Assessment by proxy of the SF-36 and WHO-DAS 2.0. A systematic review.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: In some cases, for the evaluation of the health status of patients it is not possible to obtain data directly from the patient. The objective of this study was to determine if the instruments that cannot be applied to the patient can be completed by a proxy. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was carried out and 20 studies were included. The instruments reviewed in this synthesis were: Short Form-36 (SF-36), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), WHODAS 2.0, Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Disability Rating Scale (DRS). RESULTS: The levels of agreement between the responses of the patients and the proxies were good, mainly when evaluating HRQoL and functioning with the SF-36 and WHODAS 2.0 instruments, respectively, with a higher level of agreement in the more objective and observable domains such as physical functioning and lower level of agreement in less objective domains, such as emotional or affective status, and self-perception. CONCLUSION: In patients who cannot complete the different instruments, the use of a proxy can help avoid the omission of responses.

Efficacy of early treatment with carbamazepine in prevention of neuropathic pain in patients with spinal cord injury.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether early treatment with carbamazepine decreases the incidence of neuropathic pain (NP) or its intensity in patients with spinal cord injury. DESIGN: This study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial at a third-level university hospital involving patients older than 18 yrs with a diagnosis of spinal cord injury sustained within 2 wks before enrollment and without evidence of NP. The patients received either carbamazepine up to 600 mg/day or placebo for 1 mo. Pain intensity was measured with a 10-cm visual analog scale and the SF-36 bodily pain subscale; quality-of-life, with the Short Form 36 (SF-36) Scale; and depression, with the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale. Measurements were carried out at the start of the randomized trial and at the 1-, 3-, and 6-month follow-up assessments. RESULTS: Twenty-one of 46 patients developed NP. At the 1-, 3-, and 6-month follow-up assessments, NP was present in 4, 11, and 10 patients of the carbamazepine group and in 8, 9, and 8 patients of the placebo group, respectively. At 1 mo, two patients in the carbamazepine group vs. eight patients in the placebo group reported moderate/intense pain (visual analog scale, ≥4.0; P = 0.024). At the 3- and 6-month follow-up appointments, moderate/intense pain was reported by eight vs. six (P = 0.498) and six vs. eight patients (P = 0.298), carbamazepine and placebo group, respectively. There was no difference in the depression ratings or in any of the SF-36 scales. CONCLUSIONS: Early intervention with carbamazepine decreased NP incidence at the 1-month but not at the 3- and 6-month follow-ups in the group of patients with acquired spinal cord injury.

Out-patient rehabilitation programme for spinal cord injured patients: evaluation of the results on motor FIM score.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate an out-patient attention programme based on a short in-patient phase followed by an out-patient interdisciplinary rehabilitation programme. METHODS: A prospective quasi-experimental before-and-after study was carried out; a phase 2 trial. The study population consisted of 42 patients who met the inclusion criteria. The Functional Independence Measurement (FIM) was the main outcome, and the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) motor scores and morbidity the secondary ones. The intervention was a two-phase goal-based interdisciplinary programme which consisted of a hospital and an ambulatory phase. After an evaluation upon admission to hospital, follow-up was carried out 1, 3, 6, 12 and 18 months later. RESULTS: Initially, 208 patients were evaluated and only 42 completed the study. The in-patient phase was short (average: 13.5 days) and the out-patient phase lasted 18 months. Motor FIM scores progressively increased from 25/91 up to 69/91 (p < 0.01). Some 25% of the patients had pressure sores at 1 month, and 11.9% still had them after 18 months. Pain was the most frequent complication, in 80% of patients by the third month. Urinary and fecal continence improved during follow-up (74% at 18 months and 81.1% at 12 months, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Good functional evolution of SCI patients and low morbidity can be obtained with a low-cost out-patient rehabilitation programme. Such a programme must emphasize patient and family education concerning self-care and possible SCI complications.

Dolor lumbar: enfoque basado en la evidencia / Low back pain and evidence-based medicine

El dolor lumbar es un motivo muy común de consulta médica; debido a la amplia oferta de opciones terapéuticas, es importante recurrir a los conceptos de la medicina basada en la evidencia para seleccionar las mejores.Las intervenciones que cuentan con evidencias más sólidas en la literatura son: mantenerse activo, hacer ejercicio durante los cuadros subagudo y crónico así como después de la cirugía, los antiinflamatorios no esteroides (AINE) y los antidepresivos.

Low back pain is a very common reason for consultation in general practice; due to the wide offer of treatment options, it is important, in order to select the best, to resort to the concepts of evidence-based medicine. The interventions that have more solid evidence in the literature are: to keep being active, to prescribe therapeutic exercises during the subacute and chronic periods, as well as after surgery, and to use non-steroidal antiinflammatories and antidepressants.

Efficacy of Sildenafil for the treatment of erectile dysfunction caused by spinal cord injury

Objective to asses the efficacy of sildenafil for the treatment of erectile dysfunction in spinal cord injured patients