scholarly journals Effect of an anti-adhesion agent on vision-based assessment of cervical adhesions after thyroid surgery: randomized, placebo-controlled trial

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyeong Won Yu ◽  
Dongheon Lee ◽  
Keunchul Lee ◽  
Su-jin Kim ◽  
Young Jun Chai ◽  
...  

AbstractMany patients experience cervical adhesions after thyroid surgery. To date, however, no studies have objectively measured the effects of anti-adhesion agents on cervical adhesion symptoms. This study evaluated the effects of an anti-adhesion agent on cervical adhesions after thyroid surgery, as determined using a system that measures the extent of marker movement objectively. One hundred patients were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to undergo thyroid surgery with or without the anti-adhesion agent Collabarrier. Using specially manufactured recording equipment, the position of the marker on neck skin was measured before surgery, and 2 weeks, 3 months, and 9 months after surgery. Relative change in marker distance, calculated by subtracting the marker position before surgery from the marker positions 2 weeks, 3 months, and 9 months after surgery, differed significantly in the groups of patients who underwent thyroid surgery with and without the anti-adhesion agent (P < 0.05). A novel measuring system can objectively evaluate the effectiveness of a thyroid anti-adhesion agent. The anti-adhesion agent used significantly reduced adhesions compared with the control group. The trial is registered at www.cris.nih.go.kr (KCT0005745; date of registration, 08/01/2021).

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 343-348
Author(s):  
Sheri J. Hartman ◽  
Dori Pekmezi ◽  
Shira I. Dunsiger ◽  
Bess H. Marcus

Background: Latinas have high rates of sedentary behavior and related health disparities, but it is unknown if interventions to increase physical activity will also reduce sedentary time. The current study examined changes in objectively measured sedentary time among Latinas in a randomized controlled trial of a physical activity intervention. Methods: Spanish-speaking Latinas (N = 202) were randomized to an exercise or wellness group and wore an accelerometer at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. Results: Participants were sedentary on an average of 8.86 hours per day (SD = 2.60) at baseline. The intervention group had significantly greater increases in sedentary time compared with the control group, with the intervention group engaging in 146 more minutes per week of sedentary time at 6 months and 254 minutes per week of sedentary time at 12 months than the control group (P = .02). The intervention effect on sedentary behavior remained after controlling for moderate to vigorous physical activity. Additionally, time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity was positively associated with more sedentary time (P = .04). Conclusion: An intervention to increase moderate to vigorous physical activity resulted in greater sedentary time, raising concerns regarding compensation and highlighting the need for interventions to address both physical activity and sedentary behavior to improve public health.


2017 ◽  
Vol 117 (4) ◽  
pp. 511-518 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Pulakka ◽  
Y. B. Cheung ◽  
K. Maleta ◽  
K. G. Dewey ◽  
C. Kumwenda ◽  
...  

AbstractPhysical activity is beneficial for children’s well-being. The effect of dietary supplementation on children’s physical activity in food-insecure areas remains little studied. We examined the effects of a lipid-based nutrient supplement (LNS) on children’s objectively measured physical activity in a randomised, controlled, outcome-assessor-blinded trial. Mothers of the children received one capsule daily of Fe-folic acid (IFA), one capsule containing eighteen micronutrients (MMN) or one 20 g sachet of LNS (containing twenty-two MMN, protein, carbohydrates, essential fatty acids and 494 kJ (118 kcal)) during pregnancy and for 6 months thereafter. Children in the IFA and MMN groups received no supplementation, and these groups were collapsed into a single control group; children in the LNS group received 20 g LNS from 6 to 18 months. We measured physical activity with accelerometers over 1 week at 18 months. The main outcome was mean vector magnitude counts/15 s. Of the 728 children at the beginning of child intervention at 6 months, 570 (78 %) provided sufficient data for analysis. The mean accelerometer counts for the 190 children in the LNS group and for the 380 children in the control group were 303 (sd 59) and 301 (sd 56), respectively (Pfor difference=0·65). LNS, given to mothers during pregnancy and 6 months postpartum and to their infants from 6 to 18 months of age, did not increase physical activity among 18-month-old children.


