We aimed to verify by Rasch analysis whether the Mini-BESTest, a balance measure, confirms its main psychometric properties in patients with subacute stroke undergoing rehabilitation in three ...different countries (Slovenia, Croatia, and Italy), and to examine the stability of item hierarchy and difficulty across the three national versions through a differential item functioning analysis. We investigated 159 patients with subacute stroke consecutively admitted to three rehabilitation facilities after screening for an intensive, tailored rehabilitation program. Balance function was tested within 36 h from admission and after ∼25 days. As no differential item functioning was found between admission and discharge data or among countries, all data were pooled. Rasch criteria for the functioning of rating scale categories were fulfilled. In terms of internal construct validity, all items except item #14 (Cognitive Get Up & Go; infit value=1.42) showed an acceptable fit to the Rasch model. The patient ability-item difficulty matching was very good. Reliability indices were high. The Principal Component Analysis of standardized residuals confirmed the unidimensionality of the test. On the basis of the item calibration, raw scores of the Mini-BESTest were transformed into linear estimates of dynamic balance and six statistically detectable levels of balance ability were defined. Good psychometric features of the Mini-BESTest were confirmed. The three different national versions showed stability in item hierarchy, indicating equivalence of their cross-cultural adaptations. Problems with item #14 in these patients warrant further study.
Malnutrition is usually related to some diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, chronic pancreatitis, chronic liver disease and malignant tumors. It is characterized by weight loss, protein ...deficiency, and deficit of specific nutrients. The aim was to estimate the prevalence of nutritional risk among 160 gastrointestinal patients by use of the Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS-2002) score at hospital admission and discharge. The patients stayed in the hospital between 5 and 15 days or longer. Results showed that 40% of patients at admission and 36.2% at discharge were malnourished. There were 53.1% of patients with recognized malnutrition at admission that received nutritional support, whereas at discharge 34.4% of patients at risk were not dietary supported. Malnourished patients were significantly older, had lower body mass index, longer hospital stay and higher rate of malignant diseases than properly nourished patients. Regular screening for malnutrition should be conveyed in hospitals as to provide appropriate dietary support for all patients at risk.
Vratobolja je jedna od najčešćih mišićnokoštanih bolesti koja rezultira značajnom boli i nesposobnosti te ima velik utjecaj na individualnoj razini, kao i na zdravstveni sustav i društvo u cjelini. ...Uzroci vratobolje su različiti, a etiološki prevladavaju oni mehanički povezani s degenerativnim promjenama vratne kralješnice. Svjedočimo raznim dijagnostičkim i terapijskim pristupima za ove bolesnike. Hrvatsko vertebrološko društvo Hrvatskoga liječničkog zbora predstavlja sveobuhvatni narativni pregled i smjernice za dijagnozu i liječenje bolesnika s vratoboljom, s naglaskom na najčešće uzroke. Smjernice su rezultat konsenzusa stručnjaka različitih specijalnosti, a temelje se na najboljim dokazima. Ovaj prvi dio odnosi se na dijagnostiku, a drugi njemu komplementarni dio odnosi se na terapiju. Dijagnostički dio smjernica (1. dio) obuhvaća: klinička obilježja i evaluaciju (uključivo strukturirane upitnike), laboratorijsku dijagnostiku, slikovne metode, neurofiziološko testiranje i minimalno invazivne dijagnostičke postupke. Dio smjernica o liječenju (2. dio) uključuje: farmakološko liječenje, tjelesne medicinske vježbe, trakciju, manualnu terapiju, metode fizikalne terapije, primjenu ortoza, minimalno invazivne terapijske intervencije, kirurško liječenje, rehabilitaciju nakon kirurških zahvata i psihijatrijski pristup. Ovo su prve hrvatske smjernice za vratobolju primarno namijenjene liječničkoj profesionalnoj zajednici.
