Provides the following information about lightning, which is necessary for camp administrators and staff: (1) warning signs of lightning; (2) dangers of lightning; (3) types of lightning injuries; (4) prevention of lightning injury; and (5) helpful training tips. (KS)

Presents case of engineering college student who, after automobile accident, three months in coma, and four years of rehabilitation therapy, is seeking career counseling due to his frustrations with obtaining full-time professional employment. Notes that client had difficulty remembering new information; was physically slow; was mentally slower…

To reduce the chances of student injury and liability charges, principals should know their legal responsibilities, communicate district and school rules, provide adequate student supervision, avoid corporal punishment, advocate appropriate instructional assignments, institute staff reporting and student injury procedures, restrict private…

Because many experts recommend stretching after exercise to relieve muscle soreness, 23 subjects performed a 30-minute step test to induce delayed muscle soreness. There was neither temporary relief of pain immediately after stretching nor a reduction in pain during the 3-day postexercise period. (Author/SM)

Considers vocational rehabilitation of adults who acquire disabilities during midcareer years. Literature review reveals that neither traditional theories of vocational development nor those designed specifically for rehabilitation of individuals with midcareer disabilities provide comprehensive framework for understanding this population's…

Examined data from 140 persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) to determine vocational status of persons with SCI living in the community. Of participants, 27% were employed, with 35% in unpaid productive activities, and 38% unemployed. Sex, ethnicity, education, and disability were statistically significant correlates of vocational status.…

This study of six adolescents with brain injuries, and six controls, investigated the influence of working memory load on performance of a task designed to measure receptive syntax ability. The performance of the adolescents with brain injuries was significantly worse than that of controls. (Author/CR)

Twenty-two children and adolescents with traumatic brain injury (TBI) were compared to a matched sample of neurologically normal children and adolescents on several measures of cognitive processing. Results are consistent with the literature demonstrating poor performance on measures of attention and executive functioning among children who have…

Surveyed undergraduate students nationwide concerning firearm possession. About 3.5% possessed working firearms. Students with guns were more likely to be male, White, or Native American; binge drink; live off-campus; and live with a spouse or significant other. Students with guns were more likely to engage in activities that put themselves and…

With the growth in youth sports programs, overuse injuries in children and adolescents have become common. Physicians are challenged to make the diagnosis and identify the causes of injury. Growth-related factors require special consideration in injury management. Physicians must make a directed history assessing causative factors and a systematic…

A study assessed the frequency of self-reported hand/wrist problems among 184 sign-language communicators. Fifty-nine percent reported experiencing hand/wrist problems, 26 percent reported experiencing hand/wrist problems severe enough to limit their ability to work, and 18 percent reported a medical diagnosis of wrist tendinitis, carpal tunnel…

Research at the National Program for Playground Safety shows good playground policies can be summed up by the acronym SAFE: supervising the playground equipment; choosing age-appropriate playground equipment; cushioning falls; and maintaining equipment and surfaces. Sidebars include a playground safety quiz and information sources. (MLF)

School officials are spending more time on their schools' playing fields to evaluate, assess, and implement measures to protect students and their districts from serious and growing concerns involving risk management in interscholastic athletics. Adequate insurance coverage, better screening, and athletic trainers are helpful safety measures.…

In a case involving an injured football player, an 11th Circuit judge viewed a coach's refusal to stop a fight as corporal punishment. Federal courts in five circuits have ruled that excessive corporal punishment violates the Due Process Clause if it is so brutal and harmful that it shocks the court's conscience. (MLH)

Surveys teenagers employed in three different retail trade settings in North Carolina to examines how experience, gender, work settings, and pace of work are associated with hazard exposures and injury experiences. Discusses evidence that work-place pressure and hazard exposure are associated with types of injury experiences, in light of…