Quantification of Trapezius Muscle Innervation During Neck Dissections: Cervical Plexus Versus the Spinal Accessory Nerve.

OBJECTIVES: Despite increasing use of selective, nerve-sparing surgical techniques during neck dissections, the reported rate of postoperative paralysis of the trapezius muscle is still high. The aim of the study is to measure and compare motor inflow to the trapezius muscle, in order to better understand the peripheral neuroanatomy. METHODS: Intraoperative nerve monitoring (electroneurography) in patients undergoing routine neck dissection (n=18). The innervation of the 3 functional parts of the trapezius muscle was mapped and quantified through compound muscle action potentials. RESULTS: In 18/18 (100%) of the patients, the spinal accessory nerve (SAN) innervated all parts of the trapezius muscle. In 7/18 (39%) of the patients, an active motor branch from the cervical plexus was detected, equally distributed to all functional parts of the trapezius muscle, at levels comparable to the SAN. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to the SAN, branches from cervical plexus provide a significant amount of neural input to all parts of the trapezius muscle. Intraoperative nerve monitoring can be used in routine neck dissections to detect these branches, which may be important following surgical injury to the SAN.

DIFFERENCES IN ILLNESS REPRESENTATIONS IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the impact of chronic kidney disease (CKD) on individual illness representations, including symptoms and causal attributions. DESIGN AND MEASURES: Fifty-four patients responded to the Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R) and a further seven patients undertook cognitive interviews regarding the IPQ-R. All respondents had CKD stage 2-5, not undergoing renal replacement therapy. RESULTS: Those in earlier CKD stages and those with fewer symptoms perceived a significantly different understanding of their condition than those in more advanced disease stages or with more symptoms. Behavioural and psychological attributions were commonly referred to as contributing causes to CKD. These attributions were associated to negative illness representations. An uncertainty assessing symptoms attributed to CKD was indicated, especially in earlier disease stages. CONCLUSION: Illness representations differ with CKD stages and symptom burden. The patients in earlier disease stages or with fewer symptoms did not hold as strong beliefs about their illness as being a threat as those in advanced stages or with more symptoms. Self-blame emerged as a common causal attribution. Patients did not always relate symptoms to CKD, therefore this study identifies a gap in patients' disease knowledge, especially in earlier stages of the condition.

Exercise training in adults with CKD: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Whether exercise can affect health outcomes in people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and what the optimal exercise strategies are for patients with CKD remain uncertain. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. SETTING & POPULATION: Adults with CKD stages 2-5, dialysis therapy, or a kidney transplant. SELECTION CRITERIA FOR STUDIES: Trials evaluating regular exercise training outcomes identified by searches in Cochrane CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, BIOSIS, PEDro, AMED, AgeLine, PsycINFO, and KoreaMed, without language restriction. INTERVENTION: Regular exercise training for at least 8 weeks. OUTCOMES: Vary by study but could include aerobic capacity, muscular functioning, cardiovascular function, walking capacity, and health-related quality of life. Treatment effects were summarized as standardized difference with 95% CIs using random-effects meta-analysis. RESULTS: 41 trials (928 participants) comparing exercise training with sham exercise or no exercise were included; overall, improved aerobic capacity, muscular functioning, cardiovascular function, walking capacity, and health-related quality of life were associated with various exercise interventions, although the preponderance of data were for dialysis patients and used aerobic exercise programs. LIMITATIONS: Unclear or high risk of bias in 32% of the trials, few trial data concerning resistance training, and limited data for several important outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Regular exercise training generally is associated with improved health outcomes in individuals with CKD. Correctly designed exercise rehabilitation may be an effective part of care for adults with CKD. Future studies should examine longer term outcomes and strategies to translate exercise done in a supervised setting to the home setting for broader applicability.

Evidence-based practice among Swedish medical social workers.

