A b s t r a c t

U n d e r g r a d u a t e  R e s e a r c h

T h e  E f f e c t  o f  A c t io n  P o t e n t ia l  
S im u l a t io n  T h e r a p y  o n  B l o o d  F l o w

ABSTRACT: Action potential sim ulation therapy (APS) is mostly used 
f o r  the relief o f pain in a variety o f  conditions. However, the A P S  u s e r ’s 
guide (Lubbe & Van Zyl, 1997) also lays claim to an effect o f  increased 
blood flo w  which has not yet been supported by published scientific 
research. The above study was carried out to determine whether A P S  has 
an effect on the blood supply o f  the area under treatment. Ten voluntary, 
healthy men were used as experimental subjects. Factors that could affect their blood flo w  and that served as exclu­
sion criteria, could not be found. B lood flo w  was norm alised by a resting period o f  30 minutes before application. 
A radioactive substance (99m Tc-sestamibi) was injected intravenously. The blood flo w  baseline was determ ined by 
means o f  tomographic studies on a gamm a camera. A standard application o f  A P S was administered f o r  16 minutes 
at 2mA. B lood flo w  was determ ined immediately after this. Two fu rth e r measurements with an interval o f  15 minutes 
were taken thereafter. Although associated non-param etric confidence intervals f o r  the median difference in blood 
flo w  fro m  baseline was not statistically or clinically significant, the blood flo w  o f  8 experimental subjects increased 
after 41 minutes o f  administration, while it decreased in only 2 experimental subjects. A fter the ensuing 15 minutes 
(thus at 56 minutes) the blood flo w  o f  6  experimental subjects increased and that o f  4 decreased. It can therefore not 
be stated with certainty that A P S increases blood flo w  in the area under treatment.

KRUGER T', LAMB M',
PIEK E1, VAN DER WALT M1, 

VAN SCHALKWYK M', WELDING R*
’ University o f the O ra n g e  Free State

T h e  R o l e  o f  C l in ic a l  E d u c a t o r s  in  
P h y s io t h e r a p y  C l in ic a l  E d u c a t i o n : 

T h e  S t u d e n t ’s P e r s p e c t iv e

ABSTRACT: B ackground and aim: Clinical e ducator’s play an important role 
in the training o f  physiotherapy students as they spend m ost o f  their time in a 
clinical setting. Clinical educators facilitate the integration o f  theoretical and 
practical components o f  physiotherapy education with actual patients in a real 
life situation. The aim o f  the study was to establish the clinical e ducator’s role 
as perceived by students. M ethods: Descriptive survey methods utilising a close ended questionnaire were used 
to collect data fro m  students. A study sample o f  80 students was used. D ata collected were analysed using the SAS 
statistical program.
Results: Orientation was cited as the m ost important role o f  the clinical educator (94%), by the respondents. Teaching 
activities were the second m ost important category o f  the clinical educator’s role (75%). Assessm ent was the next cate­
gory considered to fo rm  p a rt o f  clinical e ducator’s role. Communication were not considered to be p a rt o f  clinical 
educator’s role.
Conclusion: The students perceive orientation, teaching and assessm ent o f  perform ance activities to constitute the 
role o f  the clinical educator . Communication activities were rated not to fo rm  p a rt o f  the clinical ed u ca to r’s role.

DIMO AT', PHASWANA TP'
'B S c Physio IV, M ED U NSA

SA J o u r n a l  o f  P h y s io th e ra p y  2000 V o l  56 No 4 37

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