Impact of respiratory muscle training on respiratory muscle strength, respiratory function and quality of life in individuals with tetraplegia: a randomised clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Respiratory complications remain a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in people with acute and chronic tetraplegia. Respiratory muscle weakness following spinal cord injury-induced tetraplegia impairs lung function and the ability to cough. In particular, inspiratory muscle strength has been identified as the best predictor of the likelihood of developing pneumonia in individuals with tetraplegia. We hypothesised that 6 weeks of progressive respiratory muscle training (RMT) increases respiratory muscle strength with improvements in lung function, quality of life and respiratory health. METHODS: Sixty-two adults with tetraplegia participated in a double-blind randomised controlled trial. Active or sham RMT was performed twice daily for 6 weeks. Inspiratory muscle strength, measured as maximal inspiratory pressure (PImax) was the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included lung function, quality of life and respiratory health. Between-group comparisons were obtained with linear models adjusting for baseline values of the outcomes. RESULTS: After 6 weeks, there was a greater improvement in PImax in the active group than in the sham group (mean difference 11.5 cmH2O (95% CI 5.6 to 17.4), p<0.001) and respiratory symptoms were reduced (St George Respiratory Questionnaire mean difference 10.3 points (0.01-20.65), p=0.046). Significant improvements were observed in quality of life (EuroQol-Five Dimensional Visual Analogue Scale 14.9 points (1.9-27.9), p=0.023) and perceived breathlessness (Borg score 0.64 (0.11-1.17), p=0.021). There were no significant improvements in other measures of respiratory function (p=0.126-0.979). CONCLUSIONS: Progressive RMT increases inspiratory muscle strength in people with tetraplegia, by a magnitude which is likely to be clinically significant. Measurement of baseline PImax and provision of RMT to at-risk individuals may reduce respiratory complications after tetraplegia. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN 12612000929808).

Effect of probiotics on multi-resistant organism colonisation in persons with spinal cord injury: secondary outcome of ProSCIUTTU, a randomised placebo-controlled trial.

STUDY DESIGN: Randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial. OBJECTIVES: Multi-resistant organism (MRO) colonisation is common in people with SCI. We aimed to determine whether Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14 + Lactobacillus GR-1 (RC14-GR1) and/or Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG + Bifidobacterium BB-12 (LGG-BB12) are effective in preventing or clearing MRO colonisation. SETTING: New South Wales, Australia. METHODS: The 207 SCI participants were randomised to one of four arms: (i) RC14-GR1 + LGG-BB12, (ii) RC14-GR1 + placebo, (iii) LGG-BB12 + placebo or (iv) double placebos for 6 months. Microbiological samples of nose, groin, urine and bowel were taken at baseline, 3 and 6 months. Analysis was conducted for the presence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), multi-resistant gram-negative organisms (MRGNs) and vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE). The outcomes were clearance of, or new colonisation with MRSA, MRGN, VRE or MROs and whether participants remained free of MRSA, MRGN, VRE or MROs throughout the study. Risk factors associated with an outcome were adjusted for using nominal or binary logistic regression. RESULTS: There was a significant reduction in new MRGN colonisation compared with placebo for participants treated with RC14-GR1 (OR 0.10, 95% CI, 0.01-0.88, P = 0.04), after allowing that inpatients were more likely to be newly colonised (OR 21.41, 95% CI, 3.98-115.13, P < 0.0001). Participants who intermittent self-catheterised (IMC) were more likely to remain MRO-free than those utilising SPC or IDCs (OR 2.80, 95% CI, 1.41-5.54, P = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: Probiotics are ineffective at clearing MROs in people with SCI. However, RC14-GR1 is effective at preventing new colonisation with MRGNs. The use of IMC significantly improves the chance of remaining MRO-free.

Global mapping for the epidemiology of paediatric spinal cord damage: towards a living data repository.

