...Bussiness letter #2 By: Jason Anderson Bussiness Communication Aboriginal Community Development For: Laura Chartrand Due: November 6, 2012 November 2, 2012 Ms. Helen Sklarz Director of Development Spina Bifida & Hydrocephalus Association of Ontario P.O. Box 103, Suite 1006 555 Richmond Street West Toronto, Ontario M5V 3B1 Dear Ms. Kendzierski: Re: School Practicum Position While researching the AFM website, I discovered you are hiring practicum students for the position of Residential Care Worker. I know your facility is highly regarded, and I would be pleased if I were given the opportunity to do my school practicum for your organization during the months of May and June 2013. I am currently enrolled in the Aboriginal Community Development Program at Assiniboine Community College. The program is centered around First Nations and Métis issues, you learn how to refer individuals to appropriate services, assist in solving local problems, and organize activities that promote the Aboriginal way of life. I have been working with Brandon Community Options for the past year. During this time, I have come across many individuals who have been facing many forms of crisis in their lives. I have always managed to provide exceptional support to each and every client in complex situations. I understand this type of employment brings in a lot of stress which I am able to cope with. I am passionate about bringing happiness into other people’s lives and...
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...It Changed My Life When a simple day changes your life forever, every day is lived like the last day of your life. Being diagnosed with IH has changed my life. After shopping online for new frames because I felt I needed a new prescription for my glasses, I was diagnosed with a rare disease that changed my life forever. My vision had become blurry while wearing my glasses. I went to the mall for a regular vision check at a local Lens Crafters after locating new frames I had wanted for months. Since I needed a new prescription I felt it was the perfect time to get them. After attempting to check my vision and the pressure behind my eyes, the optometrist had determined there was excessive pressure behind my eyes. Because of the excess pressure she was unable to get an accurate reading for a prescription as my vision continued to fluctuate. Instead of leaving with a prescription or receipt for my new glasses in hand. I left with images of the pressure behind my eyes, a new diagnosis of papilledema and a referral to the emergency room. I was admitted into the hospital the same evening after leaving the eye doctor. The diagnosis that the optometrist had given was accurate. The emergency room physician had brought in an optical specialist to confirm there was excessive pressure behind both of my eyes. This is uncommon in young women my age, so the doctor asked many probing questions and concluded they wanted to do some additional test. This was the evening...
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...CNS Defects Assignment Hydrocephalus is a condition that can be either congenital or acquired. This is a medical condition indicated by an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the brain. The Greek break down of the word is hydro meaning water and cephalous meaning head. This water is actually cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), a clear fluid that is found in the spinal canal and surrounding the brain. Excess fluid on the brain can be potentially fatal to the person if not caught in time. When the flow of CSF is restricted it is depicted as hydrocephalus. This condition occurs in an estimated one out of every 1500 births. “Hydrocephalus is a collection of a heterogeneous complex and multifactorial disorders” (Zhang, Williams, Rigamonti, 2006, p. 1256)....
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...Fetal examination of hydrocephalus Abstract: Introduction (500) Prenatal detection and diagnosis of hydrocephalus In this chapter, the discussion will mainly focus on answering three questions; how is fetal hydrocephalus diagnosed? Or in other words, what methods are used?, What is the rationale for using them? What are the clinical implications to detecting fetal hydrocephalus? Ultrasonography (US) Introduction The earliest recorded implementation of ultrasonography in identifying fetal anatomy was in 1958 when Donald et al. published his paper ‘The investigation of abdominal masses by pulsed ultrasound’ in The Lancet, containing the first published ultrasound image of the fetal head (Figure 6.1.1) and various other gynecological...
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...TERMINOLOGY CLINICAL CLARIFICATION • Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) is caused by decrease uptake of cerebrospinal fluid leading to a dilatation of the ventricular system and eventual damage to the adjacent parenchyma causing neurological deficiency 1 CLASSIFICATION • Primary (idiopathic) 12 • Secondary to other diseases such infection,trauma to the brain or brain tumors • Absence of an obstruction of cerebrospinal fluid outflow inside the ventricular system of the brain is a common feature of both idiopathic and secondary normal pressure hydrocephalis 2 • Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus 7 o Affect the elderly • Secondary normal pressure hydrocephalus 7 o Affects all ages DIAGNOSIS CLINICAL PRESENTATION • History o Patients...
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...Ventriculoperitoneal shunt is the insertion of a catheter and valve system to divert the flow of cerebrospinal fluid from the brain’s ventricular system and the subarachnoid space to the peritoneal or pleural cavities or the right atrium. Cerebral spinal fluid that does not drain properly will begin to buildup in the ventricles within the brain causing pressure in the cranium. The patient needs a shunt placement surgery soon after being diagnosed with Hydrocephalus to prevent further damage to the brain. (Pocket guide page 666, Alexander page 827) Hydrocephalus is characterized by excess production of cerebral spinal fluid or is associated with a blockage in the ventricular drainage system. This typically indicates the need for ventriculoperitoneal shunting of cerebral spinal...
