56 research outputs found
Walking on an uneven surface: the effect of common peroneal stimulation on gait parameters and relationship between perceived and measured benefits in a sample of people with a drop-foot
No full textObjectives. To examine the effect of using a common peroneal stimulator on an even and an uneven surface, and to compare measures with perceived response to stimulation.Method. Participants had a drop-foot caused by a stroke (N = 13) or multiple sclerosis (N = 7) and had used a common peroneal stimulator for > 3 months prior to the study. Walking speed and physiological cost index (PCI) were recorded under four conditions: with and without stimulation over an even and an uneven surface. Participants also completed a questionnaire. Results. A statistically significant increase in walking speed and decrease in PCI was identified when the stimulator was used. There was a trend to greater improvement on the uneven compared to the even surface. A correlation between perceived benefit of stimulation and a measured decrease in PCI was detected.Conclusion. Stimulation may be particularly beneficial for the more difficult task of walking on an uneven surface. Perceived benefit was related to a reduction in effort of walking, not in increased speed
Neck Pain and Work-Related Factors among Administrative and Academic Staff of the Islamic University of Gaza
No full textWork related neck pain is a common problem among office workers, especially those who are intensive computer users. Objective: the aim of this study was to investigate neck pain and its work-related factors among administrative and academic staff in Islamic University of Gaza. Methods: a descriptive analytical cross sectional study was carried out in Islamic University of Gaza on a convenient sample of 102 academic and administrative employees who suffer from neck pain. Data was collected using face to face structured questionnaire in the period from 15/10/2007 to 15/11/2007. Collected data was entered and analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Results: the results revealed that 44.1% of the respondents are more than 40 years old also there was no relation between age and neck pain but there was a relationship between neck pain and gender, males constituted about 70% of the participants most of them are fromGaza. The majority of those who suffer from neck pain do administrative job. Muscle spasm was the most dominant type of pain located around neck and both shoulders. There was a relation between stress and neck pain. Also 94% of all participants use computer during their work. The results indicated that the Islamic University employees seem to have insufficient knowledge about the correct sitting position on their desks. Most of the employees agree that furniture in their offices is suitable and they had good desks and computers. Conclusion: the study concluded that the risk of neck pain may be reduced by encouraging specific seated postures for the employees of Islamic University
Activity limitation and Community Integration among Adults with Spinal Cord Injuries in Gaza Strip
No full textThis study aimed to assess activity limitation (AL) and community integration (CI) among adults with spinal cord injury, and to study factors that may affect CI for spinal cord injury patients in Gaza Strip (GS). Study design and methodology: A cross-sectional design was used in this study. It included 120 adults with spinal cord injury (SCI), 105 males and 15 females living in the community for at least three months after the injury. The researcher used non-probability convenience sampling. The data collected using a structured interview questionnaire to assess CI and the functional independence measure (FIM) to assessALin the period from 8 March to 20 June 2008. Collected data was entered and analyzed using SPSS (for significance testing, Chi-Square statistical test was used). Results: The mean age of the individuals in this study was 34.9 years. A great percent of them shows high level of CI 58.3% and independency in Activity of Daily Living (ADL) including self-activities, shopping, banking, and transportation 65%. There is no significant relationship between the level of education, level of injury andAL, while other factors as age, gender, marital status (MS), cause of injury, type of injury there is no relationship. There is significant statistical relationship between gender and the level of injury and CI, P=0.029, while other variables as age, gender, MS, cause of injury, type of injury and duration of living with SCI has no significant statistical relationship with CI. There is very strong statistical significant relationship between AL and CI, P= 0.001. Conclusion: The study concluded that most of the individuals with SCI have High level of CI and independency in ADL, there is relationship between AL and CI, as the most independent individuals with SCI the high level of CI. The level of education and the level of injury, the higher level of education the higher level of independency, also affect the independency level. Individuals with cervical level lesion show the lowest level of CI and more dependency in the ADL. Concentration on achieving independency in ADL during the rehabilitation period is of great importance in the outcome of CI after discharge to home, and improving the level of education of the same importance
The Palestinian Day of Return: from a short day of commemoration to a long day of mourning
No full textAwareness, attitudes, and knowledge of Palestinian doctors about evidence-based medicine:A cross-sectional survey
No full textBackgroundEvidence-based medicine (EBM) is an effective strategy to integrate evidence into decision-making alongside patients’ values and clinical expertise. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the awareness, knowledge, and attitudes of Palestinian physicians about EBM.