Objective: To determine the effects of prolonged running in the hot and cool environments on selected physiological parameters and salivary lysozyme responses among recreational athletes.
Methods: Randomised and cross-over study design. Thirteen male recreational athletes (age: 20.9 ± 1.3 years old) from Universiti Sains Malaysia participated in this study. They performed two separate running trials; 90 min running at 60% of their respective maximum oxygen uptake [Formula: see text] One running trial was performed in the hot (31ºC) while the other was in the cool (18ºC) environment and this sequence was randomised. Each running trial was started with a 5 min warm-up at 50% of participant's respective [Formula: see text] Recovery period between these two trials was one week. In the both trials, saliva samples, blood samples, heart rate, ratings of perceived exertion, skin and tympanic temperatures, oxygen consumption, nude body weight, room temperature, and relative humidity were collected.
Results: Participants' skin temperature, tympanic temperature, body weight changes, heart rate, ratings of perceived exertion, and plasma volume changes were significantly higher (p
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective cohort study enrolled hospitalised patients between May 2021 and August 2021, aged 18 years and above, with severe respiratory failure defined by a ratio of oxygen saturation to fraction of inspired oxygen (SF ratio) of less than 235. The treatment protocol involved administering high-dose MTP for 3 days, followed by DXM, and the outcomes were compared with those of patients who received DXM alone (total treatment duration of 10 days for both groups).
RESULTS: A total of 99 patients were enrolled, with 79 (79.8%) receiving pulse MTP therapy and 20 (20.2%) being treated with DXM only. The SF ratio significantly improved from a mean of 144.49 (±45.16) at baseline to 208 (±85.19) at 72 hours (p < 0.05), with a mean difference of 63.51 (p < 0.001) in patients who received ≤750 mg of MTP. Additionally, in patients who received >750 mg of MTP, the SF ratio improved from a baseline mean of 130.39 (±34.53) to 208.44 (±86.61) at 72 hours (p < 0.05), with a mean difference of 78.05 (p = 0.001). In contrast, patients who received DXM only demonstrated an SF ratio of 132.85 (±44.1) at baseline, which changed minimally to 133.35 (±44.4) at 72 hours (p = 0.33), with a mean difference of 0.50 (p = 0.972). The incidence of nosocomial infection was higher in the MTP group compared with the DXM group (40.5% vs. 35%, p = 0.653), with a relative risk of 1.16 (95% CI: 0.60-2.23).
CONCLUSION: MTP did not demonstrate a significant reduction in intubation or intensive care unit admissions. Although a high dose of MTP improved gas exchange in patients with severe and critical COVID-19, it did not provide an overall mortality benefit compared to standard treatment.