Wheelchair basketball improves the treatment of urinary tract infection in people with motor disabilities: a clinical trial

ABSTRACT

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: Few studies on physical medicine and rehabilitation analyze the benefit of wheelchair basketball in people with motor disabilities. Given these, this study aimed to investigate the effect of the intervention of wheelchair basketball on urinary tract infection in people with motor disabilities. METHODS: A 12-month experimental follow-up was conducted in a single-center study. A total of 48 male individuals aged 18-55 years were allocated to the control group and experimental group. The experimental group practiced wheelchair basketball for 2 h, twice a week. Intra- and intergroup comparisons were made pre- and post-interventions over urinary tract infection. RESULTS: There was a significant improvement in urinary tract infection and urine culture in pre- and post-intervention antibiograms, respectively. Moreover, the intergroup comparison presented a decrease in infection caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae, as well as an increase in the time variability of partially activated thromboplastin, average corpuscular hemoglobin, and hemoglobin and platelets. In the experimental group, there was an increase in hemoglobin and hematocrit and a decrease in glycated hemoglobin (%HbA1C). On the intragroup comparison, there was a reduction of triiodothyronine (T3), %HbA1C, interleukin-6 pre-intervention, and C-reactive protein post-intervention. CONCLUSIONS: There was a decrease in urinary tract infection and improvement in biochemical, immunological, and microbiological biomarkers evaluated with physical exercise practice by wheelchair basketball, as well as by multiprofessional follow-up and health guidance.