STUDY DESIGN: Literature review. OBJECTIVES: Globally map key paediatric spinal cord damage epidemiological measures and provide a framework for an ongoing repository of data. SETTING: Worldwide, initiative of ISCoS Prevention Committee. METHODS: Literature search of Medline (1946-March 2017) and Embase (1974-March 2017). Relevant articles in any language regarding children with spinal cord damage included. Stratification of data quality into Green/Yellow /Red 'zones' facilitated comparison between countries. RESULTS: A total of 862 abstracts were reviewed and data from 25 articles were included from 14 countries in 6 of the 21 Global Regions. Fourteen studies involved paediatric traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) and seven were regarding non-traumatic spinal cord dysfunction (SCDys). An additional four articles provided both paediatric SCI and SCDys data. The median SCI incidence rates in Global Regions were: Asia, East 5.4/million population/year; Australasia 9.9/million population/year; Western Europe 3.3/million population/year and North America, High Income 13.2 million population/year. The median SCDys incidence rates in Global Regions were: Australasia 6.5/million population/year; Western Europe 6.2/million population/year and North America, High Income 2.1/million population/year. SCI was mostly due to land transport (46-74%), falls (12-35%) and sport/recreation (10-25%) and SCDys was mostly caused by tumours (30-63%) and inflammatory/autoimmune causes (28-35%). CONCLUSIONS: There is a scarcity of quality epidemiology studies of paediatric SCD regarding incidence, prevalence, aetiology and survival. Recent ISCoS frameworks provide guidance for researchers to use established classification of SCDys and age group cut-off levels in future studies, thereby improving the ability to compare and combine data.

Probiotics [LGG-BB12 or RC14-GR1] versus placebo as prophylaxis for urinary tract infection in persons with spinal cord injury [ProSCIUTTU]: a randomised controlled trial.

STUDY DESIGN: Randomised double-blind factorial-design placebo-controlled trial. OBJECTIVE: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common in people with spinal cord injury (SCI). UTIs are increasingly difficult to treat due to emergence of multi-resistant organisms. Probiotics are efficacious in preventing UTIs in post-menopausal women. We aimed to determine whether probiotic therapy with Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14+Lactobacillus GR-1 (RC14-GR1) and/or Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG+Bifidobacterium BB-12 (LGG-BB12) are effective in preventing UTI in people with SCI. SETTING: Spinal units in New South Wales, Australia with their rural affiliations. METHODS: We recruited 207 eligible participants with SCI and stable neurogenic bladder management. They were randomised to one of four arms: RC14-GR1+LGG-BB12, RC14-GR1+placebo, LGG-BB12+ placebo or double placebos for 6 months. Randomisation was stratified by bladder management type and inpatient or outpatient status. The primary outcome was time to occurrence of symptomatic UTI. RESULTS: Analysis was based on intention to treat. Participants randomised to RC14-GR1 had a similar risk of UTI as those not on RC14-GR1 (HR 0.67; 95% CI: 0.39-1.18; P = 0.17) after allowing for pre-specified covariates. Participants randomised to LGG-BB12 also had a similar risk of UTI as those not on LGG-BB12 (HR 1.29; 95% CI: 0.74-2.25; P = 0.37). Multivariable post hoc survival analysis for RC14-GR1 only vs. the other three groups showed a potential protective effect (HR 0.46; 95% CI: 0.21-0.99; P = 0.03), but this result would need to be confirmed before clinical application. CONCLUSION: In this RCT, there was no effect of RC14-GR1 or LGG-BB12 in preventing UTI in people with SCI.

Probiotics [LGG-BB12 or RC14-GR1] versus placebo as prophylaxis for urinary tract infection in persons with spinal cord injury [ProSCIUTTU]: a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Urinary tract infections [UTIs] are very common in people with Spinal Cord Injury [SCI]. UTIs are increasingly difficult and expensive to treat as the organisms that cause them become more antibiotic resistant. Among the SCI population, there is a high rate of multi-resistant organism [MRO] colonisation. Non-antibiotic prevention strategies are needed to prevent UTI without increasing resistance. Probiotics have been reported to be beneficial in preventing UTIs in post-menopausal women in several in vivo and in vitro studies. The main aim of this study is to determine whether probiotic therapy with combinations of Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14 + Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 [RC14-GR1] and/or Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG + Bifidobacterium BB-12 [LGG-BB12] are effective in preventing UTI in people with SCI compared to placebo. METHOD: This is a multi-site randomised double-blind double-dummy placebo-controlled factorial design study conducted in New South Wales, Australia. All participants have a neurogenic bladder as a result of spinal injury. Recruitment started in April 2011. Participants are randomised to one of four arms, designed for factorial analysis of LGG-BB12 and/or RC14-GR1 v Placebo. This involves 24 weeks of daily oral treatment with RC14-GR1 + LGG-BB12, RC14-GR1 + placebo, LGG-BB12 + placebo or two placebo capsules. Randomisation is stratified by bladder management type and inpatient status. Participants are assessed at baseline, three months and six months for Short Form Health Survey [SF-36], microbiological swabs of rectum, nose and groin; urine culture and urinary catheters for subjects with indwelling catheters. A bowel questionnaire is administered at baseline and three months to assess effect of probiotics on bowel function. The primary outcome is time from randomisation to occurrence of symptomatic UTI. The secondary outcomes are change of MRO status and bowel function, quality of life and cost-effectiveness of probiotics in persons with SCI. The primary outcome will be analysed using survival analysis of factorial groups, with Cox regression modelling to test the effect of each treatment while allowing for the other, assuming no interaction effect. Hazard ratios and Kaplan-Meier survival curves will be used to summarise results. DISCUSSION: If these probiotics are shown to be effective in preventing UTI and MRO colonisation, they would be a very attractive alternative for UTI prophylaxis and for combating the increasing rate of antibiotic resistance after SCI. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry [ ACTRN 12610000512022 ]. Date of registration: 21 June 2010.

