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Biomedical subjects

B J DeLateur

Publications and source records attributed to B J DeLateur.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Return to work following injury: the role of economic, social, and job-related factors.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined factors influencing return to work (RTW) following severe fracture to a lower extremity. METHODS: This prospective cohort study followed 312 individuals treated for a lower extremity fracture at 3 level-1 trauma centers. Kaplan-Meier estimates of the proportion of RTW were computed, and a Cox proportional hazards model was used to examine the contribution of multiple risk factors on RTW. RESULTS: Cumulative proportions of RTW at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-injury were 0.26, 0.49, 0.60, and 0.72. After accounting for the extent of impairment, characteristics of the patient that correlated with higher rates of RTW included younger age, higher education, higher income, the presence of strong social support, and employment in a white-collar job that was not physically demanding. Receipt of disability compensation had a strong negative effect on RTW. CONCLUSIONS: Despite relatively high rates of recovery, one quarter of persons with lower extremity fractures did not return to work by the end of 1 year. The analysis points to subgroups of individuals who are at high risk of delayed RTW, with implications for interventions at the patient, employer, and policy levels.

Absenteeism↗
PubMed1976

Wheelchair cushions designed to prevent pressure sores: an evaluation.

Seven commercially available wheelchair cushions were tested for their ability to reduce reactive hyperemia in paralyzed patients. The cushions were evaluated daily for seven days on each of three patients. A Latin-square design was used to determine the sequence of evaluation on each of the days, and to control the effect of order of assessment. Patients sat on the cushions exactly 30 minutes after which the duration of any redness was measured with a stop watch. Before sitting on the next cushion, the patients remained off their buttocks for exactly 30 minutes. Data for the three patients were averaged, and an analysis of variance of the Latin-square showed no significant differences among the cushions.

Evaluation Studies as Topic↗
PubMed1976

Mechanical work and fatigue: their roles in the development of muscle work capacity.

To compare the effects of mechanical work versus fatigue on the improvement of work capacity of muscle, young, healthy men were selected to life a 45-pound weight with their quadriceps for 30 sessions, followed by 5 sessions of testing. The study consisted of two phases. Subjects in the first phase did equal amounts of mechanical work with both quadriceps, but had different amounts of fatigue from side to side because the rate of work was different. Subjects in the second phase fatigued both quadriceps, but one quadriceps was fatigued with a rest period between contraction cycles, and one was fatigued without a rest period, thus allowing the side with the rest cycle to do more mechanical work. To test the relative effects of training, a transfer-of-training design was used in both phases. The results suggest that fatigue, defined operationally as the inability or unwillingness of the subject to continue the prescribed task under given reinforcement conditions, plays a larger role in the development of work capacity of muscle than the amount of mechanical work per se.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

Temperature distribution produced in models by three microwave applicators at 433.92 megahertz.

Temperature distributions produced in phantom models by diathermy applicators operating at a frequency of 433.92 MHz, a frequency not approved for diathermy by Federal Communication Commission regulations, and an experimental cooled contact applicator operating at an assigned frequency of 915 MHz were compared. The specially designed direct contact applicator with surface cooling elevated deep muscle temperatures as effectively as the "Rundfeldstrahler" operating at the lower frequency in spite of the better penetration of the energy at the lower frequency. The "Pyrodor" and the "Langfeldstrahler," the largest of the applicators operating at 433.92 MHz, do not appear to offer any advantage over existing diathermy equipment. The highest temperatures produced with these applicators were at the fat-muscle-interface.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1975

Heating patterns produced in humans by 433.92 MHz round field applicator and 915MHz contact applicator.

Temperature distributions produced by a round field applicator operating at a frequency of 433.92 megahertz (MHz) are comparable to those produced by a 915 MHz cooled contact applicator in human volunteers with less than or equal to 1 cm or greater than or equal to 2 cm of subcutaneous fat. The major difference between the two applicators is the temperatures produced on the skin surface and in the subcutaneous fat in humans. The circulating coolant of the 915 MHz contact applicator keeps skin surface temperatures much lower than those produced by the round field applicator in thick and thin subjects. It also tends to cool the superficial subcutaneous fat layer in thin subjects but doesn't affect the deeper subcutaneous fat layer in subjects with greater than or equal to 2 cm of subcutaneous fat. The 915 MHz contact applicator gives the ability to control by cooling the temperatures produced in the superifical tissues. By regulating the temperature of coolant and time of cooling, temperature gradients can be modified so the highest temperatures may be found in the muscle. However, the superficial tissue temperature cannot be regulated with the present application of the 433.92 MHz applicator. When the two applicators were compared, it was shown that the 433.92 MHz round field applicator did not surpass the heating ability of the 915 MHz contact applicator. Therefore, at this time, there is no reason to legalize the frequency of 433.92 MHz for diathermy use in the United States.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1975

Stroke: Does rehabilitation affect outcome?

A sample of 114 consecutive stroke admissions to a rehabilitation center was studied statistically to determine functional gains achieved and retained after rehabilitation. In order to provide a measure of function, a functional profile was developed that evaluates seven activities, each according to a five-point scale. It was found that significant gains were achieved which could not be attributed merely to spontaneous recovery. An estimate of the cost benefit ratio showed that the reduced cost resulting from returning patients to the family or to independent living more than paid for the cost of providing rehabilitation services to the whole sample.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1975

Stroke rehabilitation: Outcome and prediction.

Predictors of functional outcome were developed in a group of 114 stroke patients consecutively admitted to a tertiary rehabilitation center. These predictors included a pool of medical data, the age of the patient, psychological tests and the patient's educational level. None of these predictor items showed a correlation with outcome high enough to allow precise prediction of individual outcome. They did, however, provide general indicators for those patients with severe functional impairment who are more likely to gain from a rehabilitation program. The group of medical predictors indicated that a patient with a more extensive, severe lesion, with signs of congestive heart failure, generalized arteriosclerosis, gross perceptual deficit, a lower level of education, and who is older, is less likely to improve in the rehabilitation program. Since a prediction on an individual basis was not possible, it was concluded that even the most severely involved patient should be provided with a therapeutic rehabilitation trial. There was no correlation between severity of the functional impairment at admission and the gains obtained in the rehabilitation program. The same predictors were used to predict whether the patient went home or to an institution. It was found that family income and involvement in support of the patient predicted this outcome, whereas medical data did not. Since family involvement can sometimes be changed by a therapeutic team, this predictor may also present a major target for therapeutic intervention.

Age Factors↗