OBJECTIVES: The aim of this prospective study is to investigate predictors estimating relapse in Korean alcohol-dependent patients using variables like alcohol history, drinking craving, treatment motivation and insight. METHODS: Alcohol dependent patients(N=48) who completed questionnaires about sociodemographic variables and drinking history, Timeline Follow-Back(TLFB), Obsessive-Compulsive Drinking Scale(OCSD), Alcohol Urge Questionnaire(AUQ), Pennsylvania Alcohol Craving Scale(PACS), University of Rhode Island Change Assessment(URICA), Hanil Alcohol Insight Scale(HAIS) were followed-up for 24weeks. Subjects who drank heavily(5 standard drinking or more/day) or were not followed up anymore were classified as the relapse group. We used logistic regression analysis with backward elimination of SPSS PC+11.5 to investigate relapse estimate predictors. RESULTS: Average drinking amount per drinking day for last 1 year and HAIS score were predictors of relapse in alcohol-dependent patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that therapist should give more attention to alcohol-dependent patients who had more drinks per drinking day for last 1 year and had lower insight level.
Alcoholism ; Drinking ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Motivation ; Pennsylvania ; Prospective Studies ; Recurrence* ; Rhode Island

PURPOSE: To verify that the metal-on-metal (MOM) surfaces produce metal ions and to ascertain the differences between large and small femoral head diameters with regard to the release of metal ions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty two cases of MOM hip resurfacing arthroplasty (mean head diameter: 47.1 mm) and 39 cases of conventional total hip replacement arthroplasty (head diameter: 28 mm) were performed at our hospital from June 1998 to April 2003. All the cases were followed-up using the serum cobalt and chromium ion levels. The serum cobalt and chromium ion levels were compared in the 21 cases in each group, which were matched by age, weight and follow-up period. The control group involved 21 patients who had undergone an alumina-alumina total hip arthroplasty. The patient's serum metal ion concentration was measured from the serum, which had been separated from the whole blood and diluted using inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (Agilent 4500, Rhode Island, USA). RESULTS: All MOM bearing implants produced higher serum levels of cobalt and chromium ions than the control. The serum concentration of cobalt with MOM resurfacing was higher than that observed with a 28 mm MOM total hip arthroplasty (p=0.025), but the chromium levels were not significantly different (p=0.501). CONCLUSION: The MOM bearing implants in this study produced elevated serum levels of cobalt and chromium ions. In addition, large diameter heads resulted in greater systemic exposure of cobalt ions than the small diameter heads. However, a long-term follow-up will be needed to determine the clinical significance.
Arthroplasty* ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip* ; Chromium ; Cobalt ; Follow-Up Studies ; Head ; Hip* ; Humans ; Ions ; Mass Spectrometry ; Plasma ; Rhode Island