Intermittent catheterization with single- or multiple-reuse catheters: clinical study on safety and impact on quality of life.

PURPOSE: Intermittent catheterization (IC) is a proven effective long-term bladder management strategy for individuals who have lower urinary tract dysfunction. This study provides clinical evidence about multiple-reuse versus single-use catheterization techniques and if catheter choice can have an impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). METHOD: A prospective, multi-center, clinical trial studied patients who currently practiced catheter reuse, and who agreed to prospectively evaluate single-use hydrophilic-coated (HC) (i.e. LoFric) catheters for 4 weeks. A validated Intermittent Self-Catheterization Questionnaire (ISC-Q) was used to obtain HRQoL. Reused catheters were collected and studied with regard to microbial and debris contamination. RESULTS: The study included 39 patients who had practiced IC for a mean of 10 years, 6 times daily. At inclusion, all patients reused catheters for a mean of 21 days (SD = 48) per catheter. 36 patients completed the prospective test period and the mean ISC-Q score increased from 58.0 (SD = 22.6) to 67.2 (SD = 17.7) when patients switched to the single-use HC catheters (p = 0.0101). At the end of the study, 83% (95% CI [67-94%]) preferred to continue using single-use HC catheters. All collected reused catheters (100%) were contaminated by debris and 74% (95% CI [58-87%]) were contaminated by microorganisms, some with biofilm. CONCLUSION: Single-use HC catheters improved HRQoL and were preferred over catheter reuse among people practicing IC. Catheter multiple-reuse may pose a potential safety concern due to colonization by microorganisms as well as having reduced acceptance compared to single use. TRIAL REGISTRY NUMBER: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02129738.

Residual spinothalamic tract pathways predict development of central pain after spinal cord injury.

Central neuropathic pain following lesions within the CNS, such as spinal cord injury, is one of the most excruciating types of chronic pain and one of the most difficult to treat. The role of spinothalamic pathways in this type of pain is not clear. Previous studies suggested that spinothalamic tract lesions are necessary but not sufficient for development of central pain, since deficits of spinothalamic function were equally severe in spinal cord injured people with and without pain. The aim of the present study was to examine spinothalamic tract function by quantitative sensory testing before and after activation and sensitization of small diameter afferents by applying menthol, histamine or capsaicin to the distal skin areas where spontaneous pain was localized. Investigations were performed in matched groups each of 12 patients with and without central pain below the level of a clinically complete spinal cord injury, and in 12 able-bodied controls. To test peripheral C fibre function, axon reflex vasodilations induced by histamine and capsaicin applications were quantified. In eight patients with pain, sensations of the same quality as one of their major individual pain sensations were rekindled by heat stimuli in combination with topical capsaicin (n = 7) or by cold stimuli (n = 1). No sensations were evoked in pain-free patients (P < 0.01). Capsaicin-induced axon reflex vasodilations were significantly larger in pain patients with heat- and capsaicin-evoked sensations in comparison to pain patients without capsaicin-provoked sensations. These results suggest that intact thermosensitive nociceptive afferents within lesioned spinothalamic tract pathways distinguish people with central pain from those without. The ability to mimic chronic pain sensations by activation of thermosensory nociceptive neurons implies that ongoing activity in these residual spinothalamic pathways plays a crucial role in maintaining central pain. We propose that processes associated with degeneration of neighbouring axons within the tract, such as inflammation, may trigger spontaneous activity in residual intact neurons that act as a 'central pain generator' after spinal cord injury.

