Sternal Precautions: Is It Time for Change? Precautions versus Restrictions - A Review of Literature and Recommendations for Revision.

The processes that occur with normal sternal healing and potential complications related to median sternotomy are of particular interest to physical therapists. The premise of patients following sternal precautions (SP) or specific activity restrictions is the belief that avoiding certain movements will reduce risk of sternal complications. However, current research has identified that many patients remain functionally impaired long after cardiothoracic surgery.

Overview of telehealth and its application to cardiopulmonary physical therapy.

Advances in telecommunication technology provide unique opportunities for the provision of medical services to underserved and geographically displaced patients. Health care professionals currently use voice and video systems to communicate with patients and colleagues in a variety of clinical venues. Unfortunately, such systems have limited presence in physical therapy settings.

Interdisciplinary approach to the rehabilitation of an 18-year-old patient with bronchopulmonary dysplasia, using telerehabilitation technology.

We describe the use of telehealth technology in the rehabilitation of a college student with bronchopulmonary dysplasia. The present telerehabilitation application was necessitated by the absence of a formal university-based pulmonary rehabilitation program at Texas State University-San Marcos. Patient referral, evaluation, and rehabilitation were accomplished via interdisciplinary efforts of 3 separate university entities.

Impaired oxygen on-kinetics in persons with human immunodeficiency virus are not due to highly active antiretroviral therapy.

Objective: To determine the effects of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on oxygen on-kinetics in HIV-positive persons.

Design: Quasi-experimental cross-sectional.

Setting: Infectious disease clinic and exercise laboratory.

A comparison of Qt and a-vO2 in individuals with HIV taking and not taking HAART.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine whether highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), rather than the direct effect of HIV infection, limits peripheral muscle oxygen extraction-utilization (a-vO(2)) in individuals infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Methods: Fifteen subjects (6 female and 9 male) with HIV taking HAART, 15 subjects infected with HIV not taking HAART, and 15 healthy gender and activity level matched non-HIV infected controls (N = 45) performed an maximal treadmill exercise test to exhaustion. Noninvasive cardiac output Qt was measured at each stage and at peak exercise using the indirect Fick method based on the exponential rise carbon dioxide rebreathing method.