OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of isokinetic eccentric knee extensor and flexor strengthening training on affected limbs of patients with chronic hemiplegia. METHOD: Twenty-one subjects with chronic stroke were participated in this study. All subjects were indoor ambula tors. The hemiplegic knee flexors and extensors of the experimental group (n=11) were trained eccentrically using Cybex 770 dynamometer 3 times a week for 6 weeks. Conventional rehabilitation treatment was administrated to the control group at the same duration and frequency as the experimental group. Total peak torque, total work and functional parameters were measured before and after training. RESULTS: Significantly higher mean percent changes of peak torque and total work were observed in the experimental group compared to the control group at all eccentric angular velocities tested. Functional parameters also showed significant improvements in the gait speed, a timed stair climb up and down, and sit-to-stand time compared to the control group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The isokinetic eccentric strengthening training of knee extensors and flexors in patients with chronic hemi plegia were useful in strengthening the affected leg and functional improvement.
Extremities ; Gait ; Hemiplegia* ; Humans ; Knee* ; Leg ; Paralysis ; Rehabilitation ; Stroke ; Torque

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the feasibility of operational definitions of cancer patients in conducting cancer-related studies using the claims data from the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS). Materials and Methods: Cancer incidence data were obtained from the Korean Central Cancer Registry, the NHIS primary diagnosis, and from the rare and intractable disease (RID) registration program. Results: The operational definition with higher sensitivity for cancer patient verification was different by cancer type. Using primary diagnosis, the lowest sensitivity was found in colorectal cancer (91.5%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 91.7 to 92.0) and the highest sensitivity was found in breast cancer (97.9%; 95% CI, 97.8 to 98.0). With RID, sensitivity was the lowest in liver cancer (91.9%; 95% CI, 91.7 to 92.0) and highest in breast cancer (98.1%; 95% CI, 98.0 to 98.2). In terms of the difference in the date of diagnosis in the cancer registration data, > 80% of the patients showed a < 31-day difference from the RID definition. Conclusion Based on the NHIS data, the operational definition of cancer incidence is more accurate when using the RID registration program claims compared to using the primary diagnosis despite the relatively lower concordance by cancer type requires additional definitions such as treatment.

PURPOSE: We conducted a phase II study to determine the antitumor activity of BACOD/EISHAP alternating 9-drug chemotherapy in previously untreated patients with intermediate or high grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Intermediate or high grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients were treated with BACOD/EISHAP (bleomycin, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, dexame thasone/etoposide, ifosfamide, high dose cytarabine, cisplatin, dexamethasone) alternating com bination chemotherapy. Stage I and IIA lymphoma patients were excluded. BACOD/EISHAP alternating chemotherapy was given to the eligible patients every 3 weeks/4 weeks respectively. RESULTS: Between April, 1995 and December, 1997, among 25 eligible patients, 19 patients were evaluable for response. Six patients could not be evaluated for response because of follow-up loss within 2 cycles of chemotherapy. Complete response (CR) was achieved in 12 patients (63%) after BACOD/EISHAP alternating combination chemotherapy. With a follow-up period of 41 months (25~57 months), the disease free survival did not reach median (4~47 months) and 3-year disease free survival rate was 75%. Major toxicity was marrow suppression and the incidence of severe leukopenia (WBC<2,000/mm3) and thromobocytopenia (<25,000/mm3) were 15%, 5%, respectively. No treatment-related death was observed. For non-hematologic toxicities, nausea and vomiting were observed in 65% of patients, stomatitis in 25%, peripheral neuropathy in 20%. CONCLUSION: BACOD/EISHAP alternating chemotherapy was feasible with acceptable toxicities. The 63% complete response rate was comparable to other regimens but 75% 3year disease-free survival rate was encouraging. Further evaluation of this regimen is warranted.
Bone Marrow ; Cisplatin ; Cyclophosphamide ; Cytarabine ; Disease-Free Survival ; Doxorubicin ; Drug Therapy ; Drug Therapy, Combination* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Ifosfamide ; Incidence ; Leukopenia ; Lymphoma ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin* ; Nausea ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases ; Stomatitis ; Vincristine ; Vomiting

Assessing human exposure to food-borne hazards requires standardized assessment tools. The objective of this study was to validate a newly developed dietary assessment questionnaire to assess human exposure to food-borne hazards, which include dietary behavior and food consumption patterns such as eating frequency, types of food containers and cooking methods. A total of 216 adults were recruited for two questionnaire surveys (questionnaire 1 and 2) about 1 week apart with a 3 day diet record. Reproducibility was evaluated by comparing responses from questionnaires 1 and 2, and validity was checked by comparing responses from questionnaire 2 and the 3 day diet record. Comparisons were based on the percent agreement and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. The mean exact agreement of food containers at purchase between questionnaires 1 and 2 was 73.5%, for storing containers it was 71.9%, and for cooking methods it was 83.0%. The mean correlation coefficient for food intake frequency between questionnaires 1 and 2 was 0.71 (range, 0.50?0.83). The mean correlation coefficient of the food intake frequency between questionnaire 2 and the 3 day diet record was 0.21 (range, 0.04-0.48). The exact and adjacent agreement of food intake frequency quartile assessed by questionnaire 2 and the 3 day diet record was 65.4% (range, 51.0-82.1%). Although the correlation coefficient for food intake frequency between questionnaire 2 and the 3 day diet record was low, the exact and adjacent food intake frequency agreement was higher than 50% and reproducibility of the dietary behaviors exceeded 70%. Therefore, the questionnaire developed in this study could be applied to assess diets for the human exposure to food-borne hazards as a qualitative assessment in a large population.
Adult ; Cooking ; Diet ; Diet Records ; Eating ; Food Packaging ; Humans ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: Small proportions of all the elderly stroke patients receive recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (r-tPA) therapy, although old age is not a proven contraindication to intravenous thrombolytic therapy for acute ischemic stroke. The purpose of this study was to identify reasons for exclusion from r-tPA therapy and factors associated with the decision of r-tPA use in elderly patients with acute ischemic stroke. METHODS: From the acute stroke registries of 22 domestic university hospitals taking the r-tPA therapy from January 2007 to May 2010, we extracted data of all acute ischemic stroke patients who were aged 80 or over and arrived within onset 3 hours. For all patients, we assessed the eligibility of r-tPA therapy using National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) r-tPA trial criteria. For eligible patients, we compared all clinical variables between patients who were treated with r-tPA and those who were not, and analyzed potential factors related to the decision of r-tPA use. RESULTS: A total of 494 patients were included in this study. 255 patients (51.6%) were excluded by NINDS r-tPA trial criteria and the major reasons for exclusion were minor neurological deficit (53.7%) and clinical improvement (17.3%). Among 239 patients who were eligible for r-tPA, 162 (32.8%) patients received r-tPA and 77 (15.6%) did not. Multivariable analysis showed that younger age, shorter time-delay from onset to admission, non-smoker, no history of prior stroke, good pre-stroke functional status and severe initial neurological deficit were independently associated with the decision of r-tPA use in the elderly stroke patients predictors for r-tPA treatment. CONCLUSION: In very elderly patients, mild neurological deficit on arrival and rapid clinical improvement in neurological symptoms were the main reasons for exclusion from thrombolytic therapy.
Aged ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke ; Registries ; Stroke ; Thrombolytic Therapy ; Tissue Plasminogen Activator