ABSTRACT
The kind of respiratory disease, age, and areas where patients came from, were analyzed in 763 patients with COPD admitted at our hospital for last 7 years from 1992 to 1998. 1. For the last 7 years 886 patients with respiratory diseases were admitted at our hospital. Of these patients, 763 (86.1%) were those with COPD. Of the 763, 613 (80.3%) were patients with asthma, 27 with chronic bronchitis, 41 with obstructive bronchiolitis, and 87 with pulmonary emphysema. 2. The number of patients with pulmonary emphysema showed a tendency to increase. 3. The number of patients from distant areas was considerably larger (43.8% in 1997, 53.4% in 1998) compared to the number of patients from Tottori prefecture. The number of patients from Okayama, Hyogo, Osaka, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, and Ehime prefectures was predominantly larger than the number of patients from other distant areas. 4. Regarding the age distribution of these patients, the number of patients over the age of 60 was predominantly larger than the number of patients under the age of 59: patients between the ages of 60 and 69 were more frequently observed in those coming from distant areas (outside Tottori prefecture), and those over the age of 70 in those coming from Tottori prefecture.
ABSTRACT
We observed peripheral circulation in patients suffering from peripheral neuropathy in order to quantify the effect of spa therapy on peripheral neuropathy.<br>The peripheral circulation was observed using thermography and Laser-Doppler blood flowmetry. Thirteen patients with a mean age of 71.9 years (range of 59-82) suffering from diabetic neuropathy with coldness, numbness, neuralgia in their feet or walk disturbance, and 11 patients with a mean age of 72.3 years (range of 60-84) suffering from lumbago, were examined by the methods. The blood flow, mass and velocity were measured by a Laser-Doppler blood flowmetry, after pre-loading with hot water at 36°C for 5min (hot loading), and after cold loading with cold water at 20°C for 5min. Thermographic results were analyzed quantitatively by calculating a recovery ratio as: Recovery ratio=[Total counts of thermography (Pixels) over 27°C after cold loading] ÷ [Initial counts over 27°C after hot loading]×100 (%).<br>The recovery ratio in diabetes mellitus was between 0-93.5% (mean=46.8%), whereas the recovery ratio in lumbago was between 0-91.3% (mean=41.3%). The blood flow in patients with diabetes mellitus was 1.11-5.36 (ml/min/100g tissue), (mean=2.44), the blood mass was 85-255 (mean=155), and the velocity was 0.447-0.784 (mean=0.591). The blood flow in patients with lumbago was 1.18-3.82, (mean=2.19), the blood mass was 89-195 (mean=144), and the velocity was 0.464-0.8 (mean=0.615). The recovery ratio and blood flow in patients with diabetes mellitus were correlated, r=0.62 and p<0.0002, as the recovery ratio and blood mass were correlated, r=0.59 and p<0.0001. However the blood flow and the velocity in these patients were not correlated, r=0.11. The recovery ratio and blood flow in patients with lumbago were not correlated, r=0.02, but the recovery ratio and blood mass showed some correlation, r=0.38. The recovery ratio and the velocity in these patients were correlated, r=0.64 and p<0.005. The blood flow in patients with diabetes mellitus was greater after hot loading (mean=2.89) than after cold loading (mean=2.44). The blood mass in patients with diabetes mellitus was greater after hot loading (mean=180) than after cold loading (mean=155). However, there was no significant change in the velocity after hot loading (mean=0.572) compared with the velocity after cold loading (mean=0.591).<br>It was revealed that patients with diabetes mellitus with low recovery ratios in thermography had low blood flow and blood mass in their peripheral circulation. Patients suffering from lumbago had different peripheral circulation compared with diabetes mellitus. Spa therapy was effective on diabetic peripheral neuropathy as the peripheral circulation improved with hot water at 36°C
ABSTRACT
Effects of spa therapy on psychological factors were examined in 15 patients with bronchial asthma (10 females and 5 males, mean age 55.0 years) by CMI (Cornell Medical Index), SDS (Selfrating Depression Scale), CAI (Comprehensive Asthma Inventory) and SD (Semantic Differential). The results of these psychological examinations were compared before and after spa therapy for 1-2 months.<br>1. In CMI, mean point of physical symptoms decreased from 37.7 before spa therapy to 29.7 after the therapy. Mean improvement rate of the symptoms was 73.3%. The mean improvement rate was observed in 60.0% of respiratory symptoms, 66.7% of CIJ symptoms and 46.7% in psychical symptoms.<br>2. In SDS, many patients showed more than 40 points, suggesting that they have depressive mental state. The mean point decreased from 42.9 to 40.7 by spa therapy.<br>3. In CAI, categories of mental state, extent of conditioning, suggestion, fear of expectation, dependency, frustration and flight into illness, were clearly improved by spa therapy.<br>4. It was shown in SD that character of patients changed with beneficial trend for therapy of asthma after spa therapy.<br>These results suggest that psychological disorders of patients with bronchial asthma are improved by spa therapy.
ABSTRACT
Annual changes in age, age at onset, incidence of cases with steroiddependent intractable asthma, clinical asthma types and clinical efficacy rate were examined in 256 patients with chronic respiratory diseases, especially in 203 cases with bronchial asthma, admitted to Misasa Branch Hospital from 1982 to 1989.<br>1. A number of patients with respiratory diseases as well as asthmatics admitted each year, having spa therapy, increased from early year (1982) to later year (1989).<br>2. A number in cases with 40 year or over of age (also with 60 year or over of age) and cases with 40 year or over of age at onset showed a tendency to increase in later three years (1987-1989). A decreased frequency of cases with steroid-dependent asthma and of cases with type II (bronchiolar obstruction type) was observed in the later three years.<br>3. The clinical efficacy of spa therapy for bronchial asthma was Niger in the later three years than in early three years (1982-1984).