Supplementary home biofeedback improves quality of life in younger patients with fecal incontinence.

BACKGROUND: Biofeedback is a scarce, resource-intensive clinical therapy. It is used to treat patients with bowel problems, including fecal incontinence (FI), who fail to respond to simple dietary advice, medication, or pelvic floor exercises. Populations are aging and younger cohorts use technology in managing their health, affording FI self-management opportunities. AIM: Does supplementary home-based biofeedback improve FI and quality of life (QOL)? METHODS: Seventy-five incontinent participants (12 male), mean age 61.1 years, consented to participate. Thirty-nine patients (5 male) were randomized to the standard biofeedback protocol plus daily home use of a Peritron perineometer (intervention) and 36 patients (7 male) to the standard biofeedback protocol (control). On completion of the study each perineometer exercise session was rated for technique by 2 raters, blinded to the patient and order of sessions. RESULTS: With the exception of Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life Scale lifestyle improvement (intervention--9.1% vs. controls--0.3%, P=0.026) and embarrassment improvement (intervention--50.0% vs. controls--18.3%, P=0.026), supplementary home biofeedback did not result in greater clinical improvement for the intervention group as a whole. However, on stratification around the mean age, continence and QOL of younger people in the intervention group were significantly better than those of their control counterparts. Graphed perineometer sessions demonstrated high compliance and improvement in exercise technique. Perineometers provided reassurance, motivation, and an exercise reminder ensuring that confidence was achieved quickly. CONCLUSIONS: Home biofeedback was acceptable and well tolerated by all users. Younger participants significantly benefited from using this technology.

Biofeedback for fecal incontinence: a randomized study comparing exercise regimens.

BACKGROUND: Fecal incontinence affects up to 11% of Australian community-dwelling adults and 72% of nursing home residents. Biofeedback is a recommended conservative therapy when medication and pelvic floor exercises have failed to improve patient outcomes. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the impact of a new exercise regimen on the severity of fecal incontinence and the quality of life of participants. DESIGN: This was a randomized clinical study. SETTINGS: This study was conducted at the Anorectal Physiology Clinic, Townsville Hospital, Queensland, Australia. PATIENTS: Seventy-two participants (19 male), with a mean age of 62.1 years, attended 5 clinic sessions: 4 weekly sessions followed by 4 weeks of home practice and a follow-up assessment session. A postal survey was conducted 2 years later. INTERVENTION: Thirty-seven patients (12 male) were randomly assigned to the standard clinical protocol (sustained submaximal anal and pelvic floor exercises) and 35 patients (7 male) were randomly assigned to the alternative group (rapid squeeze plus sustained submaximal exercises). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The main outcomes were measured by use of the Cleveland Clinic Florida Fecal Incontinence score and the Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life Scale survey tool. RESULTS: No significant differences were found between the 2 exercise groups at the beginning or at the end of the study or as a result of treatment in objective, quality-of-life, or fecal incontinence severity measures. Sixty-nine participants completed treatment. The severity of fecal incontinence decreased significantly (11.5/20 to 5.0/20, P < .001). Eighty-six percent (59/69) of participants reported improved continence. Quality of life significantly improved for all participants (P < .001). Results were sustained 2 years later. Patients who practiced at least the prescribed number of exercises had better outcomes than those who practiced fewer exercises. LIMITATIONS: This study was limited because it involved a heterogeneous sample, it was based on subjective reporting of exercise performance, and loss to follow-up occurred because of the highly mobile population. CONCLUSIONS: Patients attending this biofeedback program attained significant improvement in the severity of their fecal incontinence and in their quality of life. Although introduction of rapid muscle squeezes had little impact on fecal incontinence severity or patient quality of life, patient exercise compliance at prescribed or greater levels did.

Practical strategies for treating postsurgical bowel dysfunction.

Postsurgical bowel dysfunction is a potential complication for patients undergoing ileoanal anastomosis, restorative proctocolectomy, and low anterior anastomosis. In our setting, these patients are referred to the Anorectal Physiology Clinic at the Townsville Hospital, Queensland, for comprehensive behavioral therapy. The goals of the therapy are as follows: improve stool consistency, improve control over stool elimination, decrease fecal frequency and rectal urgency, fecal continence without excessive restrictions on food and fluid intake, and increase quality of life. This article outlines our holistic approach and specific treatment strategies, including assessment, education, support and assistance with coping, individualized dietary and fluid modifications, medications, and exercise. Biofeedback is used to help patients improve anal sphincter and pelvic floor muscle function and bowel elimination habits. Information on the biofeedback component of the treatment program will be described in a subsequent article.

Normokalemic adenosine-lidocaine cardioplegia: importance of maintaining a polarized myocardium for optimal arrest and reanimation.

