Annals of physical and rehabilitation medicine
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Ann Phys Rehabil Med · Sep 2009
Review Historical ArticlePhysical and rehabilitation medicine section and board of the European Union of Medical Specialists. Community context; history of European medical organizations; actions under way.
The European Community is based on a series of treaties and legal decisions, which result from preliminary documents prepared long before by different organizations and lobbies. The European union of medical specialists (Union européenne des médecins specialists [UEMS]) came into being in order to address the questions raised by European directives (e.g., free circulation of people and services, reciprocal recognition of diplomas, medical training, quality improvements). ⋯ The physical and rehabilitation medicine (PRM) section is composed of three committees: the PRM board is devoted to initial and continuing education and has published a harmonized teaching programme and organized a certification procedure, which can be considered as a European seal of quality; the Clinical Affairs Committee is concerned with the quality of PRM care, and it has set up a European accreditation system for PRM programs of care, which will help to describe PRM clinical activity more concretely; and the Professional Practice Committee works on the fields of competence in our specialty. This third committee has already published a White Book, and further documents are being prepared, based on both the International classification of functioning, disability and health (ICF) and reference texts developed by the French Federation of PRM.
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Ann Phys Rehabil Med · Sep 2009
The value of electromyography in the aetiological diagnosis of hypotonia in infants and toddlers.
During the first two years of life, hypotonia may be the only symptom of a central or peripheral nervous system disorder. We propose to assess the sensitivity of electroneuromyography (ENMG) in the aetiological diagnosis of hypotonia of neuromuscular origin in infants and toddlers. ⋯ In infants presenting with hypotonia, ENMG is useful for the diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy. Normal ENMG is relatively common for confirmed muscle disorders in infants whereas myogenic alterations seem more unusual, so that muscle biopsy appears unquestionable. In a few cases, early onset myopathies may present with a neurogenic ENMG pattern. Such a result should not invalidate the clinically presumed diagnosis of myopathy and would indicate on the contrary the need for a muscle biopsy.