Osteoporotski prijelomi predstavljaju velik teret kako za bolesnika tako i za zdravstveni sustav, uključujući visoke direktne i indirektne troškove. Starenjem stanovništva njihova se pojavnost ...povisuje. Prepoznavanje potrebe za liječenjem osteoporoze i posljedičnih prijeloma je nedostatno, a učinkovitost slaba uslijed relativno visokog stupnja nesuradljivosti (perzistencije i adherencije) na terapiju. Prethodni prijelom jedan je od najznačajnijih čimbenika rizika za sljedeći prijelom. Stoga se pojavila potreba za sustavnim strategijama sekundarne prevencije,
koje su razvijene i provode se u brojnim zemljama kroz programe naziva Servis povezan s prijelomom (engl. Fracture Liaison Service, skr. FLS). FLS uključuje zdravstvene stručnjake različitih profila, a ključnu ulogu ima koordinator. Identifikacija bolesnika s niskoenergetskim prijelomom polazišna je točka procesa FLS-a, a sam proces funkcionira na temelju utvrđenog postupnika. Tijekom hospitalizacije provodi se ciljana dijagnostička obrada, procjena rizika za sljedeće prijelome, edukacija bolesnika i njegovih bližnjih/skrbnika, a daju se preporuke za
temeljnu i specifičnu farmakološku antiosteoporotsku terapiju te za druge mjere i postupke (npr. fizikalna terapija, vježbe), uključujući modifikaciju čimbenika rizika i prevenciju padova. Svi nalazi te napose preporuke moraju biti jasno navedene u otpusnom pismu i komunicirane svim članovima tima, kao i liječniku obiteljske medicine. Važno je redovito praćenje tih bolesnika, uz naglasak na suradljivosti kao preduvjetu za uspjeh liječenja i sprječavanje novih prijeloma. Na temelju programa FLS koji je ustanovljen u Kliničkom bolničkom centru Sestre milosrdnice u
Zagrebu, grupa eksperata je konsenzusom predložila ključne elemente, ulogu pojedinih članova multidisciplinarnog tima i postupnik FLS-a HDFRM, s izborom prijeloma u području kuka kao indeksnog prijeloma. Prijedlog je dobio potvrdu na sastanku stručnog društva. Pritom se pridržavalo osnovnih načela FLS-a, identifikacije pacijenata s prijelomom, odgovarajuće evaluacije i individualizirane procjene rizika za sljedeći prijelom, promptnosti početka liječenja i praćenja bolesnika s osiguranjem kontinuiteta terapije. Ovaj dokument o stajalištu (engl. position paper) temeljni je dokument za FLS u hrvatskoj fizijatrijskoj zajednici te vjerujemo da će pridonijeti smanjenju morbiditeta, mortaliteta i sveukupnih zdravstvenih izdataka povezanih s osteoporotskim prijelomima.
Knee osteoarthritis (KOA), the most common type of osteoarthritis (OA), is associated with pain and inflammation of the joint capsule, impaired muscular stabilization, reduced range of motion and ...functional disability. High-intensity laser therapy (HILT) involves higher-intensity laser radiation and causes minor and slow light absorption by chromophores. Light stimulation of the deep structures, due to high intensity laser therapy, activates cell metabolism through photochemical effect. The transmissions of pain stimulus are slowed down and result in a quick achievement of pain relief. The aim of our research was to investigate the prompt analgesic effect of HILT on patients with KOA. Knee radiographs were performed on all patients and consequently graded using the Kellgren-Lawrence grading scale (K/L). A group of 96 patients (75 female, 21 male, mean age 59.2) with K/L 2 and 3 were submitted to HILT therapy. Pain intensity was evaluated with visual analogue scale (VAS) before and after the treatment. HILT consisted in one daily application, over a period of ten days, using protocol wavelength, frequency and duration. The results showed statistically significant decrease in VAS after the treatment (p < 0.001). Considering these results, HILT enables prompt analgesic effects in KOA treatment. Therefore HILT is a reliable option in KOA physical therapy.
