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Objective : To determine the cost of treating pressure ulcers in the Rehabilitation ward Srinagarind Hospital, Khon Kaen University.Method : This is a prospective study. Thirty patients with 54 pressure ulcers were studied in the period of 2 years and 3 months.Results: The most common site of the pressure ulcer was at the sacral area, i.e. 21/54 ulcers (38.88%). The most common site of the grade 4 ulcer was also at sacral area, i. e. 8/12 ulcers (66.66%). The cost of treating pressure ulcers was the summation of the costs of room and board during pressure ulcer treatment, nursing time for wound care, medical supplies, medications and operations. The total cost was 1,167,926.46 baht (mean ± SD = 48,764.70 ±55,426.43 baht / patient, median = 30)484.14 baht / patient). While the hospital charged the patients for ulcer treatment totally for 471,753.00 baht (mean ± SD = 15,217.84 ± 20,781.59 baht / patient, median = 6,800.00 baht / patient).Conclusion : Pressure ulcers are preventable unless one is ignorant. Treatments of pressure ulcers cost both time and money. Patients with increased risks of developing pressure ulcers should have special attention to prevent pressure ulcers both in acute and long term care facilities.Key words : Pressure ulcer , decubitus ulcer.
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\ Objective.\ To eveluate the prevalence, severity and clinical risk associated with postpartum low back pain among otherwise healthy Thai women.\ Methods.\ Two hundred women attentding the well baby clinic at srinagarind Hospital were randomly selected for study to identify postpartum patients with symptomatic low back pain.\ A complete history and physical examination wer performed by an orthopaedic suregeon and a physiatist.\ Data included any history of back pain and a visula analog scale for pain.\ Results.\ At an average of 8.3 6.5 months postpartum, patients with a mean age of 27.1 4.5 years, exhibited a 35.5% [17/200 women] prevalence of symptomatic low back pain.\ Among the symptomatic group, average pain scale was 30.1 26.7 and 90% had required bed rest to achieve relief.\ Analysis disclosed a significantly [P\<0.001] greater parity and higher frequency of prior back pain among the symptomatic group.\ Patient age and family income were not different by group.\ Symptomatic women were significantly [P\<0.001] less likely to have been compliant with the thai traditional postpartum ritual.\ Conclusions.\ The prevalence data from this study are consistent with those of other studies except for the lack of a correlation with socioeconomic status.\ The Thai-traditional postpartum ritual may be protective against postpartum back pain but the factors responsible for that effect remain uncertain.
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The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy and the results of bowel training with soap and bowel training with Dulcolax rectal suppositories in paraplegic patients who had spinal cord lesions. The subjects were 8 males (average age 24.6 years) and 2 females (average age 30.5 years) who had spinal cord injuries at the level of T4-L1. The subjects were divided into 2 groups, 5 each, by the block randomization method. The first group received soap rectal suppositories once a day for 4 days, then changed to Dulcolax rectal suppositories for another 4 days. The second group received Dulcolax rectal suppositories during the first 4 days and then changed to soap rectal suppositories for 4 days. The purpose of the suppositories was to induce bowel movements so that the patients would defecate only when using suppositories and avoid accidental bowel movements there after. The efficacy of the suppositories in inducing defecation was 32% for soap and 41% for Dulcolax, which rates were not statistically significant. The result of bowel training with soap rectal suppositories which caused no accidental bowel movement was 100%. The result with Dulcolax rectal suppositories was 90% because there were 4 accidental bowel movements. Proctoscopic examination showed no complications in any cases. Two patients had mild abdominal discomfort and one had diarrhea after using Dulcolax.