Long-term reproducibility of Borg scale estimates of breathlessness during exercise

1991 ◽  
Vol 80 (4) ◽  
pp. 309-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel C. Wilson ◽  
P. W. Jones

1. The intensity of breathlessness in normal subjects during exercise was measured on seven occasions over a 40-week study period to assess the long-term repeatability of Borg scale estimates of breathlessness. 2. In all subjects there was a significant correlation (P = 0.0001) between breathlessness and minute ventilation. Minute ventilation measured at each work rate did not differ between the seven exercise tests (P >0.05). 3. There was no significant difference between the mean Borg scores (measured with respect to a given level of ventilation) in 5 of the 7 test weeks (P >0.05). The slope of the relationship Borg score/minute ventilation did not differ between the seven exercise tests (P >0.05). 4. Breathlessness estimation was highly reproducible both after 1 week and after 40 weeks of the study (both P >0.05). 5. The duration without testing between consecutive tests did not affect reproducibility: the mean Borg score was as equally reproducible after an interval of 22 weeks without testing as after an interval of 1 week (P >0.05). 6. The Borg scale provides a reliable technique for studying the sensation of breathlessness over extended time periods.

1989 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 277-282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel C. Wilson ◽  
P. W. Jones

1. The intensity of breathlessness during exercise was measured in ten normal subjects using a visual analogue scale (VAS) and a Borg scale to compare the use of the scales and their repeatability, both within the duration of a period of exercise and between tests. For each scale, subjects performed two exercise tests separated by a period of 2–6 weeks. Each exercise test consisted of two cycles of progressively increasing and decreasing workload. 2. All subjects felt confidently able to use both scales to quantify their feelings of breathlessness exclusively of other sensation. Equal preference was expressed for use of a particular scale. 3. With both scales there was a large intersubject variation in the relationship between dyspnoea score and minute ventilation (VE) (P < 0.01), and in the range of the scale used. 4. There was a good correlation between the VAS and Borg scores at each level of VE (r2 = 0.71), but the VAS score was used over a wider range than the Borg score. 5. The relationship between VE and the dyspnoea score measured by the two techniques was predominantly linear. The mean r2 for VAS score/VE was 0.68 (sd 0.19) and for Borg score/VE the mean r2 was 0.75 (sd 0.13). 6. The relationships VAS score/VE and Borg score/VE were unaffected by the direction in which the workload was varied (P > 0.05). 7. VE, measured at each work rate, did not differ between the two cycles (P > 0.05) or between the 2 days (P > 0.05). 8. With both scales, the slope of the VE-breathlessness relationship was slightly higher during the second half of the exercise compared with the first (0.05 < P > 0.01). 9. The scores with both scales were lower in the second test compared with the first (P < 0.01): Borg 16% lower, VAS 27% lower. 10. Measurements of dyspnoea made with the Borg scale appeared to have greater stability than VAS measurements and to correlate with VE a little better.


1991 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel C. Wilson ◽  
P. W. Jones

1. This study was designed to examine whether normal subjects could differentiate between the ‘intensity’ of their breathlessness and the amount of ‘distress’ it evoked, by specific wording of the instructions. 2. A preliminary study showed no significant difference between ‘distress’ score during exercise measured on two separate occasions (P = 0.3). 3. Ten subjects each performed two identical incremental cycle-ergometer exercise tests on separate occasions during which they were asked to quantify either ‘intensity’ or ‘distress’ by using modified Borg scales. 4. In all subjects there was a significant correlation (P <0.001) between ‘intensity’ and minute ventilation. In eight subjects there was a significant correlation (P <0.05) between ‘distress’ and minute ventilation. One subject displayed no significant correlation and one registered no distress. 5. Mean ‘intensity’ was greater than the mean ‘distress’ (P = 0.0001). The slope of ‘intensity’/minute ventilation was greater than the slope of ‘distress’/minute ventilation (P = 0.0001). 6. Within individuals there was a significant correlation beween ‘intensity’ and ‘distress’ (P <0.05). There was a wide scatter in the slope of this relationship between subjects and maximum ‘intensity’ and ‘distress’ did not correlate. 7. Different elements of the breathlessness sensation could be identified and selectively measured depending on the wording of the instructions given to the subject. 8. There was a wide intersubject variation in the magnitude of both breathlessness ‘intensity’ and ‘distress’ estimates, but the differences between subjects in these two components of the sensation did not appear to follow a common pattern.


