The 8:1:1 Supplementation of Branched-Chain Amino Acids in High-Intensity Training: A Case Study of the Protective Effect on Rhabdomyolysis.

INTRODUCTION: The increasing prevalence of high-intensity sports activities, notably the burgeoning popularity of CrossFit, underscores the contemporary significance of such physical pursuits. The discernible protective impact of branched-chain amino acids on muscle fatigue and injuries is emerging as a noteworthy area of investigation. Within the realm of sports, integrating BCAA supplementation into dietary practices holds promise for aiding athletes in their recovery, particularly in mitigating Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness. METHODOLOGY: This study adopted an experimental pilot design with repeated measures, employing a controlled and randomized approach through double-blind procedures. The participant engaged in high-intensity activity, specifically the CrossFit Karen® test, which entailed executing 150 wall ball throws (9 kg) to a height of 3 m. The trial incorporated three randomized supplementation conditions: BCAAs in an 8:1:1 ratio or a 2:1:1 ratio or a placebo condition. The participant consumed 15 g daily for 7 days, commencing 72 h prior to the initial blood sample and the first Karen® test. RESULTS: In this study, BCAA supplementation at an 8:1:1 ratio demonstrated a discernible protective effect against muscular damage, as evidenced by creatine kinase values and ratings of perceived exertion.

Self-perception of learning basic skills in the use of information and communications technology in university students with intellectual disabilities.

Educational transformation in the university environment requires updating the basic skills of all university students to the educational moment in which they find themselves. This study aimed to determine the basic skills in the use of information and communications technology that were identified as known, both conceptually and procedurally, in 15 university students with intellectual disabilities. To ascertain the importance of digital skills and information and communications technology tools, a descriptive, cross-sectional, pre-post study was conducted. Descriptive results and statistical analyses are presented with a t-test for independent samples for the variables with a normal distribution, assuming a hypothesis that the post values would be greater than those obtained pre. It was confirmed that there is an increase in the perceived procedural knowledge and skills in different digital tools based on participants' self-perception (p < 0.0001).

Student satisfaction with the Service-Learning methodology: an added value in the training of thee nursing degree / Satisfacción de los alumnos con la metodología de Aprendizaje-servicio: un valor añadido en la formación del título de enfermería

Abstract: Objective: To evaluate the effect on the satisfaction of nursing students and the participants of Service-Learning methodology in the development of Health Education workshops. Materials and methods: Service-Learning project was designed in four stages: 1) students training in knowledge about Community Nursing and Health Education; 2) development of healthy workshops for its implementation in associations; 3) implementation of the workshops; 4) reflection on Service-Learning impact. An ad hoc questionnaire was developed to assess students' satisfaction. It was also evaluated the workshops' participant's satisfaction. Results: students reported having a very high level of satisfaction by increasing their scores after improving Service-Learning methodology in the subject. In addition, participants who received health promotion workshops developed by nursing students reported a positive impact on their health. Conclusion: development of Service-Learning methodology associated with health education implies high level of satisfaction in nursing students and a social impact for the community.

Resumen: Objetivo: Evaluar la satisfacción de los estudiantes de enfermería y los participantes, con la metodología Aprendizaje Servicio en el desarrollo de talleres de Educación para la Salud. Materiales y Método: El proyecto de Aprendizaje-Servicio se diseñó en cuatro etapas: 1) Formación de estudiantes en conocimientos sobre Enfermería Comunitaria y Educación para la Salud; 2) Desarrollo de talleres saludables para su implementación en asociaciones; 3) Implementación de los talleres; 4) Reflexión sobre el impacto del Aprendizaje-Servicio. Se desarrolló un cuestionario ad hoc para evaluar la satisfacción de los estudiantes. También se evaluó la satisfacción de los participantes de los talleres. Resultados: Los estudiantes informaron tener un nivel de satisfacción muy alto, al aumentar sus puntajes luego de mejorar la metodología de Aprendizaje-Servicio en la asignatura. Además, los participantes que recibieron talleres de promoción de la salud, desarrollados por estudiantes de enfermería, reportaron un impacto positivo en su salud. Conclusión: El desarrollo de la metodología de Aprendizaje-Servicio asociado a la educación en salud, implica un alto nivel de satisfacción en los estudiantes de enfermería y un impacto social para la comunidad.

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Lifestyles of University Students: A Spanish Online Survey.

