Cardiorespiratory responses to exercise related to post-stroke fatigue severity

Physical deconditioning after stroke may induce post-stroke fatigue. However, research on this association is limited. Our primary objective was to investigate the associations of post-stroke fatigue severity with oxygen uptake ($$\dot{\mathrm{V}}$$ V ˙ O2) at peak exercise and the time constant of $$\dot{\mathrm{V}}$$ V ˙ O2 kinetics (τ$$\dot{\mathrm{V}}$$ V ˙ O2) at exercise onset. The secondary objective was to examine the associations between fatigue and cardiorespiratory variables potentially affecting $$\dot{\mathrm{V}}$$ V ˙ O2 during exercise. Twenty-three inpatients from a subacute rehabilitation ward were enrolled in this study. The median (interquartile range) Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) score, as a measure of fatigue, was 32 (range 27–42) points. The FSS score was not associated with $$\dot{\mathrm{V}}$$ V ˙ O2 at peak exercise during a symptom-limited graded exercise test (rho = − 0.264; p = 0.224), whereas it was significantly associated with τ$$\dot{\mathrm{V}}$$ V ˙ O2 during a submaximal constant-load exercise test (rho = 0.530; p = 0.009). A higher FSS score also significantly correlated with a longer time constant of cardiac output (CO) kinetics (rho = 0.476; p = 0.022). Our findings suggest that severe post-stroke fatigue is associated with delayed increases in $$\dot{\mathrm{V}}$$ V ˙ O2 and CO at the onset of exercise. Our findings can contribute to the development of an appropriate rehabilitation programme for individuals with post-stroke fatigue.

Upper Limb Home-Based Robotic Rehabilitation During COVID-19 Outbreak

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak requires rapid reshaping of rehabilitation services to include patients recovering from severe COVID-19 with post-intensive care syndromes, which results in physical deconditioning and cognitive impairments, patients with comorbid conditions, and other patients requiring physical therapy during the outbreak with no or limited access to hospital and rehabilitation centers. Considering the access barriers to quality rehabilitation settings and services imposed by social distancing and stay-at-home orders, these patients can be benefited from providing access to affordable and good quality care through home-based rehabilitation. The success of such treatment will depend highly on the intensity of the therapy and effort invested by the patient. Monitoring patients' compliance and designing a home-based rehabilitation that can mentally engage them are the critical elements in home-based therapy's success. Hence, we study the state-of-the-art telerehabilitation frameworks and robotic devices, and comment about a hybrid model that can use existing telerehabilitation framework and home-based robotic devices for treatment and simultaneously assess patient's progress remotely. Second, we comment on the patients' social support and engagement, which is critical for the success of telerehabilitation service. As the therapists are not physically present to guide the patients, we also discuss the adaptability requirement of home-based telerehabilitation. Finally, we suggest that the reformed rehabilitation services should consider both home-based solutions for enhancing the activities of daily living and an on-demand ambulatory rehabilitation unit for extensive training where we can monitor both cognitive and motor performance of the patients remotely.

Physiotherapy in critically ill patients

Physiotherapists are involved in the management of patients with critical illness. Physiotherapy assessment of critically ill patients is less driven by medical diagnosis; instead, there is a strong focus on deficiencies at a pathophysiological and functional level. An accurate and valid assessment of respiratory conditions (retained airway secretions, atelectasis, and respiratory muscle weakness), physical deconditioning, and related problems (muscle weakness, joint stiffness, impaired functional exercise capacity, physical inactivity, and emotional function) allows the identifying of targets for physiotherapy. Evidence-based targets for physiotherapy are deconditioning, impaired airway clearance, atelectasis, (re-)intubation avoidance, and weaning failure. Early physical activity and mobility are key in the prevention, attenuation, or reversion of physical deconditioning related to critical illness. A variety of modalities for exercise training and early mobility are evidence-based and are implemented, depending on the stage of critical illness, comorbid conditions, and cooperation of the patient. The physiotherapist should be responsible for implementing mobilization plans and exercise prescription and make recommendations for their progression, jointly with medical and nursing staff.

Spinning the legs and blood: should intra-dialytic exercise be routinely offered during maintenance haemodialysis?

