Epidemiologic Study on Clinical Features of Patient with Pressure Ulcer - A Prospective Study

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the characteristics, predictors, and consequences of pressure ulcers and to provide prospective epidemiologic data. METHOD: The prospective data of 100 patients with pressure ulcers were collected who were admitted to the department of rehabilitation medicine of 4 hospitals from 2002 June to 2003 September. We have collected the informations on clinical features of pressure ulcer prospectively. RESULTS: Quadriplegia/Tetraplegia was the most commonly involved type of injury, followed by hemiplegia, paraplegia. Most patients developed pressure ulcer before they were transferred to the rehabilitation unit. The average Braden scale scores was 13.06+/-3.46 and were 16 point or below in 80% of patients, and this point was considered as the cut-off score of the patients with high risk. Sacrum was the most common site of the ulcers and most ulcers were 2nd and 3rd stage. The ulcers were treated with conservative (82%) or surgical management (18%). The more severe and larger ulcers required the surgical management. CONCLUSION: The results of this prospective study on clinical features would be helpful for the understandings, prevention and management of pressure ulcers.

Intractable Hiccup Induced by Multiple Cerebral Infarct: A case report

Hiccup can be regarded as a failure of the usual alternating excitation-inhibition between glottis closure and inspiration. The coordinating center is located in the brain-stem reticular formation. A wide variety of pathological conditions can cause intractable hiccup: myocardial infarction, brain tumor, renal failure, prostate cancer, abdominal surgery, etc. Stroke is an unusual cause of intractable hiccup. Intractable hiccup is rare but disabling condition which can induce depression, weight loss, sleep deprivation, and even death. Etiological treatment is not always available and intractable hiccup treatment has classically relied on metoclopramide and chlorpromazine. We experienced a case of intractable hiccup induced by multiple cerebral infarct, and we present this rare case with the review of literature.