Safety of Electrotherapy Treatment in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis and Cardiac Diseases
Laszlo Irsay,
Rodica Ana Ungur,
Ileana Monica Borda,
Irina Tica,
Mădălina Gabriela Iliescu,
Alina Deniza Ciubean,
Theodor Popa,
Delia Cinteza,
Florina Ligia Popa,
Cosmina Ioana Bondor,
Viorela Mihaela Ciortea
Affiliations
Laszlo Irsay
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Iuliu Hatieganu”, 8 Victor Babes Street, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Rodica Ana Ungur
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Iuliu Hatieganu”, 8 Victor Babes Street, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Ileana Monica Borda
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Iuliu Hatieganu”, 8 Victor Babes Street, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Irina Tica
Faculty of Medicine, “Ovidius” University of Constanta, 1 University Alley, Campus—Corp B, 900470 Constanta, Romania
Mădălina Gabriela Iliescu
Faculty of Medicine, “Ovidius” University of Constanta, 1 University Alley, Campus—Corp B, 900470 Constanta, Romania
Alina Deniza Ciubean
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Iuliu Hatieganu”, 8 Victor Babes Street, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Theodor Popa
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Clinical Rehabilitation Hospital, 46-50 Viilor Street, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Delia Cinteza
9th Department—Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 37 Dionisie Lupu Street, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
Florina Ligia Popa
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department, Faculty of Medicine, “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, Victoriei Blvd., 550024 Sibiu, Romania
Cosmina Ioana Bondor
Department of Medical Informatics and Biostatistics, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Iuliu Hatieganu”, 6 Pasteur Street, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Viorela Mihaela Ciortea
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Iuliu Hatieganu”, 8 Victor Babes Street, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
OBJECTIVE: To assess the safety of electrotherapy applied in the knee area in patients with known atrial arrhythmias or ischemic heart disease, as it is not known whether this treatment induces or aggravates arrhythmias during or immediately after therapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The analytical and transversal study involved 46 patients with degenerative knee osteoarthritis (OA), with or without cardiac diseases, from the Clinical Rehabilitation Hospital inpatient center, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. All patients underwent a 10-day physical therapy program for knee OA (electrotherapy, massage and kinesiotherapy). Heart rate and the total number of ventricular and supraventricular extrasystoles were evaluated before and after treatment, by 24 h Holter ECG monitoring. RESULTS: There was no significant increase in heart rate or in the number of ventricular or supraventricular extrasystoles before or after electrotherapy treatment, regardless of the positive or negative history of arrhythmia or ischemic heart disease (all p > 0.05). Mean values during day 1 were: 35.15 (95% CI [9.60–60.75]) for ventricular ones extrasystoles and 91.7 (95% CI [51.69–131.7]) for supraventricular ones, which during day 2 were 38.09 (95% CI [3.68–72.50]), 110.48 (95% CI [48.59–172.36]), respectively. CONCLUSION: One of the most important things to consider when dealing with an OA patient is that they are most likely older than 65 years, which increases the chance of having a cardiac disease. This raises the need for viable interventions regarding the management of this disease in patients that probably have multiple comorbidities, and where pharmacological and surgical management are not possible, limited or have multiple side effects. Electrotherapy used for treating knee OA did not cause a significant increase in heart rate or number of ventricular and supraventricular extrasystoles in this category of patients.
