Noninvasive prediction of pulmonary arterial pressure is of paramount importance in heart disease. To estimate pulmonary arterial pressure, several echocardiographic techniques, including abnormal pulmonary valve motion, prolongation of RV preejection period/RV ejection time ratio and contrast echocardiography have been proposed. Recently Doppler echocardiography has been known to detect intracardiac blood quantitatively. For assessment of the benefit of several indices by Pulsed Doppler echocardiography for mean pulmonary arterial pressure, 22 patients(mean pulmonary pressure> or =20mmHg; 11, <20mmHg; 11) were compared with the mean pulmonary arterial pressure by cardiac catheterization. In comparison of mean pulmonary arterial pressure(MPAP); 1) Right preejection period / RV ejection time RPEP/RVET;r=0.278 2) Right preejection period / Acceleration time RPEP/AT : r=0.654 3) Acceleration time(AT) AT=-1.55(MPAP)+154.37(r=-0.763) AT=-92.99(log MPAP)+239.41(r=-0.752) AT is less than 105 msec in 9 or 11 pulmonary hypertension and one of 11 normal individual. 4) Acceleration time/ RV ejection time AT/RVET=-136.36(MPAP)+83.31(r=-0.817) AT/RVET=-0.29(log MPAP)+0.81(r=-0.803) 5) (Right preejection period+Decceleration time) / AT (RPEP+DT)/AT=9.6(MPAP)-0.16(r=0.806) (RPEP+DT)/AT=3.86(log MPAP)-2.46(r=0.789) In conclusion AT/RVET, (RPEP+DT)/AT and Acceleration time of 105 msec are valuable indices to estimate mean pulmonary arterial pressure by Pulsed Doppler echocardiogram.
Acceleration ; Arterial Pressure* ; Cardiac Catheterization ; Cardiac Catheters ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Echocardiography, Doppler, Pulsed* ; Heart Diseases ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; Pulmonary Valve

No abstract available.

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the occupational performance and development needs, and specifically the priority needs, of general hospital nurses according to their career levels so as to help create an effective nursing management competency development program. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted with 203 nurses working at three advanced general hospitals in G metropolitan city and C province. The participants completed a questionnaire about behavioral indicators which measured their nursing management performance and development needs. Their career levels were divided into four. Data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, Borich need, and the Locus for Focus model. Results: The mean levels of nursing management performance and competency development needs were 2.78±0.75 and 4.07±0.58, respectively. There was a significant difference in nursing management performance and development needs according to career level (F=6.18, p<.001, F=12.35, p<.001). Priority need analysis showed that level 1, level 2, level 3, level 4 nurses had higher demands for self-development and adaptation to new changes/organizationursing work performance and information management role/creativity development, respectively. Conclusion The findings provide a basis for training systems that differentiate between contents and degrees of nursing management competency based on career level to develop nursing human resources.

No abstract available.
Echocardiography, Transesophageal* ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency*

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to review the literature to determine whether intensive pelvic floor muscle training during pregnancy and after delivery could prevent urinary and fecal incontinence. METHODS: Randomized controlled trials (RCT) of low-risk obstetric populations who had done Kegel exercise during pregnancy and after delivery met the inclusion criteria. Articles published between 1966 and 2012 from periodicals indexed in Ovid Medline, Embase, Scopus, KoreaMed, NDSL and other databases were selected, using the following keywords: 'Kegel, pelvic floor exercise'. The Cochrane's Risk of Bias was applied to assess the internal validity of the RCT. Fourteen selected studies were analyzed by meta-analysis using RevMan 5.1. RESULTS: Fourteen RCTs with high methodological quality, involving 6,454 women were included. They indicated that Kegel exercise significantly reduced the development of urinary and fecal incontinence from pregnancy to postpartum. Also, there was low clinical heterogeneity. CONCLUSION: There is some evidence that for antenatal and postnatal women, Kegel exercise can prevent urinary and fecal incontinence. Therefore, a priority task is to develop standardized Kegel exercise programs for Korean pregnant and postpartum women and make efficient use of these programs.
Clinical Trials as Topic ; Databases, Factual ; *Exercise Therapy ; Fecal Incontinence/*prevention & control ; Female ; Humans ; Muscle Contraction/physiology ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy ; Urinary Incontinence/*prevention & control

The characterisitic finding of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is left ventricular hypertrophy without dilated chamber. Echocardiographic studies of patients with pheochromocytoma in the past have revealed both dilated and hypertrophic cardiomyopathies, as well as obstruction of the left ventricular outflow tract. We report this case because we experienced a pheochromocytoma patient who had reversible hypertrophic cardiomyopathy which might be related with circulating catecholamine level.
Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic* ; Echocardiography ; Humans ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular ; Pheochromocytoma*

