BACKGROUNDS: Korean Activities of Daily Living(K-ADL) scale was developed to measure the elderly function. The aim of the present study was to establish the validity and reliability of Korean Activities of Daily Living(K-ADL) scale. METHODS: Clinical validity and convergent validity was tested. Reliability was tested by internal consistency(Cronbach's alpha), two weeks test-retest method, and interrator correlation. RESULTS: Cronbach's alpha was 0.937. 2 weeks test-retest correlations in all 7 items were higher than 7.0. Interrator agreements were high in all 7 items(h=0.86~1.0). Nonnal control group had lower scores than patients group in all 7 items(p=0.000). Correlation coefficients between K-ADL score and braindisability grade was between -0.465(eating) and -0.696(bathing)(p=0.000). CONCLUSIONS: Korean Activities of Daily Living(K-ADL) scale is a valid and reliable instrument. In the future, the studies showing an association between K-ADL and mortality, prognosis are needed.
Activities of Daily Living ; Aged ; Humans ; Korea ; Mortality ; Prognosis ; Reproducibility of Results*

BACKGROUNDS: Though K-ADL was developed and validated, weighting each item of K-ADL is needed to evaluate the severity of functional disability as a whole. METHODS: Nominal group technique was used to weight individual items of K-ADL. Relevant experts were recruited; one specialist in geriatrics, one expert in elderly health service, one doctor expert in questionnarie, one nurse and two social welfare workers and one caregiver who work in nursing home for elderly, one nurse working at dementia care center. At the first round, each expert assigned the weights of each item. At the second round, those experts met, discussed, and re-evaluated each weighting. Using the newly developed weighted score, we measured its validity compared to brain-disability grade and three experts' decision of severe dysfunction. RESULTS: For inability to perform task, 7 points were given to 'dressing'and 'washing face', 6 points to 'bathing', 9 points to 'feeding', 8 points to 'transfer and toileting'. If any assistance is needed, 7 points were scored to 'dressing', 4 points were scored to 'washing face', 'feeding', 'transfer' and 'toileting', 2 points were scored to 'dressing'. Correlation coefficient between weighted K-ADL sum and brain-disability grade was -0.665(p=0.000). CONCLUSIONS: We assigned differential weighting to each of K-ADL and found that summing weighted K-ADL was excellent in some validity test.
Aged ; Caregivers ; Dementia ; Geriatrics ; Health Services ; Humans ; Nursing Homes ; Social Welfare ; Specialization ; Weights and Measures

No abstract available.
Humans ; Specialization*

STUDY DESIGN: This is a retrospective study evaluating the efficacy of new surgical technique for treatment of fixed lumbosacral kyphosis. OBJECTIVES: To report a new method of vertebral column resection and to determine its efficacy in the treatment of fixed lumbosacral kyphosis. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The treatment of fixed severe spinal deformity is very difficult and only a few surgical methods are reported. The vertebral column resection from anterior and posterior is a radical method to treat the severe deformity but it has many problems with anterior and posterior approachs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A new surgical method of vertebral column resection from posterior approach only(PVCR) was carried out in 5 patients of fixed lumbosacral Tb kyphosis from October 1997 to March 1998. The mean age was 43.4 years(range 35-61 years), and four were female and one male. The average postoperative follow-up period was 5.5 months(ranged from 2 months to 12 months). An average of 2.6 vertebrae was resected. The degree of sagittal curves was measured using the Cobb technique preoperatively and postoperatively. the rejional lumbosacral kyphotic angle and compensatory thoracic curvature from 74 to 712. The sagittal imbalance was measured by distance from C7 plumb line to postero-superior corner of 51 using 14 x 36 inch standing lateral radiograph. RESULTS: The sagittal deformities were corrected from an average of kyphosis 37.4 to lodosis 8.4 at lumbosacral level and from an average of lodosis 31.6 to lodosis 8.2 at thoracic level. The sagittal imbalance was improved from an average of +11.7cm to +2.2cm, for a posterior immigration of 9.5cm. The mean operating time was 334 minutes and with an average blood loss of 4338m1. Complication comprised of motor weakness with deep wound infection in one case and superficial wound infection in another case. The transient hip flexor weakness was seen in all the patients. The hip flexor power recovered in 3-4 weeks. The patient of motor weakness and deep infection showed partial motor improvement and complete wound healing at last 2 month follow-up. CONCLUSION: one-stage posterior vertebral column resection is a promising technique for treatment of the severe fixed lumbosacral kyphosis.
Congenital Abnormalities ; Emigration and Immigration ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hip ; Humans ; Kyphosis* ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Spine* ; Wound Healing ; Wound Infection

Since the first report on the blood triglyceride level of normal korean in 1962, more than 12 authors published their normal value ranging from 78.0~151.0mg% as mean value. In an attempt to establish normal triglyceride level in Korean, the timing of sampling and method of sample preservation were reevaluated in terms of quality control. Although the number of samples and tests were too small to make an unequivocal conclusion, the following results were observed. 1. Plasma triglyceride levels were stable on continuing fasting 12~16 hours, slightly decreased thereafter. 2. Samples kept in room temperature were stable up to 3 days and the triglyceride level dropped moderately on the 5th day. 3. No significant change in plasma triglyceride level was found with freezing up to one month. 4. Significant change in plasma triglyceride level was noted with repeated melting and refreezing of specimen. 5. The probable reasons for marked differences in normal value of plasma triglyceride level were discussed.
Fasting ; Freezing ; Plasma* ; Quality Control ; Reference Values ; Triglycerides*