1990 ◽  
Vol 78 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel C. Wilson ◽  
P. W. Jones

1. The intensity of breathlessness was measured during exercise in nine normal subjects using a modified Borg scale to examine the effect of prior experience of breathlessness on subsequent estimates of breathlessness. 2. Each subject performed four exercise tests, each of which consisted of two identical runs of workload incrementation (run 1 and run 2). An inspiratory resistive load of 3.8 cmH2O s−1 l−1 was applied during the appropriate run of the exercise test to examine the effect of (a) prior experience of ‘loaded’ breathing on breathlessness estimation during ‘unloaded’ breathing, and (b) prior experience of ‘unloaded’ breathing on breathlessness estimation during ‘loaded’ breathing. Run 1 was the conditioning run; run 2 was the run in which the effect of conditioning was measured. 3. There was a good correlation between breathlessness and minute ventilation during both unloaded’ breathing (median r = 0.93) and ‘loaded’ breathing (median r = 0.95). 4. The slope of the Borg score/minute ventilation relationship was greater during ‘loaded’ breathing than during ‘unloaded’ breathing (P < 0.01). There was no difference in mean Borg score between ‘unloaded’ and ‘loaded’ breathing. 5. After a period of ‘loaded’ breathing during run 1, estimated breathlessness was significantly reduced during ensuing ‘unloaded’ breathing in run 2 (P < 0.01) compared with the exercise test in which ‘unloaded’ breathing was experienced throughout both run 1 and run 2. 6. After a period of ‘unloaded’ breathing in run 1, estimated breathlessness was significantly increased during ensuing ‘loaded’ breathing in run 2 (P < 0.01) compared with the exercise test in which the inspiratory load had already been experienced in run 1. 7. Changes in the pattern of breathing (inspiratory time, expiratory time, total breath duration, inspiration time/total breath duration ratio and tidal volume) were not consistent with the changes in breathlessness. 8. We suggest that perception of breathlessness may be influenced by a subject's immediate prior experience of an altered relationship between breathlessness and ventilation.


1988 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 371-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. R. Burgess ◽  
W. A. Whitelaw

To investigate the effect on the pattern of breathing of cooling receptors in the nose, eight normal male volunteers underwent a steady-state CO2 stimulation by nasal inhalation. The inhaled gas temperature was randomly switched between "warm" (32 degrees C) and "cold" (2 degrees C) at each of three levels of inspired CO2 fraction (FICO2). Breathing cold air through the nose reduced the mean slope of the ventilatory response to CO2 by 27% (P less than 0.05) and the mean intercept at PCO2 of 45 Torr by 6.6 l/min (P less than 0.01). This was due mainly to a reduction in tidal volume (VT). Analysis of the breathing pattern recorded at a high level of minute ventilation (VE) (end-tidal partial pressure of CO2 approximately 52 Torr) showed a reduction of VE that was due almost entirely to a reduction in VT (P less than 0.05) associated with a reduction in inspiratory time (TI) as a fraction of total respiratory cycle time (P less than 0.05) but little change in VT/TI. In a separate experiment conducted with five subjects, there was no significant difference in inspired nasal resistance between warm and cold runs during CO2-stimulated breathing. The results confirm the previous observation that cold air breathed through the nose inhibits ventilation in normal subjects and show that this is not related to an increase in flow resistance. The reduction in ventilation is due to reduction in VT associated with shortening of the duty cycle.


