Journal of Health Sciences
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Efficacy of cling film dressing on palmoplantar psoriatic lesions among patients with psoriasis: A randomized controlled trial
Get PDFIntroduction: Caring for patients with skin disorders is “more than skin deep”. Psoriasis is a systematic immune-mediated disease that generally does not affect survival, but certainly has major negative effects on patients. The previous research has reported that artificial restoration of a permeable barrier by occlusion results in regression of lesions in psoriasis.The aim of this research is to assess the efficacy of cling film dressing versus conventional treatment on palmoplantar psoriatic lesions among patients with psoriasis.
Methods: The research design used in the study was a true experimental time series design. Block randomization was used to assign the study participants into either study or control group in a Psoriatic Out-Patient Department of tertiary care center at Southern part of India. As usual, the intervention group participants received the application of topical corticosteroid Eczivate MF with cling film wrap while the control group participants followed the conventional treatment (topical corticosteroid Eczivate MF without occlusive dressing). The modified psoriasis severity index (MPSI) score was used to measure the outcomes.
Results: There was a high statistical significance difference on the severity of psoriatic disease level between the control and study groups (p ˂ 0.05).
Conclusion: Steroidal cream application with occlusive dressing yielded better results than non-occlusive open treatment
The assessment of balance and gait after programmed therapeutic exercises in elderly
Get PDFIntroduction: People over the age of 50 begin to show manifestations of reduced balance and instability, and as a result, simple activities such as standing or getting up from a chair may become limited or impossible. Therapeutic strengthening exercises can increase muscle strength and improve mobility, as well as the physical functioning of the elderly. The aim of this study was to evaluate therapeutic exercise on balance and gait in elderly.
Methods: The prospective study included two groups of 130 respondents over the age of 65 who had come to the “Center for Healthy Aging Novo Sarajevo.” Using the Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA) test, we assessed mobility performance. We tested the respondents at the beginning, in the middle and in the end of the research, which lasted 6 months.
Results: In the control group, the required time increased by 2.04%. The largest improvement within POMA B was recorded in the examined Group B and it was 12.67 %, while in the examined Group A, the improvement was only 5.07%. Within POMA G, the largest improvement was also recorded in the examined Group B and it was 6.82%, while in the examined Group B, this improvement was 4.14%.
Conclusion: Both strengthening and antigravity therapeutic exercises improve the level of physical fitness in older adults, although therapeutic antigravity exercises had a better impact on the level of physical activity
Evaluating the Safety of Intravenous Delivery of Autologous Activated Platelet-rich Plasma
Get PDFIntroduction: Autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been a growing trend in the field of medicine due to its broad range of application and is considered safe from bloodborne diseases. Furthermore, various studies have tried to optimize the use of autologous PRP through various preparation protocols, including PRP activation. However, most of the studies available have not evaluated the safety for intravenous delivery of PRP, especially autologous activated PRP (aaPRP). Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the safety of intravenous delivery of aaPRP.Methods: Blood was drawn from each patient and aaPRP was isolated through calcium activation and light irradiation. Each aaPRP was administered intravenously to all patients. Adverse events were documented and analyzed.Results: Six hundred eleven patients participated in this study with a total of 4244 aaPRP therapies. Quality control of autologous aaPRP showed no platelets present after both calcium activation and light irradiation. No adverse events such as allergic reaction, infection, and coagulation problems were observed on all patients over the course of the study.Conclusion: Our results showed that intravenous administration of autologous aaPRP is safe even in patients with various pathological conditions
Knowledge of coronavirus 2019 and stress with oral health-care personnel of the Faculty of dentistry in Sarajevo: A cross-sectional study
Get PDFIntroduction: Dentists and generally dental personnel work under the risk of being infected by patients suffering from coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), who are unaware that they are infected. The reason lies in the fact that during dental procedures, aerosol is formed with droplets that may contain the virus. Thus, it is extremely important that dental personnel comply with adequate protective measures and equipment during clinical work. The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the knowledge of COVID-19 and to determine the amount of stress with dental personnel of the Faculty of Dentistry in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.Methods: Health-care personnel of the Faculty of Dentistry with Clinics of the University in Sarajevo has been included in the research: teaching staff, clinical doctors, dental nurses, and dental technicians. The research was conducted in April 2020. It was conducted by an anonymous survey that participant’s filled-in. Out of 157 distributed questionnaires in paper form, 134 participants responded. The questionnaire