Scalp Acupuncture for Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Scalp acupuncture for acute ischemic stroke: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

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Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012; 2012: 480950
Wang Y, Shen J, Wang XM, Fu DL, Chen CY, Lu LY, Lu L, Xie CL, Fang JQ, Zheng GQ

Scalp acupuncture (SA) is a commonly used therapeutic approach for stroke throughout China and elsewhere in the world. The objective of this study was to assess clinical efficacy and safety of SA for acute ischemic stroke. A systematical literature search of 6 databases was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of SA for acute ischemic stroke compared with western conventional medicines (WCMs). All statistical analyses were performed by the Rev Man Version 5.0. Eight studies with 538 participants were included in the studies. The studies were deemed to have an unclear risk of bias based on the Cochrane Back Review Group. Compared with the WCM, 6 RCTs showed significant effects of SA for improving neurological deficit scores (P < 0.01); 4 RCTs showed significant effects of SA for favoring the clinical effective rate (P < 0.01) However, the adverse events have not been documented. In conclusion, SA appears to be able to improve neurological deficit score and the clinical effective rate when compared with WCM, though the beneficial effect from SA is possibly overvalued because of generally low methodology of the included trials. No evidence is available for adverse effects. Rigorous well-designed clinical trials are needed. HubMed – rehab

 

Is patient satisfaction and perceived service quality with musculoskeletal rehabilitation determined by patient experiences?

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Clin Rehabil. 2012 Dec 20;
Medina-Mirapeix F, Jimeno-Serrano FJ, Escolar-Reina P, Del Baño-Aledo ME

Objective:To assess the relationships between patient experiences and two overall evaluations – satisfaction and service quality – in outpatient rehabilitation settings.Design:A cross-sectional, self-reported survey carried out in the year 2009.Setting:Three outpatient rehabilitation units belonging to Spanish hospitals located in Barcelona, Madrid and Seville.Subjects:Four hundred and sixty-five outpatients (response rate 90%) mean age 39.4 (SD = 11.9) years.Main measures:Self-reported experiences on aspects of care, participants’ perception of service quality, satisfaction with care, socio-demographic and health characteristics.Results:Satisfaction and service quality were highly correlated (rho = 0.72, P< 0.001). Two multivariate logistic regression models using satisfaction and service quality (with adjusted R(2) 31.5% and 37.1%, respectively) indicated that patients' experiences and global rating of health improvement have more effect on those evaluations than socio-demographic characteristics. Mean satisfaction was 8.9 (SD = 1.2), and 88% of respondents described high service quality. However, nearly 25% of the respondents who reported high-quality evaluations also indicated a problem score of more than 50% in almost all aspects of care studied.Conclusions:Satisfaction and service quality provide a poor indicator of patients' experiences. Both are two proxies but distinct constructs in rehabilitation care. Besides, not all problems encountered by patients are equally important to them. HubMed – rehab

 

Follow-up home visits with registered dietitians have a positive effect on the functional and nutritional status of geriatric medical patients after discharge: a randomized controlled trial.

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Clin Rehabil. 2012 Dec 20;
Beck AM, Kjær S, Hansen BS, Storm RL, Thal-Jantzen K, Bitz C

Objective:To assess the additional benefits of individualized nutritional counselling by a registered dietitian in geriatric patients’ home after discharge from hospital, in relation to risk of re-admissions, functional status, nutritional status, use of social services and mortality.Design:Twelve-week single-blind randomized controlled study.Setting and subjects:Geriatric medical patients (65+ years) at nutritional risk.Interventions:Participants were randomly allocated to receive a visit in their homes, either three individualized nutritional counselling by a registered dietitian complemented with three follow-up visits by general practitioners or three follow-up visits by general practitioners alone.Main measures:Primary outcome was risk of re-admissions. Secondary outcomes were functional status (hand grip strength, chair stand, mobility, disability and tiredness in daily activities, rehabilitation capacity), nutritional status (weight, BMI, energy and protein intake), need of social services (home care, home nursing, meals-on-wheels) and mortality.Results:One hundred and fifty-two patients were included; 132 (87%) completed the first and 124 (82%) the second data collection after 12 weeks. Ten per cent of the participants had three contacts with their general practitioner, while compliance with the dietetic intervention was almost 100%. Odds ratio for re-admission and mortality after 26 weeks was 1.62 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.85 to 3.10) and 0.60 (95% CI 0.17 to 2.13). The intervention had a positive effect on functional status (i.e. mobility, P = 0.029), and nutritional status (i.e. weight, P = 0.035; energy intake, P < 0.001; protein intake, P = 0.001) and the use of meals-on wheels was reduced (P = 0.084).Conclusion:Follow-up home visits with registered dietitians have a positive effect on the functional and nutritional status of geriatric medical patients after discharge. HubMed – rehab

 

Is the haematopoietic effect of testosterone mediated by erythropoietin? The results of a clinical trial in older men.

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Andrology. 2013 Jan; 1(1): 24-8
Maggio M, Snyder PJ, Ceda GP, Milaneschi Y, Luci M, Cattabiani C, Masoni S, Vignali A, Volpi R, Lauretani F, Peachey H, Valenti G, Cappola AR, Longo D, Ferrucci L

The stimulatory effects of testosterone on erythropoiesis are very well known, but the mechanisms underlying the erythropoietic action of testosterone are still poorly understood, although erythropoietin has long been considered a potential mediator. A total of 108 healthy men >65 years old with serum testosterone concentration <475 ng/dL were recruited by direct mailings to alumni of the University of Pennsylvania and Temple University, and randomized to receive a 60-cm(2) testosterone or placebo patch for 36 months. Ninety-six subjects completed the trial. We used information and stored serum specimens from this trial to test the hypothesis that increasing testosterone increases haemoglobin by stimulating erythropoietin production. We used information of 67 men, 43 in the testosterone group and 24 in the placebo group who had banked specimens available for assays of testosterone, haemoglobin and erythropoietin at baseline and after 36 months. The original randomized clinical study was primarily designed to verify the effects of testosterone on bone mineral density. The primary outcome of this report was to investigate whether or not transdermal testosterone increases haemoglobin by increasing erythropoietin levels. The mean age ± SD of the 67 subjects at baseline was 71.8 ± 4.9 years. Testosterone replacement therapy for 36 months, as compared with placebo, induced a significant increase in haemoglobin (0.86 ± 0.31 g/dL, p = 0.01), but no change in erythropoietin levels (-0.24 ± 2.16 mIU/mL, p = 0.91). Included time-varying measure of erythropoietin did not significantly account for the effect of testosterone on haemoglobin (Treatment-by-time: ? = 0.93, SE = 0.33, p = 0.01). No serious adverse effect was observed. Transdermal testosterone treatment of older men for 36 months significantly increased haemoglobin, but not erythropoietin levels. The haematopoietic effect of testosterone does not appear to be mediated by stimulation of erythropoietin production. HubMed – rehab

 


 

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