Superior effect of forceful compared with standard traction mobilizations in hip disability?

The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of two compiled physiotherapy programs: one including forceful traction mobilizations, the other including traction with unknown force, in patients with hip disability according to ICF (the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, 2001; WHO), using a block randomized, controlled trial with two parallel treatment groups in a regular private outpatient physiotherapy practice. In the experimental group (E; n = 10) and control group (C; n = 9), the mean (±SD) age for all participants was 59 ± 12 years. They were recruited from outpatient physiotherapy clinics, had persistent pain located at the hip joint for >8 weeks and hip hypomobility. Both groups received exercise, information and manual traction mobilization. In E, the traction force was progressed to 800 N, whereas in C it was unknown. Major outcome measure was the median total change score ≥20 points or ≥50% of the disease- and joint-specific Hip disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS), compiled of Pain, Stiffness, Function and Hip-related quality of life (ranging 0–100). The mean (range) treatments received were 13 (7–16) over 5–12 weeks and 20 (18–24) over 12 weeks for E and C, respectively. The experimental group showed superior clinical post-treatment effect on HOOS (≥20 points), in six of 10 participants compared with none of nine in the control group (p = 0.011). The effect size was 1.1. The results suggest that a compiled physiotherapy program including forceful traction mobilizations are short-term effective in reducing self-rated hip disability in primary healthcare. The long-term effect is to be documented

Environmental dichlorodiphenyltrichlorethane or hexachlorobenzene exposure and breast cancer: is there a risk?

The carcinogenic potential of environmental xenoestrogens (i.e., organochlorines) is a matter of controversy. Their pathogenic role as promoters in breast cancer has been previously suggested. In Europe, despite their prohibition since the '70s, residues persist in soil and rivers resulting in a widespread contamination of the general population. In this study, we have compared the serum levels of p,p'-1,1-dichloro-2, 2-bis (4-chlorophenyl) ethylene (DDE) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) in 231 women at the time of breast cancer discovery and in 290 agematched healthy controls. p,p'-DDE was found in 76.2% of cases and in 71.1% of controls but HCB was present only in 12.6% of cases (29 from 231) and in 8.9% of controls (26 from 290). Even if taking all undetectable results (recorded as "0") into consideration, mean values were significantly different in cases when compared to controls. The serum level of p,p'-DDE was 3.46+/-3.48 ppb (0.58+/-0.58 mug/g lipid) in patients and 1.85+/-2.09 ppb (0.31+/-0.35 mug/g lipid) in controls (p<0.0001). The HCB serum level was 0.66+/-1.25 ppb (0.11+/-0.21 mug/g lipid) in patients and 0.20+/-1.02 ppb (0.03+/-0.17 mug/g lipid) in controls (p<0.0001). When considering p,p'-DDE and HCB as binary variables (1 if higher than the limit of quantification, 0 if lower), the presence of both residues was significantly associated with an increased risk of breast cancer development (OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.41-3.48 for p,p'-DDE and OR 4.99, 95% CI 2.95-8.43 for HCB). No excess was observed among parous women or when familial history of breast cancer was considered. In the cancer group, no differences in serum levels of p,p'-DDE or HCB were found in relation with estrogenreceptor (ER) status, Bloom stage or lymph node metastasis, but the HCB level was moderately correlated with tumor size (p=0.026)

Thyroid status in elderly sick patients

Thyroid investigations were performed on 55 euthyroid patients hospitalized for chronic disease or recovering from acute illness. Three age groups were considered. Abnormalities were found only in patients over 75 years: 1) in the TRH test the maximum increase in serum TSH (delta TSHmax) was less marked and frequently delayed to 60 min, whereas the increase in T3 in 120 min (delta T3) was maintained; basal TSH was normal; 2) in 15 out of 28 cases, the pattern of circulating thyronines was abnormal showing an increase in reverse T3 a normal or decreased T3, and a rise in free T4 index beyond the normal range in 3 cases. In all cases but one, the combination of delta TSHmax, and delta T3 differentiated these patients from hyperthyroids.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe