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Biomedical subjects

B W Ross

Publications and source records attributed to B W Ross.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

Educational performance and vocational participation after spinal cord injury in childhood.

OBJECTIVE: To examine educational achievement and vocational success of children with SCI. DESIGN: Surveys administered to students and teachers, and content analysis of school records. SETTING: Regional pediatric rehabilitation program. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were selected from 144 children with SCI treated from 1979 through 1992; 98 met inclusion criteria of onset of SCI before the age of 18 years, older than 3 years, residual paresis, and no cognitive impairment; 29% were lost to follow-up, and 53 of the 70 contacted were enrolled. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: School completion rates, absenteeism, grades, ratings of participation; education and living situations after high school; history of paid employment. RESULTS: The 53 responders were: 33 boys, 20 girls; 25 with paraplegia (47%), 28 with tetraplegia (53%); mean length of disability = 9.4 years; 12 primary students (23%), 19 secondary students (36%), and 22 postsecondary participants (41%). Students and teachers rated student participation and performance as average or above compared to peers; 84% of secondary students planned to attend college after graduation. Only 33% of high school students over age 15 had been employed. Ninety-one percent of postsecondary subjects had graduated from high school. Seven (32%) had graduated from college or a vocational program, 11 (50%) were enrolled in college full- or part-time, and 4 others (18%) were neither in school nor employed. Current employment rates were 71% of college graduates, 36% of those in college, and 0% of those who had never enrolled. Level of SCI was not related to employment. CONCLUSIONS: Students with SCI demonstrate adequate participation and performance in educational settings, but may benefit from more vocational counseling and opportunities for paid employment.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Chronic syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone in a pediatric patient after traumatic brain injury.

Chronic syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone (chronic SIADH) has been reported in adults after traumatic brain injury (TBI) but few similar cases have been reported in the pediatric population. We present a case of a 14-year-old boy who developed chronic SIADH after TBI in which caloric needs could not be adequately provided, with concomitant fluid restriction as the first line of treatment. Demeclocycline was ultimately used, which allowed for increased fluid liberalization and for provision of adequate calories. This form of therapy should be considered early in a child's course to prevent nutritional decline. Demeclocycline may be used for prolonged periods until the child's clinical condition permits fluid restriction to be effective therapy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

A patellar-tendon-bearing orthosis used in pediatric burn rehabilitation.

Burn rehabilitation in children presents a difficult challenge. Hypertrophic scar formation is accelerated in this population due primarily to the growth of normal surrounding tissue. Many patients who develop burn wound contractures of the foot and ankle are rendered nonambulatory. We describe a pediatric patients who developed fixed bilateral equinovarus deformities secondary to thermal injury. A patellar-tendon-bearing orthosis was fabricated for this patient to unload the foot-ankle complex with major weight bearing forces at the patellar tendon and tibial condyles. Through the incorporation of this orthosis with a full therapeutic rehabilitation program, the patient was able to ambulate independently using a rolling walker. We recommend the use of the patellar-tendon-bearing orthosis for those pediatric burn victims who develop foot-ankle contractures to allow for ambulation until such time as additional, more aggressive treatment is tolerated, or on a more permanent basis, if necessary.

Burns↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Educational participation of children with spinal cord injury.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine educational participation and accommodations for children with spinal cord injury (SCI) or disease in primary, secondary, and postsecondary educational settings. METHOD: Written surveys were developed for students with SCI and their teachers. Fifty-three participants had SCI onset before age 18 years, were at least 4 years old and enrolled in a school program, and had residual motor disability without cognitive-behavioral impairments. RESULTS: Nearly all participants were enrolled full time in regular education classrooms. Seventy-five percent of primary-level participants and 32% of secondary-level participants were qualified for special education and related services, receiving teacher aide assistance as well as occupational and physical therapy services. Most participants were graduating from high school and pursing postsecondary education. Classroom performance and grades were reported as average or above average, but curriculum modifications were commonly made, and many participants required human assistance and assistive technology in functional and classroom tasks. Access barriers were often reported by participants using wheelchairs, and those using augmentative writing aids were not fluent with these devices. CONCLUSION: Accommodations in schools for students with SCI appear to support completion and advancement to higher levels of education, but these accommodations appear to be geared toward participation rather than levels of performance and productivity that may be realistic for work and other community settings.

Achievement↗