Australian Catholic University

About: Australian Catholic University is a education organization based out in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 2721 authors who have published 10013 publications receiving 215248 citations. The organization is also known as: ACU & ACU National.

Spikes in acute workload are associated with increased injury risk in elite cricket fast bowlers

Abstract: Objective To determine if the comparison of acute and chronic workload is associated with increased injury risk in elite cricket fast bowlers. Methods Data were collected from 28 fast bowlers who completed a total of 43 individual seasons over a 6-year period. Workloads were estimated by summarising the total number of balls bowled per week (external workload), and by multiplying the session rating of perceived exertion by the session duration (internal workload). One-week data (acute workload), together with 4-week rolling average data (chronic workload), were calculated for external and internal workloads. The size of the acute workload in relation to the chronic workload provided either a negative or positive trainingstress balance. Results A negative training-stress balance was associated with an increased risk of injury in the week after exposure, for internal workload (relative risk (RR) =2.2 (CI 1.91 to 2.53), p=0.009), and external workload (RR=2.1 (CI 1.81 to 2.44), p=0.01). Fast bowlers with an internal workload training-stress balance of greater than 200% had a RR of injury of 4.5 (CI 3.43 to 5.90, p=0.009) compared with those with a training-stress balance between 50% and 99%. Fast bowlers with an external workload training-stress balance of more than 200% had a RR of injury of 3.3 (CI 1.50 to 7.25, p=0.033) in comparison to fast bowlers with an external workload training-stress balance between 50% and 99%. Conclusions These findings demonstrate that large increases in acute workload are associated with increased injury risk in elite cricket fast bowlers.

Communication loads on clinical staff in the emergency department.

Abstract: SEVERAL STUDIES quantifying the impact of poor communication on clinical work suggest that communication is a likely cause of systematic error in the health system. In Australia, inadequate communication has been associated with 17% of system problems, and, of these, 84% were deemed potentially preventable. 1 About 50% of all adverse events detected by general practitioners were associated with communication difficulties. 2 Within intensive care units, 2% of the activity consists of verbal communication between nurses and doctors, but accounts for 37% of error reports. 3 Thus, the evidence strongly suggests that poor communication wastes time, threatens patient care and may be one of the chief culprits behind preventable adverse events in clinical practice. 4 The research reported here extends work begun in the United Kingdom in the mid-1990s, 5,6 in which it was found that physician teams in hospital were subject to high levels of interruption. Clinical staff also appeared to bear a higher communication load than necessary, considering the many tasks that could be accomplished by accessing information sources rather than asking questions of people. It has since been hypothesised that such interruptions impose cognitive loads on clinical staff and have a negative impact on memory, leading to clinical error. 7 As a continuation of this research, we measured communication load more precisely and studied communication patterns in a high-workload clinical setting. METHODS 1.Methods

International clinical practice recommendations on the definition, diagnosis, assessment, intervention, and psychosocial aspects of developmental coordination disorder

Abstract: Aim: These international clinical practice recommendations (CPR) for developmental coordination disorder (DCD), initiated by the European Academy of Childhood Disability (EACD), aim to address key questions on the definition, diagnosis, assessment, intervention, and psychosocial aspects of DCD relevant for clinical practice. Method: Key questions in five areas were considered through literature reviews and formal expert consensus. For recommendations based on evidence, literature searches on ‘mechanisms’, ‘assessment’, and ‘intervention’ were updated since the last recommendations in 2012. New searches were conducted for ‘psychosocial issues’ and ‘adolescents/adults’. Evidence was rated according to the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (level of evidence [LOE] 1–4) and transferred into recommendations. For recommendations based on formal consensus, two meetings of an international, multidisciplinary expert panel were conducted with a further five Delphi rounds to develop good clinical practice (GCP) recommendations. Results: Thirty-five recommendations were made. Eight were based on the evidence from literature reviews (three on ‘assessment’, five on ‘intervention’). Twenty-two were updated from the 2012 recommendations. New recommendations relate to diagnosis and assessment (two GCPs) and psychosocial issues (three GCPs). Additionally, one new recommendation (LOE) reflects active video games as adjuncts to more traditional activity-oriented and participation-oriented interventions, and two new recommendations (one GCP, one LOE) were made for adolescents and adults with DCD. Interpretation: The CPR–DCD is a comprehensive overview of DCD and current understanding based on research evidence and expert consensus. It reflects the state of the art for clinicians and scientists of varied disciplines. The international CPR–DCD may serve as a basis for national guidelines. What this paper adds: Updated international clinical practice guidelines on developmental coordination disorder (DCD). Refined and extended recommendations on clinical assessment and intervention for DCD. A critical synopsis of current research on mechanisms of DCD. A critical synopsis of psychosocial issues in DCD, with implications for clinical practice. The first international recommendations to consider adolescents and adults with DCD.