Indicators of pulmonary exacerbation in cystic fibrosis: A Delphi survey of patients and health professionals.

Background: There is uncertainty about the most important indicators of pulmonary exacerbations in CF.

Methods: Two parallel Delphi surveys in 13 CF centres (UK and Ireland). Delphi 1: 31 adults with CF, ≥ one exacerbation over 12 months.

Sensitivity of the breastfeeding motivational measurement scale: a known group analysis of first time mothers.

Breastfeeding has immense public health value for mothers, babies, and society. But there is an undesirably large gap between the number of new mothers who undertake and persist in breastfeeding compared to what would be a preferred level of accomplishment. This gap is a reflection of the many obstacles, both physical and psychological, that confront new mothers.

Long-term survival from 801 adjunctive coronary endarterectomies in diffuse coronary artery disease.

Objectives: The role of coronary endarterectomy (CE) in modern cardiac surgery has been an extant debate as coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) has advanced. However, as cardiac surgeons are being referred ever more complex coronary disease for surgical correction, adjunctive strategies may need re-evaluation. The long-term results of CE are largely unknown.

Assessing education in pulmonary rehabilitation: the Understanding COPD (UCOPD) questionnaire.

There is currently no questionnaire available that comprehensively assesses patients' understanding, self-efficacy and satisfaction with the education component of pulmonary rehabilitation. The aim of this study was to develop the Understanding COPD (UCOPD) questionnaire. The key stages in the development of the UCOPD questionnaire were: (i) Generation of questions, and assessment of face and content validity, user-centredness, acceptability and feasibility; (ii) Assessment of plain English and readability; (iii) Assessment of structural validity; (iv) Assessment of test-retest reliability and internal consistency; (v) Assessment of the responsiveness, convergent validity and floor and ceiling effects.

Factors that influence low back pain in people with a stoma.

Purpose: People with a stoma believe that there is a link between their surgery and low back pain (LBP).

Aim: To explore factors relating to (i) core stability in people with a stoma and LBP and (ii) biopsychosocial factors related to LBP.

Methods: Adults with an ileostomy and LBP (n = 17) completed (i) a range of standardised instruments, (ii) clinical tests and (iii) an ultrasound scan of right and left transversus abdominis (TrA).

Hypoalgesia in response to transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) depends on stimulation intensity.

Unlabelled: Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is an electrophysical modality used for pain management. This study investigated the dose response of different TENS intensities on experimentally induced pressure pain. One hundred and thirty TENS naïve healthy individuals (18-64 years old; 65 males, 65 females) were randomly allocated to 5 groups (n = 26 per group): Strong Non Painful TENS; Sensory Threshold TENS; Below Sensory Threshold TENS; No Current Placebo TENS; and Transient Placebo TENS.

Do smokers with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease report their smoking status reliably? A comparison of self-report and bio-chemical validation.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is predominantly caused by cigarette smoking and is considered a worldwide preventable chronic illness. Smoking cessation is considered the primary intervention for disease management and nurses should play a major role in assisting patients to stop smoking. Currently there is a lack of professional consensus on how cessation interventions should be evaluated.

An investigation of the hypoalgesic effects of TENS delivered by a glove electrode.

Unlabelled: This randomized, placebo-controlled, blinded study investigated the hypoalgesic effects of high-frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) delivered via a glove electrode compared with standard self-adhesive electrodes. Fifty-six TENS-naïve, healthy individuals (18 to 50 years old; 28 men, 28 women) were randomly allocated to 1 of 4 groups (n = 14 per group): glove electrode; placebo TENS using a glove electrode; standard electrode; and no treatment control. Active TENS (continuous stimulus, 100 Hz, strong but comfortable intensity) was applied to the dominant forearm/hand for 30 minutes.

Which is the correct statistical test to use?

This paper explains how to select the correct statistical test for a research project, clinical trial, or other investigation. The first step is to decide in what scale of measurement your data are as this will affect your decision-nominal, ordinal, or interval. The next stage is to consider the purpose of the analysis-for example, are you comparing independent or paired groups? Several statistical tests are discussed with an explanation of when it is appropriate to use each one; relevant examples of each are provided.