ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Investigation of the feasibility and preliminary effect of a short-term intensive preoperative exercise programme for elderly patients scheduled for elective abdominal oncological surgery. DESIGN: Single-blind randomized controlled pilot study. SETTING: Ordinary hospital in the Netherlands. SUBJECTS: Forty-two elderly patients (>60 years). INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomly assigned to receive a short-term intensive therapeutic exercise programme to improve muscle strength, aerobic capacity, and functional activities, given in the outpatient department (intervention group; n =22), or home-based exercise advice (control group; n=20). MAIN MEASURES: Parameters of feasibility, preoperative functional capacity and postoperative course. RESULTS: The intensive training programme was feasible, with a high compliance and no adverse events. Respiratory muscle endurance increased in the preoperative period from 259 +/- 273 to 404 +/- 349 J in the intervention group and differed significantly from that in the control group (350 +/- 299 to 305 +/- 323 J; P<0.01). Timed-Up-and-Go, chair rise time, LASA Physical Activity Questionnaire, Physical Work Capacity and Quality of Life (EORTC-C30) did not reveal significant differences between the two groups. There was no significant difference in postoperative complications and length of hospital stay between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The intensive therapeutic exercise programme was feasible and improved the respiratory function of patients due to undergo elective abdominal surgery compared with home-based exercise advice.
Subject(s)
Abdominal Neoplasms/surgery , Elective Surgical Procedures , Exercise Therapy , Postoperative Complications/prevention & control , Preoperative Care/methods , Abdominal Neoplasms/complications , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Physical Fitness , Pilot Projects , Postoperative Complications/etiology , Postoperative Complications/physiopathology , Preoperative Care/rehabilitation , Single-Blind MethodABSTRACT
An improved furnace system for use in vacuum ultraviolet spectroscopic studies of atomic and molecular species stable at high temperatures (800-2500 degrees C) is described in detail. A new and improved high resolution spectrum of Mg I and several impurity spectra produced in the furnace are presented.
