scholarly journals Effectiveness of Viola Flower Syrup Compared with Polyethylene Glycol in Children with Functional Constipation: A Randomized, Active-Controlled Clinical Trial

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Sara Tavassoli ◽  
Kambiz Eftekhari ◽  
Mehrdad Karimi ◽  
Ali Ghobadi ◽  
Mohsen Shati ◽  
...  

Background. Functional constipation (FC) is a health concern that is prevalent in the pediatric population. It lowers the quality of life and increases the probability of comorbidities. As a complementary modality, herbal medicine has been considered useful in a variety of conditions. Persian medicine (PM) resources mention the Viola flower as an effective herb in treating constipation. The purpose of the current trial was to evaluate the efficacy of Viola flower syrup (VFS) compared with polyethylene glycol (PEG) in children with functional constipation. Methods. This randomized, active-controlled, single-center trial was conducted on 140 children aged between 4 and 10 years with confirmed FC according to Rome III criteria. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either VFS or PEG for four weeks. Independent t-test and general linear model (GLM) repeated measures analysis of variance were used to determine the intergroup difference, and paired sample t-test was used to evaluate the intragroup difference. Results. After four weeks of intervention, 133 individuals (66 in VFS and 67 in the PEG group) were analyzed. Results of both groups demonstrated significant improvement in all measured criteria at the end of the study compared to baseline ( P < 0.001 ). No significant difference was observed between the two groups at baseline or at the end of the study ( P > 0.05 ), except for fecal retention at baseline ( P = 0.028 ). Participants in the PEG group experienced more side effects compared to the VFS group. Conclusion. The findings of this investigation indicated that VFS is an effective and relatively safe medication to be used in the treatment of pediatric FC.

Author(s):  
Gholam Reza Ghayour Razmgah ◽  
Seyed Mousal-Reza Hosseini ◽  
Homa Hajimehdipoor ◽  
Mehdi Saberi Firoozi ◽  
Haniye Kashafroodi ◽  
...  

The most common functional gastrointestinal problem in the world is functional constipation. "Ayarij-e-Faiqra (AF)" is a polyherbal formula that has been recommended by Persian Medicine as an efficent purgative agent . The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of AF on functional constipation using a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. According to the Rome III classification, 79 adults with functional constipation were included in this trial. The diagnostic criteria were according to the Rome III classification. Patients with constipation symptoms who referred to the traditional medicine clinic of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences from April 2014 to September 2016 were randomly allocated to the AF and placebo groups. The AF and placebo groups received AF and placebo for three months, respectively and followed up for another three months. During the study, the treatment efficacy was assessed by a questionnaire. AF treatment significantly decreased most of the symptoms by 84% at the end of the first month (p < 0.05) and by 90% at the end of the third month in comparison to placbo group (p < 0.001). However, three months after the end of the intervention, the frequency of constipation symptoms in both groups was not statistically significant. Based on the satisfaction questionnaire, the treatment satisfaction score during the intervention was increased to 9 in the AF group, but no significant difference was found between the two groups three months after the intervention (p > 0.005). Although AF could be beneficial for treating functional constipation without significant side effects, changing patients’ lifestyles has  great importance in this process.


2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 366-371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matt T Lam ◽  
So Ran Kwon ◽  
Fang Qian ◽  
Gerald E Denehy

