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Impact of physical therapy on muscle strength in patients with degenerative hip changes
Get PDFIntroduction: An increasing number of people suffer from degenerative diseases of the hip joints. Many studies report the long-term outcomes of invasive therapy in the treatment of coxarthrosis. However, results of prolonged conservative treatment are scarce. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of prolonged conservative physical therapy on functional recovery of degenerative hip changes.
Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 47 patients diagnosed with coxarthrosis according to the American College of Rheumatology criteria. Data on sex and age, duration of physical therapy, the type of physical therapy, the values of manual muscle test (MMT) at admission and discharge, were taken from the medical records of the patients.
Results: There were 76.6% female and 23.4% male patients. Half of the patients were 70 or more years old. Majority of patients were treated by kinesiotherapy (74.5%) and had significantly different (p < 0.05) values of MMT at admission and discharge. Duration of treatment was 10-20 days for 23.4% of patients, while 29.8% received treatment for 31-40 days.
Conclusion: According to our results, MMT significantly improved at the end of the treatment. Thus, physical therapy had a positive effect on the recovery of muscle strength in patients with coxarthrosis
Prevalence of co-existence genes and clonal spread of ESBL-producing isolates causing hospital and community-acquired infections in Zenica-Doboj Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Get PDFIntroduction: Co-existence type of ESBL-producing isolates are serious problem in the public health world.
Methods Antibiotic susceptibility was determined by disc diffusion and broth microdilution according to CLSI guidelines. Double-disk synergy test was performed in order to screen for ESBLs/pAmpC beta-lactamases. PCR was used to detect blaESBL/blaampC/blacarb genes. Genetic relatedness of the strains was determined by pulsed-field-gel-electrophoresis (PFGE).
Results In this study 88 of the inpatient isolates (n=126; 10.0%) and 62 of the outpatient (n=184; 6.4%) Beta-lactamase-producing isolates were taken for the study. They included 50.0/29.0% K. pneumoniae, 12.5/30.6% E. coli, 11.4/4.8% A. baumannii, 8.0/14.5% K. oxytoca, 8.0/4.8% E. cloacae, 5.7/8.1% Proteus spp., and less than 3.5% of other isolates. Co-existence of more than two type of beta-lactamases was detected in 77.3% of inpatient and 45.2% of outpatient isolates. Among inpatient isolates, Klebsiella spp. and E. coli were the most frequent isolates which produce more than two type of genes; in ≈ 65% and ≈12% cases. Separately, combination of four: TEM+SHV+CTX-M+OXA-1 beta-lactamases in inpatient K. pneumoniae isolates were detected in 63.6% cases respectively. Differents in antimicrobial resistance were higher to cephalosporins agents in Klebsiella spp., and E. coli at inpatient and outpatient isolates which produce more than two types of beta-lactamases than in isolates which produce one type of beta-lactamases.
Conclusion: This work demonstrates a progressively increasing prevalence of co-existence type of beta-lactamases expecially in inpatient isolates. Continous monitoring and surveillance and proper infection control and prevention practice will limit the further spread of these isolates
Self-care behaviors and practices of nursing students: Review of literature
Get PDFSelf-care is a vital component of nursing practice and is essential for the well-being of human beings, that is, both patients and nurses. However, nurses and nursing students tend to focus more on self-care of their patients and often pay little or no attention to personal self-care. This literature review explored self-care behaviors and practices of nursing students in general as well as across academic years of the study. In total, 11 studies were reviewed and critically appraised to identify current trends regarding nursing students’ self-care practices and behaviors in nursing literature. Nursing students realized the importance of maintaining their diet, sleep, and activity level to improve physical and physiological health. However, they tend to neglect self-care practices which could improve their emotional and psychological health because of academic stress, workload, and inadequate knowledge about the strategies to improve self-care in this domain. There is limited evidence for drawing any conclusions regarding students’ use of complementary therapies for self-care, the difference between self-care practices of nursing and non-nursing students, the usefulness of different interventions for improving students’ self-care practices, and the differences between self-care practices and behaviors of students across academic years
Daily activities of working individuals with hearing and speech disabilities
Get PDFIntroduction
Disability is one of the factors that can lead to social exclusion and poverty of individuals with hearing and speech impairment. This is due to the fact that individuals with disabilities are often underestimated, in terms of their work and social skills. The employment of people with disabilities represents a powerful mechanism for achieving full participation of the marginalized groups in all spheres of society.
Methods
The study included a total of 40 people with hearing and speech disabilities, out of which 16 individuals were employed at DES d.o.o. Sarajevo and 24 at SINKRO d.o.o. Sarajevo. A combination of three questionnaires was used for assessing daily activities and their impact on the quality of life (QoL) of the individuals with hearing and speech disabilities.
