BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the changes to postural sway velocity and trunk repositioning errors and the frequency of falls in stroke patients. METHODS: Fifty-five stroke patients, divided into three groups (no falls group: 20, one fall group: 19, repeated falls group: 16), stood quietly with eyes open and closed on a force platform while postural sway velocity was quantified by the center of pressure measures. Trunk repositioning errors were measured in standing while the subjects performed forward flexion movements. RESULTS: We found a significant difference between the groups for postural sway velocity in medial-lateral and anterior-posterior directions with eyes open and closed (P<0.05). With the eyes closed, there were significant differences between the three groups in the postural sway velocity (P<0.05) and the trunk repositioning errors changed significantly (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that the increase in falls may increase visual dependence for postural control velocity and trunk repositioning errors. These results may be useful in balance training to prevent falls in stroke survivors.
Eye ; Humans ; Stroke ; Survivors

No abstract available.
Intensive Care Units* ; Critical Care*

No abstract available.
Child* ; Colon* ; Humans

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Cerebrospinal Fluid* ; Child* ; Humans ; Lactic Acid*

No abstract available.
Humans ; Hypothyroidism* ; Siblings*

There are increasing interest and need for information on health care consumer with the significance of hospital marketing and strategic planning being increasingly emphasized. This study was conducted to investigate the criteria for selection of medical facilities according to the characteristics of health care consumer by the types of medical services on a sample of 1,500 population aged 20 years and above. Major findings are as follows; 1. When considering the criteria for selection of medical facilities into two factors, namely, quality or convenience factors, convenience factor was the major contributor for outpatient and dental services whereas it was quality factor for inpatient services. 2. Females and those residing in large cities selected medical facilities based on convenience factor in the outpatient services. In the case of inpatient service, persons who considered their present health status to be good and whose ages were 50 years old and above choose medical facilities based on quality factor. 3. Persons who considered medical facilities to be profit-making tended to choose medical facilities based on convenience factor for outpatient services. There were no differences in the cases of inpatient and dental services. 4. There was no significant difference on the criteria for selection of medical facilities according to the decision maker for selection or trust on medical facilities. On the use of health service information, selection of medical facilities was based on qPality factor for those who made more use of the information in the cases of outpatient and dental services. 5. Analysis using the logistic regression model on the criteria for the selection of medical facilities with the characteristics of health care consumer as independent variables was performed. The selection of medical facilities was significantly related with residential area, sex, and use of information on medical facilities for outpatient services and with age, average monthly income, and perception of health status for inpatient services. For dental services significant association with residential area and use of information on medical facilities was seen. The results of this study, despite some limitations, can be used as baseline data for marketing and strategic planning of hospital management.
Delivery of Health Care ; Female ; Health Services ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Logistic Models ; Marketing ; Middle Aged ; Outpatients ; Patient Selection

No abstract available.
Family Practice* ; Humans ; Smoke* ; Smoking*

Asphyxia is the most important perinatal cause of neurologic morbidity in infants. Recently, elevated levels of CK-BB have been demonstrated in serum after asphyxic insult in infants. To evaluate the possibility of using serial measurements of CK-BB activity as a diagnostic method and a predictor of neurologic outcome in asphyxiatic infants. We studied CK-BB activity in serum of asphyxiated infants (16 preterm babies, 41 term babies) and healthy infants (11 preterm babies, 12 term babies) from birth (cord) to 5 days of serially. The results were as follows 1) Serum CK-BB activites (cord 76.0IU/L, 12 hours 34.1 IU/L, 1 day 22.4 IU/L, 2 days 8.2 IU/L) of asphyxiated preterm infants were much higher than those (cord 4.4IU/L, 12 hours 2.4IU/L, 1 day 1.6 IU/L, 2 days 1.1 IU/L) of healthy preterm infants, but there were no significant differences (P values>0.05). 2) Serum CK-BB activities (cord 59.0 IU/L, 12 hours 23.6 IU/L, day 17.6 IU/L) of asphyxiated term infants were significantly higher than those (cord 2.4 IU/L, 12 hours 2.7 IU/L, 1 day 0.4 IU/L) of healthy term infants (P values<0.05) 3) There were no significant differences in serum CK-BB activities between asphyxiated preterm infants who showed late neurologic deficits (P values>0.05) 4) Serum CK-BB activity (131.7 IU/L) at birth (cord) of asphyxiated term infants who showed late neurologic deficits was significantly higher than that (49.8 IU/L) of asphyxiated term infants who did not show late neurologic deficits (P value<0.05) In conclusion, it is suggested that serial measurement of CK-BB activity in serum of asphyxiated term infants from birth (cord) to 1 day of age is an available test for diagnosis of neonatal asphyxia and for a prediction of neurologic outcome of neonatal asphyxia.
Asphyxia ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Infant* ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Parturition

No abstract available.
Appendectomy* ; Cholecystectomy*