1991 ◽  
Vol 65 (03) ◽  
pp. 263-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
A M H P van den Besselaar ◽  
R M Bertina

SummaryIn a collaborative trial of eleven laboratories which was performed mainly within the framework of the European Community Bureau of Reference (BCR), a second reference material for thromboplastin, rabbit, plain, was calibrated against its predecessor RBT/79. This second reference material (coded CRM 149R) has a mean International Sensitivity Index (ISI) of 1.343 with a standard error of the mean of 0.035. The standard error of the ISI was determined by combination of the standard errors of the ISI of RBT/79 and the slope of the calibration line in this trial.The BCR reference material for thromboplastin, human, plain (coded BCT/099) was also included in this trial for assessment of the long-term stability of the relationship with RBT/79. The results indicated that this relationship has not changed over a period of 8 years. The interlaboratory variation of the slope of the relationship between CRM 149R and RBT/79 was significantly lower than the variation of the slope of the relationship between BCT/099 and RBT/79. In addition to the manual technique, a semi-automatic coagulometer according to Schnitger & Gross was used to determine prothrombin times with CRM 149R. The mean ISI of CRM 149R was not affected by replacement of the manual technique by this particular coagulometer.Two lyophilized plasmas were included in this trial. The mean slope of relationship between RBT/79 and CRM 149R based on the two lyophilized plasmas was the same as the corresponding slope based on fresh plasmas. Tlowever, the mean slope of relationship between RBT/79 and BCT/099 based on the two lyophilized plasmas was 4.9% higher than the mean slope based on fresh plasmas. Thus, the use of these lyophilized plasmas induced a small but significant bias in the slope of relationship between these thromboplastins of different species.


1966 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Lund-Johansen ◽  
T. Thorsen ◽  
K. F. Støa

ABSTRACT A comparison has been made between (A), a relatively simple method for the measurement of aldosterone secretion rate, based on paper chromatography and direct densitometry of the aldosterone spot and (B) a more elaborate isotope derivative method. The mean secretion rate in 9 normal subjects was 112 ± 26 μg per 24 hours (method A) and 135 ± 35 μg per 24 hours (method B). The »secretion rate« in one adrenalectomized subject after the intravenous injection of 250 μg of aldosterone was 230 μg per 24 hours (method A) and 294 μg per 24 hours (method B). There was no significant difference in the mean values, and correlation between the two methods was good (r = 0.80). It is concluded that the densitometric method is suitable for clinical purposes as well as research, being more rapid and less expensive than the isotope derivative method. Method A also measures the urinary excretion of the aldosterone 3-oxo-conjugate, which is of interest in many pathological conditions. The densitometric method is obviously the less sensitive and a prerequisite for its use is an aldosterone secretion of 20—30 μg per 24 hours. Lower values are, however, rare in adults.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Jia-cheng Gu ◽  
Hong Wu ◽  
Xing-zhao Chen ◽  
Jun-feng Feng ◽  
Guo-yi Gao ◽  
...  

