This study, whose subjects are forty stroke patients in discharging who have been using FIM Western medical (Neurology, Neurosurgery, Rehabilitation Medicine) and Chinese herb medical base of D Hospital in Pusan from the first of May to the eleventh of July, has been made to evaluate the patients' functional conditions and analyze the factors affecting them. The result of study is as followings: FIM total score in discharging is avarage 85.83+/-28.96; the motor FIM score is 57.55+/-24.40 and the cognitive FIM score 29.95+/-6.99. The items recorded the highest score reveal the eating bowel management; the former is 5.68:t 1.73, the latter 5.33+/-2.23. The item recorded the lowest score reveal bathing and stairs, each 2.35+/-1.69 and 3.23+/-2.13. Analysis reveal it is in the case of age(p=.005) and durations of admission(p=.01) that there is significant difference of FIM score when stroke patients in discharging.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Baths ; Busan ; Eating ; Humans ; Neurosurgery ; Rehabilitation ; Stroke*

A prospective study was carried out on the efficacy of a circular grip which we devised to facilitate a non-sterile intermittent catheterization. The series included 16 females, the mean follow-up time being 7 months. Most patients were suffering from neurogenic bladder disorders and bladder retention after operation. All of them used the circular grip during intermittent catheterization and continued to undergo intermittent catheterization. The technique of the use of the circular grip during intermittent catheterization was usually learnt easily and provided reassurance to the patient and family about intermittent catheterization.
Catheterization* ; Catheters* ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hand Strength* ; Humans ; Prospective Studies ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Bladder, Neurogenic

OBJECTIVEPreviously documented indirect adjustment methods could only adjust for the confounding effects from cigarette smoking. The aim of this paper is to introduce a novel method for dealing with the effects of smoking in occupational, epidemiological cohort studies using a 'smoking adjustment factor'.

METHODSA retrospective cohort study among male silicotic workers purely exposed to silica dusts in Hong Kong (1981 - 1999) was used as an example. 'Smoking adjustment factor' in occupationally exposed smoking and nonsmoking sub-cohorts was expressed as 1/(1- PAR% )xRR and 1/1- PAR% respectively. Relative exposure effect and Synergy index were estimated to assess the multiplicative and additive interactions.

RESULTS'Smoking adjustment factor' for non-smoking and smoking silicotic workers was 1/0.33 and 1/1.62 respectively. Lung cancer standardized mortality ratio(SMR) of all cohort members was reduced from 1.61(95% CI: 1.22-2.10) to 1.08(95% CI:0.81-1.41) after indirectly adjusted for smoking effect. Results from our novel indirect method were in line with that from Axelson' s approach. Relative silicosis effect and synergy index were estimated to be 0.63 (95% CI:0.08-0.79) and 0.90 (95 % CI:0.42-1.94) ,suggesting a significant but negative multiplicative interaction between smoking and silicosis on the risk of lung cancer mortality.

CONCLUSIONThe merit of this new method was the ability to adjust for the confounding effect and evaluate the interactive effect with smoking. However, comparability of age distribution between occupationally exposed smoking and nonsmoking sub-cohorts was a prerequisite for the accurate estimations of the smoking indirectly adjusted SMR, relative exposure effect, and/or synergy index.

Cohort Studies ; Epidemiologic Methods ; Hong Kong ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Lung Diseases ; epidemiology ; mortality ; Male ; Occupational Exposure ; Retrospective Studies ; Silicosis ; epidemiology ; mortality ; Smoking ; adverse effects ; epidemiology

Population attributable fraction (PAF) is an important public health parameter that is familiar to epidemiologists. The calculation of PAF is frequently based on the relative risk (RR) of a risk factor for a certain disease and the prevalence of exposure to the risk factor in the total population (Pe). We introduce here the method for making a nomogram linking PAF to RR and Pe. The nomogram will be very handy for public health professionals in estimating PAF quickly and accurately when information on RR and Pe is available.
Epidemiologic Methods ; Humans ; Risk Factors

Sparganum infestation of the human body was reported over 120 cases and of the urogenital region was reported over 30 cases in korean literatures since 1924. But, infestation of the penis was reported two cases. We experienced a case of sparganosis in the penile shaft and reporte this case with the review of literature of sparganosis of the genitourinary region.
Human Body ; Male ; Penis* ; Sparganosis* ; Sparganum

OBJECTIVESTo assess the association of socioeconomic indicators with various chronic and acute illnesses and the utilization of public health care in a new town in Hong Kong, China.