Shoulder calcific lesions of the rotator cuff are a common problem in physiatric and orthopedic practice. The lesions are mostly located in the supraspinatus tendon, close to the insertion area in ...the critical zone. Patients are usually treated conservatively by nonsteroid antiinflammatory drugs, analgesic drugs, local injections, physiotherapy and rarely by applying surgical procedures. Painful shoulder gives rise to functional disabilities and may sometimes lead to pharmacological overuse. In the last twenty years, extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) has been frequently used in the treatment of calcific tendinopathies. We have evaluated the effectiveness of radial ESWT on the group of 30 patients, aged between 28 and 58 years, with calcific tendinitis of the shoulder. Criotherapy, medical exercises and radial ESWT were applied. We used the radial ESWT device (BTL-5000 SWT, Columbia, USA), 3 bars pressure, 10 Hz frequency, 2000 shocks. Patients were examined before the beginning of the treatment, immediately after the treatment, and 6 months later. The treatment included measurement of the range of motion (ROM), measurement of voluntary isometric contraction of shoulder muscles with manual muscle test (MMT), and subjective assessment of pain intensity with visual analogue scale (VAS). X-ray was done before and 6 month after treatment. The study has shown the efficiency of the treatment with radial ESWT. The level of statistical significance was determined with student t-test. Radial ESWT applied to patients with shoulder calcific lesions of the rotator cuff resulted in pain relief increase in the range of motion and increase in the muscular strength. As shown by X-ray, these results were followed by the decrease in the size of the rotator cuff calcifications.
Female athletes participating in high-risk sports suffer anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) knee injury at a 4- to 6-fold greater rate than do male athletes. ACL injuries result either from contact ...mechanisms or from certain unexplained non-contact mechanisms occurring during daily professional sports activities. The occurrence of non-contact injuries points to the existence of certain factors intrinsic to the knee that can lead to ACL rupture. When knee joint movement overcomes the static and the dynamic constraint systems, non-contact ACL injury may occur. Certain recent results suggest that balance and neuromuscular control play a central role in knee joint stability, protection and prevention of ACL injuries. The purpose of this study is to evaluate balance neuromuscular skills in healthy Croatian female athletes by measuring their balance index score, as well as to estimate a possible correlation between their balance index score and balance effectiveness. This study is conducted in an effort to reduce the risk of future injuries and thus prevent female athletes from withdrawing from sports prematurely. We analysed fifty-two female athletes in the high-risk sports of handball and volleyball, measuring for their static and dynamic balance index scores, using the Sport KAT 2000 testing system. This method may be used to monitor balance and coordination systems and may help to develop simpler measurements of neuromuscular control, which can be used to estimate risk predictors in athletes who withdraw from sports due to lower sports results or ruptured anterior cruciate ligament and to direct female athletes to more effective, targeted preventive interventions. The tested Croatian female athletes with lower sports results and ACL knee injury incurred after the testing were found to have a higher balance index score compared to healthy athletes. We therefore suggest that a higher balance index score can be used as an effective risk predictor for lower sports results and lesser sports motivation, anterior cruciate ligament injury and the ultimate decision to withdraw from active participation in sports. If the balance testing results prove to be effective in predicting the occurrence of ligament injuries during future sports activities, we suggest that prophylactic training programs be introduced during athlete training, since the prevention of an initial injury will be more effective than prevention of injury recurrence.