We have explored Swedish medical social workers' attitudes, beliefs, knowledge, and behavior concerning evidence-based practice (EBP) and investigated the properties of a questionnaire to measure EBP. One hundred seventy-four Swedish medical social workers within university hospital care and primary care participated in a cross-sectional survey. Our results showed positive attitudes toward EBP and the use of evidence to support clinical decision making. EBP was seen as necessary and something that needed to be implemented more often. The main barriers to implementing EBP were lack of time (78%), the perception that EBP does not take into account the limitations of the clinical practice setting (78%), and lack of knowledge about relevant research (46%).

Why do we do as we do? Factors influencing clinical reasoning and decision-making among physiotherapists in an acute setting.

INTRODUCTION: Despite the current movement for health-care to become more informed by evidence, knowledge on effective implementation of evidence-based practice is scarce. To improve research application among physiotherapists, the process of implementation and clinical reasoning needs to be scrutinized. The aim of this study was to identify various experiences of factors that influence the physiotherapist's clinical reasoning in specialist care. METHODS DESIGN: A phenomenographic approach was chosen. SUBJECTS: Eleven physiotherapists at two acute care hospitals in nn. PROCEDURE: Data was obtained by observations and interviews. Phenomenographic data analysis identified various experiences of clinical decision-making. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS: The Ethical Review Board of the nn approved the study. RESULTS: The observations and the interviews enabled identification of various experiences that influenced clinical decision-making. The physiotherapists' clinical reasoning was perceived to be constrained by contextual factors. The physiotherapists collected current information on the patient by using written and verbal information exchange and used this to generate an inner picture of the patient. By creating hypotheses that were accepted or rejected, they made decisions in advance of their interventions. The decisions were influenced by the individual characteristics of the physiotherapist, his/her knowledge and patient perceptions. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical reasoning is a complex and constantly evolving process. Contextual factors such as economy and politics are not easily changed, but factors such as the patient and the physiotherapist as a person are more tangible.

Patients' perspectives on the implementation of intra-dialytic cycling--a phenomenographic study.

BACKGROUND: Adults undergoing haemodialysis have significantly reduced physical capacity and run a high risk of developing cardiovascular complications. Research has shown that intra-dialytic cycling has many evidence-based health effects, but implementation is rare within renal clinical practice. This may be due to several causes, and this study focuses on the patients' perspective. This perspective has seldom been taken into account when aiming to assess and improve the implementation of clinical research. The aim of this study was to describe how adults undergoing in-centre haemodialysis treatment experienced an implementation process of intra-dialytic cycling. It aimed to identify potential motivators and barriers to the implementation process from a patient perspective. METHODS: Maximum-variation purposive sampling was used. Data were collected until saturation, through semistructured interviews, which were analysed using phenomenography. RESULTS: The implementation of intra-dialytic cycling was experienced as positive, as it had beneficial effects on physical and psychological well-being. It was easy to perform and did not intrude on patients' spare time. These factors increased the acceptance of the implementation and supported the maintenance of intra-dialytic cycling as an evidence-based routine within their haemodialysis care. The patients did, however, experience some barriers to accepting the implementation of intra-dialytic cycling. These barriers were sometimes so strong that they outweighed the participants' knowledge of the advantages of intra-dialytic cycling and the research evidence of its benefits. The barriers sometimes also outweighed the participants' own wish to cycle. The barriers that we identified concerned not only the patients but also the work situation of the haemodialysis nurses. CONCLUSIONS: Consideration of the motivators and barriers that we have identified can be used in direct care to improve the implementation of intra-dialytic cycling.