2003 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marek Nieznanski

The aim of the study was to explore the basic features of self-schema in persons with schizophrenia. Thirty two schizophrenic patients and 32 normal controls were asked to select personality trait words from a check-list that described themselves, themselves as they were five years ago, and what most people are like. Compared with the control group, participants from the experimental group chose significantly more adjectives that were common to descriptions of self and others, and significantly less that were common to self and past-self descriptions. These results suggest that schizophrenic patients experience their personality as changing over time much more than do healthy subjects. Moreover, their self-representation seems to be less differentiated from others-representation and less clearly defined than in normal subjects.


GeroPsych ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 115-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriele Wilz ◽  
Denise Schinköthe ◽  
Renate Soellner

Introduction: The evaluation of effective interventions is still needed to prevent family caregivers of persons with dementia from becoming physically or mentally ill. However, in most existing intervention studies, primary outcomes are not well matched to the treatment goals. Method: A randomized controlled trial (N = 229) was conducted to compare a treatment group (CBT), a treated control group, and an untreated control group. In theses analyses we focused on the primary outcome measurement (GAS) as a perceived treatment success as well as treatment compliance and participants’ evaluation. Results: Results showed that 30.1% achieved complete goal attainment, 39.8% partial goal attainment, and 24.1% declared no change (overachievement 2.4%; deterioration 3.6%). Discussion: The intervention can be considered to have been successful.


Crisis ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Karien Hill ◽  
Shawn Somerset ◽  
Ralf Schwarzer ◽  
Carina Chan

Abstract. Background: The public health sector has advocated for more innovative, technology-based, suicide prevention education for the community, to improve their ability to detect and respond to suicide risk. Emerging evidence suggests addressing the bystander effect through the Bystander Intervention Model (BIM) in education material may have potential for suicide prevention. Aims: The current study aimed to assess whether BIM-informed tools can lead to improved readiness, confidence and intent in the community to detect and respond to suicide risk in others. Method: A sample of 281 adults recruited from the community participated in a randomized controlled trial comprising a factsheet designed according to the BIM (intervention group) and a standard factsheet about suicide and mental health (control group). Participants' self-reported detecting and responding to suicide risk readiness, confidence, and intent when presented with a suicidal peer was tested pre- and postintervention and compared across time and between groups. Results: The intervention group had significantly higher levels of detecting and responding to suicide risk readiness, confidence, and intent than the control group at postintervention (all p < .001) with moderate-to-large effect sizes. Limitations: The study was limited by a homogenous sample, too low numbers at follow-up to report, and self-report data only. Conclusion: This study demonstrates BIM-informed suicide prevention training may enhance the community's intervention readiness, confidence, and intent better than current standard material. Further testing in this area is recommended. While results were statistically significant, clinical significance requires further exploration.


1977 ◽  
Vol 37 (02) ◽  
pp. 222-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. A Tibbutt ◽  
C. N Chesterman ◽  
E. W Williams ◽  
T Faulkner ◽  
A. A Sharp

SummaryTreatment with streptokinase (‘Kabikinase’) was given to 26 patients with venographically confirmed deep vein thrombosis extending into the popliteal vein or above. Treatment was continued for 4 days and the patients were allocated randomly to oral anticoagulant therapy or a course of treatment with ancrod (‘Arvin’) for 6 days followed by oral anticoagulant therapy. The degree of thrombolysis as judged by further venographic examination at 10 days was not significantly different between the 2 groups. The majority of patients showed clinical improvement but there was no appreciable difference between the groups at 3 and 6 months. Haemorrhagic complications were a more serious problem during the period of treatment with ancrod than during the equivalent period in the control group.


Author(s):  
Ms. Sonam Yangchen Bhutia ◽  
Dr. Sushma Kumari Saini ◽  
Dr. Manmeet Kaur ◽  
Dr. Sandhya Ghai