Validity, responsiveness, and minimal important difference for the SF-6D health utility scale in a spinal cord injured population.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the feasibility, acceptability, discriminative validity, responsiveness, and minimal important difference (MID) of the SF-6D for people with spinal cord injury (SCI). METHODS: A total of 305 people with SCI completed the SF-36 health status questionnaire at baseline and at subsequent occurrence of a urinary tract infection (UTI) or 6-month follow-up. Normative SF-36 data were obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. SF-36 scores were transformed to SF-6D utility values using Brazier's algorithm. We used UTI as the external criterion of clinically important change to determine responsiveness and two categories of the SF-36 transition question ("somewhat worse" and "somewhat better") as the external criterion to determine the MID. Derived SF-12 responsiveness was also assessed. RESULTS: The mean SF-6D values were: 0.68 (SD 0.21, n = 305) all patients; 0.66 (SD 0.19, n = 167) tetraplegia; 0.72 (SD 0.26, n = 138) paraplegia; 0.57 (SD 0.15, n = 138) with UTI. The Australian normative SF-6D mean value was 0.80 (SD 0.14, n = 18,005). The SF-6D was able to discriminate between SCI and the Australian normative sample (effect size [ES] = 0.86), tetraplegia-paraplegia (ES = 0.23), and it was responsive to UTI (ES = 0.86 SF-36 variant, ES = 0.92 SF-12 variant). The MID for respondents who reported being somewhat worse or somewhat better at follow-up was 0.03 (SD 0.17, n = 108/305), while the MID for only those who were somewhat worse was 0.10 (SD 0.14, n = 58). CONCLUSIONS: The content of the SF-6D is more appropriate than that of the SF-36 for this physically impaired population. The SF-6D has discriminative power and is responsive to clinically important change because of UTI. The MID is consistent with published estimates for other disease groups.

Urinary catheter-associated microbiota change in accordance with treatment and infection status.

The use of long-term catheterisation to manage insensate bladders, often associated with spinal cord injury (SCI), increases the risk of microbial colonisation and infection of the urinary tract. Urinary tract infection (UTI) is typically diagnosed and treated based on the culturing of organisms from the urine, although this approach overlooks low titer, slow growing and non-traditional pathogens. Here, we present an investigation of the urinary tract microbiome in catheterised SCI individuals, using T-RFLP and metagenomic sequencing of the microbial community. We monitored three neurogenic patients over a period of 12 months, who were part of a larger study investigating the efficacy of probiotics in controlling UTIs, to determine how their urinary tract microbial community composition changed over time and in relation to probiotic treatment regimens. Bacterial biofilms adherent to urinary catheters were examined as a proxy for bladder microbes. The microbial community composition of the urinary tract differed significantly between individuals. Probiotic therapy resulted in a significant change in the microbial community associated with the catheters. The community also changed as a consequence of UTI and this shift in community composition preceded the clinical diagnosis of infection. Changes in the microbiota due to probiotic treatment or infection were transient, resolving to microbial communities similar to their pre-treatment communities, suggesting that the native community was highly resilient. Based on these results, we propose that monitoring a patient's microbial community can be used to track the health of chronically catheterized patients and thus, can be used as part of a health-status monitoring program.

Auto-titrating continuous positive airway pressure treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea after acute quadriplegia (COSAQ): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Quadriplegia is a severe, catastrophic injury that predominantly affects people early in life, resulting in lifelong physical disability. Obstructive sleep apnoea is a direct consequence of quadriplegia and is associated with neurocognitive deficits, sleepiness and reduced quality of life. The usual treatment for sleep apnoea is nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP); however, this is poorly tolerated in quadriplegia. To encourage patients to use this therapy, we have to demonstrate that the benefits outweigh the inconvenience. We therefore propose a prospective, multinational randomized controlled trial of three months of CPAP for obstructive sleep apnoea after acute quadriplegia. METHODS/DESIGN: Specialist spinal cord injury centres across Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Canada will recruit medically stable individuals who have sustained a (new) traumatic quadriplegia (complete or incomplete second cervical to first thoracic level lesions). Participants will be screened for obstructive sleep apnoea using full, portable sleep studies. Those with an apnoea hypopnoea index greater than 10 per hour will proceed to an initial three-night trial of CPAP. Those who can tolerate CPAP for at least 4 hours on at least one night of the initial trial will be randomized to either usual care or a 3-month period of auto-titrating CPAP. The primary hypothesis is that nocturnal CPAP will improve neuropsychological functioning more than usual care alone. The secondary hypothesis is that the magnitude of improvement of neuropsychological function will be predicted by the severity of baseline sleepiness measures, sleep fragmentation and sleep apnoea. Neuropsychological tests and full polysomnography will be performed at baseline and 3 months with interim measures of sleepiness and symptoms of autonomic dysfunction measured weekly. Spirometry will be performed monthly. Neuropsychological tests will be administered by blinded assessors. Recruitment commenced in July 2009. DISCUSSION: The results of this trial will demonstrate the effect of nocturnal CPAP treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea in acute quadriplegia. If CPAP can improve neurocognitive function after injury, it is likely that rehabilitation and subsequent community participation will be substantially improved for this group of predominantly young and severely physically disabled people. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry ACTRN12605000799651.