The efficacy and tolerability of proteoglycan F in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis: A prospective, randomized, double-blind controlled trial.

Objective: To identify the efficacy and tolerability of Proteoglycan F in patients with primary knee OA.Design: A 24-week randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial with two arms: (1) Proteoglycan F (received 10 â€‹mg proteoglycan daily, for 24 weeks) and (2) control group (received placebo). Knee symptoms and joint cartilage status (evaluated by ultrasound and MRI of knee joints), quality of life, serum cytokine levels (IL-1ß and TNF-α), and safety evaluation were measured before, during, and after the treatment. Results: After 24-week treatment, pain reduction (in the KOOS pain score) of at least 20% and at least 50% (NRS scale) compared to baseline in the PGF group was significantly higher than those in the control group. The PGF group had greater reductions in the total scores of subchondral bone marrow edema, and bone cocoon under cartilage on knee MRI (classification according to WORMs), which were -2.27 (-4.0; -0.51) and -1.77 (-3.08; -0.46), respectively (p â€‹< â€‹0.05). The two groups had no statistically significant difference in knee ultrasound characteristics. After 4 weeks, 12, and 24 weeks compared to baseline, there was no statistically significant difference in levels of urea, creatinine, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase within the group and between the two study groups. Conclusions: Salmon cartilage PG with 10 â€‹mg per day has potential to improve pain symptoms and subchondral bone marrow edema and bone cocoon under cartilage lesions in primary knee OA. However, the efficacy of PGF should be viewed with caution, and future studies are needed for more specific evaluation.

Walking Speed Assessed by 4-Meter Walk Test in the Community-Dwelling Oldest Old Population in Vietnam.

This study aims to provide data on usual walking speed in individuals aged 80 years or older and determine the association between walking speed and related factors in community-dwelling older adults. A cross-sectional study design was conducted to measure walking speed on community-dwelling elders aged 80 years or older in Soc Son district, Vietnam. Walking speed was assessed by a 4-Meter Walk Test with a usual-pace walking mode. Health-related characteristics of participants including risk of falls (The Timed Up and Go test, activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), cognitive impairment (Mini-Cog test) and frailty syndrome (The Reported Edmonton Frail Scale (REFS)). Multiple logistic regression was used to analyze the association between a slow walking speed and selected factors. A total of 364 older people were recruited, and the majority were female (65.4%). The overall average walking speed was 0.83 ± 0.27 m/s. The proportion of participants with a slow walking speed (<0.8 m/s) was 40.4%. Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that age, female, high fall risk (assessed by TUG test), ADL/IADL dependence and frailty syndrome had a negative effect on slow walking speed in this population. The results could provide useful reference data for further investigations and measures in clinical practice.

Chronic Pain and Associated Factors Related to Depression among Older Patients in Hanoi, Vietnam.

The interaction of chronic pain and depression among older people has been studied for many years. This study aimed to investigate the frequency of chronic pain and depression among older patients and correlated factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 921 older patients at the National Geriatric Hospital from November 2019 to March 2020. We used the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) to assess the comorbid condition, a numerical rating scale (NRS) to examine pain severity, and Geriatric Depression Scale-15 items (GDS-15) to measure depression among participants. A chi-square test and Tobit regression were used to analyze the relationships. A total of 921 older patients participated in the study. The proportion of depression accounted for 55.8%. The mean Charlson score and number of diseases were 1.2 and 4.7, respectively. A positive correlation was found between comorbidity and chronic pain and depression. Moreover, socio-demographic variables such as occupation, education, and income were associated with pain and depressive symptoms. This study highlights the issue of mental health in older people with chronic pain. The results indicate the necessity of frequent depression screening, pain management, and social activity programs for older people to enhance their health.

Assessing Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding Pain Management Among Nurses Working in a Geriatric Hospital in Vietnam.

