Reproducibility of goniometric measurement of the knee in the in-hospital phase following total knee arthroplasty

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The objective of the present study was to assess interobserver reproducibility (in terms of reliability and agreement) of active and passive measurements of knee RoM using a long arm goniometer, performed by trained physical therapists in a clinical setting in total knee arthroplasty patients, within the first four days after surgery.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Test-retest analysis</p> <p>Setting: University hospital departments of orthopaedics and physical therapy</p> <p>Participants: Two experienced physical therapists assessed 30 patients, three days after total knee arthroplasty.</p> <p>Main outcome measure: RoM measurement using a long-arm (50 cm) goniometer</p> <p>Agreement was calculated as the mean difference between observers ± 95% CI of this mean difference. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was calculated as a measure of reliability, based on two-way random effects analysis of variance.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The lowest level of agreement was that for measurement of passive flexion with the patient in supine position (mean difference 1.4°; limits of agreement 16.2° to 19° for the difference between the two observers. The highest levels of agreement were found for measurement of passive flexion with the patient in sitting position and for measurement of passive extension (mean difference 2.7°; limits of agreement -6.7 to 12.1 and mean difference 2.2°; limits of agreement -6.2 to 10.6 degrees, respectively). The ability to differentiate between subjects ranged from 0.62 for measurement of passive extension to 0.89 for measurements of active flexion (ICC values).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Interobserver agreement for flexion as well as extension was only fair. When two different observers assess the same patients in the acute phase after total knee arthroplasty using a long arm goniometer, differences in RoM of less than eight degrees cannot be distinguished from measurement error. Reliability was found to be acceptable for comparison on group level, but poor for individual comparisons over time.</p

Efficacy of early neonatal vitamin A supplementation in reducing mortality during infancy in Ghana, India and Tanzania: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Vitamin A supplementation of 6-59 month old children is currently recommended by the World Health Organization based on evidence that it reduces mortality. There has been considerable interest in determining the benefits of neonatal vitamin A supplementation, but the results of existing trials are conflicting. A technical consultation convened by WHO pointed to the need for larger scale studies in Asia and Africa to inform global policy on the use of neonatal vitamin A supplementation. Three trials were therefore initiated in Ghana, India and Tanzania to determine if vitamin A supplementation (50,000 IU) given to neonates once orally on the day of birth or within the next two days will reduce mortality in the period from supplementation to 6 months of age compared to placebo. The trials are individually randomized, double masked, and placebo controlled. The required sample size is 40,200 in India and 32,000 each in Ghana and Tanzania. The study participants are neonates who fulfil age eligibility, whose families are likely to stay in the study area for the next 6 months, who are able to feed orally, and whose parent(s) provide informed written consent to participate in the study. Neonates randomized to the intervention group receive 50,000 IU vitamin A and the ones randomized to the control group receive placebo at the time of enrollment. Mortality and morbidity information are collected through periodic home visits by a study worker during infancy. The primary outcome of the study is mortality from supplementation to 6 months of age. The secondary outcome of the study is mortality from supplementation to 12 months of age. The three studies will be analysed independent of each other. Subgroup analysis will be carried out to determine the effect by birth weight, sex, and timing of DTP vaccine, socioeconomic groups and maternal large-dose vitamin A supplementation. The three ongoing studies are the largest studies evaluating the efficacy of vitamin A supplementation to neonates. Policy formulation will be based on the results of efficacy of the intervention from the ongoing randomized controlled trials combined with results of previous studies

Avaliação da eficácia da pomada de própolis em portadores de feridas crônicas Evaluación de la eficacia de la pomada de própolis en portadores de heridas crónicas The effect of propolis cream in healing chronic ulcers

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a evolução de úlceras crônicas utilizando a terapêutica tópica com a própolis. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de um estudo descritivo onde foram identificadas vinte pessoas com feridas crônicas encaminhadas pelas Unidades Básicas de Saúde do Município de Maringá, Paraná. A análise baseou-se na avaliação e no tempo de cicatrização das feridas, realizada por meio do cálculo do Coeficiente de Correlação de Pearson para verificar a relação entre as medidas médias horizontais, verticais e de profundidades, a evolução do processo cicatricial. RESULTADOS: O acompanhamento de 22 úlceras crônicas permitiu observar por meio da análise estatística que a chance de cicatrização de todas as lesões foi de 13,1 semanas. Considerando um seguimento de 20 semanas 74,1% das úlceras lograram cicatrização antes desse período. Quanto à etiologia, as úlceras venosas cicatrizaram em 35% (7) dos pacientes, contrapondo-se às úlceras de pressão cuja cicatrização ocorreu em apenas 10,0% (2) dos pacientes. CONCLUSÃO: Concluiu-se, que a utilização da forma farmacêutica pomada de própolis, de fácil acesso e de baixo custo, foi eficiente na cicatrização de feridas.<br>OBJETIVO: Evaluar la evolución de úlceras cronicas utilizando terapéutica tópica con pomada de própolis. MÉTODOS: Se trata de un estudio descriptivo en el cual fueron identificadas veinte personas con heridas crónicas encaminhadas por las Unidades Básicas de Salud del Municipio de Maringá, Paraná- Brasil. El análisis se basó en la evaluación y en el tiempo de cicatrización de las heridas, realizada por medio del cálculo del Coeficiente de Correlación de Pearson para verificar la relación entre las medias horizontales, verticales y de profundidad, o sea, la evolución del proceso de cicatrización. RESULTADOS: El acompañamiento de 22 úlceras crónicas permitió observar, a través del análisis estadístico, que la probabilidad de cicatrización de todas las lesiones fue de 13,1 semanas. Considerando un seguimiento de 20 semanas el 74,1% de las úlceras lograron la cicatrización antes de ese período. En cuanto a la etiología, las úlceras venosas cicatrizaron en 35% (7) de los pacientes, contraponiéndose a las úlceras de presión cuya cicatrización sucedió en apenas el 10,0% (2) de los pacientes. CONCLUSIÓN: Se concluye, que la utilización de pomada de própolis, de fácil acceso y bajo costo, fue sido eficiente en la cicatrización de heridas.<br>OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of propolis cream in healing chronic. METHODS: This descriptive study used a sample of 20 subjects from a Basic Unit of Health of Maringá City, Paraná, Brazil, who had chronic wounds. Wound healing was measured through progress notes of wound length, width, and depth. Data were analyzed with Pearson's correlation to determine the degree and strength of the relationship between propolis cream treatment and wound healing. RESULTS: The progress notes of 22 chronic ulcers showed that the probability of wound healing was 18.7 weeks. Regarding the study period of 13,1 weeks, the majority of ulcers (74.1%) of ulcers healed completely. Regarding wound etiology, vascular ulcers (35%) healed in 7 patients. And, pressure ulcers (10%) healed in patients. CONCLUSION: The use of propolis cream, which is widely accessible and inexpensive, was effective in healing chronic wounds