Results
In the total sample, there were 35% males and 65% females. Complete deafness was observed in the majority of participants (90%), while the rest had either moderate (7.5%) or mild (2.5%) hearing impairment. A higher number of participants used sign language as the means of communication, compared to manual alphabet. About 17.5% of the participants used a cochlear implant or a hearing aid. Most of the individuals lived with a spouse (70%), 20% lived with their parents, 7.5% lived independently, and 2.5% lived with a guardian. The majority of the participants who were married had a child (57.5%). The average Ferrans and Powers\u27 Quality of Life Index (QLI) was 19.33, and the average value for total daily activities was 11.700 MET. The average value for the level of physical activity in males was M = 13716.5 and in females M = 10613.56 (p > 0.05).
Conclusions
Overall, we showed that daily activities have a positive effect on the QoL of working individuals with hearing and speech disabilities, i.e., the individuals who had a higher level of physical activity also had a higher QoL
Worldwide clustering of surgical indicators and predictors of risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care
Get PDFIntroduction: Better access to surgical care is crucial to improve general health status of the population. Despite studies indicate cross country differences according to the general health indicators, there is a scarcity of knowledge about the differences between countries according to the surgical indicators. This study aims to classify countries according to the surgical care indicators and to identify predictors of risk of catastrophic health expenditure for surgical care.
Methods: Data came from WHO and WB statistics and totally 177 countries were selected for this study. Variable groups are determined as; total density of medical imaging technologies, workforce distribution in surgical care, number of surgical prodecures and risk of catastrophic expenditure for surgical care. K-means clustering algorithm was used to classify countries according to the surgical indicators. Optimal number of clusters determined by using within cluster sum of squares and scree plot. Silhouette index was used to examine clustering performance. Random Forest decision tree approach was used to determine predictors of the risk for catastrophic expenditure for surgical care.
Results: Study results shows that there are four country groups exists according to their surgical care indicators. High and low income countries are in different clusters. The third cluster which consists of low income countries has high Silhouette index value (0.75). Surgeon density and density of the medical imaging technologies are determinators of the risk for catastrophic expenditure for surgical care (AUC=0.82).
Conclusions: Study results pose that there is a need for more effective health plans to overcome the differences between countries in terms of surgical care indicators. Determining strategies about distribution of surgical workforce and medical imaging technologies considering accessibility and equality are recommendated for health policy makers
Antiproliferative, antimicrobial, and antioxidant activity of Lavandula angustifolia Mill. essential oil
Get PDFIntroduction: We studied the chemical composition and antimicrobial, antioxidant, and antiproliferative activities of essential oils from flowers of Lavandula angustifolia grown in Southern Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Methods: The chemical profile of essential oil was evaluated by means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Antimicrobial activity was tested against six bacterial strains. The antioxidant activity by the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) test and the antiproliferative activity against three human cancer cell lines, MCF-7, NCI-H460, and MOLT-4, were investigated using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-Yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide tests.
Results: In L. angustifolia essential oil, monoterpene alcohols were the most represented class of volatiles (51.8%), including linalool, lavandulol, and terpinen-4-ol, α-terpineol as the major components, followed by monoterpene esters (22.6%). The most important antibacterial activity of essential oil was expressed on Gram-negative strains. Investigated essential oil was able to reduce DPPH radicals into the neutral DPPH-H form (inhibitory concentration 50% [IC50] = 0.421 mg/ml), and this activity was dose dependent. The essential oil showed significant antiproliferative activity against three cancer cell lines, MOLT-4, MCF-7, and NCI-H460 cells, with IC50 values of 17, 94, and 97 µg/ml, respectively. The result of the antiproliferative assay indicates that MOLT-4 cell line was the most sensitive to investigated essential oil.
Conclusion: The results revealed that L. angustifolia essential oil may be important growth inhibitor against the microbes studied. It also possesses significant antioxidant activity and demonstrated excellent antiproliferative activity against MOLT-4 cells
Spinal cord stimulation in the treatment of neuropathic pain: Current perspectives of indications, cost-effectiveness, complications and results
Get PDFIntroduction: The spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has been described as a valuable neuromodulating procedure in the management of chronic and medically untreated neuropathic pain. Although, many studies have discussed the use of this technique, a question still remains regarding its efficacy in different medical conditions with different etiology in the long term. The aim of this paper is to discuss the risks, complications, cost-effectiveness and results of SCS in patients affected by chronic neuropathic pain based on the comprehensive literature review.