was divided into three parts: (1) personal data; (2) knowledge of infection COVID-19 (diagnostic methods, transmission pathways, and prevention measures); and (3) the amount of stress (feelings and thoughts) during epidemic COVID-19 with personnel.Results: The largest number of participants (61.97%) considers that COVID-19 may be transmitted from infected to a healthy person by inhalation of droplets generated through coughing of an infected person and by direct contact with aerosol dispersed from the mouth of the infected patient during dental treatment. The largest number of participants, 80 of them (59.7%) considers that the method of nucleic acid test is used in diagnosing COVID-19. COVID – 19 had a significantly larger influence on females; they showed higher extent of concern for the claim „I hardly fall asleep because of thinking about it,“ „I try not to talk on this topic“ and „In my mind appear pictures in relation to this“ (p < 0.05).Conclusion: Knowledge of COVID-19 and measures of protection of health-care personnel at the Faculty of dentistry with Clinics in Sarajevo is satisfactory. The largest fear of participants was fear of unconsciously transmitting the infection on people close to them and that members of their families become infected with COVID-19
Patients’ trust in the health care system and physiotherapists
Get PDFIntroduction: The assessment of the health-care system by its beneficiaries is based on evaluation of the public perception in regards to the performance of healthcare workers, the functioning of the health system, the effectiveness of health policy measures, and a number of other components. The aim of this study was to determine patients’ trust in the work of physiotherapists and the health-care system; determine the quality of communication between the patient and the physiotherapist and determine the quality of cooperation between healthcare workers in the provision of health services.Methods: The study is descriptive, conducted in five cities: Banja Luka, Bihać, Herceg Novi, Nikšić, and Podujevo. The confidence in health-care questionnaire developed by Calnan and Sanford (2004) was used as a research instrument, containing six areas of research: Attitude toward the patient, Health policy and patient care, Professionalism and expertise, Quality of health care, Communication and information, and Quality of cooperation.Results: The mean age of the subjects was 41 years, 24 females and 26 males. Subjects expressed the greatest satisfaction on subscales I - Attitude toward the patient (27.44 ± 3.59 out of 30) and IV - Quality of health care (36.60 ± 4.19 out of 40), which represents 91.5% of the possible maximum. This is followed by subscale V - Communication and information (20.8 ± 3.17 out of 25) corresponding to 83.2% of the possible maximum, followed by subscale III - Professionalism and expertise (15.68 ± 3.29 out of 20) which represents 78.4% of the possible maximum. Subjects showed the least satisfaction on subscales II - Health policy and patient care (16.94 ± 5.56 out of 25), which represents 67.8% of the possible maximum, and subscales VI - Quality of cooperation (9.94 ± 0.42 out of 15) which corresponds to 66.3% of the possible maximum.Conclusions: The research showed a high degree of satisfaction of subjects in various fields, which indicates a high degree of confidence in the work of physiotherapists and the health-care system. Research on a larger sample in needed for creation and implementation of the guidelines in the strategic documents of the countries in the region and for improvement of health policies and patient care
Effect of physical therapy in daily life and work activities for people with chronic cervical pain syndrome
Get PDFIntroduction: Cervical pain syndrome (CPS), or pain in the neck, is defined as a set of symptoms that limit performing movements in the upper part of the back and last more than 1 day. When the mentioned symptoms last for more than 12 weeks, we talk about chronic CPS. It often represents the condition that results from disability. It is associated with poor posture, work in sitting position, stress, and long-lasting and repetitive movements. The aim of the study was to examine the effect of physical therapy on the degree of disability, pain intensity, and daily life and work activities of persons with chronic CPS.Methods: The research was conducted in the health spa center “Reumal” Fojnica from June 2020 until July 2020. It included 50 subjects of both genders, more than 18 years old, and of all occupations, treated with physiotherapy procedures (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, magnetotherapy, therapeutic ultrasound, and kinesitherapy in the form of McKenzie exercises). In addition, a pre- and post-treatment study analyzed the condition of the respondents at the first examination and the control examination after completion of treatment.Results: By analyzing the results, we established that of the total number of respondents, 74% were female, and the average age was 57.36 years. At the end of the study, the degree of disability caused by neck pain was significantly lower (p < 0.05) than the degree of disability before the therapy. Discomfort caused by symptoms of CPS that occurred and interference with work before the therapy was significantly lower (p < 0.05) after the treatment program. Therapeutic procedures have reduced the pain intensity and improved the activities of everyday life.Conclusion: The treatment with physical therapy procedures effectively reduces the degree of disability and pain intensity and improves people’s daily life and work activities with chronic CPS
Does mother scented simulated hand promote comfort, reduce pain, and distress among mechanically ventilated preterm neonates during invasive procedures?
