Physical Therapy Commons^™

The Incidence Of Falls In Intensive Care Survivors, Shane M. Patman, Diane Dennis, Kylie Hill

Shane Patman

Background: Falling among adults in acute care is an important problem with falls rates in tertiary hospitals ranging from 2% to 5%. Factors that increase the risk of falling, such as advanced age, altered mental status, medications that act on the central nervous system and poor mobility, often characterise individuals who survive a prolonged intensive care unit (ICU) admission.

Purpose: To measure the incidence of falls and describe the characteristics of fallers among intensive care survivors.

Methods: A comprehensive retrospective chart review was undertaken of 190 adults who were intubated and ventilated for ≥168 h and survived their acute care …

Seeing It Helps: Movement-Related Back Pain Is Reduced By Visualization Of The Back During Movement, Benedict M. Wand, Verity M. Tulloch, Pamela J. George, Anne J. Smith, Roger Goucke, Neil E. O'Connell, G Lorimer Moseley

Pamela George

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine whether visualization of the back influenced parameters of movement-related pain in people with chronic nonspecific low back pain. Methods: We used a randomized cross-over experiment in which 25 participants performed repeated lumbar spine movements under 2 conditions. In the visual feedback condition, patients were able to visualize their back as it moved by the use of mirrors. In the control condition, the mirror was covered so no visualization of the back was possible. Results: The average postmovement pain intensity after participants had moved with visual feedback was less (35.5+/-22.8 mm) than …