METHODS: Score for mSS-SIT was performed during the hospitalization, when patients had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 (during COVID-19), and repeated after they had tested negative (after COVID-19). Also, each patient completed msQOD-NS and serology SARS-CoV-2 antibodies blood test was evaluated.
RESULTS: During COVID-19, 2 of our patients were anosmia (6.5%), 22 (70.9%) were hyposmia, and 7 (22.6%) were normosmia. We repeated mSS-SIT on these same patients after COVID-19, and none of these subjects were hyposmia or anosmia, as they achieved a score >12. All our patients had scored 21 using msQOD-NS, meaning no impact on quality of life as they had regained their normal olfactory function. In this study also, we obtained no correlation between smell test and seropositivity titre COVID-19, and antibody levels gradually decreased over time till 6 months and remained stable up to 12 months.
CONCLUSION: From this study, we know full recovery of the sense of smell can be expected post-COVID-19 infection and COVID-19 antibody persists in the body up to 12 months of infection.
METHODS: Nineteen units participated with intention of including 100 patients per site as close to a consecutive series as possible in order to minimize selection bias.
RESULTS: There were 2136 patients with a median total number of PCI items selected of 5 (2-10). "Fear of the cancer returning" (39%) and "dry mouth" (37%) were most common. Twenty-five percent (524) reported less than good QOL.
CONCLUSION: There was considerable variation between units in the number of items selected and in overall QOL, even after allowing for case-mix variables. There was a strong progressive association between the number of PCI items and QOL.
METHODS: a steering committee was assembled and 10 working Groups were created to provide preliminary evidence-based recommendations. A cross-cutting theme on patient's perspective was also created. In addition, a worldwide multidisciplinary group of experts and stakeholders, to review the proposed recommendations and to participate in a Delphi process to achieve consensus for the final recommendations, was brought together.
CONCLUSION: in this New Horizons article, the global challenges in falls prevention are depicted, the goals of the worldwide task force are summarised and the conceptual framework for development of a global falls prevention and management guideline is presented.
METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Using Cochrane methodology, we searched (January 1990 to August 2021) six electronic databases using a PICOS (population, intervention, comparison, outcome, study type) search strategy, assessed Cochrane risk of bias, performed meta-analysis and narrative synthesis to answer our objectives and used the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations framework to rate certainty of evidence.
RESULTS: We identified 16 studies (1800 COPD patients; 11 countries). The effects of home-PR on exercise capacity and/or health-related quality of life (HRQoL) were compared to either centre-PR (n=7) or usual care (n=8); one study used both comparators. Compared to usual care, home-PR significantly improved exercise capacity (standardised mean difference (SMD) 0.88, 95% CI 0.32-1.44; p=0.002) and HRQoL (SMD -0.62, 95% CI -0.88--0.36; p<0.001). Compared to centre-PR, home-PR showed no significant difference in exercise capacity (SMD -0.10, 95% CI -0.25-0.05; p=0.21) or HRQoL (SMD 0.01, 95% CI -0.15-0.17; p=0.87).
CONCLUSION: Home-PR is as effective as centre-PR in improving functional exercise capacity and quality of life compared to usual care, and is an option to enable access to pulmonary rehabilitation.
METHODS: Using Cochrane, PubMed, and Google Scholar as the search engines, full-text articles in the scope of the study, written in English and within 10 years of publication were selected.
RESULTS: Out of the 677 articles, 27 articles fulfilled the eligibility criteria, where data was compiled into a table, outlining the general characteristics and findings. Throughout the different forms of H2 administration, study design and types of cancers reported, outcomes were found to be consistent.
CONCLUSION: From our analysis, H2 plays a promising therapeutic role as an independent therapy as well as an adjuvant in combination therapy, resulting in an overall improvement in survivability, quality of life, blood parameters, and tumour reduction. Although more comprehensive research is needed, given the promising outcomes, H2 is worth considering for use as a complement to current cancer therapy.
METHODS: Published journals before September 2021, from five databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect, Springer, Cochrane, and CNKI) were retrieved according to the keywords. The keywords used included cancer patients, terminally ill patients, cancer, SPB, self-perceived burden, self-burden, self-perceived, factor, predictor, associated factor, determinants, risk factor, prognostic factor, covariate, independent variable, and variable. The quality of the inclusion and exclusion criteria was independently reviewed by three researchers.