ABSTRACT Aim The E4D Compare software is an innovative tool that provides immediate feedback to students’ projects and competencies. It should provide consistent scores even when different scanners are used which may have inherent subtle differences in calibration. This study aimed to evaluate potential discrepancies in evaluation using the E4D Compare software based on four different NEVO scanners in dental anatomy projects. Additionally, correlation between digital and visual scores was evaluated. Materials and methods Thirty-five projects of maxillary left central incisors were evaluated. Among these, thirty wax-ups were performed by four operators and five consisted of standard dentoform teeth. Five scores were obtained for each project: one from an instructor that visually graded the project and from four different NEVO scanners. A faculty involved in teaching the dental anatomy course blindly scored the 35 projects. One operator scanned all projects to four NEVO scanners (D4D Technologies, Richardson, TX, USA). The images were aligned to the gold standard, and tolerance set at 0.3 mm to generate a score. The score reflected percentage match between the project and the gold standard. One-way ANOVA with repeated measures was used to determine whether there was a significant difference in scores among the four NEVO scanners. Paired-sample t-test was used to detect any difference between visual scores and the average scores of the four NEVO scanners. Pearson's correlation test was used to assess the relationship between visual and average scores of NEVO scanners. Results There was no significant difference in mean scores among four different NEVO scanners [F(3, 102) = 2.27, p = 0.0852 one-way ANOVA with repeated measures]. Moreover, the data provided strong evidence that a significant difference existed between visual and digital scores (p = 0.0217; a pairedsample t-test). Mean visual scores were significantly lower than digital scores (72.4 vs 75.1). Pearson's correlation coefficient of 0.85 indicated a strong correlation between visual and digital scores (p < 0.0001). Conclusion The E4D Compare software provides consistent scores even when different scanners are used and correlates well with visual scores. Clinical significance The use of innovative digital assessment tools in dental education is promising with the E4D Compare software correlating well with visual scores and providing consistent scores even when different scanners are used. How to cite this article Lam MT, Kwon SR, Qian F, Denehy GE. Evaluation of an Innovative Digital Assessment Tool in Dental Anatomy. J Contemp Dent Pract 2015;16(5):366-371.


2020 ◽  
pp. 030573562096979
Author(s):  
Eugenia Hernandez-Ruiz ◽  
Abbey L Dvorak

Mindfulness meditation has frequently used sound and music as an important component. However, research on effective music stimuli is scarce. After a series of studies evaluating the most effective, useful, and preferred auditory stimuli, we were interested in exploring whether these effective musical features were transferred to new music. In this study, we evaluate our original music stimuli with three new stimuli composed under similar principles. Non-musician and musician participants ( N = 114) in a multisite study evaluated their mindfulness state after listening to four music stimuli, and rated their usefulness and preference. Results from a repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) at each site indicated no significant difference in mindfulness effectiveness. Friedman’s ANOVAs for the usefulness of the music stimuli showed similar non-significant results in both sites. A mixed model among sites did not show significant differences among groups. Preference rankings were not significantly different for non-musicians, but musicians did show a statistically significant preference of the Original stimuli over Stimulus 2, probably due to sound quality. These results indicate the feasibility of transferring previously researched and effective musical features to new stimuli. Identifying the effective “active ingredients” of music interventions may be one way of supporting evidence-based practice in music therapy.


2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 119 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Swelum ◽  
A. Moumen ◽  
A. Alowaimer

This study was carried out using 80 multiparous Awassi ewes during breeding season to compare the effects of controlled internal drug release (CIDR) withdrawal time on ewe fertility. Ewes were equally and randomly allotted into 4 groups (n = 20/group). Ewes had a CIDR inserted for 3, 6, 9, or 12 days with intramuscular administration of 300 IU of equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) at withdrawal time. Oestrus was detected using vasectomized ram starting 12 h after CIDR withdrawal and repeated every 12 h up to 84 h. Blood samples were collected from all groups at the time of CIDR withdrawal for measuring of oestradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) serum concentrations using commercial ELISA kits and micro-titrimetric plates. Timed insemination was performed 48 h post CIDR withdrawal in all groups. Pregnancy was diagnosed by ultrasonography at day 23 post-insemination and confirmed at day 35. Comparisons among groups were evaluated using Chi Square (χ2) test in all measured parameters except hormones levels, which analysed by repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), using SAS (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA). A difference was considered significant at P < 0.05 level. The results revealed that the retention, vaginal discharge and drawstring breakage rates after CIDR removal were insignificantly differed between all groups. On the other hand, pregnancy rate was significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher in 9-d and 6-d groups (68.4 and 60%, respectively) than the 3-d group. While, no significant difference was detected between 12d group and other groups. The heat detection rate was significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher in 12d group (100%) than 6-d and 3-d groups (80 and 45%, respectively). While, no significant difference was detected between 12-d and 9-d groups in heat detection rate. P4 was significantly higher in the 12-d group (13.4 ± 3.06 ng mL−1) than other groups. While E2 was significantly lower in the 12-d group (1.6 ± 0.06 pg mL−1) than other groups. These results indicated that withdrawal of CIDR devices after 9 days are efficient in synchronizing oestrus in ewes and provided higher pregnancy rate.


