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Introduction: Activities of Daily Living (ADL) in children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) include a variety of environmental settings. Environmental setting plays an important role in clinical assessment and therapeutic intervention to improve the mobility in children with CP. There are various environmental factors like movable surfaces, stairs, carpeting, physical obstacles, which facilitate or constrain the mobility of children with CP. Aim: To study the differences in motor function and gait speed at different environmental settings and find out the usual mobility methods of children with CP in home, school and community settings. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Outpatient Department (OPD) of Paediatrics at Rajah Muthiah Medical College and Hospital, Annamalai University, Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India. The duration of the study was seven months, from February 2022 to August 2022. A total of 50 CP children aged between 4-12 years were included and demographic details were collected. Type of CP, gross motor function, gait speed and methods of mobility were evaluated at home, community and school in all the children with CP. Gross Motor Function Measurement (GMFM 88-E), One-Minute Walk Test (1MWT) and parent checklist for mobility methods were used as outcome measures to collect the data and analysed with Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Friedman test. Results: The mean age of the study population was 8.34±1.62 years, which included 29 (58%) male children and 21 (42%) female children. Gross motor function and gait speed varied across the environment and statistically significant differences (p-value=<0.001) were observed in the home, community and school. Results related to methods of mobility showed that, most of the children, 38 (76%) walk alone in the home and are carried by adults in the community 30 (60%) and use all mobility methods in school. Conclusion: The present study concluded that, the gross motor function, gait speed and methods of mobility varied across the different environmental settings (home, community and school). Motor function and gait speed were better at home, followed by the school than the community. The common method of mobility was walking alone at home and being carried by adults in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Both chronic bronchitis and emphysema are part of COPD. Having a productive cough at least three times a week for more than two years is diagnostic of chronic bronchitis. Methods: Outpatients and inpatients at the Department of Pulmonology, Shadan Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad, Telangana, India, were the subjects of a prospective research conducted between June 2021 to May 2022. The research involves sixty participants. Results: However, a diagnosis of COPD requires the use of spirometry. The effects of COPD on one's health and quality of life can be measured using a CAT score. Even in a rural situation where most COPD patients do not have access to spirometry, both the 6MWT and the CAT score may be employed. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the 6-minute walk test can replace the FEV1 as a means of measuring COPD severity. Spirometry is not required in order to determine the severity of COPD every time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) leads to reduced muscle mass and strength in children resulting in a decrease in functional capacity. The objectives of this cross-sectional observational study were to evaluate and compare the functional capacity and muscle strength in children with CKD stage I - V (group A), on dialysis (stage VD) (group B), and kidney transplant recipients (KTR) (group C) in Indian children., Materials and Methods: 60 children, 20 each in groups A, B, and C were enrolled. Children who could not do the tests and transplant recipients within 6 months of transplantation were excluded. Functional capacity and muscle strength were assessed by 6-minute walk distance (SMWD), timed floor-to-stand test (TFTS), and hand grip strength (HGS)., Results: The mean age of the group was 12.54 ± 2.96 years. Among groups A, B, and C, the SMWD in meters (465.90 ± 68.85, 381.45 ± 50.88, 509.05 ± 43.37), TFTS in seconds (9.93 ± 1.77, 10.36 ± 1.30, and 7.68 ± 0.76), and HGS in kg were (12.7 ± 3.85, 10.4 ± 3.02, 19.75 ± 4.45), respectively (p &lt; 0.001). Group C had the best physical functional capacity. The SMWD and HGS had a moderate positive correlation (r = 0.658, 0.658, respectively), and TFTS had a negative correlation (r = -0.605) with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). The mean HGS and TFTS were different between groups A, C, and B, C (p < 0.05) and not between A and B. The SMWT was however different between A, B, and C (p < 0.001)., Conclusion: Muscle strength and functional capacity were most impaired in Indian children on hemodialysis and best preserved in KTR.

