No description available.

<p><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt / font-family:&quot / Times New Roman&quot / ,&quot / serif&quot / mso-fareast-font-family:&quot / Times New Roman&quot / mso-ansi-language:EN-GB / mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA">Literature shows that cataracts are the leading cause of blindness globally and nationally. Retinal detachment has also been a substantial problem both globally and nationally. Both of these conditions are prevalent in patients of 50 years and older. The treatment for both conditions is for surgery to be performed. In the Western Cape the three leading hospitals do not have ophthalmic pre-operative and post-operative protocols<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">.</span>Review question:What are the best practices to manage pre-operative and post-operative nursing care in patients waiting for cataract and retinal detachment surgery? bjectives:1. To determine the best practice in pre-operative and post-operative care in patients who have undergone cataract and/or retinal detachment surgery regarding: health education offered by nurses, counselling to prevent psychological effects, and positioning to prevent physical complications. 2. To develop a framework based on systematic reviews for pre-operative and post-operative ophthalmic nursing care in South Africa. Methodology: </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12.0pt / font-family:&quot / Times New Roman&quot / ,&quot / serif&quot / mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">A systematic review using the guide by the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination was done, and <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">studies were </span>identified by searching various electronic databases and visually scanning reference lists from the relevant studies. Studies that were included were evidence-based. All study types were considered and the studies were selected based on the title and, where available, the abstract. These were then assessed against the inclusion criteria. A narrative synthesis was used. Finally the evidence was summarised and a framework was drawn up, focusing on pre-operative and post-operative nursing care for cataract and retinal detachment surgery</span></p> <p>&nbsp / </p>

Background: The effectiveness of paraprofessional home-visitations on improving the circumstances of disadvantaged families is unclear. The purpose of this paper is to systematically review the effectiveness of paraprofessional home-visiting programs on developmental and health outcomes of young children from disadvantaged families. Methods: A comprehensive search of electronic databases (e.g., CINAHL PLUS, Cochrane, EMBASE, MEDLINE) from1990 through May 2012 was supplemented by reference lists to search for relevant studies. Through the use of reliable tools, studies were assessed in duplicate. English language studies of paraprofessional home-visiting programs assessing specific outcomes for children (0-6 years) from disadvantaged families were eligible for inclusion in the review. Data extraction included the characteristics of the participants, intervention, outcomes and quality of the studies. <p>Results: Studies that scored 13 or greater out of a total of 15 on the validity tool (n = 21) are the focus of this review. All studies are randomized controlled trials and most were conducted in the United States. Significant improvements to the development and health of young children as a result of a home-visiting program are noted for particular groups. These include: (a) prevention of child abuse in some cases, particularly when the intervention is initiated prenatally; (b) developmental benefits in relation to cognition and problem behaviours, and less consistently with language skills; and (c) reduced incidence of low birth weights and health problems in older children, and increased incidence of appropriate weight gain in early childhood. However, overall home-visiting programs are limited in improving the lives of socially high-risk children who live in disadvantaged families.</p> <p>Conclusions: Home visitation by paraprofessionals is an intervention that holds promise for socially high-risk families with young children. Initiating the intervention prenatally and increasing the number of visits improves development and health outcomes for particular groups of children. Future studies should consider what dose of the intervention is most beneficial and address retention issues.</p> / http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/13/17

Background: Patients’ recovery from surgery differs when they are in a hospital setting or at home. However, an often forgotten aspect of post-operative ambulatory care is the patients' recovery at home following ambulatory surgery.Aim: To explore and describe the patients’ experiences of recovery at home following the ambulatory surgery procedure.Method: A systematic review of 7 qualitative studies in English with pre-specified criteria was conducted. An overview of qualitative evidence derived from the 17 identified main themes across the 7 primary studies was analyzed.Result: Seven thematic analysis themes were identified as being core to the patients’ experience during recovery process at home: physical symptoms, a period of regaining pre-operative functions, psychological effects, the surgical wound, delayed recovery process, social support, and the sick-role condition.. These seven themes were described patient's experiences at home following ambulatory surgery from early stage of recovery to the time of getting back to normal life.Conclusion: Recovery at home following ambulatory surgery seemed to be challenging, a quality self-care at home was lacking in the form having full control and knowledge about symptoms; adequate information, education and medication during self-care management; sufficient support by carer and nurses; and enough time-off for recovery.