OBJECTIVE: Depolarizing potassium cardioplegia does not afford optimal cardioprotection in pediatric or adult patients requiring complicated operative procedures. Polarizing adenosine-lidocaine cardioplegia has been shown to be cardioprotective without hyperkalemia. Our aim was to examine the effects of changing extracellular potassium levels in adenosine-lidocaine cardioplegia on arrest and reanimation properties. METHODS: Isolated-perfused rat hearts (n = 96) were arrested at 32 degrees C to 33 degrees C for 1 or 2 hours with intermittent 200 mumol/L adenosine and 500 mumol/L lidocaine in modified Krebs-Henseleit buffer with 0.1, 3.0, 5.9, 10, and 16 mmol/L potassium or with 16 or 25 mmol/L potassium in Krebs-Henseleit buffer (n = 8 for each group). Membrane potentials were estimated in the arrested ventricular myocardium (n = 42), and recovery function was measured in working mode during 60 minutes' reperfusion. RESULTS: Arrest was interrupted by breakout beats in the adenosine-lidocaine hypokalemic (0.1 and 3 mmol/L potassium) and non-adenosine-lidocaine hyperkalemic (16 and 25 mmol/L potassium) groups. The membrane potentials for the non-adenosine-lidocaine 16 and 25 mmol/L potassium groups were -51 and -39 mV, and those for the adenosine-lidocaine groups (0.1, 3.0, 5.9, 10, and 16 mmol/L potassium) were -183, -94, -75, -65, and -49 mV, respectively. After 1 hour of arrest, coronary vascular resistance increased linearly in adenosine-lidocaine cardioplegia with increasing potassium levels (5.9, 10, and 16 mmol/L), and the slope increased more than 2-fold after 2 hours. Nearly 40% of hearts in the adenosine-lidocaine (0.1 mmol/L potassium) and non-adenosine-lidocaine 25 mmol/L potassium groups failed to recover after 1 hour arrest. After 2 hours, hearts in the polarizing (5.9 mmol/L potassium) adenosine-lidocaine group increased coronary vascular resistance by only 30% and spontaneously recovered 107% heart rate, 92% systolic pressure, 81% aortic flow, and 113% coronary flow (all metrics returned 85% to 100% at 15 minutes) with no reperfusion arrhythmias. In contrast, hearts in the adenosine-lidocaine (3, 10, and 16 mmol/L potassium) groups were all slow to recover (15% to 40% return at 15 minutes) and experienced arrhythmias. Increasing potassium levels in adenosine-lidocaine cardioplegia from 5.9 to 16 mmol/L resulted in a 67% loss of left ventricular contractility. CONCLUSIONS: Polarizing adenosine-lidocaine cardioplegia (5.9 mmol/L potassium) administered intermittently at 33 degrees C provides superior arrest and reanimation profiles under normokalemic conditions when the myocardial cell membrane potential is close to its resting state.

Warm nondepolarizing adenosine and lidocaine cardioplegia: continuous versus intermittent delivery.

OBJECTIVE: Continuous infusion of warm to normothermic cardioplegia may limit the surgeon's visual field, increase coronary vascular resistance, and lead to potassium-exacerbated ischemia-reperfusion damage. Our aim was to examine the versatility of a new normokalemic, nondepolarizing adenosine-lidocaine cardioplegia during continuous or intermittent infusion at 33 degrees C and compare it with lidocaine cardioplegia. METHODS: Isolated, perfused rat hearts (n = 6 each group) were arrested at 33 degrees C for 40 or 60 minutes with 200 microm of adenosine and 500 microm of lidocaine in Krebs-Henseleit buffer (10 mmol/L glucose, pH 7.6-7.7 at 37 degrees C) or 500 microm of lidocaine in Krebs-Henseleit buffer for 60 minutes delivered at 60 mm Hg. RESULTS: Times to arrest were 7 to 10 seconds for the adenosine-lidocaine groups and 102 seconds for the lidocaine group (P < .05). Total cardioplegia volumes for intermittent (2 minutes every 18 minutes) and continuous deliveries were 122 to 159 mL and 699 to 922 mL for the 40- and 60-minute adenosine-lidocaine arrest protocols, respectively, and 136 mL for the 60-minute intermittent lidocaine group. In the last 2 minutes of the 40- and 60-minute arrest protocols, the coronary vascular resistance was not significantly different for the hearts arrested with adenosine and lidocaine (0.27-0.32 megadyne/sec/cm(-5)). Significantly higher coronary vascular resistance was found in the lidocaine cardioplegia group (0.38 megadyne/sec/cm(-5)). No significant differences were found between the continuous or intermittent adenosine-lidocaine delivery protocols. Hearts arrested with adenosine and lidocaine recovered 88% to 89% of aortic flow and 109% of coronary flow at 60 minutes of reperfusion after 40-minute arrest, and 77% to 86% of aortic flow and 98% to 109% of coronary flow at 60 minutes of reperfusion after 60-minute arrest. Lidocaine cardioplegia led to significantly lower aortic and coronary flows after 60-minute arrest compared with the intermittent adenosine-lidocaine group. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that adenosine-lidocaine cardioplegia can be delivered intermittently or continuously with similar functional recoveries after a 40- or 60-minute arrest at 33 degrees C. Hearts receiving lidocaine cardioplegia took a significantly longer time to arrest, showed higher coronary vascular resistance, and achieved lower functional recovery than the 60-minute adenosine-lidocaine cardioplegia groups. Intermittent or continuous delivery of adenosine-lidocaine cardioplegia may offer an alternative to current surgical hyperkalemic cardioplegia at warm to normothermic temperatures.