METHODS: This was a single-blinded, randomized control trial involving 34 subjects between the age of 45-70 years (58.41±5.93) comparing retro-walking (RW) to forward-walking (FW). Subjects were randomly allocated to receive either RW with structured resistance training (SRT) or FW with SRT; 3 times a week for 12 weeks. The symptoms, pain, and function of daily living sub scores of the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) along with Timed up and go (TUG) and Chair stand test (CST) were assessed at baseline and after 12 weeks. The outcomes were analyzed with two-way repeated measure analysis of variance.
RESULTS: Significant improvements for all outcomes were observed intra-group (P value <0.05) after 12 weeks. The KOOS sub scores, TUG and CST times was not statistically significant between study groups (P value >0.05). However, the partial eta squared scores for all outcomes were better in the RW group compared to FW except for CST.
CONCLUSIONS: It can be concluded that RW is a feasible and non-inferior option to FW in the rehabilitation of subjects with bilateral knee OA.
OBJECTIVES: To describe the effects of electrical stimulation (ES) therapy in the 4-week management of two sub-acute spinal cord-injured (SCI) individuals (C7 American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) B and T9 AIS (B)).
SETTING: University Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
METHODS: A diagnostic tilt-table test was conducted to confirm the presence of orthostatic hypotension (OH) based on the current clinical definitions. Following initial assessment, subjects underwent 4 weeks of ES therapy 4 times weekly for 1 h per day. Post-tests tilt table challenge, both with and without ES on their rectus abdominis, quadriceps, hamstrings and gastrocnemius muscles, was conducted at the end of the study (week 5). Subjects' blood pressures (BP) and heart rates (HR) were recorded every minute during pre-test and post-tests. Orthostatic symptoms, as well as the maximum tolerance time that the subjects could withstand head up tilt at 60°, were recorded.
RESULTS: Subject A improved his orthostatic symptoms, but did not recover from clinically defined OH based on the 20-min duration requirement. With concurrent ES therapy, 60° head up tilt BP was 89/62 mm Hg compared with baseline BP of 115/71 mm Hg. Subject B fully recovered from OH demonstrated by BP of 105/71 mm Hg during the 60° head up tilt compared with baseline BP of 124/77 mm Hg. Both patients demonstrated longer tolerance time during head up tilt with concomitant ES (subject A: pre-test 4 min, post-test without ES 6 min, post-test with ES 12 min; subject B: pre-test 4 min, post-test without ES 28 min, post-test with ES 60 min).
CONCLUSIONS: Weekly ES therapy had positive effect on OH management in sub-acute SCI individuals.
METHODS: The SAQ was translated from English to Turkish using the back-translation method. It contains 19 questions scored from 1 to either 5 or 6 in 5 domains (physical limitation, angina stability, angina frequency, disease perception, and treatment satisfaction). Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to evaluate internal consistency. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was calculated to assess the construct validity. Convergent validity was examined using correlations between the SAQ and the MacNew Heart Disease Health-related Quality of Life Questionnaire (MacNew) and the Nottingham Health Profile. Divergent validity was evaluated using correlations between the SAQ and age, body mass index (BMI), gender, and the marital status of patients. A value of p<0.05 was considered statistically significant.
RESULTS: Sixty-seven patients were enrolled in the study. The mean age of the study patients was 58.7 years (SD: 10.2). Cronbach's alpha scores of the SAQ, ranging in value from 0.715 to 0.910, demonstrated that this scale is reliable. All of the SAQ scales had a significant correlation with all of the MacNew scales, which indicated that the scale has convergent validity. Insignificant correlations with age, BMI, gender, and marital status illustrated the good divergent validity of the scale.
CONCLUSION: The Turkish version of the SAQ is a valid and reliable instrument. It is a useful and practical tool to evaluate patients with angina and CHD.
OBJECTIVE: This 12-week pilot study examines the efficacy of applying low frequency sound wave stimulation (between 16-160 Hz) through both hands and feet on relieving pain and improving functional ability in patients with chronic back pain.
METHODS: Twenty-three participants with chronic shoulder (eleven participants) or low back pain (twelve participants) underwent a 12-week vibration therapy program of three sessions per week. A low frequency sound wave device comprising four piezoelectric vibration-type tactile tranducers enclosed in separate 5-cm diameter circular plates, which generate sinusoidal vibratory stimuli at a frequency of 16-160 Hz, was used in this study. Primary outcome measure was pain sensation measured using the Visual Analogue Scale (P-VAS). The secondary outcome measures were pain-related disability measured using the pain disability index (PDI) and quality of life measured using the SF-12.
RESULTS: At week 12, significant reductions in pain sensation and pain-related disability were observed, with mean reductions of 3.5 points in P-VAS and 13.5 points in the PDI scores. Sixty-five percent of the participants had a reduction of at least 3 points on the P-VAS score, while 52% participants showed a decrease of at least 10 points in the PDI score. Significant improvement was observed in the SF-12 physical composite score but not the mental composite score.
CONCLUSIONS: The preliminary findings showed that passive application of low frequency sound wave stimulation therapy through both hands and feet was effective in alleviating pain and improving functional ability in patients with chronic back pain.
SUBJECTS: Patients who were admitted to the University of Malaya Medical Centre due to cardiac events.
METHODS: Eight different machine learning models were evaluated. The models included 3 different sets of features: full features; significant features from multiple logistic regression; and features selected from recursive feature extraction technique. The performance of the prediction models with each set of features was compared.
RESULTS: The AdaBoost model with the top 20 features obtained the highest performance score of 92.4% (area under the curve; AUC) compared with other prediction models.
CONCLUSION: The findings showed the potential of using machine learning models to predict return to work after cardiac rehabilitation.
OBJECTIVE: This scoping review aimed to identify and describe existing studies on pretravel health services provided by CPs, and the barriers, and facilitators.
METHODS: The PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched for pertinent studies from their inception to February 2023. A manual search was also conducted of prominent travel medicine journals, Google Scholar, and the reference lists of the included studies. Potential barriers and facilitators were mapped to the 14 domains of the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF).
RESULTS: There were twelve studies included in the review. Pretravel health advice was the most prevalent form of pretravel health services. Within ten domains of the TDF, various factors that either facilitate or impede the provision of pretravel health services by CPs were identified.
CONCLUSION: The provision of pretravel health services by CPs may be affected by a number of practitioner and organizational factors. The provision of pretravel health services can be facilitated by informational resources, training and education in travel medicine, and collaboration amongst healthcare providers.