Licensed psychologists mere surveyed about opinions toward "impaired practitioners." Academicians and practitioners (N = 167) were sampled. Results suggested (a) a significant proportion of psychologists were judged to be impaired; (b) the majority of respondents believed that impaired practitioners are a serious problem; (c)feui psychologists were willing to refer impaired colleagues to a therapist or report them to a regulatory agency; (a) training in ethics was related to awareness, seeking help, offering help, and reporting colleagues to a regulatory agency; and (e) respondents overwhelmingly favored the least restrictive proposals for intervention. Implications for training and prevention are discussed.Considerable attention and concern have recently been directed toward professional issues relating to impaired practitioners. Otherwise referred to as "troubled colleagues" or "distressed psychologists," impaired practitioners are broadly defined as psychologists whose work is impaired or adversely affected by physical, emotional, legal, or job-related problems (Nathan, Thoreson, & Kilburg, 1983).The idea that psychologists often face personal distress that is expressed in substance abuse, sexual overtures toward clients, and depression is not new. What is new is the profession's growing awareness of these problems as are the current efforts to study the issue. These efforts are largely represented by the American Psychological Association (APA) Board of Professional Affairs Steering Committee on Distressed Psychologists, the proposed Volunteers in Psychology (VIP) Organization, and Psychologists Helping Psychologists (PHP), all of which have emerged since 1980. A historical overview and coverage of APA's proposals can be found in the Board of Professional Affairs Steering Committee on Distressed Psychologists Draft Report (Nathan, et al., 1983).Unlike the professions of medicine, dentistry, social work, and nursing, which have already begun to focus on their impaired practitioners, Skorina (1982) suggested that psychology has developed an aura of invulnerability that fosters high expectations for personal efficacy, equates personal difficulties with incompetence, and leads to an unwillingness to seek help from colleagues. This idea is believed by Skorina to have been perpetuated by two factors. First, there is a reluctance to challenge fellow professionals-an unwillingness to interfere in the work of a colleague. There is also minimal formal supervision and performance evaluation of professional psychologists. The overall result is little external control or monitoring of most psychologists' daily work activities, especially that of private practitioners. Therefore, it is important to the profession, and to die public, to monitor and aid distressed psychologists who behave inappropriately-especially practitioners who do not properly serve their clients.Alcohol abuse among psychologists is being addressed by Psychologists Helping Psychologists, and the Volunteers in Psychology program has been proposed by the ...

Features helpful in diagnosis and associated with death were evaluated In 26 episodes of peritonitis associated with intra-abdominal pathology (IAP) In continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients. Culture of multiple enteric pathogens, or of a single unusual enteric pathogen, from the dialysate was useful for diagnosis in 22/26 instances. Other diagnostic features (fecal material in dialysate, diarrhea containing dialysate, Increasing free air in the abdominal cavity) were infrequently found. A comparison of patients who died (n=11, 42%) and those who survived revealed that death was associated with bowel gangrene (5/6 died), recovery of bacteroides from the dialysate, more frequent and severe comorbid conditions (bacteremia, pneumonia, intra-abdominaland intracerebral bleeding, septic shock, hepatic failure), the development of severe malnutrition and thrombocytopenia during infection, and multiple surgical procedures until the diagnosis was established. Peritonitis associated with intra-abdominal pathology In CAPD patients is a severe infection with considerable diagnostic difficulty and high mortality. Early exploratory laparotomy upon suspicion of the nature of the peritonitis, usually raised by the recovery of enteric pathogens from the dialysate, may improve mortality.

Background Our pilot study tested the feasibility and performance of an eye‐controlled power wheelchair for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients. Methods In this prospective pilot study, participants drove the wheelchair three times around an indoor course. We assessed the time to complete the course; starting and stopping on command; turning 90, 135, and 180 degrees; time to backup; and obstacle negotiation. Following their use of the wheelchair, subjects were given a questionnaire to assess user experience. Results Twelve patients participated, and all were able to complete three trials without difficulty. Eight participants completed all of the individual tasks (eg, turning, stopping, etc.) without any errors. Overall performance ratings were high across all participants (4.6/5‐excellent). Conclusions Our eye‐controlled power wheelchair prototype is feasible and has a very favorable user experience. This system has the potential to improve the mobility and independence of ALS patients, and other groups with motor impairments.

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