INTRODUTION: The purposes of this study was to examine physical function and psychological status in the elderly caused by a fall. METHOD: The study was designed as a descriptive survey. Its subjects consisted of the 299 elderly over 65 years. Collected data were analyzed by the SPSS 10.0 program package. RESULTS: The result of this study are as follows : 1) The score for ADL was significantly lower in the fall group. 2) Grip strength was significantly lower in the fall group. 3) Lapse of the motion sitting and standing was significantly longer in the fall group. 4) One-leg-standing time with the eyes open and closed was significantly shorter in the fall group. 5) Return time of 3m walk was significantly longer in the fall group. 6) The score for dizziness was significantly higher in the fall group. 7) The score for fear for a fall and depression were significantly higher in the fall group. 8) Thescore for falls efficacy was significantly lower in the fall group. CONCLUSION: ADL, muscle strength, balance, dizziness, fear for a fall, falls efficacy and depression turned out to be closely related to the fall of the elderly. Therefore, it would be required to develop and applicate the fall prevention program regarding these above risk factors.
Activities of Daily Living ; Aged* ; Depression ; Dizziness ; Hand Strength ; Humans ; Muscle Strength ; Risk Factors

No abstract available.
Hemophilia A*

No abstract available.
Korea* ; Orientia tsutsugamushi* ; Rickettsia*

No abstract available.
Arteriovenous Fistula* ; Fistula*

The present study was intended to examine the effect of sodium vanadate on contractility of vascular smooth muscle. Aortic ring preparations were made from the rabbit thoracic aorta and endothelial cells were removed from the ring. The contractility of the aortic ring was measured under various conditions. The results were summarized as follows; 1) Sodium vanadate induced contraction of vascular smooth muscle in a dose-dependent fashion. 2) The contractile effects were not blocked by treatments with adrenergic blocking agent(phentolamine) and indomethacin, indicating the direct action of the drug on vascular smooth muscle. 3) In the presence of ouabain, Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase inhibitor, sodium vanadate still increased the contractility of vascular smooth muscle. 4) Treatment with 4.4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2.2'-disulfonic acid(DIDS) blocked completely the contractile effects of sodium vanadate. 5) In the presence of verapamil, lanthanum and ryanodine, the contractility of the vascular smooth muscle by sodium vanadate was decreased. From the above results. it was suggested that sodium vanadate acts directly on vascular smooth muscle and causes contraction. It was probably due to inhibition of Ca(++)-ATPase in plasma membrane as well as increasing the release of Ca(++) from sarcoplasmic reticulum and Ca(++) influx across the plasma membrane, but not inhibition of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase.
Aorta, Thoracic ; Cell Membrane ; Endothelial Cells ; Indomethacin ; Lanthanum ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular* ; Ouabain ; Ryanodine ; Sarcoplasmic Reticulum ; Sodium* ; Vanadates* ; Verapamil

Caffeine has been known to induce the contraction of rabbit aortic ring resulting from Ca2+ release from the intracellular stores. But in contrast, contraction of aortic ring induced by depolarizing agents or agonist was reported to be suppressed by caffeine. The present study was intended to examine the effect of caffeine on Ca2+ movement across the plasma membrane and actomyosin ATPase activity of vascular smooth muscle to elucidate the modes of action of caffeine on the vascular smooth muscle. Aortic ring preparation were made from the rabbit thoracic aorta and the endothelial cells were removed from the ring by gentle rubbing. The contractilty of the aortic ring was measured under varying conditions, and Ca2+ influx across the membranes of the aortic ring was measured with Ca2+ sensitive electrode with and without caffeine and the effect of caffeine on actomyosin ATPase activity were measured by modified Hartshrone's method. 45Ca wash out curves with and without caffeine were studied by Richard's method. The results were summarized as follows: 1) Caffeine inhibited the contractilty induced by norepinephrine. high K+, and histamine. but caffeine alone induced a transient contraction of vascular smooth muscle. The caffeine induced contraction was demonstrable even in the absence of external Ca2+. 2) Caffeine increased 45Ca efflux from vascular smooth muscle. 3) In the presence of propranolol, the inhibitory effect of caffeine on epinephrine induced contraction still persisted. 4) Caffeine decreased norepinephrine induced Ca2+ influx through the plasma membranes of aortic ring. 5) Caffeine decreased the actomyosin ATPase activity of vascular smooth muscle. From the above results, it is suggested that caffeine induces the contraction of vascular smooth muscle by release of Ca2+ from intracellular Ca2+ stone, but inhibits drug-induced contraction by decrease of Ca2+ influx across the plasma membranes and a decreased Ca2+ sensitivity of contractile protein in vascular smooth muscle.
Actomyosin* ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Caffeine* ; Cell Membrane ; Electrodes ; Endothelial Cells ; Epinephrine ; Histamine ; Membranes ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular* ; Myosins* ; Norepinephrine ; Propranolol

No abstract available.
Common Variable Immunodeficiency* ; Humans

A 60-year-old man with advanced esophageal cancer was admitted for surgical placement of a feeding jejunostomy tube before commencement of chemoradiotherapy. His esophageal cancer had directly invaded the posterior tracheal wall, inducing a nearly total obstruction of the distal trachea. On the day before the surgery, respiratory failure developed due to tumor progression and tracheal edema. Tracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation were attempted without success. Application of veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) corrected the patient's respiratory acidosis and relieved his dyspnea. With full ECMO support, he underwent tracheal stent insertion. Two hours later, he was weaned from ECMO support uneventfully. This was a successful case of tracheal stenting for airway obstruction under rescue veno-venous ECMO.
Acidosis, Respiratory ; Airway Management ; Airway Obstruction ; Chemoradiotherapy ; Dyspnea ; Edema ; Emergencies* ; Esophageal Neoplasms* ; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation ; Humans ; Intubation ; Jejunostomy ; Middle Aged ; Respiration, Artificial ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Stents ; Trachea ; Tracheal Stenosis

No abstract available.
Female ; Humans ; Pregnant Women*

This research was performed to investigate whether or not the psychobiology of posttraumatic stress disorder is related to dopamine systems. Plasma homovanillic acid levels were measured in 16 male patients with posttraumatic stress disorder and in 16 nonpsychiatric normal males. Posttraumatic stress disorder was diagnosed using the DSM-IV. Plasma homovanillic acid levels were significantly higher in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder than in normal control subjects(p<0.05). The findings of this study suggest that hyperactivity of dopamine systems may be related to the psychobiology of posttraumatic stress disorder.
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Dopamine ; Homovanillic Acid* ; Humans ; Male ; Plasma* ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic*