Predictive Factors for Physiotherapy Session Length at an Adult Intensive Care Unit: A Longitudinal Panel Study.

OBJECTIVE: To identify predictive factors for the length of physiotherapy sessions for adult intensive care unit (ICU) patients. DESIGN: Longitudinal panel study. SETTING: ICU of a secondary-care public teaching hospital, the University Hospital at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. PARTICIPANTS: Medical and surgical patients who received physiotherapy (N=181) assessed in 339 physiotherapy sessions. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The study investigator followed physiotherapists during their work shift and timed the physiotherapy session's length with a stopwatch. The association between session length and patient, physiotherapist, and service-related factors was evaluated by a mixed model. RESULTS: Assessed in this study were 339 physiotherapy sessions during 79 periods of observation that involved 181 patients and 19 physiotherapists. Median session length was 29 (interquartile range: 22.6-38.9) minutes; median number of patients assisted per physiotherapist per 6-hour shift was 5 (4-5). Physiotherapist's median age was 35 (26-39) years old, and median ICU experience was 13.0 (0.4-16.0) years. Patients were mostly older adults who were post surgery and had been at the ICU for 5 (2-9) days. Factors associated with physiotherapy session length (min) were the following: performing both motor- and respiratory-related physiotherapy procedures during the session (ß=6.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.8-9.2), altered chest x-ray (ß=2.8; 95% CI, 0.3-5.3), ICU mobility scale (IMS) (ß=1.2; 95% CI, 0.4-2.0), contraindication to any level of out-of-bed mobilization (ß=-6.9; 95% CI, -10.5 to -3.3), afternoon shift (ß=-4.0; 95% CI, -6.7 to -1.4), and Barthel index (ß=-0.2; 95% CI, -0.3 to -0.1). CONCLUSIONS: The factors associated with longer session lengths were performing both motor- and respiratory-related physiotherapy procedures during the session, altered chest x-ray, and the IMS. Contraindication to any level of out-of-bed mobilization and sessions performed during the afternoon shift (vs the morning shift) were associated with shorter session lengths.

Content and functionality features of voiding diary applications for mobile devices in Brazil: a descriptive analysis.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: A voiding diary is a method to investigate lower urinary tract symptoms. The purpose was to elaborate a descriptive analysis of nonpaid voiding diaries for mobile applications and to compare them regarding their quality. METHODS: We searched the platforms of iTunes (Apple Inc., Brazil) and Google Play (Google Inc., Brazil) using the keywords: "voiding diary," "bladder diary," "urinary diary," "urinary incontinence," and "pelvic floor." Inclusion criteria were: apps free of charge and specific for voiding diaries in the Portuguese, Spanish, French, or English language. Exclusion criteria were: access or technical problems and pediatric apps. We quantitatively analyzed and compared the apps with each other according to their functionality features and voiding diary topics (type and volume of fluid intake, voiding episodes and volume, type and episodes of incontinence, amount of leakage, urgency, and use of pads and nocturia). We rated the apps using the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS), whose scores for each feature vary from 1 (worst score) to 5 (best score). RESULTS: Fifty-five apps were eligible; 16 were included for analyses. None presented all 11 topics of the voiding diary, and the median number of available features was 6 (3.75-7). "Incontinence episodes" was present in eight apps, and "nocturia" was present in five. The mean score of apps ranged between 1.7 and 4.5. CONCLUSION: There is variation in the content of voiding topics among the apps. Patients and professionals should choose the app based on the topics of most or particular interest.

Noninvasive positive pressure ventilation after extubation: features and outcomes in clinical practice.

OBJECTIVE: To describe post-extubation noninvasive positive pressure ventilation use in intensive care unit clinical practice and to identify factors associated with noninvasive positive pressure ventilation failure. METHODS: This prospective cohort study included patients aged ≥ 18 years consecutively admitted to the intensive care unit who required noninvasive positive pressure ventilation within 48 hours of extubation. The primary outcome was noninvasive positive pressure ventilation failure. RESULTS: We included 174 patients in the study. The overall noninvasive positive pressure ventilation use rate was 15%. Among the patients who used noninvasive positive pressure ventilation, 44% used it after extubation. The failure rate of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation was 34%. The overall mean ± SD age was 56 ± 18 years, and 55% of participants were male. Demographics; baseline pH, PaCO2 and HCO3; and type of equipment used were similar between groups. All of the noninvasive positive pressure ventilation final parameters were higher in the noninvasive positive pressure ventilation failure group [inspiratory positive airway pressure: 15.0 versus 13.7 cmH2O (p = 0.015), expiratory positive airway pressure: 10.0 versus 8.9 cmH2O (p = 0.027), and FiO2: 41 versus 33% (p = 0.014)]. The mean intensive care unit length of stay was longer (24 versus 13 days), p < 0.001, and the intensive care unit mortality rate was higher (55 versus 10%), p < 0.001 in the noninvasive positive pressure ventilation failure group. After fitting, the logistic regression model allowed us to state that patients with inspiratory positive airway pressure ≥ 13.5 cmH2O on the last day of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation support are three times more likely to experience noninvasive positive pressure ventilation failure compared with individuals with inspiratory positive airway pressure < 13.5 (OR = 3.02, 95%CI = 1.01 - 10.52, p value = 0.040). CONCLUSION: The noninvasive positive pressure ventilation failure group had a longer intensive care unit length of stay and a higher mortality rate. Logistic regression analysis identified that patients with inspiratory positive airway pressure ≥ 13.5 cmH2O on the last day of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation support are three times more likely to experience noninvasive positive pressure ventilation failure.