BACKGROUND: In patients with myocardial infarction (MI) and chronic stable angina, the coronary flow reserve (CFR) is reduced not only in the region of myocardium perfused by the ischemia-related artery but also in the regions supplied by angiographically normal coronary arteries. The effect of myocardial stunning on the remote CFR is unknown, however. METHODS: In ten open-chest anesthetized dogs, left circumflex coronary artery was occluded for 15 minutes (myocardial stunning group, n=5) or for 30 minutes (MI group, n=5) and was followed by a reperfusion for 60 minutes. Before coronary occlusion and at 30 minutes and at 60 minutes after reperfusion, resting coronary blood flow (CBF) and maximal CBF after IV injection of each of adenosine (ADE) and acetylcholine (Ach) was measured with electromagnetic flow probe located in the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery. CFR was calculated as the ratio of maximal and resting CBF. RESULTS: At 30 minutes and 60 minutes after reperfusion, the remote resting CBF were significantly increased in both groups and the remote CFR was significantly decreased in both groups. The CFR of the MI group was lower than myocardial stunning group. The coronary vasodilator response to Ach was significantly lower than the response to ADE in both groups. CONCLUSION: After MI and myocardial stunning, there was severe coronary vasodilator abnormality in the remote myocardium and that was more marked after MI. The coronary vasodilator response to Ach was significantly lower than the response to ADE in both groups, suggesting endothelial dysfunction in remote myocardium.
Acetylcholine ; Adenosine ; Angina, Stable ; Animals ; Arteries ; Coronary Occlusion ; Coronary Vessels ; Dogs ; Humans ; Magnets ; Myocardial Infarction ; Myocardial Stunning* ; Myocardium ; Reperfusion

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular hypertrophy is common in chronic renal failure patients and may contribute increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. We evaluated the left ventricular morphology and function in renal transplant recipients to find the relationship between hemodynamic changes and morphologic and functional improvement after transplantation. METHODS: Serial echocardiographic evaluations were performed in 27 adults(20 men and 7 women) at the time of transplantaion and posttransplantation 1 month and 4 months. The average duration of hemodialysis was 16+/-24 months(mean+/-S.D.). RESULTS: At the time of transplantation, the hematocrit level was 21+/-6% and posttransplantation 1 month and 4 months, that was increased to 39+/-5% and 42+/-7%, respectively(p<0.001). Left ventricular mass index by echocardiography was decreased significantly from 246+/-87g/m2(pre-KT) to 169+/-38g/m2(post-KT 1 month) and 153+/-40g/m2(post-KT 4 months), respectively (p<0.001). Interventricular septal thickness and left ventricular posterior wall thickness were decreased significantly after 4 months of transplantation. Left ventricular systolic and diastolic dimensions were also decreased significantly after 1 month and 4 months of transplantation. Left ventricular volumes and cardiac output were also decreased significantly. But A/E ratio, ejection fraction and fractional shortening did not change significantly. CONCLUSION: These findings showed that pretransplant high output state was resolved radipidly(within 1 month) but the diastolic function did not improved after transplantation 1 month and 4 months.
Cardiac Output ; Echocardiography* ; Hematocrit ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Kidney Transplantation ; Male ; Mortality ; Renal Dialysis ; Transplantation*

BACKGROUNG AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of changes in ventricular preload and afterload, atrial and ventricular pacing on the coronary flow reserve (CFR). METHOD: Five open chest anesthetized dogs were studied in five sequential stages:baseline, saline solution volume loading (293.8+/-29.2 ml for 10 min), atrial and ventricular pacing (120, 140, and 160 bpm), and aortic clamp. Coronary blood flow (CBF) was measured with electro-magnetic flowmeter. CFR was defined as the ratio of hyperemic CBF (hCBF) to resting CBF (rCBF). Hyperemia was induced by IV adenosine infusion (1 mg/kg/min). RESULTS: 1)After volume loading wtih saline solution, CFR significantly decreased (p<0.05) because rCBF was increased while hCBF remained unchanged. 2)Atrial pacing produced increase in rCBF but did not change hCBF. Consequently CFR singificantly reduced when heart rate (HR) increased from sinus rhythm to 120, 140, and 160 bpm (p<0.01). 3)Ventricular pacing produced decrease in hCBF but did not change rCBF. Consequently CFR significantly reduced as HR increased from sinus rhythm to 120 (p<0.05) , 140 (p<0.01), and 160 (p<0.01) bpm. 4)After aortic clamp, CFR significantly decreased (p<0.01) because rCBF increased while hCBF remained unchanged. CONCLUSION: We found that CFR is dependent on the changes in volume loading, HR, and ventricular afterload that may commonly occur in clinical situations.
Adenosine ; Animals ; Dogs* ; Flowmeters ; Heart Rate ; Hyperemia ; Sodium Chloride ; Thorax

PURPOSE: This study was performed to investigate the effects of intravesical instillation of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors on the cyclophosphamide-induced overactive bladder. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The 40 Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 3 groups; the control group, the overactive group, and the COX-2 inhibitor treated group. Cystometrograms (CMG) were performed and the contraction interval, inter-contraction interval, contraction time and contraction pressure were measured. After CMG, the bladders of each group were dissected out, and weighed. RESULTS: On CMG, the contraction interval and inter-contraction interval for the overactive group were significantly decreased compared with the control group. After treatment with COX-2 inhibitor, the contraction interval and inter-contraction interval were significantly increased compared with the overactive group (p<0.05). The contraction time in the overactive group was significantly increased compared with the control group, and it was also decreased in the COX-2 inhibitor treated group compared with the overactive group (p<0.05). The contraction pressure in the overactive group and the COX-2 inhibitor treated group were significantly increased compared with the control group. There were no significant differences between the overactive and COX-2 inhibitor treated groups. The bladder weights of the overactive and COX-2 inhibitor treated groups were significantly increased compared with the control group (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Intravesical instillation of COX-2 inhibitor can suppress cyclophosphamide-induced detrusor overactivity. Therefore, intravesical instillation of COX-2 inhibitor may be considered as a possible treatment for the overactive bladder.
Administration, Intravesical* ; Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors ; Cyclooxygenase 2* ; Cyclophosphamide ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Bladder, Overactive* ; Weights and Measures