Aim: To analyze randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) to determine whether the patients who complete PR form a representative subset of the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) target population and to discuss what impact this may have for the generalizability and implementation of PR in practice.
Material And Methods: A review of 26 RCTs included in a Cochrane Review 2007. We analyzed the selection at three different levels: 1) sampling; 2) inclusion and exclusion; 3) and dropout.
Results: Of 26 studies only 3 (12%) described the sampling as the number of patients contacted. In these studies 28% completed PR. In all we found, that 75% of the patients suitable for PR programs were omitted due to sampling exclusion and dropout. Most of the study populations are not representative of the target population.
Conclusion: The RCTs selected for the Cochrane review gave sparse information about the sampling procedure. The demand for high internal validity in studies on PR reduced their external validity. The patients completing PR programs in RCTs were not drawn from a representative subset of the target population. The ability to draw conclusions relevant to clinical practice from the results of the RCTs on PR is impaired.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/clep.s9483 | DOI Listing |
Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis
January 2025
School of Translational Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Purpose: Oral corticosteroids (OCS) are recommended for the treatment of exacerbations in people with COPD; however, high cumulative lifetime doses (≥1000mg prednisolone-equivalent) are associated with adverse health effects. This issue is well defined in asthma but is less well understood in COPD. The aim of this study was to examine cumulative OCS dispensed to people with COPD over 12 months.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCureus
December 2024
Medicine, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto (FMUP), Porto, PRT.
Anti-glomerular basement membrane disease is a rare small vessel vasculitis caused by the deposition of immunoglobulin G (IgG) autoantibodies in the basement membrane of glomerular capillaries and lung alveoli, leading to rapidly progressive renal failure and/or alveolar hemorrhage. We report the case of an 83-year-old female patient presenting with uremic symptoms, rapidly progressive kidney failure, and a high titer of anti-glomerular basement membrane antibodies. Given the urgent need for kidney replacement therapy, the substantial fibrosis and glomerular scarring observed in the kidney biopsy suggesting a chronic process, and the absence of pulmonary involvement, neither immunosuppressive treatment nor plasmapheresis was initiated, since a low likelihood of a favorable response to these interventions was expected.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhysiother Theory Pract
January 2025
Health Research Institute, University of Canberra, Bruce, Australia.
Purpose: The study aims to identify determinants of implementation behavior among physical therapists frequently promoting physical activity (PA) in cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation.
Methods: A cross-sectional online survey incorporating the Determinants of Implementation Behavior Questionnaire (DIBQ) and anchored by the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) was sent to physical therapists working in cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation practices in Australia and Singapore. All items on the DIBQ were scored on a 7-point Likert scale from "Strongly Disagree" to "Strongly Agree.
Heart Lung Circ
January 2025
Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China. Electronic address:
Aim: Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a crucial role in the development and progression of atherosclerosis. However, the specific association between Treg immune traits and atherosclerosis and related cardiovascular diseases remains unclear, impeding their potential for clinical therapeutic application.
Method: Fifty-eight Treg-related immune traits were obtained from the latest summary level genome-wide association study, which included 3,757 individuals from Sardinia.
J Clin Med
January 2025
Joyce and Irving Goldman Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 8410501, Israel.
: Home rehabilitation improves patient satisfaction and reduces the need for specialist consultations. Hemodialysis is a costly post-ICU service that requires frequent monitoring. Previous studies have demonstrated the feasibility and accuracy of patients self-scanning their lungs with an ultrasound device within the hospital.
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