ABSTRACT
A retrospective study was designed to explore the epidemiology of geriatric patients at Siriraj Geriatric Clinic organised by the department of Preventive and Social Medicine, both in terms of social and medical aspects. A total of 854 patients were recruited with a male to female ratio of 1 : 1.6 and an average age of 67.1 + 6.1 years in 1985 and two years more in 1995 ranging from 60-90 years. The majority of the patients were married (62.1%), achieved secondary school (47.5%) and depended on pensions (46.4%). The average number of family member actually living in the same house was 4.0 + 2.7. The number of those who smoked cigarettes, drank alcohol and consumed tonic food were 29.1 percent, 41.7 percent and 48.7 percent respectively, while multivitamins were taken most in the tonic food category (31.7%). Regarding the prevalence of clinical complaints, arthralgia was the most common problem (58.3%) followed by amnesia (51.5%). Those who lived in a single family tended to be economically poorer than those who lived as an extended family, and they tended to work outdoors during the pre-retirement period. Being unable to take the bus was the most common disability among instrumental activity of daily living (IADL) while the elderly aged 71 years or more were found more among those who failed to perform each aspect of instrumental activity of daily living, especially in self-drug administration with the highest odds ratio of 19.5 (95% confidence interval 2.4-884.9). As far as systemic complaints were concerned, the elderly aged 71 years or more were found to suffer more significantly from hearing loss and urinary system symptoms with an odds ratio of 2.4 (95% confidence interval 1.5-3.7) and 2.1 (95% confidence interval 1.0-4.4) sequentially. When considering the impact of clinical complaints to the IADL, those of visual abnormality, hearing loss, urinary symptoms, amnesia and insomnia were found more frequently in those patients with impaired IADL that was statistically significant. The elderly with three chronic diseases or more or who were regularly taking three types of drugs or more would be disabled in terms of IADL, with odds ratios of 1.8 (95% confidence interval 1.1-2.9) and (95% confidence interval 1.8-6.4) respectively.
ABSTRACT
The effects of group therapy on the symptoms and the walking abilities of knee osteoarthritis patients were studied at the out-patient Department, Siriraj Hospital from July 1994 to March 1995. Total of 55 patients participated: 25 patients (2 males, 23 females) in the control group and 30 patients (3 males, 27 females) in the study group with mean ages of 68 and 67.5 years respectively. The study group was given education about the disease and how to take care of their knees at home. After treatment, the study group recorded a lower pain score and a higher level walking and stair climbing ability compared to the control group at p level 0.0005, 0.0002, 0.0004. Most of the cases in the study group were satisfied with the group therapy (good to excellent levels). It was concluded that group therapy could provide one of the best way of teaching patents to take care of themselves at home and to decrease the time spent by medical personnel in patient management.