No abstract available.
Mouth Floor*

BACKGROUND: We were interested in getting feedback from physical therapists practicing in individualized home health programs about the present situation and the problems of home-based rehabilitation therapy services. METHODS: We recruited 110 physical therapists practicing in individualized home-visiting health programs offered at health centers. They each completed a 15-item self-administered questionnaire including personal information, therapy environments, characteristics of patients, treatment outcomes and suggestions. RESULTS: Of the 110 respondents, 66 (60%) were engaged in home-based rehabilitation therapy services with other duties. Sixty (54.5%) indicated that >25% of patients improved with home-based therapy and 90% of patients were satisfied with the services they received. Eighty-three (75.5%) respondents indicated that the amount of therapy provided was insufficient, 82 (74.5%) thought that there were no measurement tools to use except for the rehabilitation therapy services records and 27 (24.6%) had evaluation meetings with other medical service members for >50% of their patients. CONCLUSION: The majority of the physical therapists in our study indicated that the home-based rehabilitation therapy services satisfied the needs of patients and improved their functional abilities. However, amount of therapy, use of measurement tools for outcome evaluations and comprehensive team approach were indicated as insufficient. We conclude that increasing the number of physical therapists and systematizing the home-based rehabilitation therapy services would improve the present situation.
Surveys and Questionnaires ; Humans ; Physical Therapists

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To elucidate the mechanism of salicylate ototoxicity of free oxygen radicals (FORs), we made an animal model with Na-salicylate cochlear toxicity and evaluated the protective effect of free oxygen radical inhibitors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Na-salicylate soaked in gelfoam was placed on the round window niche of guinea pigs for 2 hours. After removal of gelfoam, electrocochleography and evoked otoacoustic emission test were performed at regular time intervals. These tests were repeated to see the protective effect of FORs inhibitors after the injection of allopurinol or superoxide dismutase (SOD). RESULTS: Hearing loss was noted after removal of gelfoam which was soaked with Na-salicylate. After 6 hours, these ototoxicity effects disappeared. The OAE test showed similar response. FORs inhibitors showed protective effects and SOD was more effective than allopurinol. CONCLUSION: These results support the idea that FORs activity contributes to ototoxicity of Na-salicylate. This damage can be diminished by treatment with drugs that scavenge and inhibit the formation of FORs.
Allopurinol ; Animals ; Audiometry, Evoked Response ; Gelatin Sponge, Absorbable ; Guinea Pigs* ; Guinea* ; Hearing Loss ; Models, Animal ; Oxygen* ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Superoxide Dismutase