Effectiveness of the emergency response course in improving student physical therapists' and licensed physical therapists' decision-making related to acute sports injuries and medical conditions.

PURPOSE: To analyze the effectiveness of the American Red Cross Emergency Response Course (ARC ERC) in improving decision-making skills of physical therapists (PTs) and third semester clinical doctorate student physical therapists (SPTs) when assessing acute sports injuries and medical conditions. METHODS: An existing questionnaire was modified, with permission from the original authors of the instrument. The questionnaire was administered to PTs and SPTs before the start of and immediately after the completion of 5 different ARC ERCs. The overall percentages of "Appropriate" responses for the 17 case scenarios were calculated for each participant for the pre-and post-tests. Participants also rated their perceived level of preparedness for managing various conditions using a 5-point Likert Scale (ranging from Prepared to Unprepared). The overall percentage of "Prepared/Somewhat Prepared" responses for the 16 medical conditions was calculated for each participant for the pre-and post-tests. In addition, mean Likert scale scores were calculated for level of perceived preparedness for each of the 16 medical conditions. Paired t-tests, calculated with SPSS 20.0, were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: 37 of 37 (100.0%) of eligible PTs and 45 of 48 (93.8%) of eligible SPTs completed the pre- and post-test questionnaires. The percentage of "Appropriate" responses for all 17 cases in the aggregate (PTs: 76.8% pre-test, 89.0% post-test; SPTs: 68.5%, 84.3%), as well as the percentage of "Prepared/Somewhat Prepared" responses for all conditions in the aggregate (PTs: 67.5%, 96.5%; SPTs: 37.1%, 90.6%) were significantly different from pre-test to post-test (P = .000). There was also a significant difference (P < .05) in the mean overall preparedness Likert scale scores from pre-test to post-test for each medical condition for the SPT's, and 15 of the 16 medical conditions (muscle strains: P = .119) for the PTs. CONCLUSIONS: The ARC ERC appears to be effective in improving both PTs' and SPTs' decision-making skills related to acute sports injuries and medical conditions, as both "Appropriate" responses and perceived level of preparedness improved. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 3.

Systemic affects of methamphetamine use.

Methamphetamine (meth) is the most widely used illegal stimulant in the United States and is especially prevalent in Midwestern states. The sense of euphoria caused by the drug, the ease of manufacturing and the relatively low cost make it a drug of choice for many. The broad range of systemic effects potentially caused by the use of this drug is wide reaching and can vary in degree and presentation from patient to patient. Abnormalities include cardiac and pulmonary disorders as well as observable integumentary problems, psychoses, CNS disturbances, problems associated with immunity and constitutional signs and symptoms. Health care providers need to be vigilant in their efforts to identify patients who may be users of meth and to identify any subtle abnormal findings that may be indicative of significant underlying systemic pathology. Questionnaires like the RAFFT (Relax, Alone, Forget, Friends, Trouble) and the MINI (Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview) can be helpful in identifying substance abuse disorders in patients.

Surface electromyographic analysis of the low back muscles during rehabilitation exercises.

STUDY DESIGN: Prospective, single-group, repeated-measures design. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the longissimus thoracis and lumbar multifidi muscle activity with surface electromyography (EMG) during exercises used in back rehabilitation programs. BACKGROUND: Physical therapists use a variety of exercises when rehabilitating patients with low back pain (LBP). EMG analysis of exercises can provide a measure of muscle activation so a clinician can have a better idea about the effect the exercise may have on the muscle for stabilization, endurance, or strength training. METHODS AND MEASURES: Surface EMG analysis of the muscle activity of the longissimus thoracis and lumbar multifidi was carried out bilaterally on 3 different experimental groups while performing a variety of exercises commonly used in low back rehabilitation programs. Groups 1 and 2 each had 30 subjects and group 2 had 29 subjects, ranging in age from 21 to 35 years. All EMG data during exercises were normalized to percent of the maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC). RESULTS: The lumbar multifidus and longissimus thoracis muscles were most active, with EMG amplitudes of greater than 92% +/- 12% MVIC during prone lumbar extension to end range with resistance applied. Prone lumbar extension to neutral, resisted lumbar extension while sitting, and prone extension with the upper and lower extremities lifted (Superman exercise) produced EMG amplitudes ranging from a mean +/- SD of 77% +/- 13% to 82% +/- 12% MVIC. Exercises that produced EMG amplitudes of less than 50% MVIC were bridging exercises, the side-bridge exercise, and upper and lower extremity raises in either the prone or quadruped positions. CONCLUSION: The findings from this study may be helpful for physical therapists in selecting exercises when progressing patients with LBP from low-intensity exercises to those that require more muscle activity.

Learning styles of allied health students using Kolb's LSI-IIa.

The purpose of this study was to assess the learning style preferences of students enrolled in various allied health professional programs. Five professions were examined: nursing, physician assistant (PA), occupational therapy (OT), physical therapy (PT), and speech-language pathology (SLP). The assessment instrument used was the Kolb Learning Style Inventory LSI-IIa. The study included 89 subjects from the various allied health care programs enrolled at a small midwestern university. Findings indicated similar learning style preferences between nursing, OT, PA, and SLP student groups. Students from these groups exhibited a close balance between all four learning styles. The nursing and SLP groups showed a slight preference for concrete experimentation, whereas the OT and PA groups preferred abstract conceptualization. The learning style of the PT students was that of converger, with a strong tendency toward active experimentation versus reflective observation. An emphasis needs to be placed on student learning styles and its impact in the educational process. An understanding and incorporation of learning styles in the education of health care providers could have a positive impact not only on the teaching and learning process but also on the effectiveness of interdisciplinary team interactions and the patient educational process.