Journal of UOEH
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This study was undertaken to evaluate thirteen elements of basic life support skills of the First Aid Course II/Standard First Aid Course (FAC II/SFAC) ambulance personnel and to determine the effects of FAC II/SFAC education and basic life support instructor courses. Ninety-eight FAC II/SFAC ambulance personnel were enrolled in this study. ⋯ However, there was a tendency in which the skills for assessing mental status/respiration and for manual airway control were less adequately possessed by FAC II/SFAC personnel who did not take basic life support instructor courses, particularly those who had completed FAC II/SFAC education more than four years prior to this study. Since airway control and respiratory management play a key role in saving patients in life-threatening conditions, we need to critically reevaluate how the initial FAC II/SFAC education and continuing education programs can best be implemented.
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Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is produced in Schwann cells and fibroblasts in the peripheral nerve, and is considered to play an important role in survival, maintenance, development and repair of the peripheral neuron. In this study, the effect of human recombinant BDNF on the regeneration of nerve fibers following a crush injury to the sciatic nerves of Sprague-Dawley rats was evaluated. In the experimental group, 20 mg/kg of BDNF was injected subcutaneously three times a week for 4 weeks in seven rats. ⋯ Therefore, BDNF may promote the myelination. However, such an effect on myelination seems not to be clinically significant, because such an effect was not demonstrated in other morphometric evaluations reflecting the myelination condition. Therefore, taking all the data obtained in this study into consideration, we concluded that there was no definite evidence that BDNF promoted the regeneration of nerve fibers at least under these experimental conditions.
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The fact-finding methods and occupational health physicians' concern regarding cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) education for employees in the workplace was investigated. Questionnaires were sent to 138 occupational health physicians who graduated from the University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan, during the past 10 years. Eighty-two physicians replied to the questionnaire (response rate: 59%). ⋯ There was no relation between the request for CPR for employees from the company and whether the practice was actually being done in the workplace. Of the physicians who have not as yet taught CPR to employees, 70% affirmed that they would like to do so in the future. We concluded that companies needed to be enlightened regarding the necessity of CPR education for employees.
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To evaluate the clinical utility of somatosensory evoked potentials elicited by stimulation of the paraspinal region (PS-SEPs), waveform characteristics and scalp topography were studied in 23 normal controls. PS-SEPs were recorded in 22 patients with spinal lesions, and the relation between the abnormal PS-SEPs and clinico-radiological findings was investigated. 1) The normal control study showed clear waveforms on the scalp elicited by stimulation of the paraspinal region from C7 to the L2 spinous process level, with both bilateral and unilateral stimulation. The latency of PS-SEPs was gradually decreased when stimulation was moved in the caudo-rostral direction. 2) The normal range of spinal conduction time and conduction velocity was wide. ⋯ Generally, abnormal PS-SEPs were found caudal to the clinical sensory level, and a few cases showed abnormal PS-SEPs rostral to the sensory level. The latter might indicate that PS-SEPs detected subclinical sensory disturbance. It was therefore concluded that PS-SEPs are a useful tool for the objective evaluation of sensory disturbance, especially in cases of thoracic lesion, because conventional SEP studies, utilizing non-cephalic references do not provide clear identification of abnormal sensory levels along the thoracic spinal cord.
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An epidemiological survey of spinal cord injury in Okayama Prefecture was carried out by reviewing the registration lists contained in the Law for the Welfare of the Physically Disabled. The authors computed the annual incidence of spinal cord injuries (SCI) in Okayama Prefecture (April 1988-March 1989) to be 49.0 (28.6 for traumatic cases) per one million inhabitants from a population of 1,920,000. In addition, distribution by age, aetiology, paralysis level and residential area were investigated.