PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the level of distress and quality of life (QoL) in esophageal cancer patients, and to identify the factors influencing QoL METHODS: A sample of 103 patients who have esophageal cancer were included in a descriptive study. The instruments used were the Distress Thermometer and Problem List, and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) version 4. RESULTS: The mean distress score of the subjects was 4.06±2.04 out of 10. The total mean score of quality of life was 66.39±12.86 out of 108, the highest category was physical well-being with a mean item score of 21.78±5.51, the lowest was emotional well-being with a mean item score of 14.69±3.68. The levels of distress and QoL were negatively correlated (r=−.61, p<.001). Stepwise regression analysis revealed that the QoL of the patients was explained by type of treatment and distress. These variables explained 35% of the variance in QoL. CONCLUSION: The QoL of patients with esophageal cancer was relatively low, and the type of treatment and distress was the most important factor affecting quality of life. Thus, to improve the QoL of patients with esophageal cancer, it is important to assess their distress and to provide appropriate interventions.
Esophageal Neoplasms* ; Humans ; Quality of Life* ; Thermometers

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to develop feasible and detailed infection control guidelines (ICG) and audit protocols for health care workers and auditors in postpartum care centers (PCC). METHODS: PCC ICG and audit protocols were developed in several steps: 1) review of previous ICG for PCCs; 2) establishment of frameworks for updating guidelines and audit protocols; 3) review of new ICG, regulations, etc.; 4) drafting of PCC ICG and audit protocols and revision based on feedback from the research committee; 5) Delphi survey to solicit opinions from infection control, infant care, and maternal care professionals as well as PCC health care workers; 6) re-revision after discussion with the research committee; and 7) finalization of PCC ICG and audit protocols. RESULTS: We developed ICG with 4 categories and 26 sub-categories, and internal and external audit protocols with 163 and 85 items, respectively. CONCLUSION: The ICG and audit protocols are valid and feasible; we recommend their utilization as auditing tools, baseline data for the development of national infection control policies, and as educational materials for PCC healthcare workers.
Checklist ; Delivery of Health Care ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant Care ; Infection Control* ; Postnatal Care* ; Postpartum Period* ; Social Control, Formal

No abstract available.
Breast* ; Female* ; Humans

INTRODUNTION: The objective of the present study was to investigate bedtime, rise time and time-in-bed of Korean college students, separately on weekday and on weekend and to compare them. In addition, this study also aimed to evaluate the influence of gender, age and grade on the above sleep parmeters in Korean college students. METHODS: Information regarding bedtime and rise time, separately on weekday and on weekend, of Korean college students were obtained by self-administered questionnaire. Questionnaires of 1,825 students (1,416 females and 409 males, age 18-30 ; mean age 21.1+/-2.2) were used for statistical analyses. RESULTS: Korean college students retired to bed 50 minutes later (00 : 49 on weekday ; 01 : 40 on weekend ; t=39.67, p<0.001), rose 1 hour 58 minutes later (07 : 52 on weekday ; 09 : 50 on weekend ; t=39.46, p<0.001), and slept 1 hour 8 minutes longer (t=13.33, p<0.001) on weekend. Compared to male students, female students had earlier rise time (t=8.96, p<0.01 ; t=3.89, p<0.01) and earlier bedtime both on weekday and weekend (t=7.10, p<0.01; t=6.04, p<0.01), and shorter time-in-bed on weekday (t=1.99, p<0.01). In addition, rise time delay and time-in-bed increase on weekend were more prominent in female students than in male students (t=3.41, p<0.01 ; t=3.68, p<0.01). Grade was correlated with bedtime and rise time on weekday (beta=0.1022, p<0.01 ; beta=0.1009, p<0.01), bedtime and time-in-bed on weekend (beta=0.1096, p<0.01 ; beta=-0.0990, p<0.01), and differences between weekday and weekend of the rise time and the time-in-bed (beta=-0.0906, p<0.01 ; beta=-0.1115, p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, Korean college students had earlier bedtime/rise time and shorter time-in-bed on weekday than on weekend. These findings suggest that weekday sleep-wake schedule of Korean college students may be advanced relative to their biological sleep-wake cycle and that this discrepancy may be associated with weekday sleep deprivation. In addition, differences of sleep patterns between weekday and weekend were more prominent in female students and students with lower grade. Therefore, discrepancy between weekday sleep-wake schedule and biological sleep-wake cycle, as well as weekday sleep deprivation, might be more serious in female or lower-grade students.
Appointments and Schedules ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Sleep Deprivation

