Characteristics of physical activity in patients with critical limb ischemia.
Satoko Sakaki, Tetsuya Takahashi, Junichi Matsumoto and 5 others
PMID 28174472WHAT IT FOUND
Step counts did not correlate with age, leg strength, skin blood flow, or quality-of-life scores in 12 patients with critical limb ischemia, although average daily steps were 2,323.
Key findings
01The patients averaged 2,323 steps per day, with a range from 404 to 6,505 steps.
02There was no obvious correlation between average steps and age, knee-extension strength, skin perfusion pressure, or SF-8 quality-of-life scores.
03Physical function, bodily pain, social functioning, and mental health scores were lower than the national standard value of 50 points.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Only 12 patients were analysed, all from one Japanese hospital, so the findings may not apply to other settings. The sample was mostly male (11 men and 1 woman), so results may differ for women. Patients who could not walk outdoors, needed nursing care, could not answer the questionnaire, could not put on prosthetics, or were wounded during the study were excluded, so this does not describe more dependent patients. Some patients were lost to follow-up because wounds recurred, possibly related to walking, but the paper does not give a count. The study was descriptive and did not test an intervention, so it cannot show that increasing steps improves quality of life or prognosis. Step counts were recorded, but activity intensity and non-weight-bearing exercise were not measured.
Declared interests
All authors declared that there is no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that increasing daily steps will improve quality of life or physical function in patients with critical limb ischemia. This was a small descriptive study, and step counts did not correlate with quality-of-life scores, age, leg strength, or skin blood flow.