Shipham I, Pitout S J
Department Occupational Therapy, University of Pretoria/Pretoria Academic Hospital.
Curationis. 2003 Nov;26(3):98-106. doi: 10.4102/curationis.v26i3.857.
Persons with rheumatoid arthritis use assistive devices to enable them, in spite of impaired hand dexterity and grip strength, to manage Activities of Daily Living (ADL). The aim of the research was to lay the foundation for a list of essential assistive devices through determining which assistive devices for ADL were most often used and requested, investigating whether there was a correlation between grip strength and the number of assistive devices, duration of disease, degree of difficulty in performing ADL and by investigating whether there was a correlation between difficulty in ADL and number of assistive devices, duration of the disease.
Fifty five persons, 42 females and 13 males, seen at the Pretoria Academic Hospital's Arthritis Clinic were recruited.
A questionnaire was used to determine the level of difficulty with ADL. Details about assistive devices were recorded. The modified sphygmomanometer was used to measure grip strength.
Assistive devices most in use were the tap turner and the dagger knife with built up handle. The highest correlation was found between grip strength and difficulty in ADL and between difficulty in ADL and the number of assistive devices used. It seems therefore that loss of grip strength is the main indicator for assistive devices.
类风湿性关节炎患者使用辅助器具，以便在手部灵活性和握力受损的情况下仍能进行日常生活活动（ADL）。该研究的目的是通过确定哪些ADL辅助器具最常被使用和需求，研究握力与辅助器具数量之间是否存在相关性、疾病持续时间、进行ADL的困难程度，并研究ADL困难程度与辅助器具数量、疾病持续时间之间是否存在相关性，从而为一份基本辅助器具清单奠定基础。
招募了在比勒陀利亚学术医院关节炎诊所就诊的55人，其中42名女性和13名男性。
使用问卷确定ADL的困难程度。记录有关辅助器具的详细信息。使用改良血压计测量握力。
使用最多的辅助器具是水龙头旋转器和带加厚手柄的匕首刀。握力与ADL困难程度之间以及ADL困难程度与使用的辅助器具数量之间的相关性最高。因此，握力丧失似乎是辅助器具的主要指标。
