postrehabilitation discharge. Our objective was to describe the nutrition and weight management characteristics of TBI survivors after discharge from rehabilitation and to identify characteristics of individuals at risk for weight control issues.

Does botulinum toxin type A decrease pain and lessen disability in hemiplegic survivors of stroke with shoulder pain and spasticity?: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of botulinum toxin type A injections in reducing pain, impairment, and disability in patients who have had a stroke with shoulder pain and spasticity.

Design: In this prospective randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, adults (n = 37) with post-stroke shoulder spasticity were screened for preinjection spasticity, rated 3 or 4 on the Modified Ashworth Scale for the shoulder adductors/internal rotators and shoulder pain. After the baseline screening, 21 subjects were randomized to receive either onabotulinumtoxinA (Botox; 140-200 units), into the pectoralis major with or without injections to the teres major, or placebo (saline) injections.

Actigraphy for assessment of sleep in traumatic brain injury: case series, review of the literature and proposed criteria for use.

Primary Objective: To demonstrate that actigraphy is an appropriate means of measuring sleep in patients with TBI and to define parameters for its use in this population.

Research Design: Case series and review of the literature.

Methods And Procedures: Subjects participating in one of two externally funded studies addressing the role of acupuncture in treating insomnia in TBI underwent actigraphy for the purpose of quantifying sleep time.

Do Hispanic children need to know about stroke prevention?

When compared to Hispanics in their native countries, the frequency of stroke in the Hispanic American population is higher. This has been linked to an increase in smoking, inactivity, and obesity. Initially these health issues were thought to affect only Hispanic adults, but research confirms that first- and second-generation adolescents and young adults continue to demonstrate these habits.

Stroke prevention education in the Hispanic community.

The Hispanic population is the fastest growing minority population in the United States. Little research has been done to assess the stroke risk in the Hispanic population, which has a higher prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, alcohol use, and physical inactivity. Healthcare professionals therefore are faced with the management and education of a cultural group with unfamiliar health beliefs.

Meeting the needs of the community: a project to prevent stroke in Hispanics.

The Hispanic population is the fastest growing minority population in the United States. Little research has been done to address the stroke risk in the Hispanic population that has a higher prevalence of diabetes, alcohol use, and physical inactivity. To change behavior and decrease the risk of stroke, a comprehensive program that combines education, risk identification, and follow-up is needed.