Where I've been, where I'm going

Katsura leaves after morning rain

Perhaps only I've noticed my month-long absence from The Dietitian's Journal but I think I should write a quick explanation.

This past September I've been on a stay-at-home-vacation in Vancouver and the neighbouring Fraser Valley. Highlights: Plenty of walking, reading, gardening and taking a course that exercised my right brain and under-developed creativity muscles. Lowlight: Ten days ago a family member sustained a severe calcaneal fracture.

So even on vacation I've been in full dietitian role, ensuring my family member consumes a high-protein, high-energy, calcium-rich diet supplemented with vitamin D everyday.  I've also started reviewing the current evidence-based literature on nutrition to support bone healing and will be sharing the best resources here in future blog posts.

See you again next week when I return to work and a more regular blogging schedule.

The light at the end of September

More than a tweet but less than a post

Photo credit: Good morning neighbour!!! by lepiaf.geo.

I'd like to create a format & schedule to quickly and regularly share helpful links with you in a way that's as direct & concise as Twitter but has more detail, organization and retrievability.  For now, the best I can offer is this alphabetical, annotated list of resources I recently found while looking for answers to clinical practice questions. (My practice is diverse.)

A systematic review and meta-analysis: probiotics in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome

"Probiotics may have a role in alleviating some of the symptoms of IBS, a condition for which currently evidence of efficacy of drug therapies is weak. Longer term trials are recommended as IBS is a condition that is chronic and usually intermittent. However, further research should focus on the type, optimal dose of probiotics and the subgroups of patients who are likely to benefit the most."

Atlas of Diseases of the Kidney

Five-volume e-book in PDF format. Comprehensive.

Biochemistry Online

A complete e-book covering lipid, protein and carbohydrate structure & other biochemistry topics

Insights into Energy Requirements in Disease

"Assessing the energy requirements of patients with acute and chronic diseases is more complex than for those in good health. These requirements not only depend on the aggressiveness of the disease and level of inactivity it causes, but also on the treatment, and the presence of prior malnutrition....This paper is almost exclusively restricted to studies that have measured total energy expenditure (TEE) using tracer techniques in both hospital and the community (mostly doubly labelled water and to a lesser extent bicarbonate-urea), and continuous 24-hour indirect calorimetry in artificially ventilated patients in hospital."

Nutrition and Bone Health

This Google book preview includes the complete chapter on nutrition in fracture healing (pages 85 - 103)

Nutrition for Healthy Bones for Adults (PDF document)

A patient/client education handout developed by BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre. Up-to-date and very well-written. Does not contain advice for vegans.

The Role of the Registered Dietitian in Primary Health Care: A National Perspective

"This updated role paper, based on an earlier (2001) version defines primary health care and outlines its key features. It illustrates how Registered Dietitians contribute to health promotion, disease prevention, treatment and rehabilitative/supportive strategies. It provides supporting evidence for the cost-effectiveness of registered dietitians’ services in PHC, draws attention to the critical workforce concerns to meet health care needs and outlines other issues to be addressed for the optimal integration of dietitians into primary health care."

Weight Loss After Stroke

"Weight loss >3 kg after stroke indicates the need for closer observation regarding nutritional status. Monitoring of body weight may be useful, particularly among patients with severe stroke, eating difficulties, low prealbumin values, and impaired glucose metabolism.