No abstract available.

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

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.

BACKGROUND: The estimation of coronary flow velocity(CFV) is essential for assessing the impaired coronary flow reserve in patients whith angina pectoris and normal coronary arteries. But, intracoronary blood flow velocity measurement remains invasive,requiring cardiac catheterization and can not be repeated without risk during serial follow-up study. Transesophageal Doppler echocardiography(TEE) is a new noninvasive method of assessing CFV in the proximal portion of left anterior descending coronary artery. This study was performed to clarify the value of TEE in evaluating CFV, to compare the coronary flow patterns among various cardiac diseases, to estimate the coronary flow dynamics according to change of blood pressure, and to evaluate the parameters influencing CFV. METHODS: We studied 95 subjects, 51 men and 44 women, mean age 46. Normotensive subjects were 29, hypertensive patients 41, aortic stenosis 5, aortic regurgitation 4, mitral stenosis 8, and others 8. After transthoracic echocardiography(H-P Sonos 1000,2.5 MHz), transesophageal echocardiography was performed using a 5-Hz(omniplane)transesophageal probe connected to a H-P Sonos 1000 to assess CFV in the proximal portion of left anterior descending coronary artery. Doppler evaluation of left anterior descending coronary blood flow velocity was obtained in restiong conditions and after sublingual administraion of nitroglycerim(0.6mg), Blook pressure and heart rate were monitored thoughout the entire procedure. RESULTS: 1) The detection rate of CFV by TEE was 89.5%. 2) The morphology of CFV in proximal left anterior descending coronary artery was biphasic(greater diastolic and smaller systolic). 3) The baseline CFV in hypertensive patients was greater than in normotensive subjects(p<0.05) but there was no difference between two groups in diastolic/systolic CFV ratio. 4) The diastolic CFV and diastolic/systolic CFV ratio in patients with aortic stenosis were greater than in normotensive subjects(p<0.05). 5) The CFV was significantly decreased after administration of nitroglycerin(p<0.05) and the decrement of CFV correlated closely with the decrement of systolic(r=0.65, p<0.05) and diastolic blood pressure(r=0.57, p<0.05). 6) Major parameters influencing CFV were systolic blood pressure and heart rate. CONCLUSION: The CFV is influenced by various parameters and the TEE may be a useful, noninvasive tool to investigate the coronary flow dynamics.
Angina Pectoris ; Aortic Valve Insufficiency ; Aortic Valve Stenosis ; Blood Flow Velocity ; Blood Pressure ; Cardiac Catheterization ; Cardiac Catheters ; Coronary Vessels ; Echocardiography, Doppler* ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Diseases ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Male ; Mitral Valve Stenosis

Ventricular tachycardia is an important tachyarrhythmia which is encountered commonly in clinical field. The accompanying manifestations could be variable just from palpitation to sudden cardiac death. The classification of this arrhythmia has not completly settled yet, but in a broad way this arrhythmia is classified according to the prescence or abscence or underlying heart disease, especially coronary artery disease. Recently, therapeutic modalities for this arrhythmia have been changed a lot from classical antiarrhythmic drugs to radiofrequency ablation or ICD implantation although there are still some problems to overcome. We experienced a case of 34-year-old female having an incessant ventricular tacycardia which was abolished after endomyocardial biopsy performed to differentiate underlying myocardial pathology.
Adult ; Anti-Arrhythmia Agents ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Biopsy* ; Catheter Ablation ; Classification ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Death, Sudden, Cardiac ; Female ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Pathology ; Tachycardia ; Tachycardia, Ventricular*

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

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

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*

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

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*