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Stroke is one of the major causes of permanent adult disability. Stroke frequently affects motor control of the arm, leading to diffculties in doing activities of daily living. This research focuses on developing an upper limb rehabilitation robotic prototype through user-centered design to aid stroke survivors in rehabilitating their arm. To gather requirements from end users, stroke therapy sessions were observed and a survey of stroke therapists was conducted. End user requirements were evaluated to determine technical targets for the mechanical design of the prototype. Evaluation of the prototype was done with stroke therapists in a focus group and a preliminary biomechanical study. As user-centered design would require more iterations of design, testing and evaluation, this project reports a first step in developing an affordable, portable device, which could increase access to stroke rehabilitation for the arm.

We report a case of a 56-year-old woman who presented with worsening abdominal pain located in the left upper quadrant together with abdominal distention, nausea and anorexia. One month prior to this admission, she had presented and had been diagnosed with concurrent acute pancreatitis and rapidly expanding abdominal aortic aneurysm. The aneurysm was prioritised over the pancreatitis and she underwent uncomplicated endovascular repair. Cross-sectional imaging was consistent with infected pancreatic necrosis and also revealed a large collection located in the anterior pararenal space with extensive gas formation. An imageguided fluid aspiration revealed Clostridium perfringens as the causative organism. She was treated by placement of large bore drains along with irrigation and targeted intravenous antibiotic for 6 weeks. The collections resolved completely and at 6 months follow-up she was well and symptom free. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]