Get PDFIntroduction: Breakthrough technologies in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) revolutionized neonates’ quality of care. Mother scented simulated hand (MSSH) is an ergonomically designed supportive hand that uses the power of touch to simulate the feeling of being held and cuddled. This study aimed to determine the effect of MSSH on promoting comfort among mechanically ventilated preterm neonates during invasive procedures.Methods: A quasi-experimental, pre-posttest two groups study was carried out in NICU in Smouha, Alexandria. A sample of 62 mechanically ventilated neonates was randomly assigned to two equal groups; the study group wrapped with a warm MSSH during the invasive procedures while the control group received standard care of NICU. Two observers independently rated the neonates’ level of comfort, distress, and pain during endotracheal suctioning (ETS) and heel prick using COMFORTneo scale.Results: It is revealed that the mechanically ventilated neonates had a significantly higher comfort level with MSSH than the standard care during and after both ETS and heal break (p < 0.001 for each). The neonates had significantly lower distress and pain scores when encircled by MSSH during invasive procedures than standard care (p < 0.001 for NRS distress and p < 0.001 for NRS distress).Conclusion: Wrapping the preterm neonates with a warm MSSH promotes comfort and reduces their pain and distress during invasive procedures, especially when their mothers are not physically available
Anxiety Symptoms Among Lebanese Health-care Students: Prevalence, Risk Factors, And Relationship With Vitamin D Status
Get PDFIntroduction: Various emotions may arise in the context of extensive curriculum of paramedical education. Their association to biological aspects such as Vitamin D status is to be examined with regard to the prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency in the region. This research aims to evaluate the prevalence of anxiety symptoms and their relationship with Vitamin D status among Lebanese health-care students.Methods: A total of 157 university students aged 18-25 years old completed a questionnaire related to medical and psychiatric history, nutritional intake, lifestyle habits, and social difficulties. Anxiety symptoms were assessed by Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale. Vitamin D serum levels were analyzed using ELISA technique.Results: Anxiety symptoms were present in 37.5% of students with 2.5% presenting severe anxiety. Anxiety symptoms were significantly associated to health problems (p = 0.0038), social difficulties (p = 0.001), and a family history of psychiatric disorders (p < 0.0001). Low Vitamin D levels were detected in 49.3% of participants; 77.5% having a Vitamin D insufficiency while the rest presenting a Vitamin D deficiency. Students with anxiety symptoms had significantly lower Vitamin D levels as compared to those having no anxiety manifestations (17.9 ng/mL ± 7.9 vs. 24.2 ng/mL ± 9.9, p = 0.0023). However, no significant correlation was registered between anxiety symptoms scores and Vitamin D levels.Conclusion: Anxiety symptoms were found to be relatively prevalent among health-care students and associated to low Vitamin D levels. Further studies are warranted to clarify the beneficial effect of Vitamin D supplementation in the prevention, management, and treatment of anxiety symptoms among health-care students
COVID-19 and children
Get PDFMost children with a proven coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infection are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms. However, a small number of children have been identified in the past 2 months with developed significant multisystem inflammatory response. All children were treated according to standard protocols. Children with this disease may require hospitalization in pediatric intensive care unit with a multisystem team approach to the disease, which includes pediatricians, infectologists, cardiologists, rheumatologists, immunologists, and epidemiologists. This extremely rare disease is curable if diagnosed in time. This rare syndrome has features in common with other pediatric inflammatory diseases including Kawasaki syndrome, staphylococcal and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome, bacterial sepsis, macrophage activation syndrome, and may present with unusual abdominal pain including elevated inflammation markers. Early recognition of this disease by a pediatrician or family doctor specialist is crucial for the timely treatment and outcome of the disease
Work Caused Musculoskeletal Disorders in Health Professionals
Get PDFIntroduction: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) are the most common work-related diseases and describe a wide range of degenerative and inflammatory conditions affecting blood vessels, peripheral nerves, joints, ligaments, tendons, and muscles. WRMSDs are becoming an increasing problem in modern society. They are the second biggest cause of short-term or temporary incapacity for work just following a cold. At the workplace, health professionals represent a very vulnerable category in terms of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) development. It is estimated that almost one-third of all cases of absence from work among health care professionals are related to MSDs. Studies also show that a large number of health professionals report the occurrence of MSDs in one or more regions of the body, with a problem with the lower back being one of the most common.Methods: This article presents a non-experimental (qualitative) research, or a scientific review of the published literaturewhere the databases were reviewed in which the keywords for the review were: MSDs, work, health, intervention program,and ergonomics. Various databases were used in the preparation of this article, including PubMed, Google Scholar, Medline, Hrčak, Dabar, Science Direct, and Science Citation.Results: The results include a review and analysis of eighteen published scientific articles in the period 2001-2020. The studies published in these articles has been conducted in the United States, Australia, Switzerland, Portugal, Slovenia, Turkey, China, Nigeria, Israel, Tunisia, Iran, Croatia, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Serbia, Macedonia, and Greece.Conclusion: This article should indicate the magnitude of the problems of WRMSDs in health professionals and that this topic is an inexhaustible and very interesting basis for further studies by current and future researchers to create strategies for the prevention and treatment of this disorder and to eliminate its causes