Health-related quality of life in different stages of chronic kidney disease and at initiation of dialysis treatment.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients in different stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) up to initiation of dialysis treatment and to explore possible correlating and influencing factors. METHODS: Cross-sectional design with 535 patients in CKD stages 2-5 and 55 controls assessed for HRQoL through SF-36 together with biomarkers. RESULTS: All HRQoL dimensions deteriorated significantly with CKD stages with the lowest scores in CKD 5. The largest differences between the patient groups were seen in 'physical functioning', 'role physical', 'general health' and in physical summary scores (PCS). The smallest disparities were seen in mental health and pain. Patients in CKD stages 2-3 showed significantly decreased HRQoL compared to matched controls, with differences of large magnitude - effect size (ES) ≥ .80 - in 'general health' and PCS. Patients in CDK 4 demonstrated deteriorated scores with a large magnitude in 'physical function', 'general health' and PCS compared to the patients in CKD 2-3. Patients in CKD 5 demonstrated deteriorated scores with a medium sized magnitude (ES 0.5 - 0.79) in 'role emotional' and mental summary scores compared to the patients in CKD 4. Glomerular filtration rate <45 ml/min/1.73 m², age ≥ 61 years, cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes, C-reactive protein (CRP) ≥5 mg/L, haemoglobin ≤110 g/L, p-albumin ≤ 35 g/L and overweight were associated with impaired HRQoL. CRP and CVD were the most important predictors of impaired HRQoL, followed by reduced GFR and diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: Having CKD implies impaired HRQoL, also in earlier stages of the disease. At the time for dialysis initiation HRQoL is substantially deteriorated. Co-existing conditions, such as inflammation and cardiovascular disease seem to be powerful predictors of impaired HRQoL in patients with CKD. Within routine renal care, strategies to improve function and well-being considering the management of co-existing conditions like inflammation and CVD need to be developed.

Evaluating the Illness Perception Questionnaire on patients with chronic kidney disease in Sweden.

BACKGROUND: The Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R) measures illness perception according to the Common Sense Model of Self-Regulation. Illness perception relates to coping, health management, treatment outcomes and health-related quality of life. IPQ-R has been used in many contexts. However, there is yet no Swedish version evaluated for validity, reliability and usability in the context of a Swedish, adult population with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). OBJECTIVES: To evaluate usability and psychometric properties of a Swedish translation of IPQ-R on a group of adults in different stages of CKD. METHODS: Usability evaluation was carried out through cognitive interviews and psychometrics was assessed by internal consistency, test-retest, inter-correlations, correlations to health-related quality of life and coping and testing for concurrent validity. RESULTS: Content validity was strongly supported, but an uncertainty assessing symptoms attributed to CKD was indicated. All dimensions showed internal consistency, except the treatment control dimension. The IPQ-R showed good stability over time except the personal control dimension. Most IPQ-R dimensions distinguished illness representations between groups of different disease stages and symptom burden. The most supported IPQ-R dimensions for inter-correlations and convergent validity were identity, timeline cyclical, consequences and emotional representations. CONCLUSIONS: The evaluation of the Swedish version of IPQ-R on patients with CKD showed support for construct validity, except for the dimensions controllability, illness coherence and timeline, which were less supported. These dimensions should therefore be interpreted with care in CKD patients. There is a need to capture uncertainty regarding illness identity. IPQ-R should be interpreted with care in earlier stages of CKD or if few symptoms are reported. IPQ-R may be applicable and useful as a tool in nursing practice to support healthy behaviour as well as assessing clinical interventions in patients with CKD.

Exercise training for adults with chronic kidney disease.