Cerebralna paraliza je klinički entitet kojeg karakterizira poremećaj pokreta i položaja uzrokovan neprogresivnim oštećenjem nezrelog mozga. Mnogo je etioloških faktora zbog kojih dolazi do oštećenja ...mozga koja može uzrokovati cerebralnu paralizu. Posljedice oštećenja utječu na motoričku funkciju te mišićno-koštani i kognitivni razvoj, a javlja se i niz drugih pridruženih zdravstvenih poteškoća. Također, kada se govori o cerebralnoj paralizi, uvijek treba naglasiti da cerebralna paraliza predstavlja, ne samo medicinski problem, nego i psihološki i socijalni problem. Dijagnoza se postavlja kod djece kod koje je uočen usporeni razvoj motorike, a koji se potvrđuje nalazima magnetske rezonancije. Terapija djeteta s cerebralnom paralizom je usmjerena na ostvarivanje zadanog cilja. Dva glavna cilja su smanjiti komplikacije uzrokovane cerebralnom paralizom i poboljšati sposobnost usvajanja novih vještina. Dodatni ciljevi su edukacija roditelja, smanjenje tjelesnih deformacija i poboljšanje pokretljivosti. Cerebralna paraliza zahtjeva interdisciplinarni pristup te ima veliki utjecaj i na dijete i na čitavu obitelj i njihov život. Svaki terapijski pristup se bazira na individualnom pristupu. Vrlo je bitno terapiju započeti što ranije jer ranija terapija olakšava razvoj djeteta i pridonosi boljem ishodu terapije i kvaliteti života. Terapija cerebralne paralize ne treba biti usmjerena samo na motoričke tretmane, već i na tretmane i drugih poremećaja od kojih dijete pati. Postoji niz terapijskih sistema koji se primjenjuju u radu s djecom s cerebralnom paralizom. Rijetko se kad terapija oslanja na samo jedan sistem, najčešće se primjenjuje kombinacija terapijskih postupaka. Takav pristup omogućava fleksibilnost i individualizaciju kako bi se ostvarili ciljevi postavljeni za dijete i obitelj.
Križobolja je jedan od najčešćih uzroka fizičke nesposobnosti, čije je najčešće izvorište degeneracija intervertebralnog diska. Nemogućnost točnog utvrđivanja potjecišta boli jest ograničavajući ...čimbenik u učinkovitijoj prevenciji i liječenju. Nova saznanja, napose u područjima genetike i analize proteina primjenom spektrometrije masa, bacaju novo svjetlo u razumijevanju etiopatogeneze degenerativne bolesti diska. Novim slikovnim metodama kao što je CEST magnetska rezonancija ili ADC magnetska rezonancija mogu se detektirati rane degenerativne promjene. Napredak je ostvaren glede razjašnjenja uloge fizičkog opterećenja, kao i tipa vježbi koje mogu imati utjecaj kako na razvoj tako i na liječenje bolesnika s degenerativnim promjenama diska. Na kraju, značajan napredak je ostvaren u kirurškom liječenju tih bolesnika, s naglaskom na minimalno invazivne tehnike. Ostali kirurški modaliteti liječenja su pokazali napredak koji ohrabruje, kao što su totalna zamjena diska i liječenje mezenhimalnim matičnim stanicama. Uz navedeno, i ostale novosti u dijagnostici i liječenju degenerativne bolesti vertebralnog diska raspravljene su u ovom članku.
The aim of this study is to compare four forms of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA): non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), non-radiographic axial psoriatic ...arthritis (nr-axPsA) and radiographic axial psoriatic arthritis (r-axPsA). In a cross-sectional retrospective study, gender difference, human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing, laboratory C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation (SE) values, and radiographic and magnetic resonance scans were analyzed. One hundred and thirty-seven patients were included in the study: 45 AS, 51 nr-axSpA, 32 r-axPsA and 9 nr-axPsA; 74 women and 63 men. Most of the gender, laboratory and radiological findings confirmed the results of previously conducted studies about each group of the investigated axSpA. The key findings of our study are the newly detected findings of HLA typing beyond HLA-27 positivity: HLA-DR16 in AS, HLA-DR11 in nr-axSpA, HLA-B13, HLA-B57, HLA-Cw12 and HLA-DR7 in r-axPsA, and HLA-B18 in nr-axPsA. Our study also confirmed some of the results of previously conducted studies on predominant genes of HLA typing in axSpA: HLA-B27 in AS, HLA-B39 and HLA-Cw6 in r-axPsA, and HLA-Cw7 in nr-axPsA. Important conclusions about the nr-axPsA group cannot be drawn because of the very small number of subjects included in this group of axSpA. Our results suggest that the newly detected HLA typing findings beyond HLA-B27 positivity could be possible biomarkers of early detection of axSpA, but further studies on larger samples are needed.