No abstract available.
Carbon Disulfide* ; Carbon* ; Kidney Failure, Chronic*

To induce bone formation at ectopic site by tissue engineering and gene therapy, we transplanted collagen sponges containing rhBMP-7 transduced HEK 293 cells in the hypodermis of nude mice. Bone formation was investigated by histological and electron microscopic method at 3, 6, and 9 weeks after transplantation. At 9 weeks after transplantation, eosinophilic bony tissue was observed in the implanted collagen sponge and was confirmed as bone tissue by Von Kossa stain. In the transmission electron microscopic observation, the cells in newly formed bone tissue had eccentrically located nucleus and well developed rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER). Therefore, the cells were evaluated as osteoblasts. Those results suggest that it is possible to form a bone tissue in the ectopic site by transplantation of rhBMP-7 transduced HEK 293 cells. This will be contributed to push more advanced gene therapy for bone formation. However, the HEK 293 cell is unable to apply to the clinical gene therapy. Therefore it is worth to find more compatible cells for clinical application. In addition, collagen sponge is considered as an excellent scaffold and/or carrier for gene therapy and a good biomaterial for tissue engineering.
Animals ; Bone and Bones ; Bone Morphogenetic Protein 7 ; Collagen ; Endoplasmic Reticulum, Rough ; Eosinophils ; Genetic Therapy ; HEK293 Cells* ; Mice ; Mice, Nude* ; Osteoblasts ; Osteogenesis* ; Porifera ; Subcutaneous Tissue ; Tissue Engineering

To induce bone formation at ectopic site by tissue engineering and gene therapy, we transplanted collagen sponges containing rhBMP-7 transduced HEK 293 cells in the hypodermis of nude mice. Bone formation was investigated by histological and electron microscopic method at 3, 6, and 9 weeks after transplantation. At 9 weeks after transplantation, eosinophilic bony tissue was observed in the implanted collagen sponge and was confirmed as bone tissue by Von Kossa stain. In the transmission electron microscopic observation, the cells in newly formed bone tissue had eccentrically located nucleus and well developed rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER). Therefore, the cells were evaluated as osteoblasts. Those results suggest that it is possible to form a bone tissue in the ectopic site by transplantation of rhBMP-7 transduced HEK 293 cells. This will be contributed to push more advanced gene therapy for bone formation. However, the HEK 293 cell is unable to apply to the clinical gene therapy. Therefore it is worth to find more compatible cells for clinical application. In addition, collagen sponge is considered as an excellent scaffold and/or carrier for gene therapy and a good biomaterial for tissue engineering.
Animals ; Bone and Bones ; Bone Morphogenetic Protein 7 ; Collagen ; Endoplasmic Reticulum, Rough ; Eosinophils ; Genetic Therapy ; HEK293 Cells* ; Mice ; Mice, Nude* ; Osteoblasts ; Osteogenesis* ; Porifera ; Subcutaneous Tissue ; Tissue Engineering

Residual renal function rapidly declines after the initiation of hemodialysis and its mechanisms are supposed to be associated with frequent hypotensive episodes during hemodialysis and subsequent ischemic injury to remnant nephron, but blood-membrane interaction might play an important role because of its ability to activate complement system and other various humoral and cellular mechanisms. Blood monocytes are activated by complements, bacterial contaminants and activated monocytes are known to secrete multiple proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta. The expression of TNF-alpha and IL-1 beta in mRNA and protein level were examined by RT-PCR and ELISA respectively in patients with ESRD after the initiation of hemodialysis. Author also investigated the mRNA expression of Fas in human proximal tubular cell culture in the presence of TNF-alpha and PBMC culture supernatant before and after the initiation of hemodialysis. Compared to PBMC separated before the initiation of HD, the amount of cytokine mRNA from PBMC separated after the initiation of HD showed increased tendency from 0.97+/-0.2 to 1.12+/-0.28 for TNF-alpha(p=0.29), from 1.03+/-0.18 to 1.10+/-027 for IL-1 beta (p=0.54). TNF-alpha and IL-l beta protein level in PBMC culture supernatant also showed increased tendency from 2.25+/-0.5 to 4.254+/-3.77 for TNF-alpha (p=0.10), from 3.5+/-2.08 to 4.0+/-4.3 for IL-1 beta(p=0,25). TNF-alpha increased Fas mRNA expression dose-dependently compared to control but it was not statistically significant(p=0,37, 0.22). Compared to the the level of Fas expression in HPTC cultured in the presence of pre HD PBMC supernatant, the level of Fas expression increased significantly in the presence of post HD PBMC supernatant (0.64+/- 057 vs 1.05+/- 0.12, p=0.01). As a conclusion, cytokine gene expression and secretion can increase as a result of blood-membrane interaction and these might have some influence on the loss of residual renal function in CRF patients maintained on hemodialysis.
Cell Culture Techniques* ; Complement System Proteins ; Cytokines ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Gene Expression ; Humans* ; Interleukin-1 ; Interleukin-1beta ; Kidney Failure, Chronic* ; Monocytes ; Nephrons ; Renal Dialysis* ; RNA, Messenger ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the success rate of dental implant on post-traumatic region to rehabilitate missing teeth. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 5 patients who had been treated due to maxillofacial trauma during 2000 to 2004 at samsung medical center were selected for this study. 22 dental implants were installed to them for restoring missing teeth. The success rate of these dental implants was evaluated with criteria by T. Albrektsson .We divided installed 22 implants into 2 categories. One category consisted rough surface implants group and smooth surface implants group. And the other category consisted more healing group and less healing group. The healing time was calculated from point of trauma. RESULTS: The success rate of dental implants is 68.2% that is lower than other studies because of poor vascularity of bone bed and mechanical stress according to trauma. Rough surface implants group and More healing group showed superior success rate to others. (P < 0.05) CONCLUSION: We found that to increase success rate, it may need rough surface implants and longer healing period.
Dental Implants* ; Humans ; Prognosis* ; Stress, Mechanical ; Tooth