ABSTRACT Patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) on haemodialysis have elevated risk of cardiovascular disease. These patients also experience high levels of physical deconditioning and programmes of rehabilitation have been tested in a variety of forms with variable success. It has been suggested that programmes of exercise rehabilitation have a role to play in improving the physical condition of patients on haemodialysis and in addressing the traditional and non-traditional risk factors that drive cardiovascular disease for this population. Intra-dialytic exercise has often been suggested as a convenient way of delivering rehabilitation for patients on haemodialysis as it makes use of otherwise dead time, but there are legitimate concerns about this group of at-risk patients undertaking exercise at a time when their myocardium is already vulnerable to the insults of demand ischaemia from the processes of dialysis and ultrafiltration. A study in this issue of CKJ provides reassuring data, showing that cycling during dialysis potentially reduces evidence of demand ischaemia (episodes of myocardial stunning). Together with the safety and quality of life data we expect from the multi-center PEDAL study (the protocol for which is published concurrently), rehabilitation programmes that include intra-dialytic exercise are perhaps closer than ever for patients on haemodialysis.

Exercise Limitation in Children and Adolescents With Severe Refractory Asthma: A Lack of Asthma Control?

BackgroundPatients with severe refractory asthma (SRA), even when using high doses of multiple controller medications in a regular and appropriate way, can have persistent complaints of exercise limitation.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study involving patients with SRA (treated with ≥ 800 μg of budesonide or equivalent, with ≥ 80% adherence, appropriate inhaler technique, and comorbidities treated), who presented no signs of a lack of asthma control other than exercise limitation. We also evaluated healthy controls, matched to the patients for sex, age, and body mass index. All participants underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) on a cycle ergometer, maximum exertion being defined as ≥ 85% of the predicted heart rate, with a respiratory exchange ratio ≥ 1.0 for children and ≥ 1.1 for adolescents. Physical deconditioning was defined as oxygen uptake (VO2) < 80% of predicted at peak exercise, without cardiac impairment or ventilatory limitation. Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) was defined as a forced expiratory volume in one second ≥ 10% lower than the baseline value at 5, 10, 20, and 30 minutes after CPET.ResultsWe evaluated 20 patients with SRA and 19 controls. In the sample as a whole, the mean age was 12.9 ± 0.4 years. The CPET was considered maximal in all participants. In terms of the peak VO2 (VO2peak), there was no significant difference between the patients and controls, (P = 0.10). Among the patients, we observed isolated EIB in 30%, isolated physical deconditioning in 25%, physical deconditioning accompanied by EIB in 25%, and exercise-induced symptoms not supported by the CPET data in 15%.Conclusion and Clinical RelevancePhysical deconditioning, alone or accompanied by EIB, was the determining factor in reducing exercise tolerance in patients with SRA and was not therefore found to be associated with a lack of asthma control.

The Interprofessional Clinical and Therapeutic Team Strategy to Manage Spinal Cord Injuries

A popular comorbidity of spinal cord injuries is physical deconditioning that frequently prejudice the person to increased risk for secondary non-communicable diseases, such as non-dependent insulin diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, cardiorespiratory diseases, obesity, osteoporosis, arthritis and osteoarthritis. Clinical literature has shown that spinal cord injured individuals have a poor cardiometabolic risk profile that amplifies the likelihood of secondary non-communicable diseases. Components of physical deconditioning include muscle atrophy, decreased aerobic capacity, inflexibility and diminished muscle and endurance. Another problem associated with spinal cord injuries is reliance or dependence on others. The combination of poor physical conditioning and dependence on others often adversely impacts on the individual’s quality of life, limiting their social interaction with others. The adherence to habitual physical activity and exercises has shown to increase conditioning status, improve health and wellbeing, increase independence, and improve confidence and self-image and successful re-integration in community. Therefore it is of paramount importance to increase awareness of the benefits of habitual physical activity and exercise to spinal cord injured patients, medical and clinical practitioners, family and friends. This chapter intends to highlight the health benefits of habitual physical activity in relation to selected secondary non-communicable diseases, and, the importance of interprofessional clinical and therapeutic team strategy to improve the spinal cord injured individuals’ quality of life.