Methods: Bibliographic search of references from 1950 to 2016 using the databases MEDLINE, LILACS, SciELO, PubMed, and applied language as selection criteria, choosing preferably recent articles written in Portuguese, Spanish or English.
Results: Based on literature review, SCS is a safe, reversible, adjustable and nondestructive surgical procedure demonstrating a significant effect in the reduction of pain intensity and improvement in quality of life in these patients. Furthermore, in spite of the initial high cost to its application, SCS has been associated with lower rates of complications and high rates of cost-effectiveness when compared to standard therapies.
Conclusion: Although used in medical conditions with different etiology, the procedure is still an effective and a cost-effective approach to neuropathic pain, mainly in patients affected by failed back pain syndrome (FBSS) and complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
Pilot Study on the Responsiveness of Nurses to the Patient’s Request for complementary medicine
Get PDFIntroduction: When it comes to integrative medicine, the nurses are "caught in a trap" of their own views and developed competencies, as well as the views of the institution and the country where they work. The pilot study’s objective was to explore what is the expected reaction of nurses to the patient’s request for complementary treatment with tea in hospitals where integrative nursing has not yet been normatively recognised.
Methods: The quantitative research approach with a survey was used. Nonprobability sampling covered 506 persons from Southeast Slovenia, paticipating voluntarily: nurses, nursing students, patients and other persons. Respondents were to choose among the 11 previously prepared scenarios of possible responses of the nurse.
Results: Significant differences regarding the expected reaction of nurses both within the groups, as well as between the groups of respondents were found. The most possible critical response of nurses was to offer the tea which is daily available on the ward. A fifth of respondents believe that the patient’s tea would be provided by the visiting relatives.
Conclusion: Due to the prepared scenarios, findings and given orientations for further research, the study can be further implemented in the international environment for empirical verification
Tobacco, alcohol, drugs consumption, and perception about the family functioning among adolescents in Tuzla Canton
Get PDFIntroduction: Family is a strong communicative base of adolescent development, even though environment has its own influence as well. The study links the risks and substance use (tobacco, alcohol, and drugs) among adolescents to their perception about the functioning of family. Hence, a model of functional communication has been established aimed at preventing the defined problem.
Methods: A random, voluntary, and anonymous survey was conducted that included a non-clinical sample of 1.018 adolescents in the Tuzla Canton. In a prospective method, the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System of the World Health Organization (WHO) was used, modified for this study.
Results: The average prevalence of substance use is 81.2% and is significant for male adolescents. Some 33% of the respondents smoke tobacco, 25.4% drinks alcohol, while 12% of the surveyed adolescents use drugs. There is a significant correlation between a complete and broader family and tobacco and alcohol use, while incomplete family and household without family members are linked to tobacco use only. The risk of alcohol use is significantly related to father’s higher level of education while mother’s high school education is significantly related to tobacco and alcohol use. As perceived by adolescents, parents have negative attitudes about substance use (75%), they are more strict in setting the rules of behavior at home (45.5%) than outside, and control where more than with whom adolescents spend their free time (F=14.14, df [2.6], p<0.05).
Conclusion: The functioning of a family (family structure, parents’ education, and the quality of communication in a family) is a significant factor in the context of tobacco, alcohol, and drug use
Relationship between lifestyle habits of postmenopausal women and altered bone mineral density determined by ultrasound (US) screening and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA)
Get PDFIntroduction: Osteoporosis is a skeletal system disease characterized by decline of bone mass and deterioration of bone microarchitecture, which leads to increased bone fragility and, consequently, a greater risk of fractures. Postmenopausal osteoporosis generally occurs between 51 and 75 years of age following ovarian failure. Our aim was to investigate if specific lifestyle habits, i.e., smoking cigarettes and physical activity, as well as the intake of dietary supplements, affect bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women.Methods: Ultrasound (US) and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) data, obtained between 2008 and 2009 year, were retrospectively reviewed for 150 women in postmenopause, 50-65 years old, who live in Sarajevo Canton. The women were classified into two groups: Group A (75 postmenopausal women who underwent US of the left heel bone); control group B (75 postmenopausal women who underwent US of the left heel bone and had a DEXA scan of the lumbar spine and left hip).Results: The study included 150 women with the average age of 55.39 years. In the total sample, 24.7% of women took calcium and vitamin D supplements, and no statistically significant difference was observed between the groups. In the total sample, the prevalence of osteoporosis was significantly different between smokers and nonsmokers; i.e., osteoporosis was more frequent in women who smoked cigarettes. On average, women in both groups reported low physical activity; the difference was not statistically significant.Conclusions: Menopause is a known risk for osteoporosis. Our results showed that the length of menopause is closely associated with osteoporosis occurrence