Biomedical subjects

R Sakata

Publications and source records attributed to R Sakata.

129 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Perceived persistence of problems in post-head-injury rehabilitation.

This study was an attempt to understand the relationship between provision of rehabilitation services and the perceived persistence of adjustment problems following services. Types of services provided by treatment facilities and patient ratings of presence of problems were identified. The results of the study strongly suggest that services provided by a single facility or a combination of facilities does little to reduce client-perceived persistence of adjustment problems. Severity of disability only accounts for small differences in identified problems. The relative constancy of post-treatment problems reflects the chronicity of disability. Results further suggest that post-acute care treatment by other facilities increases the number of perceived problems, especially following referral for vocational rehabilitation services.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Functional status, referral and cost of treatment for persons with traumatic head injury.

This study was conducted to examine functional status, costs of treatment, and how function and costs are related to the referral process of persons with traumatic head injury (THI). The study attempted to answer questions such as: what portion of the THI population is not referred on for subsequent treatment? Is referral dependent upon level of function at time of discharge from acute care? What are the costs associated with different levels of treatment by different facilities? Information was gathered from medical record reviews. Data were gathered from 101 persons with traumatic head injury (PWTHI) using a survey form, a functional assessment inventory, and a performance status scale. Per subject cost statements were obtained from the treatment/service facilities. Results indicate that the factors in the referral process for further treatment and rehabilitation do not appear to be consistent. Acute care referral at discharge is dependent upon severity of residual dysfunction including other factors than THI, while referral at discharge from a rehabilitation centre is dependent upon less obvious factors; one of which may be age at time of injury. Acute care and rehabilitation centre per patient average costs are quite similar and significantly higher than average per client costs.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Serum hyaluronate predicts response to interferon-alpha therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The response to interferon therapy for chronic hepatitis is known to decrease with progression of the hepatic fibrosis. On the other hand, serum hyaluronate reflects hepatic sinusoidal capillarization or liver cirrhosis, and also serum type IV collagen, which is one of the main components of the basement membrane, rises with the progression of hepatic fibrosis. In this study, the relationship between the degree of hepatic fibrosis and the response to interferon-alpha was determined retrospectively in patients with chronic hepatitis C. In addition, whether the measurement of serum hyaluronate and type IV collagen before interferon-alpha therapy was useful for predicting the response to interferon-alpha therapy in chronic hepatitis C was determined. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-seven patients with elevated serum ALT levels for at least 6 months and histologically determined chronic hepatitis were studied. All patients were positive for anti-HCV and negative for hepatitis B surface antigen. Twenty-eight healthy adults with normal blood biochemical data, who were negative for hepatitis B antigen and HCV antibody tests, had limited alcohol intake were used as controls. The test group was given IFN-alpha by intramuscular injection for 14 days, and then were treated 3 times per week for 24 weeks. RESULTS: The extent of hepatic fibrosis, particularly, perisinusoidal fibrosis (P < 0.01) was significantly greater in nonresponders than in responders. The mean serum hyaluronate and type IV collagen levels were more elevated in nonresponders than in responders, especially, the serum hyaluronate level showed a significant difference (P < 0.01). Most of the patients having a serum hyaluronate level of more than 100 ng/ml were nonresponders who had chronic active hepatitis with bridging necrosis on liver biopsy. Serum hyaluronate and type IV collagen levels showed significant positive correlation with degree of the portal fibrosis (P < 0.01), perisinusoidal fibrosis (P < 0.001) and focal necrosis (P < 0.01) in histological findings of liver biopsy specimens. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that serum hyaluronate and type IV collagen levels reflect the extent of the hepatic fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C and also that serum hyaluronate level predicts the response to interferon-alpha therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Adult↗