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a worldwide public health problem. In the National Kidney Foundation Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative guidelines it is stressed that lifestyle issues such as physical activity should be seen as cornerstones of the therapy. The physical fitness in adults with CKD is so reduced that it impinges on ability and capacity to perform activities in everyday life and occupational tasks. An increasing number of studies have been published regarding health effects of various regular exercise programmes in adults with CKD and in renal transplant patients. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to: 1) assess the effects of regular exercise in adults with CKD and kidney transplant patients; and 2) determine how the exercise programme should be designed (e.g. type, duration, intensity, frequency of exercise) to be able to affect physical fitness and functioning, level of physical activity, cardiovascular dimensions, nutrition, lipids, glucose metabolism, systemic inflammation, muscle morphology and morphometrics, dropout rates, compliance, adverse events and mortality. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Renal Group's specialised register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, Biosis, Pedro, Amed, AgeLine, PsycINFO and KoreaMed. We also handsearched reference lists of review articles and included studies, conference proceeding's abstracts. There were no language restrictions.Date of last search: May 2010. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included any randomised controlled trial (RCT) enrolling adults with CKD or kidney transplant recipients undergoing any type of physical exercise intervention undertaken for eight weeks or more. Studies using less than eight weeks exercise, those only recommending an increase in physical activity, and studies in which co-interventions are not applied or given to both groups were excluded. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Data extraction and assessment of study and data quality were performed independently by the two authors. Continuous outcome data are presented as standardised mean difference (SMD) or mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). MAIN RESULTS: Forty-five studies, randomising 1863 participants were included in this review. Thirty two studies presented data that could be meta-analysed. Types of exercise training included cardiovascular training, mixed cardiovascular and resistance training, resistance-only training and yoga. Some studies used supervised exercise interventions and others used unsupervised interventions. Exercise intensity was classed as 'high' or 'low', duration of individual exercise sessions ranged from 20 minutes/session to 110 minutes/session, and study duration was from two to 18 months. Seventeen per cent of studies were classed as having an overall low risk of bias, 33% as moderate, and 49% as having a high risk of bias.The results shows that regular exercise significantly improved: 1) physical fitness (aerobic capacity, 24 studies, 847 participants: SMD -0.56, 95% CI -0.70 to -0.42; walking capacity, 7 studies, 191 participants: SMD -0.36, 95% CI-0.65 to -0.06); 2) cardiovascular dimensions (resting diastolic blood pressure, 11 studies, 419 participants: MD 2.32 mm Hg, 95% CI 0.59 to 4.05; resting systolic blood pressure, 9 studies, 347 participants: MD 6.08 mm Hg, 95% CI 2.15 to 10.12; heart rate, 11 studies, 229 participants: MD 6 bpm, 95% CI 10 to 2); 3) some nutritional parameters (albumin, 3 studies, 111 participants: MD -2.28 g/L, 95% CI -4.25 to -0.32; pre-albumin, 3 studies, 111 participants: MD - 44.02 mg/L, 95% CI -71.52 to -16.53; energy intake, 4 studies, 97 participants: SMD -0.47, 95% CI -0.88 to -0.05); and 4) health-related quality of life. Results also showed how exercise should be designed in order to optimise the effect. Other outcomes had insufficient evidence. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: There is evidence for significant beneficial effects of regular exercise on physical fitness, walking capacity, cardiovascular dimensions (e.g. blood pressure and heart rate), health-related quality of life and some nutritional parameters in adults with CKD. Other outcomes had insufficient evidence due to the lack of data from RCTs. The design of the exercise intervention causes difference in effect size and should be considered when prescribing exercise with the aim of affecting a certain outcome. Future RCTs should focus more on the effects of resistance training interventions or mixed cardiovascular- and resistance training as these exercise types have not been studied as much as cardiovascular exercise.

Potential risk factors associated with risk for drop-out and relapse during and following withdrawal of opioid prescription medication.

BACKGROUND: Withdrawal of opioid medication in patients with chronic pain has a drop-out and relapse problem. AIM: To evaluate if depressive symptoms, anxiety and pain intensity are potential risk factors for drop-out or relapse during the withdrawal process. Further, to assess internal consistency of scales for assessment of these potential risk factors. METHODS: Twenty-nine patients were included. After 2 years 28 of these were followed-up. RESULTS: Those with depressive symptoms at baseline had a significant risk for drop-out from the withdrawal program (odds ratio 1.37) and relapse into use of opioids at follow-up (odds ratio 1.44). Drop-outs rated depressive symptoms significantly higher before detoxification. Those who relapsed rated significantly higher for pain intensity, depressive symptoms and abstinence prior to withdrawal. All scales had high reliability. PERSPECTIVE: To avoid drop-out and relapse clinical practice need to screen for depressive symptoms, pain intensity, and abstinence. This article presents significant reliability of scales useful within dependency centers. They can be used to identify these risk factors for drop-out and relapse, respectively, when initiating the withdrawal process. Taking these risk factors into consideration could improve the outcome of the withdrawal process by preventing drop-out and relapse.