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study, in which data were collected between August and November, 2014, using a web-based, 20-item questionnaire adapted from McColl and colleagues to assess awareness of, attitudes to, and knowledge about EBM. We used email and social media to survey Palestinian doctors working in health centres affiliated with the Ministry of Health, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), academic, and private sectors.FindingsOf 135 physicians who completed the questionnaire, the majority were men (116; 86%), younger than 30 years old (104; 77%), resident or general physicians (117; 87%), who worked in a government health-care setting or UNRWA (104; 79%). Most of the respondents (99; 73%) welcomed the concept of EBM, agreed that EBM is useful in their daily practice (104; 77%) and can improve patient care (109; 81%), and claimed that more than half of their daily clinical practice is evidence-based (84; 62%). However, two-thirds of respondents (90; 67%) thought that practicing EBM would place demands on already overloaded doctors. Only 27% (36) had received formal training in EBM, which was received through the EBM Unit in Gaza for 64% (23) of these physicians. The major perceived barriers to practicing EBM were insufficient knowledge and skills (47; 35%), lack of managerial and institutional support (24; 18%), limited resources and free access to databases or libraries (31; 23%), work overload (27; 20%), and negative attitude to EBM among some colleagues, especially the most senior (34; 25%).InterpretationDespite the positive attitude towards learning and implementing EBM among (mainly young) Palestinian physicians, these doctors feel that they have inadequate knowledge and skills in practicing EBM. They need effective practical educational training programmes in EBM, clinical appraisal, and literature searching skills. Importantly, the attitudes of policymakers and senior staff need to change to promote the practice of EBM within the health services
Awareness, attitudes and knowledge about evidence-based medicine among doctors in Gaza: a cross-sectional survey
No full textEvidence-based medicine (EBM) has emerged as a strategy to integrate research evidence within clinical decision-making. We have explored awareness, knowledge and attitudes about EBM among doctors in the Gaza Strip. In 2014, we conducted a cross-sectional survey among doctors working in health centres in Gaza, using a 20 item, web-based self-administered questionnaire. Approximately two thirds of the respondents welcomed EBM in principle, and believed that it could improve patient care. However, they had a relatively low level of knowledge about EBM. The main barriers to EBM mentioned by respondents were lack of knowledge needed to practise EBM [n = 47 (35%)]; negative attitude among senior colleagues [n = 34 (25%)]; lack of relevant resources [n = 31 (23%)]; work overload [n = 27 (20%)]; and lack of institutional support [n = 248 (18%)]. Thus, there are personal and organisational barriers to its practice that need to be addressed.</p
The Palestinian Day of Return: from a short day of commemoration to a long day of mourning
No full textOn Friday, March 30, 2018, marking the 42nd anniversary of Land Day—when Israeli forces killed six Palestinians during protests against land confiscation in 1976—Palestinians in the Gaza Strip marched to the eastern border with Israel beginning a six-week protest—what they termed the Great March of Return. It was the bloodiest day in Gaza since the 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict. 1 Thousands of Palestinian civilians including women and children participated in the protest, mostly staying 500–700 m from the perimeter fence between Israel and the Gaza Strip in five places—eastern Jabalia, eastern Gaza, eastern Bureij, eastern Khanyounis, and eastern Rafah. 2 The precise conduct of some participants in the march is disputed, but it is indisputable that the Israeli army responded with live ammunition from snipers, tank fire, plastic coated steel bullets, rubber bullets, and tear gas grenades launched from armoured military vehicles. 3 I have reviewed the latest official statistics and reports from the Ministry of Health in Gaza, 4 official reports from the WHO office in Gaza, 5 the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), 6 and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) 7 to collate this report on the number and type of injuries sustained by marchers. I have also followed up the patients who were admitted to hospitals by contacting hospital directors and the official spokesman for the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MOH) and comparing the numbers with official reports released by the Palestinian Health Information center at the MOH Gaza office. During our followup, we checked on the numbers of those patients who subsequently
Can the use of “WHO Surgical safety checklist” Save lives? Gathering the evidence.
No full textBackground: World health Organization (WHO) has published in 2009, the first edition of the surgery safety checklist (A 20-items tool) that focus on teamwork, communication, adherence to good practice, and anticipation of adverse events. The checklist aims to ensure that teams consistently follow a few critical safety steps and thereby minimize the most common and avoidable risks endangering the lives and well-being of surgical patients worldwide (WHO, 2015)
Antibiotic prophylaxis in caesarean section at Al-Helal Al-Emirati Hospital (Al-HEH), Gaza Strip, Palestine: A clinical audit
No full textBackground Nowadays, there is a general consensus among the current best guidelines about the procedural aspects of antibiotic prophylaxis in Caesarean Section (CS). Clinical audit, which has never been done before in the Gaza strip, is a tool of quality control used worldwide for healthcare improvement and is aimed at assessing clinicians’ and other clinical staffs’ adherence to the applicable guidelines.
Objective This study was undertaken to audit the use of antibiotic prophylaxis in CS at Al-HEH, Gaza Strip, Palestine.
Methods A sample of 38 cases was selected randomly among all the women who underwent CS during the period from 22 March 2015 to 16 April 2015. Using SPSS program, data were analysed for age, type of CS, whether they received antibiotics or not, type of antibiotics, and timing of its administration.
Results Of the total 38 patients, urgent CS was carried out in 31.57% of cases while the procedure was elective in 68.42%. Antibiotic prophylaxis was given in 60.53% of cases before the surgery while no prophylaxis was received by the rest. Using Chi-Square Statistic, it was found that the correlation between the type of CS and the decision of prescribing antibiotics before the surgery to be statistically significant (P= 0.02). Moreover, 81.58% of cases were found to have received antibiotics after the surgery and a lack of uniformity of the antibiotics given to this group was also noted.
Conclusion This study indicates that clinicians at Al-HEH do not follow evidence-based practice regarding antibiotic prophylaxis when managing CS patients. Moreover, the non-justified use of antibiotics again in many of those who received
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