External ventricular drainage (EVD) is widely used in patients with a traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, the EVD weaning trial protocol varies and insufficient studies focus on the intracranial pressure (ICP) during the weaning trial. We aimed to establish the relationship between ICP during an EVD weaning trial and the outcomes of TBI. We enrolled 37 patients with a TBI with an EVD from July 2018 to September 2019. Among them, 26 were allocated to the favorable outcome group and 11 to the unfavorable outcome group (death, post-traumatic hydrocephalus, persistent vegetative state, and severe disability). Groups were well matched for sex, pupil reactivity, admission Glasgow Coma Scale score, Marshall computed tomography score, modified Fisher score, intraventricular hemorrhage, EVD days, cerebrospinal fluid output before the weaning trial, and the complications. Before and during the weaning trial, we recorded the ICP at 1-hour intervals to calculate the mean ICP, delta ICP, and ICP burden, which was defined as the area under the ICP curve. There were significant between-group differences in the age, surgery types, and intensive care unit days (p=0.045, p=0.028, and p=0.004, respectively). During the weaning trial, 28 (75.7%) patients had an increased ICP. Although there was no significant difference in the mean ICP before and during the weaning trial, the delta ICP was higher in the unfavorable outcome group (p=0.001). Moreover, patients who experienced death and hydrocephalus had a higher ICP burden, which was above 20 mmHg (p=0.016). Receiver operating characteristic analyses demonstrated the predictive ability of these variables (area under the curve AUC=0.818 [p=0.002] for delta ICP and AUC=0.758 [p=0.038] for ICP burden>20 mmHg). ICP elevation is common during EVD weaning trials in patients with TBI. ICP-related parameters, including delta ICP and ICP burden, are significant outcome predictors. There is a need for larger prospective studies to further explore the relationship between ICP during EVD weaning trials and TBI outcomes.


2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao-Yuan Cheng ◽  
Nai-Ying Chang

<p>This study investigated whether learning strategies had made any impact on learners’ achievement and explored whether learning motivation was correlated with learning strategies. The participants of this study were the students from the EFL (English as a Foreign Language) intermediate level course at a college in Taiwan. The students were given a pretest and a posttest. The mean scores of these tests were compared with a SILL survey (Strategies Inventory for Language Learning) at the end of the investigation. The participants’ course performance was compared with their use of learning strategies. The assumption of the relationship between learning strategies and motivation is that motivated learners have a greater desire to seek out solutions or support from others and employ more strategies to process the new information. The results of this investigation revealed that only the memory strategies had a significant difference in the posttest of Group A on the independent sample t-test analysis.</p>


2021 ◽  
pp. 147775092110401
Author(s):  
Mahsa Dadkhah-Tehrani ◽  
Mohsen Adib-Hajbaghery

Background Many studies have investigated the adherence to professional codes of ethics by nurses. However, no study has explicitly examined the relationship between workload and adherence to professional codes of ethics among Iranian nurses. Objective This study aimed to explore the relationships between workload and adherence to professional codes of ethics among a sample of Iranian nurses. Materials and Methods A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 213 nurses who were randomly selected from the different wards of Shahid Beheshti Hospital of Kashan, Iran. Data collection instruments included a personal characteristics questionnaire, the Nursing Ethics Questionnaire, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index. The Chi-square, the Spearman correlation coefficient, the Kruskal–Wallis, and Mann–Whitney U tests were used to analyze the data. Results A majority of nurses were females (77.5%), married (79.3%), and permanently employed (55.4%). The mean of the overall perceived workload and adherence to professional codes of ethics were 76.36 ± 13.64 and 13.98 ± 2.58, that were at high and moderated level, respectively. Spearman correlation test showed no significant correlation between perceived workload and adherence to professional codes of ethics ( r = 0.03, P = 0.6). A significant difference was found between the mean scores of adherence to professional codes of ethics in nurses working in different departments ( P < 0.001). Conclusion Participating nurses perceived high levels of workload but their mean adherence to professional codes of ethics was at a moderate level. The perceived workload was indirectly correlated with adherence to professional codes of ethics.


1988 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 202-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Merlin V. Nelson ◽  
Vickie Tutag-Lehr ◽  
R. Lee Evans

Nine normal, healthy male subjects had significantly elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) concentrations while receiving oral lithium carbonate for two weeks. The mean minimum lithium serum concentration was 0.765 mEq/L. The TSH concentrations after 15 days on lithium were significantly correlated to the TSH concentration at baseline. No correlation was found between mean minimum lithium steady-state concentration and TSH concentration after 15 days on lithium. Further research is necessary to determine if a high baseline TSH concentration or an early rise in TSH will predict those patients who will eventually develop hypothyroidism after long-term lithium therapy.


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