Evidence-based practice: attitudes, knowledge and behaviour among allied health care professionals.

OBJECTIVE: To explore dieticians', occupational therapists' and physical therapists' attitudes, beliefs, knowledge and behaviour concerning evidence-based practice within a university hospital setting. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: University hospital. PARTICIPANTS: All dieticians, occupational therapists and physical therapists employed at a Swedish university hospital (n = 306) of whom 227 (74%) responded. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Attitudes towards, perceived benefits and limitations of evidence-based practice, use and understanding of clinical practice guidelines, availability of resources to access information and skills in using these resources. RESULTS: Findings showed positive attitudes towards evidence-based practice and the use of evidence to support clinical decision-making. It was seen as necessary. Literature and research findings were perceived as useful in clinical practice. The majority indicated having the necessary skills to be able to interpret and understand the evidence, and that clinical practice guidelines were available and used. Evidence-based practice was not perceived as taking into account the patient preferences. Lack of time was perceived as the major barrier to evidence-based practice. CONCLUSIONS: The prerequisites for evidence-based practice were assessed as good, but ways to make evidence-based practice time efficient, easy to access and relevant to clinical practice need to be continuously supported at the management level, so that research evidence becomes linked to work-flow in a way that does not adversely affect productivity and the flow of patients.

Experiencing one's body after a diagnosis of cancer--a phenomenological study of young adults.

UNLABELLED: Young adults with cancer are still in the process of shaping their lives and are therefore at a vulnerable stage. Altered body image may change how patients cope with the disease and impact rehabilitation capacity. OBJECTIVE: To describe the essence of how young adults with cancer experience their bodies. METHODS: Interviews (12 informants), transcribed verbatim. ANALYSIS: Giorgi's phenomenological method. RESULTS: Identified themes: experience of 'physical body change', 'discomfort', 'the body at the moment without reflecting on the disease and treatment', 'body image' and 'grasping the illness'. Essences: The body as the bearer of life; conflict between age and disease; manifest changes in appearance, physically and mentally; the body no longer a whole; the body as influenceable and able to recover and heal. CONCLUSIONS: These patients undergo physical and mental changes that affect their self-image and health-related life quality. Thus, future studies need to explore interventions that may enhance the individual perception of their body.

"An evil heritage": interview study of pain and autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

Pain is a common problem for patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). Knowledge about patients' experience of the pain, pain management, and pain's effect on everyday life is, however, limited. In clinical practice there is a need to improve the care of these patients. To be able to do so, information about how the disease and its pain affect the patients is required. This study explores patients' experience of living with ADPKD and its pain. The findings are based on in-depth semistructured interviews. The participants were 22 patients with ADPKD. The data were transcribed and analyzed by using phenomenology. Findings showed that the patients experienced limitations in their everyday life due to inexplicable and unpredictable pain and fatigue. Also, pain management was experienced as suboptimal and pain was seldom discussed at health care appointments. Emotional distress concerning the hereditary nature of the disease was also present. Health care providers need to increase their focus on pain and pain management to reduce the disease's intrusion in patients' everyday life. Also, patients and people in the patients' immediate surroundings need to be given information and education about the disease and its pain as well as the opportunity to talk about their worries concerning heredity. By implementing the findings of the present study when meeting a patient with ADPKD, improved patient satisfaction and health-related quality of life could be accomplished.

Patients' experiences of physical therapy within palliative cancer care.

