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Volume 23, Issue 3, 2002

PDF cover and abstracts

Epilepsy: an overview

Nancy Thornton, RN, MSN, CNN(C), and Maureen Robertson, RN, CNN(C)

Abstract

According to Epilepsy Canada (2001), one to two per cent of Canadians have epilepsy and 75 to 80 per cent of these people develop it before the age of 18. Despite the fact that many famous and successful people throughout history have had epilepsy, misunderstanding and prejudice about this common neurological disorder remain prevalent. In our experience, some people diagnosed with epilepsy do not tell others about their medical condition because of their fear of being stigmatized and shunned.

AXON, 23(3), 24–30.

Meeting the nutritional needs of patients with severe dysphagia following a stroke: an interdisciplinary approach

Nathalie Rodrigue, RN, MScN, Robert Côté, MD, Connie Hirsch, BSc (FSc.), Chantal Germain, BSc (FSc.), Céline Couturier, BSC(OT), and Roxanne Fraser, RN

Abstract

Dysphagia is a common problem with individuals who have experienced a stroke. The interdisciplinary stroke team noted delays in clinical decision-making, or in implementing plans for patients with severe dysphagia requiring an alternative method to oral feeding, such as enteral feeding via Dobhoff (naso-jejunum) or PEG (percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy) tubes, occurred because protocols had not been established. This resulted in undernourishment, which in turn contributed to clinical problems, such as infections and confusion, which delayed rehabilitation and contributed to excess disability.

AXON, 23(3), 31–37.


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