Physiotherapy research international : the journal for researchers and clinicians in physical therapy
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
A randomized controlled trial comparing periodic mask CPAP with physiotherapy after abdominal surgery.
Physiotherapists use a variety of techniques aimed at improving lung volumes and secretion clearance in patients after surgery. Periodic continuous positive airway pressure (PCPAP) is used to treat patients following elective upper abdominal surgery. However, the optimal method of application has not been identified, more specifically, the dosage of application of PCPAP. The present randomized controlled trial compared the effects of two dosages of PCPAP application and 'traditional' physiotherapy upon functional residual capacity (FRC), vital capacity (VC), oxyhaemoglobin saturation (SpO2), incidence of post-operative pulmonary complications and length of stay with a control group receiving 'traditional' physiotherapy only. ⋯ The addition of PCPAP to a traditional physiotherapy post-operative treatment regimen after upper abdominal surgery did not significantly affect physiological or clinical outcomes.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Manual hyperinflation: consistency and modification of the technique by physiotherapists.
The present study aimed to evaluate the consistency with which physiotherapists apply manual hyperinflation to a test lung using the Air-Viva-2 or Mapleson-B resuscitation circuit, and their ability to modify the technique as pulmonary characteristics change. ⋯ Subjects demonstrated good consistency in the application of manual hyperinflation for all three simulations and modified their technique appropriately as simulated pulmonary characteristics changed.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Effect of positioning on respiratory synchrony in non-ventilated pre-term infants.
Body position can play an important role in an infant's recovery from respiratory disease, but few studies have accounted for sleep state which is known to have a direct influence on the control of respiratory muscles as well as on metabolic and circulatory changes. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of body position on respiratory function in pre-term infants whilst accounting for sleep state. ⋯ Prone positioning of pre-term infants recovering from respiratory disease may improve respiratory function. As measured, the improvement in respiratory synchrony in prone position brings pre-term infants' breathing pattern into line with that expected in term infants.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Effects of a three-month therapeutic exercise programme on flexibility in subjects with low back pain.
Spinal and muscle flexibility have been studied intensively and used clinically as outcome measurements in the rehabilitation of subjects with low back pain. The results of previous studies are contradictory and there is a lack of longitudinal data on the effects of long term therapeutic exercise on flexibility. ⋯ The findings suggest that flexibility does not play an important role in coping with chronic low back pain for subjects whose functional limitations are not severe. Also, it appears that the achieved gains in spinal and muscle flexibility may not be able to be maintained without continued exercise.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Is dosage of physiotherapy a critical factor in deciding patterns of recovery from stroke: a pragmatic randomized controlled trial.
The best treatment and management of stroke patients has been shown to be in stroke units by multidisciplinary rehabilitation teams. Since the composition of stroke units differs it is important to know the extent to which the different components contribute to this results. Physiotherapy is one component of most rehabilitation teams and recent systematic reviews have shown that patients with stroke receiving more physiotherapy achieve more recovery from disability. However, information about the actual amounts of physiotherapy needed to achieve this result is not known. ⋯ These results suggest that doubling the physiotherapy time available for patients in a stroke unit will not provide a measurable benefit for all patients. The subgroup analysis of patterns of recovery must be regarded as speculative, but provides the basis for hypotheses about those likely to respond well to more intensive therapy.