Study of Treatment Complications in Oncology / Hematology Patients: Protocol for a Prospective and Interventional Cohort Study from the Pasca Program

Introduction In France, cancer incidence is increasing, reaching approximately 400,000 new cases in 2017. Thanks to diagnostic and therapeutic advances, net survival at 5 years is improving, with a corollary increase in the number of survivors. Among survivors, 44% have a poor quality of life due to the more or less late onset of treatment-related complications. Despite the objectives of the 2014-2019 national cancer plan considering the latest therapeutic advances, very few initiatives integrating systematic, early detection and management of complications exist in France. Methods and analysis PASCA (Care pathways through cancer) is a single-arm, interdisciplinary, prospective, interventional, cohort study. During a period of 24 months, it is intended to include 858 adults aged 18 to 65 years with non-Hodgkin and Hodgkin lymphoma, acute myeloid leukemia, testicular germ cell tumor, non-metastatic invasive breast cancer, soft tissue sarcoma, osteosarcoma or Ewing's sarcoma at Centre Leon Berard (Lyon, France). The program consists on exhaustive identification of 22 complications at 1 month, 6 months, 24 months and 60 months after the end of first line treatment: social precariousness, return-to-work issues, cognitive problems, anxiety and depression disorders, chronic fatigue, physical deconditioning, overweight/obesity, chronic pain, dermatological disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, sexual disorders, hypogonadism, premature ovarian failure, osteoporosis, chronic kidney failure, heart failure, coronary heart disease, respiratory failure, hypothyroidism, lymphedema, modifiable risk factors associated with the occurrence of secondary cancers. Each identification will give rise to management, which consists of referring the patient to a healthcare professional belonging to the network of dedicated healthcare professionals at the regional level. The course of action to be followed will be defined using decision trees based on international, national or learned society recommendations. Referral outside Centre Leon Berard will be made to a specialist doctor, a health professional from the paramedical field or the patient's general practitioner who will confirm the diagnosis and initiate patient management and follow-up. These patients will also benefit from their usual follow-up in the context of their initial malignancy. Each study visit will include a search for clinical signs using questionnaires, an assay of 12 biological parameters, a urine test strip, 5 tests evaluating physical deconditioning and an electrocardiogram. The weight, height, waist circumference, blood pressure will also be measured. Primary outcome will be the incidence of the 22 complications, measured at 1 month, 6 months, 24 months and 60 months after the end of intensive chemotherapy treatment. Ethics and dissemination The study protocol was approved by the French ethics committee (Comité de protection des personnes Ile de France IV), the study database is currently being declared and registered to the Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés (CNIL) and the study on ClinicalTrials.gov. The results will be disseminated to patients and in peer-reviewed journals and academic conferences. Strengths and limitations of this study This study is based on a previous feasibility study with 52 patients recruited in onco-hematology, which demonstrated the feasibility of the intervention and the existence of patient management needs.(1) The study design does not include a comparator arm, as the objective of the study is to provide a comprehensive picture of treatment-related complications, especially those that appear over the long term. Due to the lack of recent data concerning some complications, sample size was calculated empirically on the basis of the active queue of patients at the Centre Leon Berard. References Michallet M, Sobh M, Buono R, Poirey S, Pascu I, Nicolas-Virelizier E, et al. Personalised Follow-up Program after Acute Phase of Treatment in Oncology/Hematology Patients Towards Early Intervention, Better Care and Quality of Life Improvement: Results from Pasca Pilot Study. Blood. 13 nov 2019;134(Supplement_1):5817-5817. Disclosures Nicolini: Sun Pharma Ltd: Consultancy; Incyte: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau.

Chronic Fatigue, Physical Impairments and Quality of Life in Women with Endometriosis: A Case-Control Study

Aim: To explore endometriosis-related fatigue (ERF), health-related fitness, sleep quality, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in women with endometriosis in comparison with matched controls. Methods: Twenty-five affected women and twenty-five age and height-matched women without endometriosis were included. ERF was assessed through the Piper Fatigue Scale; health-related fitness was assessed through the Schöber, flamingo, and 6-min walking tests and dynamometry; and body composition was assessed through impedanciometry. Self-perceived physical fitness, sleep quality, and HRQoL were assessed through the International Fitness Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the 12-item Short Form Health Survey, respectively. Results: Affected women exhibited higher levels of ERF than controls, increased fat mass, and physical deconditioning (reduced back strength, lumbar flexibility, body balance, and functional capacity, p-values < 0.050). Moreover, cases also had poorer perceived physical fitness, sleep quality, and HRQoL (p-value < 0.050). Finally, we observed deteriorated health-related fitness, sleep quality, and HRQoL in those women with endometriosis with higher levels of ERF. Conclusions: This study constitutes the first evidence that women with endometriosis describe a generalized physical deconditioning, even more pronounced in affected women with higher levels of ERF. Further studies assessing the efficacy of rehabilitation interventions to face these physical impairments in women with endometriosis are warranted.