The present study aimed to investigate the perceived changes in lifestyle behaviors among Spanish university students during COVID-19-related confinement. An observational, descriptive, and cross-sectional survey study was conducted during April 2020. Sociodemographic and anthropometric data were then obtained. The FANTASTIC questionnaire was used to assess the lifestyles of the 488 participants who took part in the study. Of the participants, 76.3% were female. Overall, the lifestyles of university students significantly deteriorated during the period of confinement caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain. University female students were especially affected compared to their male fellows (p = 0.010). For women, social and family relationships (p < 0.001), personality (p < 0.001), interior (p < 0.001), and career (p < 0.001) were the aspects that worsened during confinement. For men, lack of physical exercise (p < 0.001), social and family relationships (p < 0.001), and career (p = 0.002) were affected to a greater extent. In both cases, confinement was a protective factor against the consumption of tobacco, toxins (p < 0.001), and alcohol (p < 0.001). Gender (p = 0.008) and obesity (p = 0.044) were the two factors that most affected the change in the score of the FANTASTIC questionnaire. Spanish university students' lifestyles worsened during the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially those of women, who were the most affected. Some aspects, such as those related to social and emotional behaviors, were deeply affected, while confinement could be a protective factor against previous toxic habits.

Clinician Wire Puncture Injury to the Hand from Chest Compressions on a Patient with a Median Sternotomy: A Case Report.

Standard precautions, including protections from blood and body fluid exposure, are designed to protect health care providers from infections. Sharps safety practices rarely include the potential for the unconscious patient's own body to be a potential source of clinician percutaneous injury from sharp objects outside of the perioperative setting. This case report reviews a percutaneous injury to the hand of a physician who was performing chest compressions on a patient with an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The 76-year-old patient in cardiac arrest had undergone a medial sternotomy surgery 15 years before the arrest. The sternal wire rotated owing to the initial chest compressions, breaking the clinician's nitrile glove and producing an open wound on the thenar region of the clinician's right hand. Application of a 10 × 10 12-ply gauze pack on the chest of the patient in cardiac arrest allowed the resuscitation team to continue with the compressions with no further wounds from the wire. This case report is a novel contribution to the published literature and advances standard precautions considerations in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, with the sternotomy wire from previous surgery as a source of percutaneous clinician injury during chest compression.

Health Problems Encountered by Short-Term European Volunteers in a Nongovernmental Organization in Cambodia.

Short-term volunteers are susceptible to a wide spectrum of morbidities, mostly infectious diseases preventable with general hygiene and preventive measures. This study aimed to identify the health problems encountered by European short-term volunteers collaborating for 1 month with a nongovernmental organization (NGO) in Cambodia and to describe their characteristics. A prospective, descriptive observational study was conducted on short-term volunteers who collaborated with an NGO in Cambodia during August 2018. Informed consent and sociodemographic, clinical, and preventative health-related questionnaire data were provided by 198 volunteers. The health problems encountered were confirmed in a primary care consultation with healthcare professionals. Univariate and bivariate analyses were performed. The median age of the volunteers was 22 years (interquartile range = 21-24), and 64% were women. Some (18.2%) had allergies, 8.6% had preexisting health conditions, and 10.6% were under regular treatment. A total of 77.3% visited a pretravel consultation clinic, 39.9% completed a specific pretravel health course, 21.7% took malaria prophylaxis, 92.4% received hepatitis A vaccination, and 82.3% received typhoid fever vaccination. Medical assistance was sought by 112 (57.3%) of the volunteers. The average number of health problems was 2.5 (standard deviation = 1.5), and the total number of health problems attended by the medical team was 279. The most common health problems were upper respiratory infections (12.2 per 1,000 person/days), wounds (10.8 per 1,000 person/days), and diarrhea (6.3 per 1,000 person/days). Short-term volunteers experienced a high rate of health problems during their stay in Cambodia, but most of the problems were mild and preventable and resolved quickly. Pretravel consultation and specific pretravel health training seemed to increase disease awareness.

[Assessment of the humanitarian response to cholera in wash interventions.] / Evaluación de la respuesta humanitaria al cólera en las intervenciones WASH.

