- Email: [email protected]
South Africa
Ultrasound for Bell's Palsy MADAM - Idiopathic (Bell's) facial palsy is a self-limiting non-life-threatening and spontaneously remitting disorder. Satisfactory recovery without any treatment has been reported as ranging from 45% to 84% of the patients (Pietersen, 1982 Stankiewicz, 1983). To date, no clinical trial has shown definite evidence of steroid treatment or surgery being of increased effectiveness, although steroids are an accepted mode of treatment as their anti-inflammatory potential is perhaps of value (Gacek, 1981). In 1984, Jebejian reported the application of high intensity ultrasound treatment to the mastoid region of patients with Bell's palsy, with surprisingly good results. Using US intensity of 0.9 W/cm2 for twenty 15-minute sessions, 14 of 15 patients (93%) have shown complete recovery by the 20th day of treatment. As these results are far better than previously reported, we have done a comparable pilot study to evaluate the efficacy of this treatment. We have treated 11 patients for 14 days by five-minute sessions of US with intensity of 0.5
Retirement Thanks
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MADAM I wish to thank all the Society's examiners for the beautiful decanter and glasses presentedto me on my retirement. KATE ROBERTS London NWl ~~
W/cmz. All but one have shown complete recovery, seven of whom recovered inside 33 days and the others inside six months. The US treated patients demonstrated faster and better recovery rates than reported previously. Many variables prevent comparing different series in any statistically significant way, but perhaps a tendency emerges which deserves further exploration. A controlled double-blind long-term study is now being undertaken, but we wish to present this preliminary note of perhaps a potential value of an important physiotherapy treatment modality. YOAV P TALMI MD YEHUDA FINKELSTEIN MD AYA GROSS RPT YUVAL ZOHAR MD Hasharon Hospital, Israel REFERENCES Gacak, R R (1981). 'Comment (panel on treatment of Bell's palsy)', Annals of Otology, Rhinology and Laryngology, 90. 581- 583. Jebejian, R (1984). 'Traitment de la paralysie faciale peripherique par les ultrasons', Annales Otolaryngologie(Paris), 101, 471 -479. Peitersen, E (1982). 'Natural history of Bell's palsy' in: Graham, M D and House, W F (eds) Disorders of the Facial Nerve: Anatomy, diagnosis and management, Raven Press, New York, 307-312. Stankiewicz, J A (1983) 'Steroids and idiophatic facial paralysis', Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, 91, 672-677.
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Schools Closure - Hasty and Ill-considered the vicinity. We are gravely concerned that MADAM - In September 1989 St
Thomas' Hospital and Guy's Hospital Physiotherapy Schools will take their final intake of students. Both schools will close in 1992. We wish to draw your readers' attention to the manner in which the closure was decided upon. The RHA's decision to close St Thomas' Hospital and Guy's Hospital Physiotherapy Schools was made with little apparent consideration for the national training of physiotherapists. Only the implications for the South East Thames Region were considered. The final decision to close the schools was taken by SETRHA despite considerable opposition. The RHA appeared to ignore the views of both the professional advisors to the appraisal report and the staff of the physiotherapy schools. The CSP has failed adequately to representthe views of the teaching staff to the RHA and had only minimum input into the decision-making process. A new school is planned to open at Brighton blytechnic in 1990 with a yearly intake of 50 students, but there will be no hospital base and no teaching hospital in
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there will be insufficient resources and numbers of staff with clinical expertise necessary to provide clinical experience for this number of students. We believe that this decision has been made with undue haste and without full consideration of the implications. ANNE POTTER MSc BA MCSP DipTP L I PANTER MCSP DipTP JANET DAVIES MSc MCSP DipTP SUSAN KELLY MSc MCSP DipTP LOIS KUA MCSP DipTP ALISON HOLLEY MCSP DipTP SUSAN WEEKS BA MCSP CertED ELIZABETH WATERS MCSP London SE1 The CSP has been providing a full industrial relations service to the school staff and has made their views very clear to the RHA, both before and after the original decision. We will consider the Brighton Polytechnic submission for course approval on its merits. - Secretary.
South Africa
MADAM - In reply to the two letters in the August edition of Physiotherapy under the heading 'Action against apartheid', I wish to make a few comments. I do believe that South African physiotherapists adhere to the highest professional standards as regards the treatment of all patients under their care, regardless of race, creed or political affiliations. In all the hospitals at which I have worked, examined at or inspected, every therapist has shown concern and dedication towards her patients, which is to be expected in a caring profession such as ours. The South African Society of Physiotherapy (SASP) is endeavouring to address the problems that beset the health services of our country, as it has done in the past. South Africa is desperately in need of physiotherapists as the present ratio of physiotherapists to population is 1:18,000. We are not training enough physiotherapists, and many of those who do graduate elect to leave the country and live abroad, resulting in an aver-increasing burden on those of us who choose to stay to care for those whom we undertook to serve. It is easy to denounce apartheid but taking a stand against apartheid alone will not bring about the changes which we so earnestly desire. The SASP will continue in its endeavours to obtain non-discriminatory health services and a high standard of education for all. We are grateful for the support we have received from so many WCPT member countries and welcome any constructive advice and criticism from our colleagues abroad. J C BEENHAKKER PhD (Professor) National Chairman The South African Society of Physiotherapy
VSO Campaign in Scotland MADAM - Your readers may be interested to know that VSO will be holding a publicity campaign in Scotland in November and December. The campaign is a chance for people to come and talk to us about the opportunities available to them to work in Third World countries. We have a wide range of interesting and challenging jobs in long-term development in health work. If anyone would like to come along and learn more under no obligation - we will be in Edinburgh City Chambers on November 18 and 19; in Glasgow City Hall on November 25 and 26; and in Aberdeen Music Hall on December 2 and 3. Interested people may either just turn up, or call us on 01-780 2266 for more information.
