Effects of home exercise programmes during home visits after hip replacement: a systematic review

This study systematically reviews the research, focused on the effects of home exercise programmes implemented during home visits after hip replacement on patients. PubMed [MEDLINE], Wiley Online Library, EBSCOhost, Science Direct databases [between 2004 and June 2015] were searched with the keywords "hip replacement, home exercise programme and home visit". Eleven original articles were retrieved. Different parameters were used in the trials to assess the physical functions, mobility and quality of life of patients. In six trials, the intervention group achieved significantly better improvements statistically in all parameters after home exercise programmes. In three trials, the intervention group achieved better but not significant outcomes. Early recovery in daily living activities with home exercise programme was reported only in one trial. Reviewed studies suggest that home exercise programmes, implemented during home visits after hip replacement, improve patients' physical functions and life quality

Turkish Version of Kolcaba's Immobilization Comfort Questionnaire: A Validity and Reliability Study

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Immobilization Comfort Questionnaire (ICQ). METHODS: The sample used in this methodological study consisted of 121 patients undergoing lower extremity arthroscopy in a training and research hospital. The validity study of the questionnaire assessed language validity, structural validity and criterion validity. Structural validity was evaluated via exploratory factor analysis. Criterion validity was evaluated by assessing the correlation between the visual analog scale (VAS) scores (i.e., the comfort and pain VAS scores) and the ICQ scores using Spearman's correlation test. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin coefficient and Bartlett's test of sphericity were used to determine the suitability of the data for factor analysis. Internal consistency was evaluated to determine reliability. The data were analyzed with SPSS version 15.00 for Windows. Descriptive statistics were presented as frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations. A p value < or =.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A moderate positive correlation was found between the ICQ scores and the VAS comfort scores; a moderate negative correlation was found between the ICQ and the VAS pain measures in the criterion validity analysis. Cronbach alpha values of .75 and .82 were found for the first and second measurements, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study reveal that the ICQ is a valid and reliable tool for assessing the comfort of patients in Turkey who are immobilized because of lower extremity orthopedic problems.

Cardiovascular Surgery Patients: Intensive Care Experiences and Associated Factors

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the intensive care unit (ICU) experiences of cardiovascular surgery (CS) patients and to define the associations between their ICU experiences and related factors. METHODS: The study used a descriptive design. In total, 106 CS patients were interviewed at least 24 hours after discharge from an ICU in an educational research hospital in Ankara, Turkey between January and July 2012. Data were collected using the Intensive Care Experience Scale (ICES), a sociodemographic and clinical characteristics data form and two open-ended questions inquiring about smells and light. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS 15.0. RESULTS: The patients were moderately aware of their ICU environments, partly recalled their ICU experiences, highly recollected frightening experiences, and expressed good satisfaction with care. Age, education, marital status, and pain were associated with ICU experiences. Patients who sensed smell had higher scores of frightening experiences than those who did not. Patients who were annoyed with excessive light reported less satisfaction with care than those who were not. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that measuring the patients' characteristics and environmental factors may be beneficial for healthcare teams to improve the recovery of CS patients in the ICU.