RESULTS: Out of 12,712 articles, there are 22 studies met the eligibility criteria. The prevalence of SPB among cancer patients ranged from 73.2 to 100% in Malaysia, China, and Canada. Most of them had moderate SPB. Out of the reported factors, age, gender, marital status, ethnicity, residence, educational level, occupational status, family income, primary caregiver, payment methods, disease-related factors, psychological factors, and physical factors were mostly reported across the studies.
CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, SPB prevalence is high in cancer patients. Therefore, hospitals, non-governmental organizations, relevant policymakers, and communities can provide special programs for high-risk groups to provide psychological guidance or design corresponding interventions to reduce the SPB level of patients and improve the quality of life.
METHODOLOGY: Before starting the study, the study protocol was registered in PROSPERO (registration number CRD42021273292). An electronic literature search was performed by combining MeSH terminology and keywords used with the Boolean operators "OR" and "AND" to find relevant published studies on PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, and ScienceDirect databases. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical evaluation checklist was used to assess the quality of selected studies, while the GRADE approach was used to see the quality of evidence.
RESULTS: A total of 13,931 studies were retrieved after the search on databases. After the scrutiny of studies by reading the title of articles and the inclusion/exclusion criteria, a total of 54 studies were selected for further screening by reading the full texts. In the final, a total of nine studies were selected for the current systematic review and proceeded for data extraction. The patients who were doing different exercises showed improvements in immunity, QOL, and reduction in CRF. A significant reduction in tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), C reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-8 (IL-8), IL-6, and an increase in natural killer (NK) cells levels was also observed.
CONCLUSIONS: The exercise program is safe and beneficial to improve the quality of life and immunity markers before, during, and after cancer treatment. Physical exercise may also help patients to overcome the adverse effects of the treatment and to reduce the chance of developing new tumours in the future.
AIM: To investigate the impact of dysphagia on the QoL in stroke patients.
METHODS: Relevant types of literature were searched from PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest, and Google Scholar databases from inception to July 2022. Peerreviewed studies that aimed to determine the impact of dysphagia on the QoL in stroke patients were included regardless of the year of publication. The National Institutes of Health tool for observational cohort and cross-sectional studies was used to assess the methodological quality of the selected studies. In addition, data analysis was conducted using qualitative methodology with narrative synthesis.
RESULTS: A total of 6 studies met the inclusion criteria with a total number of 381 participants. Only one study has good methodological quality while other studies have fair methodological quality. Dysphagia negatively impacts the QoL in stroke patients, especially those with severe dysphagia. However, after treatment, changes were evident through improved QoL and decreased severity of dysphagia. Moreover, the research found that patients with a higher educational level have a better QoL.
CONCLUSION: Dysphagia has a negative impact on the QoL in stroke patients, so dysphagia in stroke patients should be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible to avoid poor QoL.
METHODS: Following title/abstract screening by two independent reviewers, 27 articles were selected for critical analysis in this review.
RESULTS: These articles revealed ambulatory, non-invasive and wearable medical devices, such as the in-ear EEG devices; the accelerometer-based devices and the subcutaneous implanted EEG devices might be more acceptable than traditional EEG systems. In addition, extracerebral signalbased devices may be more efficient than EEG-based systems, especially when combined with an intervention trigger. Although further studies may still be required to improve and validate these proposed systems before commercialization, these findings may give hope to epileptic patients, particularly those with refractory epilepsy, to predict and manage their seizures.
CONCLUSION: The use of medical devices for epilepsy may improve patients' independence and quality of life and possibly prevent sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP).
METHODS: We conducted a parallel-group, single-blinded, randomised controlled trial at the University of Malaya Medical Centre, Malaysia. Seventy-three patients with advanced cancer with an overall suffering score ≥4/10 based on the Suffering Pictogram were recruited and randomly assigned into either the MBST group (n=34) or the control group (n=39).
RESULTS: There was a statistically significant reduction in the overall suffering score in the MBST group compared with the control group (U=432.5, median1=-2.0, median2=-1.0, z=-2.645, p=0.008). There was also significant improvement in the total Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale score (U=483.5, median1=-4.0, median2=-3.0, z=-1.994, p=0.046), and the total Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being score (U=252.0, median1=+14.5, median2=+5.0, z=-4.549, p=0.000) in the MBST group compared with the control group.
CONCLUSIONS: The results provided evidence that the practice of MBST during patient care could promote positive psychosocial outcomes.
CONCLUSIONS: We have provided an overview of current evidence and expert-agreed recommendations for the definition, investigation, and management of OD. As for our original Position Paper, we hope that this updated document will encourage clinicians and researchers to adopt a common language, and in so doing, increase the methodological quality, consistency, and generalisability of work in this field.