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study is to investigate the correlation between burden, health status and well-being in spouse caregivers of patients with stroke. METHOD: The subjects of this study were 160 spouse caregivers registered at general hospital in Seoul and Seongnam. The data were collected from July 2th to October 30th, 2003. The Suh & Oh's burden scale, Yang's health status scale and Park's well-being scale were employed to measure burden, health status and wellbeing respectively. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS 12 version to obtain summary statistics for the descriptive analysis, Pearson Correlation, and Stepwise Multiple Regression. RESULTS: 1. The mean score of the degree of burden, health status and well-being were 3.52, 5.92 and 3.64 points. 2. The burden of the subjects were significantly negative correlated with psycho- logical health status(r=-.482. p<.01) and wellbeing(r=-.455, p<.01). 3. With the result of stepwise multiple regression, psychological health status and wellbeing were the main variables which could explain burden by 27.1%. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study will provide practical guidelines for developing emotional nursing interventions for the spouses taking care of CVA patients who would experience a heavy burden and distress.
Caregivers* ; Gyeonggi-do ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Logic ; Nursing ; Seoul ; Spouses* ; Stroke*

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study is to investigate the correlation between burden, health status and well-being in spouse caregivers of patients with stroke. METHOD: The subjects of this study were 160 spouse caregivers registered at general hospital in Seoul and Seongnam. The data were collected from July 2th to October 30th, 2003. The Suh & Oh's burden scale, Yang's health status scale and Park's well-being scale were employed to measure burden, health status and wellbeing respectively. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS 12 version to obtain summary statistics for the descriptive analysis, Pearson Correlation, and Stepwise Multiple Regression. RESULTS: 1. The mean score of the degree of burden, health status and well-being were 3.52, 5.92 and 3.64 points. 2. The burden of the subjects were significantly negative correlated with psycho- logical health status(r=-.482. p<.01) and wellbeing(r=-.455, p<.01). 3. With the result of stepwise multiple regression, psychological health status and wellbeing were the main variables which could explain burden by 27.1%. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study will provide practical guidelines for developing emotional nursing interventions for the spouses taking care of CVA patients who would experience a heavy burden and distress.
Caregivers* ; Gyeonggi-do ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Logic ; Nursing ; Seoul ; Spouses* ; Stroke*

Purpose: This study conducted an economic evaluation of hospital-based home care services for the patients who had undergone breast cancer surgery. Methods: A total of 12,483 patients over 18 years of age who had received breast cancer surgery in 26 tertiary hospitals in 2018 were analyzed with the claim data from the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service using cost-minimization analysis and societal perspectives. Results: There were 156 patients who utilized hospital-based home care services within 30 days after breast cancer surgery, and they received 2.17 (SD=1.17) hospital-based home care service on average. The average total cost was 5,250,028 KRW (SD=1,905,428) for the group receiving continuous hospital-based home care and 6,113,402 KRW (SD=2,033,739) for the group not receiving continuous hospital-based home care (p＜.001). The results of the economic evaluation of continuous hospital-based home care services in patients who had undergone breast cancer surgery indicated a total benefit of 953,691,000 KRW, a total cost of 819,004,000 KRW, and a benefit-cost ratio of 1.16 in 2018. Conclusion Continuous hospital-based home care was considered economically feasible as the total costs for the group receiving continuous hospital-based home care were lower than those of the group not receiving continuous hospital-based home care. Therefore, policy modification and financial incentives are recommended to increase the utilization of hospital-based home care services for patients who had undergone breast cancer surgery.

Authors report a case of separation anxiety disorder, which developed as a side effect during haloperidol treatment of Tourette syndromes(TS). In this case, 14 years old boys developed attention deficit symptoms during his infancy. At 4th grade of primary school, he developed vocal tic, motor tic, and coprolalia. With 5mg/day of haloperidol treatment his symptoms of TS were subsided. During the treatment, he developed features of separation anxiety disorder, including dependence, pleading, clinging, and sadness. Symptoms of attention deficit and separation anxiety disorder were improved by 25mg/day of imipramine treatment. During haloperidol treatment of TS, careful observation may be needed whether separation anxiety disorder-like symptom develops.
Adolescent ; Anxiety, Separation ; Haloperidol* ; Humans ; Imipramine ; Tics ; Tourette Syndrome*