Research on Prevention of Agricultural Accidents / 日本農村医学会雑誌

There are no signs of a drop in the number of deaths in accidents while at farmwork, hovering around 400 a year. Furthermore, the fact remains that accurate data about those farm accidents are not fully grasped.This reality gave birth to a Special Study Team on the Prevention of Farmwork Accidents in the Japanese Association of Rural Medicine.To cast light on the actuality of farm work accidents, questionnaires on accidents caused by farm machinery and instruments were sent to three medical institutions affiliated with the Association from October 2002 to March 2004. As a result, clinical data were collected on 141 clinical cases. Moreover, studies were performed on five cases in which rescue squads were dispatched to give aid to the injured.The data thus collected on the clinical cases revealed that grass cutters, harvesters, riding and push-on-foot types of tractors, and straw cutters were responsible for many accidents. Some individuals were involved in the accidents as operators of grass cutters were unaware of their existence nearby because of noise from the machines, some dragged in by the harvesters or straw cutters, and some pinned under the tractors.Case studies on death-induced accidents suggested the indispensability of fitting a safety frame and a seat belt to the tractor and installing a cabin on the speed sprayer.For the prevention of accidents by farm machinery, it is important to hold lecture meetings more frequently both on the basic method of their use and on first aid.

Results of Laminoplasty for Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy / 日本農村医学会雑誌

[Follow-up studies were made of 35 patient who underwent laminoplasty for cervical spondylotic myelopathy for 22 monthoon averages]<BR>The conditions of 35 patients were observed consecutively after laminoplasty.<BR>The mean JOA scores were improved from 8.7 to 12.5. Postoperative JOA scores correlated with preoperarive JOA scores (r=0.60, p<0.01) and ages at the time of the operation (r=-0.45, p<0.01). The period from the onset of the disease to the operation and the vertebral canal diameters didnot [No significant correlation who found between- and-] influence the operative results of the operation.