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...She was never able to walk, talk, eat, or drink without the aid of a helper ("Mom's Fight to Let 12-Year-Old Daughter Die in Peace," n.d.). One of the illnesses she suffered, from birth, from Hydrocephalus, which in laymen’s terms means that she excess accumulation of fluid on her brain. Hydrocephalus results in widening of spaces in brain ventricles which in turn create harmful pressure on brain tissue ("Hydrocephalus Fact Sheet: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)," n.d.). A human the age of Nancy who possesses Hydrocephalus would most likely suffer from headaches, vomiting, nausea, blurred vision, and balance problems. Another illness that Nancy had suffered from since birth was Meningitis, which is a severe infection that causes the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cords to become inflamed. Having Meningitis, would have caused Nancy to experience symptoms such as sudden high fevers, neck stiffness, joint pain, drowsiness, and persistent severe headaches among other various symptoms ("Meningococcal Meningitis: Symptoms, Causes, Treatments, and Vaccines," n.d.). In addition to Hydrocephalus and Meningitis, Nancy since birth had also suffered from Septicemia, a serious medical condition, that is caused by an, overwhelming response to infections, in which infection fighting chemicals are released into the blood cause internal inflammation. The widespread inflammation...
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...Abstract Background and Importance: Arachnoid cysts are common and account for approximately 1% of intracranial mass lesions. Most are congenital, clinically silent, and remain static in size. On occasion, an arachnoid cyst will increase in size over time and produce clinical symptoms due to mass effect or obstructive hydrocephalus. The mechanism of progressive enlargement of arachnoid cysts is controversial. A one-way slit or ball valve is often hypothesized as the mechanism responsible for enlargement. Clinical Presentation: We present four cases of communicating congenital suprasellar prepontine arachnoid cysts in which a slit-valve was identified in the wall of the cyst. All four patients presented with hydrocephalus due to enlargement of the arachnoid cyst. The slit valve was located in the arachnoid wall of each arachnoid cyst and was located in the midline directly over the main trunk of the basilar artery. We believe this slit valve was responsible for the net influx of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) into the cyst and thus responsible for cyst enlargement over time. We also present one case of an arachnoid cyst in the middle cranial fossa that had a small circular opening in the wall of the cyst but lacked a slit-valve. This cyst did not enlarge and required surgery because of cyst wall rupture and the development of a subdural hygroma with headaches. Conclusion: One-way slit-valves exist and are the mechanism of enlargement of suprasellar prepontine arachnoid cysts...
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...Congenital anomalies, such as agenesis of the corpus callosum, ventricular dysmorphism and cysts are frequently seen on CT but are not the rule. It is important, but often impossible to establish if the hydrocephalus is communicating or obstructive, especially with collapsed CSF systems. Frequently, the medical records are limited as the original shunt was typically placed at another institution and the patient may have no recollection of why the shunt was inserted. The nature of the hydrocephalus can often be understood before treatment was initiated or during times of shunt failure by reviewing past imaging. Controlled expansion of the ventricular system with gradual increases in an adjustable system as an outpatient or as an inpatient with...
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...Sherman Alexie was born October 7, 1966. Was born with hydrocephalus and went into surgery at 6 months of age. He had lots of seizures as a child and spent a lot of his childhood reading books. After the surgery at a young age he still was able to read at 3 years of age. As a child he was bullied because his head was larger than usual due to the hydrocephalus. He is now a story writer, a poet, and a filmmaker (Poetry Foundation). Sherman Alexie promoted understanding of Native American culture through his literary works including War Dances, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven and Reservation Blues (Poetry Foundation). Alexie’s text War Dances impacted the way people think. War Dances has short stories and poems...
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..."I was born with water on the brain." Have you ever heard of Hydrocephalus? . I'm going to be reviewing a book by Sherman Alexie called “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian”. The sidesplitting narrator of The Absolutely True Diary is a fourteen-year-old Native kid named Arnold Spirit, Jr., and Arnold is funny, sensitive, and a budding artist. Arnold, though, is not only a teenage Indian going through the entire usual coming of age stuff. Arnold is also a hydrocephalic with a stutter and a lisp that is picked on ruthlessly. He's the reservation outcast, and he's been beaten to a flesh more times than is probably healthy. Arnold makes a choice to leave the reservation and attend the prosperous white school twenty-two miles away in Reardan. Branded a traitor, Arnold then gets caught between two worlds: his home on the reservation and the white kids' high school he attends. Feeling as though he fits in no where, Arnold is forced to create a new kind of identity for himself... as if being fourteen years old wasn't hard enough. We see how the reservation is a place of great beauty, but also a...
