Physical therapy
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Clinicians have used numerous strategies to combat wound infections, including topical and systemic administration of antibiotics, and various antiseptic agents such as hypochlorite (bleach) and hydrogen peroxide have been placed on wounds to kill bacteria or inhibit their growth. A commonly used antimicrobial agent is povidone-iodine (Betadine), a complex of iodine, the bactericidal component, with polyvinylpyrrolidone (povidone), a synthetic polymer. The most common commercial form is a 10% solution in water yielding 1% available iodine. ⋯ First, although there is a large body of research into various aspects of povidone-iodine use in wound care, the results are not always germane to the types of wound treatment most often provided by physical therapists. The relevance of in vitro studies regarding safety and effectiveness to in vivo use with patients may be limited. Much of the published research on wound healing uses animal wound models; however, the applicability of findings in animal studies to human wounds has been questioned.
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Reliability of clinical pressure-pain algometric measurements obtained on consecutive days.
Algometers have been used to measure muscle and other soft tissue tenderness. The purpose of this study was to investigate (1) "normal" pressure-pain threshold (PPT) in the biceps brachii muscle, (2) the reliability of repeated measurements of PPT in subjects without pain over 3 consecutive days, (3) the reliability of measurements of PPT between examiners, and (4) the number of measurements required to obtain a best estimate of PPT. ⋯ The PPT is a reliable measure, and repeated algometry does not change pain threshold in healthy muscle over 3 consecutive days. The PPT can be used to evaluate the development and decline of experimentally induced muscle tenderness. Reliability is enhanced when all measurements are taken by one examiner.