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Biomedical subjects

K Asplund

Publications and source records attributed to K Asplund.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Feeding problems in severely demented patients seen from task and relationship aspects.

This study aimed at increasing the understanding of feeding problems in severely demented patients cared for in a task assignment system. Twenty-three video-recordings made during the feeding of 15 severely demented patients and 55 focused interviews with 45 caregivers, who fed the 15 patients during that period were analysed regarding the feeding problems seen from a task aspect and from a relationship aspect. The result indicated that the problems were partly of a more constant nature and partly fluctuated from meal to meal. Feeding problems regarding the task aspect were mentioned first by the caregivers in the interviews in spite of the fact that the patients had severe communication problems which could be expected to cause great problems in the relationship between the patient and his caregiver. Reasons for these findings are suggested.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Randomized clinical trials of hemodilution in acute ischemic stroke.

The effects of hemodilution in acute ischemic stroke have been investigated, first in a single-center, then in a multicenter trial. Patients with hematocrit levels of 38-50% were randomized, within 48 h of onset of symptoms, to treatment with repeated venesections (total 250-1000 ml) and concomitant dextran 40 administration, or to a control group. The single-center study, performed in a research-oriented stroke unit, involved 102 patients. Case fatality rate was not grossly affected by hemodilution. In survivors, hemodilution improved neurological outcome. More hemodiluted patients were independent in walking and more were at home 3 months after the stroke. The ensuing multicenter trial involved 383 patients in 15 Scandinavian centers. Three-month case fatality rate was 16% in hemodiluted and 12% in control patients. Neurological scoring and ADL performance at 3 months was not improved by hemodilution. No subgroup with beneficial effects was discerned. It is concluded that the present standardized hemodilution regime cannot be recommended for general use in patients with ischemic stroke.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Hormones in 'young' and 'old' elderly: pituitary-thyroid and pituitary-adrenal axes.

Changes of the pituitary-thyroid and pituitary-adrenal hormone axes with age and possible differences between the sexes in the elderly were studied in 60-year-old (n = 39) and 80-year-old (n = 34) non-hospitalized subjects. The 80-year-old age group had a significantly lower response of thyrotropin (TSH) to thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH; p less than 0.05). Otherwise, there were no significant differences between the two age groups. Sex differences were found for plasma arginine vasopressin and cortisol excretion (higher values in men), and free thyroxine index, TSH and prolactin response to TRH (higher values in women). Cortisol levels after dexamethasone were negatively correlated to body mass index. There were no differences in hormone levels between smokers and non-smokers. In obtaining reference values for hormones in old age it is important to consider possible changes after the age of 60 years and to adjust for gender and body mass.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Family caregiving for the elderly in Sweden.

Measures are being taken which will make it possible for relatives to become more involved in family caregiving. Public efforts are regarded as a complement to family caregiving. Health personnel have started to change their attitudes toward relatives and look at them as an important source for the elderly. The co-operation between public services and family caregiving is being developed and strengthened. A lot of work still has to be done. It seems very important that research is carried out which focuses on the content of family caregiving. We need descriptions of the processes going on between the sick elderly person, his relatives and the professionals supporting the care. This kind of knowledge is a prerequisite for adequate care.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Eating problems and nutritional status during hospital stay of patients with severe stroke.

Eating problems and nutritional status were studied in a consecutive series of patients who had had strokes. From this cohort, 32 subjects (mean age 73 years) with a hospital stay of 21 days or more are described. Eating problems were identified by direct participant observations of the patients' eating behavior, interviews on admission, inspections of the mouth, and discussions with the patients. Nutritional status was assessed by weight, triceps skinfold thickness (TSF), arm muscular circumference (AMC), plasma albumin, serum transferrin, and plasma prealbumin on admission and then weekly. Eating problems were identified in 27 patients. In a general linear hypothesis program, poor nutritional status 3 weeks after admission was found to be associated with (in decreasing order) low self-care performance, poor nutritional status on admission, male sex, intravenous energy-containing fluids, advanced age, paresis of the right arm, and eating problems. Factors other than eating problems seem to be important for undernutrition in patients with strokes during hospital stay.

Cerebrovascular Disorders↗
PubMed1989

[Perceptual impairment].

After a brain injury, whether traumatic or caused by a stroke, perceptual impairments are common. They are, however, only seldom revealed by a routine physical examination. In this article, the many manifestations of perceptual impairment and tests for perceptual function are briefly presented. It appears that perceptual deficits contribute largely to reduced self-care ability in patients with brain lesions. An effective training program for perceptual deficits remains to be developed.

Brain Damage, Chronic↗
PubMed1988

The inhibition of the growth of Bacillus cereus in liver sausage.