Depression has been cited as the most prevalent of the Axis I disorders affecting upward of 16% of American adults in their lifetimes (Kessler et al., 2005). The literature on effective treatments for depression is substantial, however the follow-up literature that speaks to what happens after treatment ends is much smaller. This thesis describes two studies. The first is an overview of reviews of post-treatment outcomes for adults treated for major depressive disorder (MDD). The second is a narrative systematic review of studies of long-term (at least 12 months) post-treatment outcomes after the completion of treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD). These studies synthesize the available evidence concerning post-treatment outcomes and discuss the limitations of these data. Relapse is a significant issue for many people who respond to treatment with upwards of 50% of people relapsing within a year of the end of treatment, depending on the type of treatment. Some treatments have significant relapse prevention effects, including continued medication treatment, acute and continuation phase CBT, and variations of CBT designed specifically for addressing residual symptoms after acute treatment or specifically aimed at relapse prevention. Given that the risk of relapse after treatment is significant, it should be discussed during acute treatment, as should approaches to reducing the risk of relapse. Recommendations for future research are discussed. Within the overview of reviews, there was considerable consistency across reviews which aided in the formulation of practical recommendations for clinicians and for patients. Examples include provision of education about the probability of relapse and planning for relapse prevention during acute phase treatment. Engaging in continuation and maintenance treatments that are aimed at reducing relapse, and whenever possible, continuing treatment until patients are considered to be in recovery, and not just for a certain period of time, or until the point of remission of symptoms are also recommended to reduce rates of relapse.

Background: Fibromyalgia (FM) disorder commonly involves musculoskeletal widespread pain and other symptoms like fatigue, sleep disruption, depression and anxiety and is associated with disability, work disability and high health care utilization. An integrated approach combining pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments is advised to manage the disorder. Among the non-pharmacological interventions exercise has been shown to help; however, details about effectiveness of different types of interventions remain unknown. Objectives: The objective of this dissertation was to synthesize the evidence on the effectiveness of: a) Aquatic exercise interventions for adults with FM as reported in randomized control trials (RCTs), and b) any physical activity interventions for adults with FM as reported in systematic reviews. This was done by conducting a Cochrane systematic review of an aquatic training intervention and second, synthesizing the effectiveness of a variety of exercise interventions. Methods: For the Cochrane systematic review, nine electronic databases were searched. Selection criteria included full text publication of a RCT including an aquatic exercise intervention (AQ) (exercise in water was >50% of the full intervention) and provision of between-group outcome data. Pairs of reviewers independently screened and selected articles, assessed risk of bias, and extracted data on 24 outcomes. Effects of the interventions were evaluated using mean, standardized mean differences and 95% confidence interval (MD/SMD [95% CI]). Specific computer software designed for meta-analysing and evaluating the quality of evidence were used (i.e RevMan, GradePro). The second review, the synthesis of a variety of exercise interventions or umbrella systematic review, inspected six electronic databases for the January 1st 2007 to March 31st 2012 period. We included systematic Cochrane and non-Cochrane reviews that reported on the effects of any physical activity intervention for adults with FM. Pairs of reviewers independently screened and selected articles, assessed quality of the reviews using a valid and reliable tool (AMSTAR tool), and extracted data on four outcomes. Effects of the interventions were evaluated using standardized mean differences and 95% confidence intervals (SMD [95% CI]). We planned to use RevMan software for meta-analysis but due to heterogeneity of the reviews this was not done. Results: The Cochrane review examined 16 aquatic exercise training studies (n = 881). Nine studies compared aquatic exercise to control, five studies compared aquatic exercise to land-based exercise, and two compared aquatic to a different aquatic program. The aquatic vs control studies provided low to moderate quality evidence suggesting that aquatic training is beneficial for wellness, symptoms and fitness in adults with FM. The aquatic vs land group results suggested very low to low quality evidence that there are no differences in benefits between aquatic and land-based exercise except in muscle strength (very low quality evidence favoring land). In examining aquatic vs aquatic meta-analyses was not possible and only one difference in a major outcome was found. The umbrella systematic review synthesis of information (n-= nine systematic reviews) found positive results for diverse exercise interventions on pain, multidimensional function, and self-reported physical function and no conclusive evidence for new (to FM) physical activity mode (i.e. qigong, tai chi). There are however, methodological weaknesses in some of the reviews which reduce applicability of the research to clinical practice. Adverse effects reported suggest there was no serious harm performing physical activity for individuals with FM. Conclusions: Exercise interventions have the potential to positively impact individuals with FM including several outcomes like quality of life, physical functioning and pain. While some interventions had statistically significant results, methodological limitations prevented us from arriving at conclusions regarding particular elements and modes of exercise that will help inform health professional’s clinical practice. On the other hand, some preliminary analysis showed that variables like age, disease duration, disease severity and pain intensity warrant further exploration. A rigorous scientific process (or quality research) as the precursor of quality evidence is crucial for validity and credibility of the information and our future understanding of the effectiveness of exercise interventions for individuals with FM.