BACKGROUND: The humanitarian response to a cholera outbreak in a complex international crisis requires guaranteeing minimum conditions so that normalcy can be restored. Basic responses to a cholera outbreak include water and sanitation. The general objective of this systematic review was the analysis of the current evidence that addresses the effectiveness of different WASH measures to control cholera. METHODS: A review and analysis of the literature available in the main databases (PubMed, WoS and Scopus) and in a specific meta-search engine for humanitarian aid was carried out (reliefweb.int). Based on the establishment of the PICO research question "Can beneficiaries of humanitarian aid benefit from water, hygiene and sanitation interventions for cholera reduction?", the identification of keywords and databases to carry out the searches, as well as a selection process based on the established eligibility criteria: being studies in both English and Spanish where the WASH intervention was clearly defined, studies where health outcomes of cholera were presented, or data related to the function and use of the WASH intervention, was established. RESULTS: The initial search provided 17,185 documents susceptible of analysis that were screened using the search criteria, up to 22 references that were read in full text and the 11 that were finally analyzed. These were coded based on the measures set out in their protocols, on the interventions carried out in the improvement of water and its supply, the improvement of sanitation, the measures aimed at better hygiene and those that evaluated the complete WASH intervention. CONCLUSIONS: All the measures offered positive results, their effectiveness was conditioned by the education of the beneficiaries, the simplicity of the activities and the involvement of local actors.

OBJETIVO: La respuesta humanitaria ante un brote de cólera en una crisis compleja de carácter internacional requiere garantizar unas condiciones mínimas para que se pueda recuperar la normalidad. Entre las respuestas básicas a un brote de cólera están las correspondientes al agua y el saneamiento. El objetivo general de esta revisión narrativa fue el análisis de la evidencia actual que aborda la efectividad de las diferentes medidas WASH para controlar el cólera. METODOS: Se realizó una revisión y análisis de la literatura disponible en las bases de datos principales (PubMed, WoS y Scopus) y en un metabuscador específico de ayuda humanitaria (reliefweb.int). Basada en el establecimiento de la pregunta de investigación PICO: "¿Los beneficiarios de la ayuda humanitaria se pueden beneficiar de las intervenciones en agua, higiene y saneamiento para la disminución del cólera?" la identificación de las palabras clave y bases de datos para realizar las búsquedas, además de un proceso de selección basado en los criterios de elegibilidad establecidos; siendo estudios tanto en inglés como español donde la intervención WASH fue claramente definida, estudios donde se presentaran resultados de salud del cólera, o datos relacionados con la función y el uso de la intervención WASH. RESULTADOS: La búsqueda inicial proporcionó 17.185 documentos susceptibles de análisis que fueron cribados mediante los criterios de búsqueda hasta las 22 referencias que fueron leídas a texto completo y las 11 que fueron analizadas finalmente. Estas fueron codificadas en base a las medidas expuestas en sus protocolos, a las intervenciones realizadas en la mejora del agua y su suministro, la mejora del saneamiento, las medidas destinadas a una mejor higiene y aquellas que evaluaban la intervención WASH completa. CONCLUSIONES: Todas las medidas ofrecieron resultados positivos, su eficacia estuvo condicionada por la educación de los beneficiarios, la simplicidad de las actividades y la implicación de los actores locales.

Pain and Cortisol in Patients with Fibromyalgia: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

This systematic review and meta-analysis sought to gain further insight into the relationship between cortisol reactivity and chronic widespread pain in patients with fibromyalgia. The studies selected were those conducted in adults with fibromyalgia that were random controlled, non-controlled or observational. Studies were excluded if they examined diseases other than fibromyalgia or if they did not report on pain or cortisol. Twelve studies met inclusion criteria. Data were extracted into tabular format using predefined data fields by two reviewers and assessed for accuracy by a third reviewer. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed using the PEDro scale. Data Synthesis: Of 263 studies identified, 12 were selected for our review and 10 were finally included as their methodological quality was good. In the meta-analysis, we calculated effect sizes of interventions on pain indicators and cortisol levels in patients with fibromyalgia. A small overall effect of all the interventions was observed on pain tolerance and pressure pain thresholds, yet this effect lacked significance (ES = 0.150; 95%CI 0.932-1.550; p > 0.05). Conclusions: While some effects of individual nonpharmacological therapeutic interventions were observed on both cortisol levels and measures of pain, our results suggest much further work is needed to elucidate the true relationship between chronic widespread pain and cortisol levels in patients with fibromyalgia.