The growth of Bacillus cereus is a problem in liver sausage especially when the sausages are stored at high temperatures. Even concentrations of greater than 10(6)/g have been detected. In this study we found that when combining glucono-delta-lactone, sodium erythorbate and citric acid with sodium nitrite and salt the growth of B. cereus could be delayed or totally inhibited.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Diagnostic criteria and quality control of the registration of stroke events in the MONICA project.

Stroke events are being registered in 27 of the MONICA collaborating centres. Coding of test cases has shown the greatest discrepancies in coding of the type of stroke (different pathoanatomical diagnoses) and of the diagnostic category (whether a definite stroke has occurred or not), 23% and 14% discrepancies respectively. A check for completeness of stroke registration at the Northern Sweden MONICA Center showed that more than 91% of the events were retrieved by routine registration procedures. Measures to reduce the discrepancies in coding between centres and to check for completeness of data are suggested. In many centres, the number of stroke events below 65 years of age is too small to permit meaningful analyses. By including also stroke events in the 65-74 year age range, the number of fatal events in the Northern Sweden MONICA area increased by 195% and non-fatal events by 149%. Many other MONICA centres have also extended their upper age limit for the registration of stroke events, thus improving the preconditions for statistical evaluations of the long-term changes in stroke incidence.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1988

Cardiovascular risk factors in the Northern Sweden MONICA Study.

In the WHO MONICA Study, determinants and trends in cardiovascular disease are monitored during a 10-year period in 40 centers in 27 countries. The Northern Sweden MONICA Center is located furthest to the north of all participating centers. In this report, baseline data on cardiovascular risk factors are presented. In the first population screening, 1,625 of 2,000 (81%) invited individuals participated. Diastolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 90 mmHg was recorded in 19% and 9% were on drug treatment for hypertension. Median cholesterol level was 6.10 mmol/l and the frequency of hypercholesterolemia was high. A body mass index of greater than or equal to 30, indicating severe obesity, was observed in 9%, a lower proportion than in most other European populations. Among men, the total proportion of tobacco consumers was 49%, including 22% snuffers. Of the women, 31% were tobacco consumers, very few being snuffers. Women had, in general, a more favorable cardiovascular risk factor profile up to the age of 45. Thereafter, the two genders were similar. By international comparisons, the population in northern Sweden is characterized by high serum cholesterol levels, intermediate blood pressure levels, a relatively low prevalence of severe obesity and a high consumption of smokeless tobacco.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Nutritional status in patients with acute stroke.

By measuring three anthropometric variables (relative weight, triceps skinfold thickness and arm muscle circumference) and three circulating proteins (albumin, transferrin and prealbumin), nutritional status was assessed in 100 consecutive patients with acute stroke. On admission to hospital, two or more indicators showed subnormal values for 16%; this was associated with the female sex, high age and a history of atrial fibrillation. At discharge, 22% had two or more subnormal indicators. Poor nutritional status during the hospital stay appeared to be related to infections, the male sex, the intake of cardiovascular drugs and high age. Fewer of the patients with two or more subnormal nutritional indicators were able to return home than of the patients with none or one subnormal nutritional indicator. We conclude that undernutrition is not uncommon at the onset of stroke and that certain risk groups for the development of undernutrition during hospital stay can be identified.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1988

Tedium among patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Tedium assessment and factor analysis of psychosocial variables were performed in 158 insulin-dependent diabetic patients. High tedium scores correlated significantly (P less than 0.05) with high education, lack of self-monitoring, many reported problems concerning insulin injections, diet, strict planning of the activities of everyday life and anxiety concerning complications. There was also a significant relationship between low tedium scores and reported positive effects of the diabetes. There was a higher proportion (ns) of high tedium scores among patients in poor or good metabolic control than in those with intermediate metabolic control.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Risk of recurrent stroke, myocardial infarction and epilepsy during long-term follow-up after stroke.

The risk of recurrent stroke, myocardial infarction and epilepsy was analyzed in a population-based cohort of 409 stroke patients (mean age 72 years) observed for 3.5-7 years. As assessed by the life table technique, the proportion of survivors in the cohort was 69 +/- 5% at 1 year and 38 +/- 7% at 5 years. During the first year, the risk for recurrent stroke was 14 +/- 4%, and the accumulated risk for stroke recurrence at 5 years was 37 +/- 10%. The probability for myocardial infarction was estimated to be 7 +/- 3% at 1 year and 19 +/- 8% at 5 years. The risk of recurrent stroke was enhanced in patients of high age and with a history of cardiac failure (p less than 0.05), whereas the risk of myocardial infarction was associated with high age, angina pectoris and diabetes mellitus (p less than 0.05). The risk of epilepsy was 3 +/- 2% at 1 year and 5 +/- 4% at 5 years. The considerable risk of recurrent stroke, myocardial infarction and epilepsy adds to the sequelae of the initial cerebrovascular accident.

Aged↗