Study design: Retrospective review of medical notes. Objective: To evaluate spinal cord injury (SCI) patients' compliance with bladder emptying method at long-term period after discharge and determine the frequency of urinary tract infections (UTIs). Setting: Inpatient rehabilitation unit of tertiary research hospital. Methods: Bladder management method of 164 new spinal cord injured patients were noted at discharge from rehabilitation center and follow-up. Patients were questioned whether they continued the initial bladder emtying method at follow-up, reasons for discontinuation and the history of treated UTIs. Results: The most common bladder management method at discharge from inpatient rehabilitation center was clean intermittent catheterization (CIC) (63.4%). At follow-up 42% of the patients who used CIC changed their bladder emptying method. Rate of reverting to urethral indwelling catheter (IC) was 21.4%. Reasons for the patients who switched to IC application were recurrent UTIs, incontinence, nephrolithiasis, dependence on care givers and urethral strictures. For all patients, the frequency of treated UTI in 1 year was 38.8%. The number of UTIs were highest in patients using IC. Conclusion: Many factors, including urological complications, patient's preference, living environment, life-style and level of injury should be considered in deciding the method of bladder management in SCI patients. The CIC is a reliable and effective method in selected SCI patients. Despite changes in bladder emptying method, CIC was the most preferred method at long-term follow-up. Education of patients on catheterization technique and periodic follow-up is necessary to maintain patient compliance.
[Purpose] This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of mirror therapy combined with
a conventional rehabilitation program on upper extremity motor and functional recovery in
stroke patients. [Subjects and Methods] Thirty-one hemiplegic patients were included. The
patients were randomly assigned to a mirror (n=16) or conventional group (n=15). The
patients in both groups underwent conventional therapy for 4 weeks (60–120 minutes/day, 5
days/week). The mirror group received mirror therapy, consisting of periodic flexion and
extension movements of the wrist and fingers on the non-paralyzed side. The patients in
the conventional group performed the same exercises against the non-reflecting face of the
mirror. The patients were evaluated at the beginning and end of the treatment by a blinded
assessor using the Brunnstrom stage, Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) upper extremity score,
and the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) self-care score. [Results] There was an
improvement in Brunnstrom stage and the FIM self-care score in both groups, but the
post-treatment FMA score was significantly higher in the mirror therapy group than in the
conventional treatment group. [Conclusion] Mirror therapy in addition to a conventional
rehabilitation program was found to provide additional benefit in motor recovery of the
upper extremity in stroke patients.
Male gender is a risk factor for developing UNE, but age and BMI are not significant risk factors. Further studies which examine BMI and gender differences with data about occupational risk factors are required.
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