RESUMO
In recent years there has been a growing interest in medical and particularly neurological education and how this should be related to the needs for patient care. To evaluate neurological training in Italy, we conducted a survey of the residency programmes aimed at different aspects of training. The survey was conducted in the 38 neurological Italian teaching hospitals and 27 of these answered. Six of the 27 centres organized all of the scheduled teaching courses. The quality of courses was considered 'not sufficient' in 11 schools and 'good' in 12. Seminars were regularly performed in 18 centres but in 60% of these the number was <1 per week. Questionnaires to evaluate the quality of teaching were lacking in all centres. Regarding the procedures performed by each resident there was a large variation between the different schools. A regular rotation of each resident in the neurophysiology services was performed in 14 schools. Ward and out patient activity varied widely and details are given. We conclude that there is marked heterogeneity in training programmes between different centres. Some important activities such as seminars and rotation in neurophysiology are performed poorly.
Assuntos
Educação Médica/estatística & dados numéricos , Internato e Residência , Neurologia/educação , Coleta de Dados , Avaliação Educacional , Hospitais de Ensino , Humanos , Itália , Satisfação no Emprego , Neurologia/estatística & dados numéricos , Pesquisa/estatística & dados numéricos , Inquéritos e Questionários , EnsinoRESUMO
The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the effect of albuterol in children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Thirteen patients (five with SMA II and eight with SMA III) were given oral albuterol for 6 months. There was a significant increase in myometry, forced vital capacity, and lean body mass between the baseline and the 6-month assessments (p < 0.05). Albuterol may have a beneficial effect in patients with SMA without causing any significant adverse effects. Larger randomized, placebo-controlled trials are needed to confirm this observation.