Physiother Can
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Purpose: The configuration of the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) may influence the distance walked and comparability of results among subjects and across programmes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relative and absolute test-retest reliability of two 6MWT configurations and to evaluate the agreement between these two configurations in users of lower extremity prosthetics. Methods: A cross-sectional design was used to analyze data from 25 subjects completing in-patient prosthetic rehabilitation (mean age 63.12 [SD 13.77] y; 72% male). ⋯ The Bland-Altman plot demonstrated a difference of ±63.92 meters between configurations. Conclusions: The two 6MWT configurations had excellent relative and absolute test-retest reliability, but the results from each configuration do not agree sufficiently to make them interchangeable or directly comparable. This highlights the importance of explicitly indicating the test configuration for the 6MWT when reporting results.
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To determine whether an association between cervical dysfunction and perimenstrual migraines exists. ⋯ The results suggest that an association between cervical dysfunction and perimenstrual headaches should be further explored.
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To investigate differences in pain and disability between patients treated with thrust manipulation (TM) and those treated with non-thrust manipulation (NTM) in a group of patients with mechanical low back pain (LBP) who had a within-session response to an initial assessment and met the clinical prediction rule (CPR). ⋯ This secondary analysis suggests that patients who satisfy the CPR benefit as much from NTM as from TM.
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To conduct a systematic review of the literature related to the use of knowledge brokers within paediatric rehabilitation, and specifically to determine (1) how knowledge brokers are defined and used in paediatric rehabilitation and (2) whether knowledge brokers in paediatric rehabilitation have demonstrably improved the performance of health care providers or organizations. ⋯ This study provides an overview of the limited understanding of knowledge brokers within paediatric rehabilitation. Knowledge broker initiatives introduced within paediatric rehabilitation have been anchored in different theoretical frameworks, and no conclusions can be drawn as to the optimum combination of knowledge brokering activities and methods, nor about optimal duration, for sustained results.
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Physical therapists play an important role in the pediatric intensive care setting. The purpose of this study was to describe current cardiopulmonary physical therapy (CPT) practices in a pediatric cardiac critical care unit (CCCU) and a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), as well as to determine the feasibility of obtaining clinically relevant outcome measures in this setting. ⋯ Manual hyperinflation with expiratory vibration was used across diagnostic groups in the CCCU and PICU; its effectiveness therefore requires further study. Chest X-ray is an important clinical outcome and therefore needs to be recorded in a standardized manner to be useful for future clinical research studies.