Due to the nature of dysphagia management, the continuation of its delivery by occupational therapists (OTs) during the COVID-19 pandemic is challenging. The high risk of infection and transmission associated with dysphagia management calls for innovative, safe, and effective strategies. The purpose of this report is to describe the current practices in dysphagia management by OTs in selected Philippine hospitals. Current practices include integrated infection control, telehealth, indirect service delivery, use of acrylic barriers, and exercise videos. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are shaping the practice of occupational therapy in dysphagia management in the current time and beyond.

Background and Purpose: Gait is one of the outcome measures used in evaluation in the field of rehabilitation and there is a need for reference data of gait parameters primarily to understand the physiological significance of these parameters, describe their changes in pathologic gait for better understanding of pathophysiology and be able to provide the appropriate therapeutic approach. The purpose of this study was: 1) To derive a reference data of spatiotemporal parameters of gait among Filipinos, which include step time, stride time, stance time, swing time, single limb support time, double limb support time, cadence, speed, step length, stride length, and step width; 2) To determine correlation of age, gender, and anthropometric measures with spatiotemporal parameters, and 3) To determine
gait symmetry.

Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 374 participants aged 20-69 years (males = 181, females = 193) were included. They were asked to walk in their comfortable speed. Spatiotemporal parameters were obtained using the Vicon motion capture system.

Results: The walking speed, step length, stride length, and step width declined with age. Filipino men demonstrated higher values in all parameters except cadence which is higher in Filipino women. Height and leg length both have positive correlation with all parameters except for cadence. Weight has a positive correlation with all spatiotemporal parameters except for cadence, swing time, single limb support time, and speed. Cadence and stride length were symmetrical between right and left lower extremities.

Conclusion: Spatiotemporal parameters among healthy Filipinos 20-69 years old were presented including their correlations with age, gender, and anthropometric measures. This can serve as a reference for future studies in gait where Filipinos are the participants.

Faculty ; Medicine

Background: Hamstring strain injury remains persistently high in sports, highlighting the need for additional investigation of its predisposing variables. Despite hamstring injury being well investigated, there’s a lack of studies on changes in echo intensity and shear wave elastography of hamstrings among athletes with a history of injury, which could be considered modifiable risk variables. Objectives: To examine echo intensity and shear wave elastography characteristics of previously injured hamstrings among athletes, assessing the differences between the injured leg and controls. Methods: This systematic review will focus on studies reporting echo intensity and shear wave elastography characteristics of athletes with a history of hamstring strain injury compared to a control group. The search strategy will locate studies written in English from 1990 to 2023 using four electronic databases: PubMed, EBSCO (CINAHL and Medline), Science Direct, and Web of Science. Studies reporting measures using imaging other than ultrasound and where no diagnosis of hamstring strain has been made will be excluded. Two independent reviewers will screen and critically appraise the studies using the McMasters Critical Review Form. Two reviewers will independently extract relevant data and present a descriptive synthesis. A meta-analysis will be conducted when two or more studies provide data for the same outcome measure. Expected Results This review can better understand hamstring maladaptation to injury. Utilizing echo-intensity and shear wave elastography as objective outcome measures can inform clinical practice toward developing an effective rehabilitation program for injury prevention.
Wounds and Injuries ; Sports ; Rehabilitation

Pain secondary to knee osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common cause of medical consultation in patients 55 years old and above. Knee OA pain is complex and involves both nociceptive and neuropathic pain. Recent management options have been focused on targeting the nerves of the knee, and to effectively investigate the mechanism and effect of these procedures, it is important to review the types of pain associated with knee OA, specifically neuropathic pain (NP). This article specifically focuses on the available evidence on NP, its prevalence in patients with knee osteoarthritis, outcome measures to determine the presence of NP, and their impact on the present and future management of knee OA pain. The information from this narrative review may potentially help clinicians identify the presence of NP in their patients and further guide them in providing a more appropriate and comprehensive management plan. The outcome measures presented in this review may also be used in future research exploring the management of knee OA pain.

Knee pain secondary to knee osteoarthritis is one of the most common reasons for consultation in patients 50 years old and above. Due to limitations of current management options for knee osteoarthritis, studies seeking alternative treatment techniques have emerged, including procedures targeting knee innervation. The effectiveness of nerve hydrodissection for managing neuropathies such as carpal tunnel syndrome has been demonstrated but has not been applied to nerves that innervate the knee to manage osteoarthritis. This article discusses the potential application of ultrasound-guided nerve hydrodissection to the anterior innervation of the knee, known as the genicular nerves, for pain management in patients with osteoarthritis.

Most medical complications following acute stroke are preventable (such as cardiac events, pneumonia, bed sores and venous thrombosis). This was a study on the frequency of medical complications and their association with key performance indicators. Methods: The study used a cross-sectional baseline audit of stroke care practices. The audit captured details on the nature of the stroke, patient demographics, characteristics of hospital care, and compliance with six key quality indicators in Philippine Academy of Rehabilitation Medicine Clinical Practice Guideline on Stroke Rehabilitation. Patient records were retrospectively consecutively sampled. Results: A total of 1,683 patients were included in the audit which came from 49 hospitals. Medical complications were seen in 182 patients (11.2%). Pneumonia contributed to half the medical complications (50%), followed by respiratory failure (7.7%) and gastrointestinal bleeding (3.8%). Presence of medical complications were associated with in-patient mortality (OR 3.3 (95% CI 2.1-5.3)) and prolonged hospital stay (16.1 ± 20.7 days vs 9.6 + 10.9 days). The best predictor model for pneumonia included variables of not having a swallow screen within the first 24 hours, having a nasogastric tube inserted, not achieving medical stability, not having a stroke unit in the admitting hospital, having suffered a previous stroke and being older. Conclusion: Non-adherence to evidence-based stroke care rehabilitation guidelines contributed significantly to medical complications in an audit of Filipino stroke patients

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the physical activity patterns of the University of Santo Tomas college students in Manila, Philippines in terms of participation in moderate to vigorous physical activity, frequency and duration of participation, METS-min/week, sitting habits and walking activities. METHODS: A total of 551 males and 850 female college students (N=1401) from the University of Santo Tomas were randomly selected for the study. After anthropometric measurements (height, weight, BMI and Waist circumference) were taken, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (short form) was answered by the students. RESULTS: A greater percentage of male college students engage in vigorous physical activity (66.97%) in terms of frequency per week (2.42 + 1.56 days), duration (119.52 + 70.70 minutes) and MET-min/week (2252.77 + 2789.81 METS). On the other hand, more female college students engage in moderate physical activity in terms of frequency per week (4.69 + 2.04 days). However, male college students who engage in moderate physical activity spend a longer duration (106.02 + 108.55 minutes) and higher METmin/week (1945.59 + 2721.02 METS) than their female counterpart. CONCLUSION It is important to engage in physical activity on a daily basis, with recommendations given by the American Heart Association and the World Health Organization. Appropriate physical activity assists young people to develop healthy musculoskeletal tissues, cardiovascular system, neuromuscular awareness and maintain a healthy body weight and composition. It has also been associated with psychological benefits in young people by improving control over anxiety and depression, good selfperception and expression, as well as avoidance of tobacco, alcohol and drug use.

Feeding Behavior ; Obesity ; Overweight