An Evidence-Based Perspective on Movement and Activity Following Median Sternotomy.

Cardiac surgery via median sternotomy is performed in over 1 million patients per year worldwide. Despite evidence, sternal precautions in the form of restricted arm and trunk activity are routinely prescribed to patients following surgery to prevent sternal complications. Sternal precautions may exacerbate loss of independence and prevent patients from returning home directly after hospital discharge.

Perceptions of exercise and quality of life in older patients in the United States during the first year following coronary artery bypass surgery.

Background And Purpose: It is important for patients recovering from coronary artery bypass (CAB) surgery to initiate and maintain recommended exercise guidelines. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe factors that influence adherence to exercise, and perceptions of activity limitations and health-related quality of life (QoL) in older patients recovering from CAB surgery.

Subjects: Participants were 28 people aged 65 and older, prospectively recruited from a U.

The Second Physical Therapy Summit on Global Health: developing an action plan to promote health in daily practice and reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases.

Based on indicators that emerged from The First Physical Therapy Summit on Global Health (2007), the Second Summit (2011) identified themes to inform a global physical therapy action plan to integrate health promotion into practice across the World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT) regions. Working questions were: (1) how well is health promotion implemented within physical therapy practice; and (2) how might this be improved across five target audiences (i.e.

Utility of the late life function and disability instrument as an outcome measure in patients participating in outpatient cardiac rehabilitation: a preliminary study.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the concurrent validity of the Late Life Function and Disability Instrument (LLFDI) in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and to evaluate the accuracy of information obtained through self-report questionnaire versus interview formats.

Methods: The study included 29 patients older than 60 years attending an outpatient cardiac rehabilitation program. Participants completed the LLFDI, three additional self-report criterion measures, and six performance-based tests; they completed the LLFDI a second time via interview.

The First Physical Therapy Summit on Global Health: implications and recommendations for the 21st century.

The First Physical Therapy Summit on Global Health was convened at the 2007 World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT) Congress to vision practice in the 21st century and, in turn, entry-level education and research, as informed by epidemiological indicators, and consistent with evidence-based noninvasive interventions, the hallmark of physical therapy. The Summit and its findings were informed by WHO data and validated through national databases of the countries of the five WCPT regions. The health priorities based on mortality were examined in relation to proportions of physical therapists practicing in the areas of regional priorities and of the curricula in entry-level programs.

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.

Exercise self-efficacy, habitual physical activity, and fear of falling in patients with coronary heart disease.

The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between self-efficacy for physical activity and other pertinent factors in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). A secondary purpose of this study was to determine if self-efficacy and exercise behavior are different in patients who report a fearing of falling (fallers) as compared to patients who do not report a fear of falling (non-fallers). This study included 50 patients who were admitted to the hospital for a CHD related diagnosis.

Indicators of functional deficits after coronary artery bypass surgery.

The purposes of this study were to determine if ratings of difficulty or pain were more likely to detect deficits in activities of daily living (ADL) than degree of dependency and to longitudinally examine ADL in patients recovering from coronary artery bypass (CAB) surgery. This study included 40 patients who had recently undergone CAB surgery. We evaluated ADL performance using 3 subcategories of the Functional Status Index: mobility, personal care, and hand activities.

Functional status of patients during subacute recovery from coronary artery bypass surgery.

Background: Patients recovering from coronary artery bypass (CAB) surgery are particularly vulnerable to impaired functional status because in addition to the direct effects of heart disease on cardiac performance, many surgical factors may contribute to loss of function.

Objectives: The purposes of this study were to describe functional status across multiple domains using performance-based and self-report assessments and to determine the relationship among different domains of functional status in patients recovering subacutely (<6 months) from CAB surgery.

Methods: The participants in this study (n = 25) had undergone CAB surgery in the past 6 months.

Psychometric evaluation of the heart surgery symptom inventory in patients recovering from coronary artery bypass surgery.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and concurrent validity of the Heart Surgery Symptom Inventory (HSSI) in patients following coronary artery bypass surgery.

Methods: This study included 28 patients attending outpatient rehabilitation who had undergone coronary artery bypass surgery within the past 6 months. Patients completed self-report instruments including a medical history form, HSSI, and Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36.