Seeking Input – Guillain-Barre

Theresa Posts:

DEAR ERI COMMUNITY:

Clinical Challenge: Home Care OT treating 60 y.o. male w/GBS (diagnosed 1 year ago), who has almost no sensory or motor function in bilat hands. Had restricted extension in wrists/hands/fingers premorbidly (i.e. couldn’t do push ups). Has IDDM, but no other restrictions. Trying to apply NDT concept of promoting return through weight bearing on BUE, but very difficult to position his hands appropriately. He is able to maintain stance with min A and has return in proximal BUE. What successful strategies has anyone tried with these patients that they’d care to share?

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Torticollis: Surgery?

Fraida Posts:

DEAR ERI COMMUNITY: I am working with a baby that is 8 months old. She presents with orthopedic deformities of the left hand and foot. She also has a torticollis on the left side. She has some mild tightness throuought the left side. I am writing concerning the torticollis. I have been working with her since she is 3 months old. She is not responding to the standard therapies for torticollis including massage, stretch, positioning, and kinesio taping. (We also have an appointment with an eye DR. to rule out the possiblity of this coming from the visual system) We are currently using a Tott collar and I am hopeful that we will see success. I am interested in knowing if there are any practitioners that have had children that required surgical intervention for a torticollis and if so how did they make that determination and what was the procedure like.

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Congratulations to Faculty Member Ellen Hillegass

We are excited to announce that our distinguished Faculty member, Ellen Hillegass PT, Ph.D., EdD, CCS, FAACVPR, FAPTA  has been awarded APTA’s highest honor: The Catherine Worthingham APTA Fellow Award.  Please click here to visit APTA and read about Ellen’s achievements (you will need to be logged in to APTA)

Ellen Hillegass,  is an experienced educator and clinician. She is an associate professor at North Georgia College and State University in the Department of Physical Therapy, serves as president of a private consulting firm; Cardiopulmonary Specialists, and is an instructor of continuing education programs across the country. She draws upon her expertise as a board certified cardiovascular and pulmonary clinical specialist to create a clinically relevant classroom experience for her students.
Professor Hillegass has been active in the Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Section for many years and is currently the Legislative and Reimbursement Chair. She has also been active and is a Fellow of the American Association of Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR). She has been instrumental in mentoring students to become advocates for the physical therapy profession and she is editor of Essentials in Cardiopulmonary Physical Therapy, an entry-level text and is the author of a clinical notes book titled “Rehab Notes.” Ellen received the Linda Crane Lecture Award in 2007, the Outstanding Service Award for Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Section in 1996 and the Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Section Merit Award

Ellen teaches Mobilizing the Medically Complex Acute Care Patient (an Evidence – Based Model) with ERI. Please visit this course page for upcoming dates.

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Blog Competition winner

Thank you to everyone who has submitted ideas, questions and clinical challenges for the ERI blog. We will continue to post all your great submissions over time, as separate blogs, involving our community to help with your clinical challenges and to share your ideas with them.

We would like to announce that from our random drawing of the first 50 blog submissions, therapist Tonyia Fulton will be receiving a free Education Resources CEU course. Congratulations Tonyia.

We encourage everyone to post any new challenges or questions. They can be posted here in the comments section or can be emailed to me: mwashington@educationresourcesinc.com

Thank you again – we do hope that this blog will continue to be a great resource for you.

Mandy

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Focus on Early Mobility in the ICU – Chris Permes approach is highlighted in APTA video

The Critical Role of Physical Therapists in the ICU

Christiane Perme, PT CCS  is currently a Senior Physical Therapist at the Methodist Hospital in Houston,
[caption id="attachment_370" align="alignright" width="140" caption="Chris Perme"][/caption]where she has practiced for the past 25 years with a variety of complex acute care patients. Mrs. Perme has extensive experience in treating adult patients in Intensive Care Unit with special interest in patients requiring mechanical ventilation. For many of these patients, Perme says, the focus of physical therapy is on early mobility and walking. Perme was instrumental in the development of a program at Methodist by which physical therapists and occupational therapists train nursing assistants to help their patients walk. Perme explains that regaining mobility early on benefits individual patients, the hospital, the ICU team, and the physical therapy profession. For example, patients who can regain mobility while in the ICU, even with limitations, may be able to transfer into a less-expensive setting, even at home with family care, rather than into a inpatient rehabilitation unit. Positive outcomes for these patients, she adds, has translated into increased resources for therapists in the ICU, and increased recognition for the profession.

APTA highlights this approach to therapy in the ICU as a model to consider for an Accountable Care Organization. Please click here to view the APTA article and video (you will need to log in to APTA)

Please click here to link to Chris Permes up-coming course in July
Therapists working with patients in ICU face a complex challenge. These patients have limited mobility due to life support, monitoring equipment, multiple medical problems and muscle weakness. For selected patients in ICU, early mobility and walking enhances functional outcomes by optimizing cardiopulmonary and neuromuscular status. Early mobility can lead to an increase in the patient’s quality of life and higher functional capability. It can also potentially reduce length of hospital stay with overall reduced costs. The content of this course will guide clinicians through the process of managing adult ICU patients. Case reports will be presented to demonstrate how the early mobility and walking  program in ICU can positively impact the recovery of selected patients.

 

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