Impact of the width and shape of the sliding board on design evaluation.

This study aimed to investigate how width affects the design evaluation of sliding boards with a new shape. Ten caregivers at a senior facility evaluated five types of boards every two weeks. The new shape board received high ratings as the width increased, with a SUS (System Usability Scale) score of 68.5 points (95% CI 60.6-76.4). Compared to the traditional rectangular board, which had a width of 250 mm and a thickness of 5 mm, the new shape board (with a central width of 163 mm and a thickness of 8 mm) received higher ratings by 0.68 points (95% CI 0.31-1.05)using a paired comparison method. The results of a quantitative study on the usability of sliding boards from the perspective of caregivers indicated that for similar board shapes with a length of 650 mm and a thickness of 8 mm, the evaluation increases as the width increases in the range of 130 mm to 163 mm at the center.

Effect of nutritional status on occurrence of pneumonia after traumatic cervical spinal cord injury.

Pneumonia after cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI) is a common and serious complication; however, its nutrition-related etiology has not yet been elucidated. This study aimed to elucidate the effects of nutritional factors on pneumonia after CSCI. Patients with acute traumatic CSCI who were admitted within 3 days after injury and followed up for at least 3 months were retrospectively examined. Occurrence of pneumonia, nutritional status, severity of dysphagia, vital capacity, use of respirators, and motor scores for paralysis were evaluated. Of 182 patients included in this study, 33 (18%) developed pneumonia. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that low nutritional status, severe paralysis, and low vital capacity were significant risk factors for pneumonia. The severity of paralysis, respiratory dysfunction, and poor nutritional status can affect the occurrence of pneumonia after CSCI. In addition to respiratory management, nutritional assessment and intervention may play key roles in preventing pneumonia associated with spinal cord injury-induced immune depression. Nutritional care should be provided as soon as possible when the nutritional status of a patient worsens after an injury.