INTRODUCTION: Few studies have analyzed patients' experiences of physical therapy within palliative cancer care. OBJECTIVE: To describe how patients with incurable cancer experience physical therapy. METHOD: Seventeen patients were interviewed. Data was analyzed according to a contextual analysis within a phenomenographic approach. RESULT: Two aspects were identified: "clear and satisfactory" and "unclear and unsatisfactory". Descriptive categories were: "participation", "motivation and encouragement", "independence", "relief and well-being", "security and hope", "unclear part of the care", and "insufficient number of interventions". "Participation" was a core category interrelated with patient satisfaction. CONCLUSION: Physical therapy was important: it enabled independence, provided relief from distressing symptoms, and offered support. However, communication and coordination within the palliative care team has to improve if it is to minimize the negative impact of symptom distress on patient well-being and quality of life. Also, physical therapists must develop strategies for patient empowerment and methods for assessing and evaluating qualitative aspects of physical therapy in palliative cancer care.

Effects of resistance training in combination with coenzyme Q10 supplementation in patients with post-polio: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: Coenzyme Q10 supplementation leads to increased muscle metabolism in patients with post-polio syndrome. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of resistance training in combination with oral supplementation with coenzyme Q10 in patients with post-polio syndrome regarding muscle strength and endurance as well as functional capacity and health-related quality of life. DESIGN: Parallel randomized, controlled, double-blind pilot study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 14 patients (8 women and 6 men) with post-polio syndrome participated in a 12-week muscular resistance training, 3 days/week. The patients were randomized for oral supplementation with coenzyme Q10, 200 mg/day, or placebo. Measurements used were: sit-stand-sit test, timed up & go test, 6-minute walk test, muscle strength measurement by means of dynamic dynamometer and short-form (SF)-36 questionnaire. RESULTS: Muscle strength, muscle endurance and quality of life regarding mental health increased statistically significantly in all 14 patients. There was no significant difference between the coenzyme Q10 and placebo groups regarding muscle strength, muscle endurance and quality of life. CONCLUSION: There was no effect of coenzyme Q10 supplementation during resistance training on post-polio syndrome symptoms. Thus, supplementation with coenzyme Q10 has no beneficial effect on muscle function in patients with post-polio syndrome.

Effects of regular resistance training on muscle histopathology and morphometry in elderly patients with chronic kidney disease.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate muscle histopathological outcomes, adaptation in muscle fiber area, and fiber type proportion after a resistance training program for patients with chronic kidney disease. DESIGN: Vastus lateralis muscle biopsies before and after the study period in seven patients and six healthy subjects performing the exercise program and in five patients in a nonexercising comparison group. RESULTS: The change in degree of histopathological abnormality did not differ between the groups after the exercise program. Muscle fiber type proportion and muscle fiber area was also the same after the observation period. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with chronic kidney disease have muscle histopathological abnormalities already in the predialysis phase. There was no indication that the exercise program had disadvantageous effects on muscle histopathology in these patients. There were no differences in muscle fiber area or in fiber type proportion after the exercise program within or between the groups. Thus, a workload of 60% of one repetition maximum was sufficient to increase muscular strength and endurance in patients with chronic kidney disease but not to increase muscle fiber area or to change muscle fiber type proportion.

Living with chronic renal failure: patients' experiences of their physical and functional capacity.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Several studies have shown that patients with chronic renal failure have reduced physical exercise capacity compared with the expected norm. There are, however, few qualitative studies showing ways in which patients experience their condition in terms of physical and functional capacity, and the limitations this imposes on their daily lives. The aim of the present study was to describe and analyse ways in which patients with chronic renal failure, in the pre-dialysis phase and patients undergoing haemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis, experienced their physical and functional capacity in their daily lives. METHOD: Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data, which were then analysed according to a contextual analysis within a phenomenographic approach. RESULTS: Analysis yielded a system of categories describing patients' experiences of mental and physical fatigue, physical and functional capacity, in terms of effect on performance and endurance, and their experience of temporal stress, in terms of lack of time as well as lack of peace in their daily lives. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study will contribute to our understanding of how these patients experience their daily lives, and will help when meeting patients with chronic renal failure. This knowledge enables physiotherapists to focus rehabilitation training on problem areas that are important to patients themselves.