Disability and rehabilitation
-
To investigate the mortality, quality of life and functional limitations of intensive care unit (ICU) patients with and without joint contractures 3.3 years after discharge from the hospital. ⋯ Joint contractures in ICU were associated with higher mortality. Patients who spent 2 weeks or more in ICU and developed joint contractures identified more difficulty with mobility 3.3 years after discharge; joint contractures may impose irreversible disability. A strategy to identify and treat joint contractures in ICU may prevent long-term functional limitations.
-
The article considers the extent to which disability has been recognized and included in two main documents produced to date as part of the United Nations Post-2015 Development agenda process. This is the process that is defining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will succeed the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) after the latter reach their target date in 2015. The two documents examined in the article are the Outcome Document (July 2014) of the Open Working Group (OWG) on SDGs and the Report (August 2014) of the Intergovernmental Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Financing (ICESDF). The OWG consisted of 30 seats shared by 70 UN Member States and was in charge of proposing goals and targets for the SDGs. The ICESDF worked in parallel to the OWG and its report proposed options on an effective financing strategy. The article emphasizes the importance of including persons with disabilities in the Post-2015 Agenda, especially in view of the latter's overarching focus on eradicating poverty. ⋯ Although the results so far have been very good, more work still needs to be done to ensure that these explicit references are maintained in the final version of the SDGs, which will be adopted in September 2015. Furthermore, the new framework needs to have a stronger human rights foundation on which to ground these references and future indicators. Light for the World is an international confederation of national development non-governmental organizations (NGOs) aiming at an inclusive society, where the rights of persons with disabilities are realized without discrimination. Through a rights-based approach, Light for the World supports 175 programs in 25 countries in the areas of prevention of blindness, rehabilitation, inclusive education, awareness raising and advocacy, both at EU and UN level. Light for the World has been advocating for the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the Post-2015 Agenda, working closely with the International Disability and Development Consortium (IDDC), of which it is a member, and the International Disability Alliance (IDA). Implications for Rehabilitation The new Post-2015 development agenda is a fundamental opportunity to ensure that persons with disabilities are fully included in future development efforts. Inclusive development, as enshrined in the UNCRPD, has clear implications for the disability community and for policy makers. Advocacy from the disability community is critical to help keep the inclusion of persons with disabilities high on the agenda of the Post-2015 process.
-
To evaluate the methodological quality and synthesize recommendations of evidence-based guidelines for the management of common traffic injuries. ⋯ The core components of a program of care designed to manage common traffic injuries (whiplash-associated disorders - WAD, anxiety and mild traumatic brain injuries) should include advice, education and reassurance. Depending on the condition, the following specific interventions should be considered: (1) WAD: exercise, early return to activity, mobilization/manipulation, analgesics and avoidance of collars; (2) Anxiety: psychological first aid, pharmacotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy; and (3) Mild traumatic brain injuries: use of specific discharge criteria (including no factors warranting hospital admission and support structures for subsequent care), education upon discharge from emergency room and post-discharge care (e.g. monitoring for complications, gradual return to normal activity based on tolerance of individual). The methodological quality of guidelines varies greatly; therefore, guideline developers need to adhere to established methodological standards and conform to the evaluation criteria outlined in the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II (AGREE II) instrument.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
The 6-minute walk distance cannot be accurately assessed at home in people with COPD.
The 6-minute walk test (6MWT) is commonly used to measure exercise capacity in COPD, but it is unclear if this test is accurate when performed at home. This study aimed to determine whether exercise capacity can be accurately assessed at home using the 6MWT in COPD. ⋯ The 6-minute walk test is commonly used to assess change in exercise capacity following pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and may be conducted on varying track lengths, indoors or outdoors. When conducted at home, the 6-minute walk test underestimates exercise capacity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, due to a shorter track length available in the home environment. This suggests that results from 6-minute walk tests performed at home environment cannot be directly compared to results from centre-based tests.
-
Multicenter Study Observational Study
Rasch analysis of the Italian version of fear avoidance beliefs questionnaire (FABQ-I).
To perform a Rasch analysis (RA) of the Fear Avoidance Beliefs questionnaire (FABQ-I) in a sample of chronic non-specific low back pain (CLBP) patients. The RA is expected to provide information about the internal construct validity and all the single items consistency of the FABQ-I and then contributing to the knowledge about the questionnaire's clinimetric properties. ⋯ FABQ-I may be considered to reflect a multiple psychological constructs describing scale. The raw score of the FABQ-I and changes in scores must be interpreted with caution because as a general measure of fear avoid beliefs was not supported.