2020 ◽  
pp. bmjspcare-2020-002618
Author(s):  
Azam Dehghani ◽  
Ali Hajibagheri ◽  
Ismail Azizi-Fini ◽  
Fatemeh Atoof ◽  
Noushin Mousavi

BackgroundPain is a common complication after laparoscopic surgery. This study aimed to examine the effect of an early mobilisation programme on postoperative pain intensity after laparoscopic surgery.MethodsA randomised controlled clinical trial was conducted on 80 patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery in Shahid Beheshti Hospital in Kashan, Iran. The patients were randomly allocated to intervention (n=40) and a control (n=40) group. In the intervention group, an early mobilisation programme was implemented in two rounds. The patient’s perceived pain was assessed using a Visual Analogue Scale 15 min before and 30 min after each round of early mobilisation. Data were analysed through the independent samples t, χ2 and Fisher’s exact tests and the repeated measures analysis.ResultsThe repeated measures analysis showed that the mean pain scores have been decreased over time (F=98.88, p<0.001). Considering the observed interaction between time and the intervention, the t test was used for pairwise comparisons and showed that the mean pain score was not significantly different between the two groups in 15 min before the first round of early mobilisation (p=0.95). However, the mean pain in the intervention group was significantly less than the control group in all subsequent measurements (p<0.05).ConclusionEarly mobilisation programmes such as the one implemented in the current study are easy and inexpensive and can be implemented safely for the reduction of pain after laparoscopic surgeries.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 215013272097115
Author(s):  
Luis A. Murillo ◽  
Emily Follo ◽  
April Smith ◽  
Julienne Balestrier ◽  
Deborah L. Bevvino

Introduction Depression is a common health concern in primary care with barriers to treatment well documented in the literature. Innovative online psychoeducational approaches to address barriers to care have been well received and can be cost effective. This pilot trial evaluated the effectiveness of an online psychoeducation curriculum intended to alleviate symptoms of depression while utilizing minimal staff resources. Methods A small (n = 29) randomized control pilot study was conducted. Online psychoeducational content was delivered in 5 to 10-minute videos over 8 weeks. Participants engaged in moderated discussions on workshop topics. The Patient Health Care Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to measure pre/post scores. Two Likert scale questions were used to determine subjective changes in understanding of depression and coping skills. Results Paired T-test analysis showed an average PHQ-9 improvement of 4.37 ( P = .01) in the intervention arm and 1.81 ( P = .172) in the control group. No significant difference in delta PHQ-9 score was found between groups via difference in difference analysis ( P = .185). Effect size was 0.59. No improvement in Likert scores for question 1 or 2 were detected by paired T test in either group. Conclusion This pilot trial of interactive online psychoeducational content shows initial promise as there was a significant improvement in PHQ-9 scores within the intervention arm. The comparison of delta scores between intervention and control arms was not statistically significant although this is likely due to the underpowered nature of the pilot trial. This data trend justifies the need for a larger validation trial of this intervention.


2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 64-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Motzek ◽  
Kathrin Bueter ◽  
Gesine Marquardt

