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Kinesiology taping (KT) is used in musculoskeletal practice for preventive and rehabilitative purposes. KT is also used in cancer to manage lymphoedema, however, there is little information available about the extent of its use. The aim of the study was to gather views of healthcare professionals on the attitudes, beliefs, and clinical use of KT for managing symptoms and complications in cancer. This was a cross-sectional online questionnaire survey of healthcare professionals including UK-registered nurses, physiotherapists, occupational-therapists, lymphoedema-therapists, and pain physicians using a non-probability self-select sampling technique. A stakeholder event was organized to discuss the survey findings and gain insights into their relevance in cancer care. Seventy-two percent of respondents (96/134) reported not using KT while only 28% of respondents (38/134) reported using KT, the majority of which were physiotherapists and nurses. Respondents reported that they frequently used KT for managing lymphoedema/oedema and scar tissue, and comparatively less frequently for pain and breathlessness. Respondents reported that the most frequent adverse event was skin irritation and that KT was contraindicated or administered with caution for patients with open wounds or fragile skin, especially following radiotherapy. The main barriers to widespread use of KT in cancer were lack of its awareness and research evidence on efficacy. The views expressed by the stakeholders aligned closely with those found by the survey. Stakeholders suggested that there was a need for training and research on the use of KT for cancer care. In conclusion, healthcare professionals working in cancer care settings may not be aware of KT as a potential therapy for managing symptoms and complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic and related social isolation measures are likely to have adverse consequences on community healthcare provision and outcome after acute illnesses treated in hospital, including stroke. We aimed to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patient-reported health outcomes after hospital admission for acute stroke., Methods: This retrospective study included adults with acute stroke admitted to the University College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Hyperacute Stroke Unit. We included two separate cohorts of consecutively enrolled patients from the same geographical population at two time points: 16th March-16th May 2018 (pre-COVID-19 pandemic); and 16th March-16th May 2020 (during the COVID-19 pandemic). Patients in both cohorts completed the validated Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-29 (PROMIS-29 version 2.0) at 30 days after stroke., Results: We included 205 patients who were alive at 30 days (106 admitted before and 99 admitted during the COVID-19 pandemic), of whom 201/205 (98%) provided patient-reported health outcomes. After adjustment for confounding factors, admission with acute stroke during the COVID-19 pandemic was independently associated with increased anxiety (β = 28.0, p < 0.001), fatigue (β = 9.3, p < 0.001), depression (β = 4.5, p = 0.002), sleep disturbance (β = 2.3, p = 0.018), pain interference (β = 10.8, p < 0.001); and reduced physical function (β = 5.2, p < 0.001) and participation in social roles and activities (β = 6.9, p < 0.001)., Conclusion: Compared with the pre-pandemic cohort, patients admitted with acute stroke during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic reported poorer health outcomes at 30 day follow-up in all domains. Stroke service planning for any future pandemic should include measures to mitigate this major adverse impact on patient health., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Background It is likely that a proportion of poststroke cognitive impairment is sometimes attributable to unidentified prestroke decline; prestroke cognitive function is also clinically relevant because it is associated with poor functional outcomes, including death. We investigated the radiological and prognostic associations of preexisting cognitive impairment in patients with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack associated with atrial fibrillation. Methods and Results We included 1102 patients from the prospective multicenter observational CROMIS-2 (Clinical Relevance of Microbleeds in Stroke 2) atrial fibrillation study. Preexisting cognitive impairment was identified using the 16-item Informant Questionnaire for Cognitive Decline in the Elderly. Functional outcome was measured using the modified Rankin scale. Preexisting cognitive impairment was common (n=271; 24.6%). The presence of lacunes (odds ratio [OR], 1.50; 95% CI, 1.03-1.05; P =0.034), increasing periventricular white matter hyperintensity grade (per grade increase, OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.17-1.63; P <0.0001), deep white matter hyperintensity grade (per grade increase, OR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.05-1.51; P =0.011), and medial temporal atrophy grade (per grade increase, OR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.34-1.95; P <0.0001) were independently associated with preexisting cognitive impairment. Preexisting cognitive impairment was associated with poorer functional outcome at 24 months (mRS >2; adjusted OR, 2.43; 95% CI, 1.42-4.20; P =0.001). Conclusions Preexisting cognitive impairment in patients with atrial fibrillation-associated ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack is common, and associated with imaging markers of cerebral small vessel disease and neurodegeneration, as well as with longer-term functional outcome. Clinical Trial Registration URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02513316.