They believe the digestive tract could help explain the link between spinal injuries and changes in mental health, such as increased anxiety and depression. University of Alberta researchers found that rats with spinal injuries experienced changes to their gut bacteria and a rise in anxiety-like behaviour. But when rats with spinal injuries were given faecal transplants from healthy rats, their behaviour, and gut bacteria, remained normal.
It contacted the Department of Health & Social Care, NHS England and the Chief Medical Officer to request that ABI was included on the list of ‘vulnerable’ conditions. The change would result in the NHS responding to ABI people as high risk and any advice and support through 111 and 999 would be more likely to be treated as a priority. At the time of writing ABI is not directly referenced by Public Health England as vulnerable (please check online www.gov.uk for subsequent changes).
The Coronavirus Act 2020 intends to help services cope with a limited number of staff available to help people with care and support needs. It gives local authorities the option to suspend some of their duties under the Care Act if they think it’s reasonable to do so. This could be because there aren’t enough staff to cope with an increased demand over the next few months. Local authorities must follow a specific decision-making process to decide if they need to suspend these duties. Local authorities should also let carers and people using their service know if they’re going to suspend these duties. The suspended duties are called the ‘Care Act easements’.
The work of dietitians in post-stroke rehab is heavily built on relationships. First and foremost, we must build up a good relationship with the patient and their loved ones at an immensely difficult time for them. Where the patient has dysphagia (swallowing difficulties), for example, they may suddenly have been advised by a Speech and Language Therapist to switch to a completely different texture of food, and potentially fluid, from what they’ve known throughout their life. Whether it’s pureed, minced or soft and bite sized, this is obviously a huge shift for somebody used to eating regularly textured food.
Two new devices pioneered to help patients with drop foot are supporting the recovery of stroke and brain injury patients around the world. The L300 Go and L100 Go systems are wireless electronic devices which address issues experienced by patients whose ability to walk is inhibited. The systems, supplied by Ottobock in conjunction with Bioness, have been designed to lift a person’s foot as they walk, improving their gait pattern, making it smoother and safer.
1st November 2018 was an important day in the history of UK cannabis medicine. On that day the government moved “cannabis based medicinal products” from Schedule 1 to Schedule 2 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001. This enabled doctors on the specialist register to prescribe cannabis. The regulation change was actually quite liberal and allowed for prescription for any condition and for the prescription of any product meeting good quality production standards (EU Good Manufacturing Practice). Unfortunately, since that point there has been no prescription of a full extract cannabis product on the NHS. Why is prescription so limited?
Stroke charity the Stroke Association fears that thousands of people could be at risk of severe disability, or even stroke-related death, if they don’t respond to stroke symptoms. And Dr Deb Lowe, NHS national clinical director for stroke and consultant stroke physician at Wirral University Teaching Hospital, warns: “We’re beginning to see some quite striking reductions in the number of people coming into hospital with the symptoms of stroke. "It appears that people aren’t seeking emergency help or going to hospital when they suspect a stroke, possibly due to fear of the virus or not wanting to be a burden on the NHS.
Finnish company Medicortex Finland Oy has started trials on its diagnostic kit – which it is hoped will improve the tools available in the detection of brain injuries that show no symptoms. The trials will take place at Satasairaala hospital in Finland in the coming months - coronavirus permitting. Dr. Mårten Kvist, medical director of Medicortex Finland Oy, said: “A diagnostic kit for rapid detection of mild TBI in children is truly important. It will satisfy the urgent need to improve the detection of brain injury in children who suffered a head injury” The trials will take place at Satasairaala hospital in Finland in the coming months - coronavirus permitting. Dr. Mårten Kvist, medical director of Medicortex Finland Oy, said: “A diagnostic kit for rapid detection of mild TBI in children is truly important. It will satisfy the urgent need to improve the detection of brain injury in children who suffered a head injury” The trials will take place at Satasairaala hospital in Finland in the coming months - coronavirus permitting. Dr. Mårten Kvist, medical director of Medicortex Finland Oy, said: “A diagnostic kit for rapid detection of mild TBI in children is truly important. It will satisfy the urgent need to improve the detection of brain injury in children who suffered a head injury” The rapid diagnostic kit ProbTBI helps to diagnose brain injury especially in patients who don’t show visible symptoms of brain damage - which is frequently the case with concussion and mild injury.
The agreement means people with spinal cord injuries in Germany could benefit from use of the ReWalk 6.0 exoskeleton sysyem. This deal could have a significant impact for spinal cord injured individuals. Under this agreement, eligible beneficiaries will be able to obtain a ReWalk 6.0 exoskeleton device for use in the home that will enable them to stand and walk again, after successful training and verification by the medical service. Three SCI beneficiaries have already received access on the back of the news.
Following a serious road traffic accident, Louise Waller, from Waltham Abbey, Essex, suffered multiple injuries, including a pneumothorax, severe pelvic fractures, which included a fractured acetabulum, while also suffering a fracture to the femur and fractures to both lower limbs – injuries that left her severely incapacitated. As part of Louise’s initial hospital treatment, the pneumothorax required a lobectomy, while the pelvic injuriesneeded multiple pins, with the tibia and fibula in both of Louise’s legs also requiring open reduction internal fixation. In addition to her physical injuries, Louise was also suffering from PTSD, which included extreme anxiety at the prospect of increased mobility.
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