Pemphigus Vulgaris: More Than Just a Skin Disease.

INTRODUCTION: Pemphigus is a group of autoimmune diseases of the skin and mucous membranes that is characterized by multiple bullae formation. It is caused by autoantibodies directed against the cell surface of keratinocytes, resulting in the loss of cell-cell adhesion of keratinocytes. This disease can be very debilitating and difficult to treat if large surface areas are involved. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of a complex case of pemphigus vulgaris in a 24-year-old man who develop partial-thickness skin lesions distributed throughout the entire body with a total body surface of 80% short after an episode of strep throat treated with amoxicillin. RESULTS: The patient had a complicated hospital course in which the standard treatment of the disease led to adverse effects that were successfully managed at our busy burn center. CONCLUSIONS: Pemphigus vulgaris is a complex skin disease in which treatment techniques carry their risk and must be tailored to the patient's specific needs. Treatment of this conditions at a burn center would be beneficial as demonstrated with conditions like Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis.

Ethics and assistive technology: Potential issues for AT service providers.

The purpose of this article is to report on the results of a survey intended to explore Assistive Technology Professionals' (ATPs') perceptions of what constitutes an ethical dilemma and their perceived confidence in addressing such issues. This study implemented an exploratory-descriptive design. A total of 214 ATPs responded to the ATP Ethics Survey. Findings suggest that most of the ATPs participants of this study reported having received ethics education. In addition, results indicated that defining what constitutes an ethical dilemma, particularly related to client/patient issues, and defining an ethical decision-making process are areas that warrant more education and development. While the results of this study only represent the self-reported experiences of those 214 ATPs that answered this survey, these suggest that there is a need for professionals in the AT area to further explore and discuss the impact of ethical situations in their practice. Further studies should continue to explore ethics training and decision-making processes in the provision of assistive technology services. Such explorations and subsequent training should be conducted in collaboration with professional organizations and their respective leadership.

Factor structure, internal reliability, and construct validity of the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS): A study on persons with serious mental illness living in the community.

OBJECTIVES: Resilience, the ability to bounce back from a stressful situation, is a valuable asset for aiding adults with serious mental illness (SMI) in navigating the recovery process. People with SMI experience stress, including traumatic experiences at disproportionate rates. The purposes of this study were to examine the factor structure, internal reliability, and construct validity of the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) among adults with SMI living in the community. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey design was used. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and correlational analyses were employed. METHODS: Three hundred fifteen adults with SMI were recruited for two studies (Sample 1, n = 122; Sample 2, n = 193) from three states. All participants completed the BRS along with nearly identical positive psychology- and psychopathology-related measures. RESULTS: EFA revealed the BRS was unidimensional and explained 61.20% of the variance. Results from seven CFA models suggested a bifactor structure for the BRS, which fit the data best. Internal reliability of the BRS was computed to be within acceptable ranges (α = .87, ω = .90). The BRS was positively correlated with measures of positive coping and life satisfaction, providing convergent validity. Divergent validity was supported by negative correlations between the BRS and measures of psychiatric symptoms, succumbing, and self-stigma. CONCLUSIONS: The BRS is a valid measure that can be used by clinical and research professionals to assess levels of resilience in adults with SMI at baseline and across time. PRACTITIONER POINTS: The Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) was developed to measure a person's ability to bounce back from stressful situations. The BRS was examined in adults with serious mental illness living in the community. The BRS presented a bifactor structure measuring resilience (an outcome) and correlated with positive psychology- and psychopathology-related measures. The BRS can be used by practitioners to assess levels of resilience in their clients at baseline and over time to evaluate the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions.