E Hesketh | PubMed Health

PubMed1998

Spinal cord compression--do we miss it?

Four children with spinal cord compression due to malignant tumours are presented. The severity of the condition was not initially recognized by parents, or the nature of the likely cause by the initial physicians. Lower limb asymmetrical weakness, clear-cut sensory levels, and marked pain indicate need for urgent imaging and exclusion of a space occupying lesion. In 1997 diagnosis of Guillain-Barré syndrome should not be made without careful prior spinal imaging.

Child, Preschool↗

PubMed1998

The use of a paediatric speech and language therapy outcome measurement scale.

This research aimed to evaluate the inter- and intra-rater reliability of a locally developed paediatric speech and language therapy (SLT) outcome measure, the NBOM (Northern Birmingham Outcome Measures), immediately after 15 speech and language therapists (SLTs) had taken part in training then after a period of time. It was found that SLTs who had received more than the basic orientation training achieved a higher level of reliability than those who had not but after 5 months training effects were fading. It seems that as well as requiring training and practice on the scales, SLTs also needed increased scaling definition, protocols and anchor stimuli to help with the interpretation of information and the assigning of rating points. Finally, scales were apparently used more reliably within an 'overt' rating session than in everyday clinical settings.

Adolescent↗