ABSTRACT
The objectives of this study were to determine the actual assistance provided by municipal public health nurses to individuals with higher brain dysfunction and their families and to discuss the future direction of their assistance so that those individuals wishing to live at home and their families can live with sense of security. Literature published between 1983 and 2021 was searched in Ichushi Web using the keyword combination of “higher brain dysfunction”, “family”, “community”, and “assistance”. In total, 16 articles that met our objectives were analyzed with particular attention to the study objectives of “family” and “assistance”. Many studies of family caregivers of individuals with higher brain dysfunction concerned the inadequacy of the social security system and the importance of cooperation between relevant organizations and professionals. Studies by nurses concerned the assistance provided and the difficulties they faced on recovery wards, efforts to improve patient self-care, feelings of burden among family members involved in home-based care, and the need to establish assistance after the main caregiver had died. Looking to the future, when municipal public health nurses assist individuals with higher brain dysfunction and their families, they should have a full view of the support system and help the system function according to the situation, by acting as an approachable point of contact when there are concerns about daily living (e.g., anxiety after the death of a family caregiver), making regular home visits to address these concerns and anxiety early, and acting as a coordinator to establish cooperation and collaboration between relevant professionals.
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of the Rohrer index and physical activity on motor function. The subjects were 143 elementary school children in the 5th and 6th grades. Motor function was measured based on musculoskeletal examination. The Rohrer index was calculated from height and weight, and ≥140 was defined as a tendency to be overweight. Physical activity was investigated using a self-reported questionnaire, the WHO Health Behaviour in School-aged Children in Japanese version (HBSC-J). A total of 130 students and their parents agreed to participate in this study, and the data of 127 students were analyzed. The main results were as follows: 26 students had a Rohrer index ≥140, and 60 students (47.2%) had abnormalities in one or more items of motor function. In particular, there were many who reported “Impossible to fully squat” and “Limitation of standing forward flexion”. When compared by sex, “Impossible to fully squat”, “Limitation of standing forward flexion”, and “Pain in shoulder” were particularly frequent in boys. The Rohrer index was particularly high in those who reported that it was “Impossible to fully squat”, but it was not associated with HBSC-J. “Impossible to fully squat” was particularly low in HBSC-J (days of Moderate to vigorous Physical Activity and frequency of Vigorous Physical Activity). The results suggested that children of impossible to fully squat is a lot of low activity and obesity. In conclusion, children who are unable to squat should be followed up to promote physical activity and improve obesity.
ABSTRACT
In this study, to determine the future direction of nursing, we studied the effect of living with a sibling with a brain disorder using two internet search engines: The Japan Medical Abstracts Society website and the National Institute of Informatics site CiNii. A literature search was conducted by setting the publication time as the period between 1983 and 2015, using “brain disorder”, “nursing”, “siblings” and other terms as keywords. Analysis of 26 articles extracted in our literature search revealed that many of the studies were conducted in the fields of sociology and education and were about stress in the primary caregiver or family members of individuals with a brain disorder. On the other hand, studies focusing on the care of individuals with a brain disorder were about self-care, accidental falls, difficulties and negative feelings felt by nurses who supported individuals with a brain disorder, and caregiver satisfaction or burden scales of family members or the primary caregiver. However, none of the studies investigated siblings of individuals with a brain disorder, who live and age together and whose responsibility is different from that of parents or children, thus requiring different informational and emotional support. Taking into account the special features of individuals with a brain disorder and findings in other academic areas, we believe it is important to establish a system to support the siblings of individuals with a brain disorder, in addition to the direct family members and primary caregivers.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) is a rare causative pathogen of brain abscess that is often found in immunocompromised patients. Although patients with supratentorial listerial abscesses showed a longer survival with surgical drainage, the standard therapy for patients with subtentorial lesions has not been established. CASE REPORT: We report herein a patient with supra- and subtentorial brain abscesses caused by L. monocytogenes infection. These abscesses did not respond to antibiotics, and his symptoms gradually worsened. Drainage was not indicated for subtentorial lesions, and the patient was additionally treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which dramatically reduced the volume of abscesses and improved the symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report of drastic therapy for a patient with listerial brain abscesses involving combined antibiotics and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. The findings suggest that hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a good option for treating patients with deep-seated listerial abscesses and for who surgical drainage is not indicated.