Background: Hospitalization is an important landmark in the history of heart failure. Patients admitted for acute heart failure have a high chance of readmission. We require predictors which can foresee readmission. Functional capacity assessment by the 6-minute walk test is one such predictor., Objectives: To compare the mean 6-minute walk distance among acute heart failure patients readmitted within 30 days, those readmitted within 60 days, those readmitted within 90 days, and those not readmitted at 90 days following discharge after the first admission., Methodology: This is a follow-up study conducted in Madras Medical College from March 2021 to August 2021. The study included patients who were admitted for the first time in their life for acute heart failure. The clinical details were noted, and the patients were managed as per standard protocols. Before discharge, a 6-minute walk test was performed. The patients were followed up at the end of 30, 60, and 90 days., Results: 25% of the patients had one readmission at the end of 90 days. Majority of readmissions occurred at the end of 30 days. A low 6-minute walk distance at discharge was a significant predictor of readmission at the end of 30 days. A distance of 200 m was a reasonable cutoff in our population. A lower time walked was also a significant predictor of readmission at the end of 30 days. A slower walking speed was also a significant predictor of readmission at the end of 30 days. Some other parameters such as a longer duration of stay, a longer duration of intravenous (IV) diuretic requirement, discharge respiratory rate, and lower serum albumin at admission were also significant predictors of readmission at the end of 30 days., (© Journal of the Association of Physicians of India 2011.)

Introduction: There have been 214 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide, with a total death tally of 4.4 million. The current study aims to determine the predictive value of various scores in the assessment of progression of mild COVID-19 infection at a tertiary care hospital in North India., Methods: The study population consisted of adults (age more than 18 years) with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 by RT-PCR on nasopharyngeal specimens. Patients with only mild illness were enrolled. After the patients were admitted to the isolation ward, the presenting history, comorbidity status, vital signs and laboratory parameters were recorded. The 3 and 6 minutes walk test was performed daily from admission till discharge or progression of the severity of COVID- 19, and it was used to calculate Borg Dyspnoea Score (BDS) and National Early Warning Score (NEWS2) scores., Results: Our study consisted of 50 patients with 34 (68%) males, and the mean (SD) age of the patient population was 28.1 (6.4) years. The most common symptoms were fever, sore throat, and cough. All laboratory parameters were within normal ranges for all the patients. 96% recovered without progression, while only 4% of them progressed to moderate illness. Results of the 3 and 6 minutes walk tests, BDS and NEWS2 scores showed improvement over the course of the hospital stay., Conclusion: Although the walk tests and the scores improved over time, they failed to predict the disease progression., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Background: As survival rates improve among patients with the acute respiratory distress syndrome, there is a growing need to understand the long-term effects of pathology, treatment and complications in ARDS survivors., Objectives: To study and evaluate functional exercise capacity in young survivors of acute respiratory distress syndrome., Methods: A total 35 ARDS survivors with age between 20 and 40 years were selected in ARDS survivor group; which had history of hospitalization for ARDS in last 6 months. Similarly 35 age-sexes matched normal individuals also selected in control group. Each subject assessed for functional exercise capacity with 6 minute walk test and 15 step oximetry test., Results: After analysing the data the results showed significant decline functional exercise capacity. It is found that, 69% patients walked distance between 301 and 450m and 28% patients walked more than 451m and remaining 3% patients walked less than 300 m distance in 6 minute walk test. 69% patients done exercise in 45-65 seconds, 28% patients done exercise in 21-45 seconds, 3% patients took time more than 66 seconds in 15 step oximetry test., Conclusion: Young survivors of the acute respiratory distress syndrome have reduced functional exercise capacity 6 months after discharge from the intensive care unit., (Copyright © 2019 Tuberculosis Association of India. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked recessive disorder. It is still an incurable disease and many clinical trials are going on to find the cure for this disease. There is a need for sensitive and reliable measures for detecting the disease progression. This manuscript focuses on reviewing the different outcome measures which can be used in the Indian DMD patients., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest