Journal of rehabilitation research and development
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Clinical evaluation of Functional Electrical Therapy in acute hemiplegic subjects.
This paper describes a clinical randomized single-blinded study of the effects of Functional Electrical Therapy (FET) on the paretic arms of subjects with acute hemiplegia caused by strokes. FET is an exercise program that comprises voluntary arm movements and opening, closing, holding, and releasing of objects that are assisted by a neural prosthesis (electrical stimulation). FET consisted of a 30 min everyday exercise for 3 consecutive weeks in addition to conventional therapy. ⋯ The gains in FET groups were much larger compared with the gains in control groups. The speed of recovery in FET groups was substantially faster compared with the recovery rate in control groups during the first 3 weeks (treatment). The LFG subjects showed less improvement than the HFG in both the FET and control groups.
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Exercise training is the cornerstone of pulmonary rehabilitation. However, patients may not be able to exercise at a level that produces a training effect because of limitations related to their underlying lung disease. Adjuncts during exercise training may increase their exercise capacity and increase the benefit of pulmonary rehabilitation. ⋯ Work is needed to better define the benefits and appropriate patient populations. The subgroups that may derive the most benefit from these adjuncts are those with oxygen desaturation during exercise and those with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (defined as a forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) < 1.0 L). Nocturnal noninvasive ventilation during pulmonary rehabilitation seems to be an effective adjunct and merits further study.
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Comparative Study
Comparison of breathing patterns during exercise in patients with obstructive and restrictive ventilatory abnormalities.
Patients with obstructive and restrictive ventilatory abnormalities suffer from exercise intolerance and dyspnea. Breathing pattern components (volume, flow, and timing) during incremental exercise may provide further insight in the role played by dynamic hyperinflation in the genesis of dyspnea. This study analyzed the breathing patterns of patients with obstructive and restrictive ventilatory abnormalities during incremental exercise. ⋯ Dyspnea scores were not significantly different. For obstructive patients, correlations were noted between T(I)/T(E), V(I)/V(E), T(I)T(TOT) and dyspnea (p < 0.05). Breathing pattern-timing components, specifically T(I)/T(E), in patients with obstructive and restrictive ventilatory abnormalities during exercise provided further insight into the pathophysiology of the two conditions and the contribution of dynamic hyperinflation to dyspnea.
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Review
Controlled breathing and dyspnea in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Controlled breathing is included in the rehabilitation program of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This article discusses the efficacy of controlled breathing aimed at improving dyspnea. In patients with COPD, controlled breathing works to relieve dyspnea by (1) reducing dynamic hyperinflation of the rib cage and improving gas exchange, (2) increasing strength and endurance of the respiratory muscles, and (3) optimizing the pattern of thoracoabdominal motion. ⋯ All interventions require careful patient selection, proper and repeated instruction, and control of the techniques and assessment of its effects. Despite the proven effectiveness of controlled breathing, several problems still need to be solved. The limited evidence of the successful transfer of controlled breathing from resting conditions to exercise conditions raises several questions: Should patients practice controlled breathing more in their daily activities? Does controlled breathing really complement the functional adaptations that patients with COPD must make? These questions need to be addressed in further research.
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Pressure ulcers are a major complication of spinal cord injury (SCI) and have a significant effect on general health and quality of life. The objectives of this retrospective chart review were to determine prevalence, duration, and severity of pressure ulcers in veterans with SCI and to identify predictors of (1) outcome in terms of healing without surgery, not healing, or referral for surgery; (2) number of visits veterans made to the SCI outpatient clinic or received from home care services for pressure ulcer treatment; and (3) number of hospital admissions and days hospitalized for pressure ulcer treatment. From a sampling frame of 553 veterans on the Houston Veterans Affairs Medical Center SCI roster, 215 (39%) were reported to have visited the clinic or received home care for pressure ulcers (ICD-9 code 707.0 = decubitus, any site) during the 3 years studied (1997, 1998, and 1999). ⋯ This study illustrates the magnitude of the pressure ulcer problem among veterans with SCI living in the community. Reducing the prevalence of pressure ulcers among veterans with SCI will have a significant impact on the Department of Veterans Affairs' financial and social resources. Innovative approaches are needed to reduce pressure ulcer risk in veterans with SCI.