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PHYLLIDA CULPIN Publicity Officer, VSO 317 Putney Bridge Road London SW15 2PN 565
Retirement Thanks
-
MADAM I wish to thank all the Society's examiners for the beautiful decanter and glasses presentedto me on my retirement. KATE ROBERTS London NWl ~~
W/cmz. All but one have shown complete recovery, seven of whom recovered inside 33 days and the others inside six months. The US treated patients demonstrated faster and better recovery rates than reported previously. Many variables prevent comparing different series in any statistically significant way, but perhaps a tendency emerges which deserves further exploration. A controlled double-blind long-term study is now being undertaken, but we wish to present this preliminary note of perhaps a potential value of an important physiotherapy treatment modality. YOAV P TALMI MD YEHUDA FINKELSTEIN MD AYA GROSS RPT YUVAL ZOHAR MD Hasharon Hospital, Israel REFERENCES Gacak, R R (1981). 'Comment (panel on treatment of Bell's palsy)', Annals of Otology, Rhinology and Laryngology, 90. 581- 583. Jebejian, R (1984). 'Traitment de la paralysie faciale peripherique par les ultrasons', Annales Otolaryngologie(Paris), 101, 471 -479. Peitersen, E (1982). 'Natural history of Bell's palsy' in: Graham, M D and House, W F (eds) Disorders of the Facial Nerve: Anatomy, diagnosis and management, Raven Press, New York, 307-312. Stankiewicz, J A (1983) 'Steroids and idiophatic facial paralysis', Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, 91, 672-677.
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Schools Closure - Hasty and Ill-considered the vicinity. We are gravely concerned that MADAM - In September 1989 St
Thomas' Hospital and Guy's Hospital Physiotherapy Schools will take their final intake of students. Both schools will close in 1992. We wish to draw your readers' attention to the manner in which the closure was decided upon. The RHA's decision to close St Thomas' Hospital and Guy's Hospital Physiotherapy Schools was made with little apparent consideration for the national training of physiotherapists. Only the implications for the South East Thames Region were considered. The final decision to close the schools was taken by SETRHA despite considerable opposition. The RHA appeared to ignore the views of both the professional advisors to the appraisal report and the staff of the physiotherapy schools. The CSP has failed adequately to representthe views of the teaching staff to the RHA and had only minimum input into the decision-making process. A new school is planned to open at Brighton blytechnic in 1990 with a yearly intake of 50 students, but there will be no hospital base and no teaching hospital in
~ ~ ~ , N o v e m b e r 1 9 8 8 , v d 7 411 ,m
there will be insufficient resources and numbers of staff with clinical expertise necessary to provide clinical experience for this number of students. We believe that this decision has been made with undue haste and without full consideration of the implications. ANNE POTTER MSc BA MCSP DipTP L I PANTER MCSP DipTP JANET DAVIES MSc MCSP DipTP SUSAN KELLY MSc MCSP DipTP LOIS KUA MCSP DipTP ALISON HOLLEY MCSP DipTP SUSAN WEEKS BA MCSP CertED ELIZABETH WATERS MCSP London SE1 The CSP has been providing a full industrial relations service to the school staff and has made their views very clear to the RHA, both before and after the original decision. We will consider the Brighton Polytechnic submission for course approval on its merits. - Secretary.
South Africa
MADAM - In reply to the two letters in the August edition of Physiotherapy under the heading 'Action against apartheid', I wish to make a few comments. I do believe that South African physiotherapists adhere to the highest professional standards as regards the treatment of all patients under their care, regardless of race, creed or political affiliations. In all the hospitals at which I have worked, examined at or inspected, every therapist has shown concern and dedication towards her patients, which is to be expected in a caring profession such as ours. The South African Society of Physiotherapy (SASP) is endeavouring to address the problems that beset the health services of our country, as it has done in the past. South Africa is desperately in need of physiotherapists as the present ratio of physiotherapists to population is 1:18,000. We are not training enough physiotherapists, and many of those who do graduate elect to leave the country and live abroad, resulting in an aver-increasing burden on those of us who choose to stay to care for those whom we undertook to serve. It is easy to denounce apartheid but taking a stand against apartheid alone will not bring about the changes which we so earnestly desire. The SASP will continue in its endeavours to obtain non-discriminatory health services and a high standard of education for all. We are grateful for the support we have received from so many WCPT member countries and welcome any constructive advice and criticism from our colleagues abroad. J C BEENHAKKER PhD (Professor) National Chairman The South African Society of Physiotherapy
VSO Campaign in Scotland MADAM - Your readers may be interested to know that VSO will be holding a publicity campaign in Scotland in November and December. The campaign is a chance for people to come and talk to us about the opportunities available to them to work in Third World countries. We have a wide range of interesting and challenging jobs in long-term development in health work. If anyone would like to come along and learn more under no obligation - we will be in Edinburgh City Chambers on November 18 and 19; in Glasgow City Hall on November 25 and 26; and in Aberdeen Music Hall on December 2 and 3. Interested people may either just turn up, or call us on 01-780 2266 for more information.
-
PHYLLIDA CULPIN Publicity Officer, VSO 317 Putney Bridge Road London SW15 2PN 565