METHODSIllness experience and socioeconomic and demographic data of 7570 residents from 2022 randomly selected households were collected through telephone interviews. The relationships between socioeconomic indicators and illnesses/choice of health care were explored using stepwise logistic regressions after adjusting for sex and age.

RESULTSSignificant positive associations were noted between low household income and diabetes mellitus, any chronic illnesses among adults and flu among younger subjects; low educational level and accident-related illness among adults; being born in Chinese mainland and flu, any acute illness in adults. For the utilization of public health care, low household income was the most consistent risk factor.

CONCLUSIONThis study did not demonstrate a unidirectional socioeconomic gradient in health but supported the hypothesis that socioeconomic deprivation was associated with the utilization of public health care.

Acute Disease ; economics ; epidemiology ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Factors ; China ; Chronic Disease ; economics ; epidemiology ; Cities ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Delivery of Health Care ; utilization ; Educational Status ; Employment ; Female ; Health Surveys ; Hong Kong ; epidemiology ; Housing ; Humans ; Income ; Male ; Prevalence ; Residence Characteristics ; Sex Factors ; Socioeconomic Factors

BACKGROUND/AIMS: In 1977, Teele and Smith reported their positive experience using an ultrasonographic in the evaluation of Congenital Hypertrophic Pyloric Stenosis (CHPS). Since that time, ultrasonography has been advocated by some as the diagnostic procedure of choice, although a number of false-negative cases have been encountered at any rate, in 1994, Becker reported that an endoscopy was far more accurate than an ultrasonography, the diagnosis being made in 97% and 81% of the cases. Therefore, we performed a prospective study to evaluate the diagnostic value of an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in CHPS patients. METHODS: We reviewed the clinical records of 12 pediatric patients experiencing vomiting, who had visited Pusan National University Hospital from January 1993 to March 1997. We performed on upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and abdominal ultrasonography simultaneously in order to evaluate the diagnostic value of an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in CHPS patients. RESULTS: The male to female ratio was 11: 1. In 7 of 12 patients, 58%, vomited within 4 weeks after birth. Diagnostic sensitivity by abdominal ultrasonography was about 75%, and by upper GI endoscopy, almost 100%. Associated lesions were discovered in 5 cases, 3 esophagitis and 2 gastritis in the upper GI endoscopy. CONCLUSIONS: The upper GI endoscopy was more accurate in the diagnosis of CHPS than the ultrasonography, and was more effective in the diagnosis of associated lesions.
Busan ; Diagnosis* ; Endoscopy ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal* ; Esophagitis ; Female ; Gastritis ; Humans ; Male ; Parturition ; Prospective Studies ; Pyloric Stenosis, Hypertrophic* ; Ultrasonography ; Vomiting

No abstract available.
Rho(D) Immune Globulin*

Rothman argued that interaction estimated as departure from additivity better reflected the biological interaction. In a logistic regression model, the product term reflects the interaction as departure from multiplicativity. So far, literature on estimating interaction regarding an additive scale using logistic regression was only focusing on two dichotomous factors. The objective of the present report was to provide a method to examine the interaction as departure from additivity between two continuous variables or between one continuous variable and one categorical variable.We used data from a lung cancer case-control study among males in Hong Kong as an example to illustrate the bootstrap re-sampling method for calculating the corresponding confidence intervals.Free software R (Version 2.8.1) was used to estimate interaction on the additive scale.

When study on epidemiological causation is carried out,logistic regression has been commonly used to estimate the independent effects of risk factors.as well as to examine possible interactions among individual risk factor by adding one or more product terms to the regression model.In logistic or Cox's regression model.the regression coefficient of the product term estimates the interaction on a muhiplicative scale while statistical significance indicates the departure from multiplicativity.Rothman argues that when biologic interaction iS examined,we need to focus on interaction as departure from additivity rather than departure from multiplicativity.He presents three indices to measure interaction on an additive scale or departure from additivity.using logarithmic models such aS logistic or Cox's regression model.In this paper,we use data from a case-control study of female lung cancer in Hong Kong to calculate the regression coefficients and covariance matrix of logistie model in SPSS.We then introduce an Excel spreadsheet set up by Tomas Andersson to calculate the indices of interaction on an additive scale and the corresponding confidence intervals.The results can be used as reference by epidemiologists to assess the biologic interaction between factors.The proposed method is convenient and the Excel spreadsheet is available online for free.