Objectives: Environmental cues, such as pictures, could be helpful in improving room-finding and wayfinding abilities among older patients. The aim of this study was to identify picture categories that are preferred and easily remembered by older patients and cognitively impaired patients and which therefore might be suitable for use as environmental cues in acute care settings. Methods: Twelve pictures were presented to a sample of older patients ( n = 37). The pictures represented different categories: familiarity (familiar vs. unfamiliar), type of shot (close-up vs. wide shot), and picture content (nature vs. animal vs. urban). We tested the patients’ votes of preference and abilities to identify and immediately recall pictures. Cognitively impaired patients ( n = 14) were assessed by the abbreviated mental test and the mini mental state examination and were compared with patients without cognitive impairments ( n = 23) using a repeated measures analysis of variance. Results: The results showed a main effect of familiarity on positive vote and recall of pictures. The absence of interaction effects of familiarity and group indicated an overall impact of familiarity on the sample. Within cognitively impaired patients, a significant difference in recall of picture content between urban (20%) and animal (9%) was found. Conclusions: Pictures, which patients were able to relate to in terms of familiarity and the characteristics urban and nature, seem to be suitable for use as environmental cues. Besides functioning as such, we assume, based on literature, that pictures could further enhance the ambiance or serve as prompts for communication and interaction.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Olaru ◽  
Smaranda Diaconescu ◽  
Laura Trandafir ◽  
Nicoleta Gimiga ◽  
Gabriela Stefanescu ◽  
...  

We conducted an observational study over a 1-year period, including 234 children aged 4–18 years and their caregivers and a matching control group. 60.73% of the children from the study group were males. Average age for the onset of constipation was 26.39 months. The frequency of defecation was 1/4.59 days (1/1.13 days in the control group). 38.49% of the patients in the sample group had a positive family history of functional constipation. The majority of children with functional constipation come from single-parent families, are raised by relatives, or come from orphanages. Constipated subjects had their last meal of the day at later hours and consumed fast foods more frequently than the children in the control sample. We found a statistically significant difference between groups regarding obesity/overweight and constipation (χ2=104.94,  df=2,  p<0.001) and regarding physical activity and constipation (χ2=18.419;  df=3;  p<0.001). There was a positive correlation between the number of hours spent watching television/using the computer and the occurrence of the disease (F= 92.162,p<0.001, and 95% Cl). Children from broken families, with positive family history, defective dietary habits, obesity and sedentary behavior, are at higher risk to develop chronic functional constipation.


2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (10) ◽  
pp. 776-780 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Laws ◽  
Sean Williams ◽  
Cassie Wilson

AbstractBiomechanical imbalances and inefficient functional movements are considered contributing factors to running-related injuries. Clinical Pilates uses a series of exercises focused on retraining normal movement patterns. This study investigated whether a 6-week course of Clinical Pilates improves functional movement and thereby, potentially, reduces the risk of running-related injuries associated with movement dysfunction. A modified functional movement screen was used to analyze the functional movement ability of forty runners. Forty participants completed a 6-week course of Clinical Pilates delivered by a Clinical Pilates instructor. The movement screen was carried out 3 times for each runner: 6 weeks pre-intervention (baseline), within one week pre-intervention (pre) and within one week post-intervention (post). Repeated-measures analysis of variance and post-hoc tests found significant increases in scores between baseline and post (mean±SD; 13.4±2.4 vs. 17.0±1.7, p<0.01) and pre and post (mean±SD; 13.5±2.5 vs. 17.0±1.7, p<0.01), but no significant difference between baseline and pre (p=0.3). A 6-week course of Clinical Pilates significantly improves functional movement in recreational runners, and this may lead to a reduction in the risk of running-related injuries.


2012 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 27-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Hanson ◽  
James Day

Context:Therapeutic modalities are routinely administered to increase fexibility, but the relative effects of different modes of tissue heating on passive range of motion (PROM) are unknown.Objective:To assess the relative effects of active exercise on a stationary bicycle, moist hot pack treatment, and warm whirlpool treatment on hip fexion PROM.Design:Repeated measures.Subjects:24 males and 20 females between the ages 18 and 24 years.Main Outcome MeasureHip fexion PROM measured by an inclinometer.Results:Repeated measures analysis of variance identified a significant difference among the heating methods, F(1, 43) = 32.41;p< .001. Active exercise produced the greatest change in hip fexion PROM.Conclusions:All three treatment methods produced an increase in hip fexion PROM, but active exercise produced a significantly greater increase than moist hot pack and warm whirlpool treatments.


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