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...Intracranial Pressure (ICP): Overview: ❑ Intracranial pressure (ICP) is the hydrostatic force measured in the brain cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) compartment. Intracranial Pressure (ICP) is the combination of the pressure exerted by the brain tissue, blood, and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF). The modified Monro- kellie doctrine states that these three components must remain at a relatively constant volume within the closed skull structure. ❑ If the volume of any one of the three components increases within the cranial vault and the volume from another component is displaced, the total intracranial volume, and therefore, pressure, will not change. Factors that influence ICP under normal circumstances are changes in arterial pressure, venous pressure, intraabdominal and intrathoracic pressure, posture, temperatue and blood gases, particularly CO2. ❑ Normal ICP ranges from 0 to 15 mm Hg; a sustained pressure above the upper limit is considered abnormal. ICP can measured in the ventricles, subarachoid space, subdural space, epidural space or brain tissue using a pressure transducer. ❑ The purpose of Intracranial Pressure (ICP) monitoring is to trend the pressure inside the cranial vault. The pressure readings determine the interventions necessary to prevent secondary brain injury, which can lead to permanent brain damage and even death. ❑ If the intracranial pressure is in the range of 20 – 25 mmHg, therapeutic interventions, medical and/or surgical...
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...Health Care Communication Strategies HCS/320 Communication Opinion Paper By: Theresa Kamara Professor Tracey Collins Communication involves the transferring of information between two or more individuals. Society cannot function with communication. In order to communicate, there must be a sender, a message and a receiver. Communication can occur through speaking, signs, sounds, writings, and gestures. There are different types of communication. Non-verbal communication which includes signs, gestures, and behavior. Written communication which includes books, letters, e-mails, magazines and other writings. Verbal communication are words spoken between two or more people. Visual communication includes arts, paintings and drawings. This paper is intended to address how does effective communication incorporate the basic elements of communication, how does the basic elements of effective communication differ from the basic rules of health care communication, how might a provider encourage a reluctant consumer to communicate candidly and how cultural differences influence communication. How does effective communication incorporate the basic elements of communication? In order for communication to be consider effective the following must first be available: a sender, receiver, message, the way in which the message is send (ex. verbal, non-verbal, written or visual communication), the means through which the message is deliver or the channel (ex .words, signs, e-mail, painting...
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...the spine. Spina bifida is broken into four specific groups. There’s occult spinal dysraphism (OSD), spina bifida occulta, meningocele, and myelomeningocele (MMC). “When people talk about spina bifida, most often they are referring to myelomeningocele.” (Types of Spina Bifida, 2). Myelomeningocele is the most severe form, and it has fluid and part of the spinal cord form in a sac that “fall through” the hole and are left on the outside of the back. This defect can form anywhere on the spine, and it often leaves the child with multiple problems, such as paralyzation, bladder problems, latex allergy, learning disabilities, meningitis,and tendonitis. It often is associated with hydrocephalus, part of Chiari II malformation. Part of the brain sits in the lower part of the neck and causes this hydrocephalus, fluid that builds on the brain and causes the head to swell. This requires a shunt that brings the fluid in the brain into the abdomen to be absorbed by acids there. The Spina Bifida Foundation states that “A child with myelomeningocele usually is operated on within two to three days of birth.” (What is SB, 4). Fetal Surgery In utero surgery is not an option for all families. For those who have the option, it is usually performed between 19 and 25 weeks into pregnancy. It is first diagnosed routinely at the 19 week ultrasound. If the family decides fetal surgery is the right option for them, things move quickly from there and the surgery is not put off. “The surgery does not...
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...Spina Bifida Spina Bifida is a birth defect that occurs during your pregnancy. It affects the spinal cord and if they find out before the birth they will deliver the fetus by C section. They like to deliver the fetus this way so as not to damage the spinal cord any further. The spinal cord has an opening and it must be closed as soon as possible to prevent infection. The spot that the opening happens on is the area of the body that will be affected. If the opening was high on the spinal cord the area that will be affected is the brain, if it is low on the cord the part of the body that is affected will be the bladder and kidneys. Surgery is done only to close the opening, what doesn’t work before the surgery will not work after the surgery it is only done to ward off infection. The baby has to be evaluated to see if it will need a shunt to control fluid in the brain area. The babies that have this condition need to get the fluid drained and this condition is called hydrocephalous. Most babies and children have to wear shoes on their feet all the time because they have no feeling in the bottom of the feet and can’t tell if it is hot or cold, so in winter they could get frostbite and in summer they could burn their feet on the hot pavement. This disease is not curable at this time only its symptoms are managed if they can be. The Federal Government, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke a component of the National Institute of Health supports...
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