Background: A compilation of high quality systematic reviews (SRs) on lifestyle factors associated with adult glioma and meningioma was developed. Methods and Materials: Phase 1 consisted of a systematic overview of existing SRs. For Phase 2, high quality SRs were incorporated in an update. Moderate or low quality SRs which had not been considered in a high quality review were eligible for a de-novo synthesis. Results: Phase 1 resulted in seven moderate to low quality reviews. From this, in Phase 2, smoking, mobile phone and hair dye use were subjected to de-novo reviews. For smoking, it was suggestive that past smokers had an increased risk. For mobile phone use, there was no overall association, however it was suggestive that ipsilateral and high cumulative call time were associated with slight increased risk. No association was observed for personal hair dye use. Conclusions: Despite these null associations, rigorous SR methods were used providing confidence in conveying these results.

Submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master’s Degree in Technology: Chiropractic, Durban University of Technology, 2014. / Flexion distraction chiropractic technique (FDCT) is a commonly used manual therapy technique which is purported to address various clinical pain syndromes. However, it lacks the credibility of appropriate evidence-based guidelines. An analysis of the literature would be able to inform the development of guidelines. Objectives: The aim of this systematic review was to determine the evidence to support the use of FDCT in clinical practice. Data sources: A systematic review of PubMed and Summons was conducted, using the following search terms: chiropractic, flexion distraction, protocol and / or technique. Study selection: All electronic or paper, English articles, which possessed the required key indexing terms and represented randomised and non-randomised controlled study designs were included. Data extraction: Blinded review of the articles was conducted by three independent reviewers utilising the PEDro (for randomised controlled trials) and NOS for (non-randomised controlled trials). This allowed the methodological rigour of the article to be ranked. This ranking was compared to a critical appraisal of the article in order to achieve an overall decision with regards to the contribution of the article to the level of evidence for FDCT. Data synthesis: 18 review outcomes were aggregated around four clinical categories; two articles each on neck pain, chronic pelvic pain, and physiological outcomes and the remaining twelve on low back pain. There was agreement that the evidence for pelvic pain and physiological function was limited to no evidence and limited respectively. Conflicting evidence existed for neck and low back pain (single and multimodal treatment) with limited and moderate evidence respectively. Conclusion: FDCT is clinically advocated for many conditions. The evidence provided in this review indicates that practitioners should be guarded in their use of FDCT, as the evidence to its widespread use is limited to only those conditions noted in this review. Therefore, further high quality and rigorous studies are required to develop appropriate treatment guidelines for use by practitioners to adequately provide evidence based care in clinical practice.

Depression has been cited as the most prevalent of the Axis I disorders affecting upward of 16% of American adults in their lifetimes (Kessler et al., 2005). The literature on effective treatments for depression is substantial, however the follow-up literature that speaks to what happens after treatment ends is much smaller. This thesis describes two studies. The first is an overview of reviews of post-treatment outcomes for adults treated for major depressive disorder (MDD). The second is a narrative systematic review of studies of long-term (at least 12 months) post-treatment outcomes after the completion of treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD). These studies synthesize the available evidence concerning post-treatment outcomes and discuss the limitations of these data. Relapse is a significant issue for many people who respond to treatment with upwards of 50% of people relapsing within a year of the end of treatment, depending on the type of treatment. Some treatments have significant relapse prevention effects, including continued medication treatment, acute and continuation phase CBT, and variations of CBT designed specifically for addressing residual symptoms after acute treatment or specifically aimed at relapse prevention. Given that the risk of relapse after treatment is significant, it should be discussed during acute treatment, as should approaches to reducing the risk of relapse. Recommendations for future research are discussed. Within the overview of reviews, there was considerable consistency across reviews which aided in the formulation of practical recommendations for clinicians and for patients. Examples include provision of education about the probability of relapse and planning for relapse prevention during acute phase treatment. Engaging in continuation and maintenance treatments that are aimed at reducing relapse, and whenever possible, continuing treatment until patients are considered to be in recovery, and not just for a certain period of time, or until the point of remission of symptoms are also recommended to reduce rates of relapse.

This manuscript-style dissertation consists of three publications interconnected in their focus on the dynamically evolving use of immersive virtual reality technologies for language education. The manuscripts included in this dissertation were adapted from three research papers published or submitted for publication in scientific journals and book chapters. The first manuscript provides an overview of immersive technologies of different levels of immersion, ranging from 2D displays on a flat screen to highly immersive interactive experiences rendered in virtual reality using head-mounted displays. The second manuscript is a systematic review, and it narrows down the scope of immersive technologies outlined in the previous publication by exploring existing research on the technologies related to the highest level of immersion for language learning, namely the high-immersion virtual reality technologies. The third manuscript continues to investigate the application of those technologies for language learning, but the focus is shifted from examining virtual reality applications to exploring language teachers' beliefs about using those technologies. This dissertation offers a comprehensive overview of high-immersion virtual reality use for language learning which may serve as an ideal starting point for researchers and educators interested in learning more about the current state of virtual reality integration in schools from the perspectives of both language learners and teachers.