BACKGROUND: Nurses play a pivotal role in pain management. Knowing more about nurses' knowledge and attitudes regarding pain is important as we develop multidisciplinary pain services. Therefore, this study aimed to assess knowledge and attitudes regarding pain management among nurses in a geriatric hospital and its associated factors. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A survey was conducted of nurses worked at the National Geriatric Hospital over a 3-month period. The Knowledge and Attitudes Survey Regarding Pain (KASRP) was utilized to assess nurses' knowledge and attitudes toward pain management. Four domains were defined based on KASRP, included cancer-related pain, pain assessment, pharmacology and substance abuse and physical dependence. Knowledge and attitudes regarding pain were classified as poor, fair, or good (≤50%, 50% - 75%, or ≥75% of the KASRP score). Multivariate Tobit regression models were applied to identify factors associated with the knowledge and attitudes regarding pain management. RESULTS: Of 154 participants completed the survey, 72.2% (111 participants) had poor knowledge and attitudes regarding pain management. The participants had a correct mean score of 45.2% (SD = 2.2). Nurses' knowledge of pain assessment was poor, with the proportion of correct answers to nine questions ranging from 2.6% to 50%. 44.8% of nurses reported never or rarely using pain assessment tools. Nurses who had previous training regarding pain at medical universities had significantly higher scores of knowledge and attitudes compared to those without training. Nurses who often use pain assessment tools had a significantly higher level of knowledge and attitudes than those who never or rarely use them. CONCLUSION: This study highlights significant deficits of knowledge and negative attitudes regarding pain management among nurses. The subject of pain management should be applied and enhanced in the nursing undergraduate curriculum. Nurses' active participation in pain management should be encouraged by healthcare providers for older patients.

HIV knowledge and risk behaviors among drug users in three Vietnamese mountainous provinces.

BACKGROUND: Globally, people who inject drugs are highly vulnerable to HIV transmission. Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) programs are one of the most cost-effective mechanisms to substitute opioid use and improve the quality of life of patients. Since the coverage of MMT is still limited and even for those patients who are treated, improving their knowledge on HIV and maintaining healthy behaviors are key to maximizing the outcomes of HIV harm reduction programs. This study examined the knowledge on HIV, perceived risk and HIV testing among drug users accessing methadone maintenance services in three Vietnamese mountainous areas. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 300 people enrolling for MMT services in three provinces in Vietnam was conducted. The factors associated with the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of respondents about HIV/AIDS were exploited using multivariable logistic model. RESULTS: Of the 300-people surveyed, 99% knew of HIV and 60.6% were identified as having good knowledge. While 75.2% identified that injecting drugs was a risk factor for HIV, 52.2% thought they were not at risk of HIV mainly as they did not share needles. 92.6% had undergone HIV testing with 17.4% being positive, a number which was significantly lower than Vietnam's national average for people who inject drugs. Age, ethnicity and education were associated with knowledge of HIV while ART treatment was linked to self-assessed HIV status. CONCLUSIONS: This study sheds new light on the knowledge attitudes and practices of people who inject drugs, particularly males in mountainous areas of Vietnam regarding HIV prevention. Overall, knowledge was good with most conducting safe practices towards transmission. Enhanced education and targeting of minority groups could help in increasing the numbers receiving MMT and HIV services.

Methadone Maintenance Treatment Reduces the Vulnerability of Drug Users on HIV/AIDS in Vietnamese Remote Settings: Assessing the Changes in HIV Knowledge, Perceived Risk, and Testing Uptake after a 12-Month Follow-Up.

Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT) program has been considered a medium through which human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risks assessment and prevention on drug use/HIV-infected population can be effectively conducted. Studies concerning the implementation of such idea on patients in remote, under-developed areas, however, have been limited. Having the clinics established in three mountainous provinces of Vietnam, this study aimed to evaluate the changes in knowledge of HIV, perceived risk, and HIV testing uptake of the patients. A longitudinal study was conducted at six MMT clinics in three provinces with a pre- and post-assessments among 300 patients. Outcomes of interest were compared between baseline and after 12 months. The magnitude of changes was extrapolated. The proportion of participants reporting that their HIV knowledge was not good fell by 4.4% (61.3% at the baseline vs. 56.8% at 12 months). The significant improvement seen was in the knowledge that needle sharing was a mode of transmission (82.7% vs. 89.6%). Nevertheless, the majority of participants reportedly considered mosquitoes/insect and eating with the HIV-infected patient were the route of transmission at both time points (84.7% vs. 89.1%, 92.2% vs. 93.3%, respectively). This study found a limited improvement in HIV knowledge and testing uptake among MMT patients following a 12-month period. It also highlighted some shortcomings in the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of these patients, in particular, incorrect identification of HIV transmission routes, among patients both at program initiation and follow-up. The findings lent support to the argument for enhancing education and counseling efforts at MMT clinics regarding HIV, as well as for improving access to preventive and health care services through the integration of MMT/HIV services.