The arduous road to recovery.

The transition from acute rehabilitation to life in the community represents a new experience for the person with a spinal cord injury (SCI). After returning home, the person is required to manage a range of new challenges created by the injury and its consequences. There is a paucity of information regarding the practical aspects of persons with SCI attaining educational goals and full-time employment. Considerations such as emotional/social adjustment, support systems, physical and attitudinal barriers, work disincentives, and health care needs must be addressed. This article illustrates how one person with quadriplegia overcame obstacles and barriers in his quest to obtain a college education and gainful employment. The experiences of a young man with quadriplegia, as well as a nursing perspective, are presented. Key aspects are identified and related to nursing practice. Stages of adult development, education, and practical considerations are also examined.

Drusen of the optic disc. A retrospective study in cadaver eyes.

A retrospective study of 737 consecutive necropsies yielded 15 cases of drusen of the optic nerve head, an incidence of 20-4 cases per thousand. This represents the highest incidence yet reported. The histopathological features of drusen of the nerve head included elevation of the nerve head, compression of optic nerve fibres, partial optic atrophy, cytoid bodies, disc haemorrhages, juxtapapillary retinal scarring with haemosiderin deposition, calcification, and iron deposition within drusen.