School children can act as change agent not only for families but for community. The study aimed to assess effectiveness of information package on knowledge and practices of parents/family members of school children studying in Govt. Sr. Sec. School on food hygiene in Dhanas and Daddu Majra Colony, UT, Chandigarh. A non-randomised controlled trial was conducted on 201 school children studying in VIIth standard and their parents/family members. Purposive sampling technique was utilised to enrol 101 in case and 100 participants in control group. Interview schedule for knowledge assessment and observation checklist for assessing the practices of parents/ family members was used. Pre assessment of both the groups was done by a home visit. Experimental group school children were educated on food hygiene as per the protocol. Pre and post-test knowledge of school children on food hygiene was assessed and were asked to disseminate the information to their parents/family members.  After 15 days, second time home visit was done to the parents/family members of both the groups for the post assessment of knowledge and practices. Significant improvement in knowledge and practices of parents/family members related to food hygiene was observed. Hence, school children can be an effective tool in health related knowledge dissemination which can further promote healthy practices.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 101-120
Author(s):  
Ayça Aktaç Gürbüz ◽  
Orçun YORULMAZ ◽  
Gülşah DURNA

Scientific research into the reduction of stigmatization, particularly related to specific problems such as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), is scarce. In the present study, we examine the impact of a video-based antistigma intervention program for OCD in a pretest-posttest control group research. After being randomly assigned to either an intervention (n= 101) or control group (n= 96), the participants reported their attitudes on a hypothetical case vignette before and after OCD vs. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) videos, and again six months later as a follow up assessment. The mixed design analyses for the group comparisons indicated that although there was no significant difference in the measures of the control group, the participants watching the anti-stigma OCD video, in which the focus was psychoeducation and interaction strategies, reported significantly lower scores on social distances and negative beliefs for the case vignettes they read, and this difference was maintained six months later. Then, the present results indicate the effectiveness of our anti-stigma intervention program for OCD. Interventions to reduce stigmatization can also be viewed as effective tools for changing the attitudes of people toward OCD, although further research and applications are needed related to specific disorders if a longlasting impact is to be achieved.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Farokh Saljughi ◽  
Mitra Savabi-Esfahani ◽  
Shahnaz Kohan ◽  
Soheila Ehsanpour

Mother-infant attachment is an intimate, lasting and satisfying relationship that leads to better cognitive, emotional and social growth of the infant. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of breastfeeding training by role-play on mother-infant attachment behaviours. This research was a randomised clinical trial (parallel design). Inclusion criteria were: no history of mental disorders; ability to read and write the Persian language to complete the questionnaire; no history of drug and tobacco intake in primigravida women. The sample comprised 100 pregnant women (in 2 groups), selected through simple random sampling at healthcare centres. The researcher reviewed prenatal care registries of selected healthcare centres and extracted the names of pregnant women in their early third trimester. The data were imported into randomisation software. The control group received routine breastfeeding training, while the intervention group received routine training together with training through role-play. The data collection tool was the Maternal Behaviour Inventory Questionnaire. Consequently 75 samples were analysed in SPSS16. Independent t-tests and chi-square tests were used to examine the difference between the two groups. Results showed that the mean score of mother-infant attachment one week after delivery was significantly higher in the intervention group in comparison to that in the control group (p<0.001). No significant difference was observed between the two groups in maternal age, age of marriage, neonatal gender, maternal employment and education, number of parity, and number of abortions (P>0.05). Since breastfeeding training through role-play could affect mother-infant attachment, it is suggested that this type of training should be provided for pregnant women to promote mother-infant attachment and exclusive breastfeeding.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Azita Kamjoo

Background: Pain control is considered as the key issue in modern midwifery. Along with medical painkillers, reflexology is viewed as a non-medical and noninvasive method. Hence, we aimed to investigate the effect of reflexology on the intensity of pain and length of labor. Materials and Methods: In this clinical trial, participants included 240 Iranian primiparous women with term and singleton pregnancy. Having a 3-4 cm cervical dilatation once they visited the hospital. Through a convenient sampling method, they were selected and then randomly divided into two groups. In the intervention group, reflexology was performed, and the intensity of pain during the active phase of labor along with the length of labor in the active phase was measured by visual analog scale (VAS) and compared with the control group. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, and Mann-Whitney U-test. Result: Data analysis showed a statistically significant difference between the intensity of pain in the 5-7 and 8-10 cm dilatation in the two groups (P=0.01). Moreover, the labor length in the active phase was found to be significantly shorter in the intervention group (P<0.001). Conclusion: It appears that reflexology can lead to a reduction in the pain and length of labor. Therefore, through instructing this technique, a goal of midwifery, which is reducing labor pain and its length can be achieved. Keywords: Reflexology, Labor Pain, Labor Length, Primiparous Women


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