[A study of the degree of burden and subjective sense of well being in care-givers involved in home care].

We investigated the degree of burden on care-givers and their subjective sense of well being, and studied the factors affecting them. Twenty people who were responsible for at least a year for constant care of elderly or bed-ridden patients under visitation care and nursing supervision of this hospital were registered. Regarding the care-givers, we investigated age, sex, duration of care, the relations between the care-givers and the cared-for, assistant care-givers, profession and hobbies, if any, of the care-givers, the depression scores; the social support, the degree of burden imposed by care, and the subjective sense of well being.

A study of clinical features and treatment of acute bronchitis by Japanese primary care physicians.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the factors affecting prescription of antibiotics for acute bronchitis in ambulatory care settings in Japan.

Method: A prospective study was conducted on 92 physicians engaged in primary care regarding their prescription behaviour for a series of 20 new patients with acute respiratory diseases seen during November 1996 and the background factors affecting the behaviour.

Results: A total of 1755 patients were registered during the study period, 302 (17.

[Effect of warm bathing on blood pressure in bedridden patients].

The effects of warm bathing on short-term and circadian rhythms for blood pressure (BP), pulse rate (PR), and endocrine function were studied in 10 bed-ridden patients (5 men and 5 women; age 78.9 +/- 10.5 years old) hospitalized in Nomura Municipal Hospital.

[Relation between atherosclerotic risk factors and abdominal wall fat thickness].

We used ultrasonography to assess the accumulation of visceral fat and its relation to known risk factors for atherosclerotic disease, and examined its relation with atherotic changes in the common carotid artery. The subjects were 315 consecutive inpatients (173 men, 142 women; mean age, 68.3 years) hospitalized during a 21-month period.

[Risk factors related to the wall thickness of the common carotid artery in elderly patients].

We used ultrasonography to evaluate atherosclerotic lesions in the common carotid arteries of 147 inpatients (82 men, 65 women; mean age, 72.2 years). We sought to determine the relation between these lesions and various risk factors for atherosclerosis, as well as the utility of ultrasonography in quantitative evaluation of atherosclerotic disease.

[Health problems of elderly patients in a rural area].

The purpose of this study was to identify diseases frequently found in elderly populations in rural areas as well as to discuss the role of geriatric physicians in medical care for elderly patients. The study was conducted using ICHPPC-2-Defined (Japan version) which had been compiled by WONCA for the classification of diseases. The acute health problems treated by the clinic consisted of 183 types (2070 items) in 1916 patients seen during 19 months compared to 66 types of chronic problems consisting of 505 items in 179 patients.

[A case of bronchial asthma complicated with mediastinal, subcutaneous, peritoneal and epidural emphysema].

A case of a 16-year-old female with bronchial asthma complicated with mediastinal, subcutaneous, peritoneal and epidural emphysema was reported. The patient was admitted to our hospital because of dyspnea. Chest and abdominal X-ray films revealed mediastinal emphysema with peribronchial air sheath, subcutaneous emphysema in the neck and chest, and peritoneal emphysema.