PURPOSE: Frailty is a wasting syndrome common in old age and to confer high risk for morbidity and mortality. There is a growing consensus of the definition of frailty, but until now the diagnostic criteria is not clear yet. In the older male patients, almost of studies about testosterone replacement therapy performed to normal healthy population. And also only few studies were performed to the frail elderly patients. So we would like to investigate the effficacy of testosterone supplementation in the frail elderly. METHODS: Since May to Sep 2001, ambulatory elderly patients who were 65 years and over were recruited in the outpatient clinic of Asan Medical Center. All of them showed the typical characteristics of frailty symptom-weight loss, loss of muscle mass, weakness, fatigability, anorexia, inactivity. The patients who have sleep-apnea or previous history of prostate cancer were excluded. All patients were checked the serum PSA, total testosterone level, routine CBC, lipid, liver function test and evaluated prostate status with US or digital rectal examination, and treated with oral formula testosterone unde- canoate 80 mg daily. All patients were surveyed with ADL, IADL before the testosterone therapy and 3month later. RESULTS: A total of 6 male frail patients(mean age: 80+/-8.5) were enrolled. During 3 month Follow-up period, one was expired, 5 were finished the study. Before the testosterone replacement, mean total testos- terone level was 3.0+/-0.5 ng/ml and mean PSA was 1.3+/-0.7 ng/ml. After 3 months, blood hematocrit, cholesterol, total testosterone were not changed significantly and the body weight also showed insig- nificant increase. But after 3 months, all of them reported the increased well-being sensation, improved fatigability, weakness and improved ADL level. There were no significant adverse effects associated with testosterone replacement. CONCLUSION: In male frail elderly patients, the testosterone replacement therapy can be used safely, and can be improve the frailty associated symptom and ADL ability.
Activities of Daily Living ; Aged ; Ambulatory Care Facilities ; Anorexia ; Body Weight ; Cholesterol ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Consensus ; Digital Rectal Examination ; Follow-Up Studies ; Frail Elderly* ; Hematocrit ; Humans ; Liver Function Tests ; Male ; Mortality ; Prostate ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Sensation ; Testosterone* ; Wasting Syndrome

No abstract available.
Brain Death* ; Brain*

No abstract available.
Licensure*

Lung ultrasound (LUS) is an emerging tool for intensivists to diagnose and monitor thoracic diseases of critically ill patients. It is easily applied at the bedside in real time and is free of radiation hazards. In the intensive care units (ICUs) lung ultrasound can be used to diagnose pneumothorax and interstitial syndrome. It can also be used to monitor changes in the lung. However, the major limitations of LUS is that it is highly operator dependent and cannot be applied in patients with thoracic dressings, subcutaenous emphysema or pleural calcifications. This article reviews the basic principles of lung ultrasound and discusses how it can be used in ICUs.
Bandages ; Critical Illness* ; Emphysema ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Lung* ; Pneumothorax ; Thoracic Diseases ; Ultrasonography*

No abstract available.
Hyperbilirubinemia, Neonatal*

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Hypertension*

No abstract available.
Cerebral Palsy*

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Adult* ; Humans ; Prevalence*