This study was designed to test the effects of nursing intervention on anxiety level, on the change of physiologic data of the patients undergoing endoscopy. The subjects for the study consisted of 50 hospitalized patients on internal medicine unit in Chonbuk University Hospital during the period between August 1. 1996 and October 3. 1996. Sample were selected according to reestablished criteria. 25 patients were enrolled in experimental group and the other 25 patients were enrolled inthe control group. Experimental group was nursing information and short-term relaxation technique used visual imagination did control group did not given. State anxiety level was measured, using the tool developed by Spielberger(1972) and modified by Kim and Shin(1978), and physiologic data were monitored by blood pressure, pulse rate, serum cortisol level. Data analysis was done by X2-test, t-test, paired t-test, repeated measure of ANOVA using the SAS program. The results were as follows: 1. The first hypothesis that 'the experimental group given nursing information and short-term relaxation technique will be less change of state anxiety level before and after endoscopy than the control group without nursing intervention' was accepted (Experimental group t=-3.65, p=.831; Control group t=-6.34, p=.002). 2. The second hypothesis that 'The experimental group given nursing information and short-term relaxation technique will be loss change of systolic blood pressure before and after endoscopy than the control group without nursing intervention' was accepted(Experimental group F=1.346, p=.12; Control group F=4.590 p=.02). 3. The third hypothesis that 'The experimental group given nursing information and short-term relaxation technique will be loss change of diastolic blood pressure before and after endoscopy than the control group without nursing intervention' was rejected(Experimental group F=.210, p=.76; Control group F=.180 p=.89). 4. The fourth hypothesis that 'The experimental group given nursing information and short-term relaxation technique will be loss change of pulse rate before and after endoscopy than the control group without nursing intervention' was accepted(Experimental group F=.952, p=.17; Control group f=3.997 p=.04). 5. The fifth hypothesis that 'The experimental group given nursing information and short-term relaxation technique will be loss change of serum cortisol level before and after endoscopy than the control group without nursing intervention' was accepted(Experimental group t=1.184, p=.124; Control group t=2.042 p=.034). As seen above, it was concluded that the nursing information and short-term relaxation Technique were effective to reduce anxiety level, physiologic and serum cortisol change in patients undergoing endoscopy. So furthermore, we should continue the Experimental study for testing effectiveness of nursing intervention of anxiety every setting and the results of the study is sure to be useful in clinical field.
Anxiety* ; Blood Pressure ; Endoscopy* ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Imagination ; Internal Medicine ; Jeollabuk-do ; Nursing* ; Relaxation* ; Statistics as Topic

No abstract available.
Sertoli-Leydig Cell Tumor*

BACKGROUND: Using c-fos expression one of the immediate early gene, as a marker of altered neuronal response, we investigated the effect of superior cervical ganglion block (SCGB) exhibiting the same effect of SGB of human on the activity of several brain regions which are considered as located on autonomic neural pathway and neuroendocrine axis in rat. METHOD: The 48 Sprague-Dawley strain rats were divided into 4 groups, as saline/stress (control) group, SCGB/stress (tested) group, saline group, SCGB group. Superior cervical ganglion block was conducted in the SCGB/stress group and SCGB group while saline/stress and saline group were sham operated. After then restraint stress was imposed on the animals of SCGB/stress group and saline/stress group. And 2 hour after injection (saline, SCGB group) or restraint stress (saline/stress, SCGB/stress group), c-fos protein (Fos) was localized by immunocytochemistry. RESULTS: Much stronger Fos immunoreactivity was induced in the several brain region of control group rats compared to other three groups and the numbers of Fos positive cell count of tested group were significantly decreased in paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (p<0.01), A5 (p<0.01), raphe pallidus (p<0.05), nucleus tractus solitaius (p<0.01) compared to control group. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrate that superior cervical ganglion block attenuates stress induced neuronal activities of paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus, A5, raphe pallidus, nucleus tractus solitarius.
Animals ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Brain* ; Cell Count ; Genes, vif ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Neural Pathways ; Neurons ; Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Solitary Nucleus ; Superior Cervical Ganglion*

PURPOSE: We performed the retrospective analysis to find the outcome of external beam radiotherapy alone in advanced esophageal cancer patients. METHODS AND MATERIALS: One hundred and six patients treated with external beam radiotherapy alone between July 1990 and December 1996 were analyzed retrospectively. We limited the site of the lesions to the thoracic esophagus and cell type to the squamous cell carcinoma. Follow-up was completed in 100 patients (9 4%) and ranged from 1 month to 92 months (median; 6 months). RESULTS: The median age was 62 years old and male to female ratio was 104:2. Fifty-three percent was the middle thorax lesion and curative radiotherapy was performed in 83%. Mean tumor dose delivered with curative aim was 58.6 Gy (55-70.8 Gy) and median duration o f the radiation therapy was 53 days. The median survival of all patients was 6 months and 1-year and 2-year overall survival rte was 27% and 12%, respectively. Improvement of dysphagia was obtained in most patients except fo 7 patients who underwent feeding gastrostomy. The complete response rate immediately after radiation therapy was 32% (34/106). The median survival and 2-year survival rate of the complete responder was 14 months and 30% respectively, while those of the nonresponder was 4 months and 0% respectively (p=0.000). The median survival and 2-year survival rate of the patients who could tolerate regular diet was 9 rnonths and 16% while those of the patients who could not tolerate regular diet was 3 months and 0%, respectively (p=0.004). The survival difference between the patients with 5 cm or less turnor length and those with more than 5 cm tumor length was rnarginally statistically significant (p=0.06). However, the survival difference according to the periesophageal invasion or mediastinal lymphadenopathy in the chest CT imaging study was not statistically significant in this study. In a multivariate analysis, the statistically significant covariates to the survival were complete response to radiotherapy, tumor length, and initial degree of dysphagia in a decreasing order. The complication was observed in 10 patients (9%). CONCLUSION: The survival outcome for advanced esophageal cancer patients treated by external be am radiotherapy alone was very poor, In the treatment of these patients, the brachytherapy and chemotherapy should be added to improve the treatment outcome.
Brachytherapy ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Deglutition Disorders ; Diet ; Drug Therapy ; Esophageal Neoplasms* ; Esophagus ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastrostomy ; Humans ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Radiotherapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Thorax ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Treatment Outcome

No abstract available.
Cervix Uteri* ; Chlamydia trachomatis* ; Chlamydia* ; Female

Plexiform schwannoma is a rare benign tumor arising from the peripheral nerve sheath and characterized by a multinodular and plexiform growth pattern. This tumor usually arises sporadically. In rare cases, plexiform schwannomas have been associated with neurofibromatosis type 2. Plexiform schwannoma should be differentiated from plexiform neurofibroma, because the latter is pathognomonic tumor of neurofibromatosis type 1 and has a potential of malignant transformation. We report a case of multiple plexiform schwannomas associated with bilateral acoustic neuromas and meningioma.
Meningioma ; Neurilemmoma* ; Neurofibroma, Plexiform ; Neurofibromatoses* ; Neurofibromatosis 1 ; Neurofibromatosis 2* ; Neuroma, Acoustic ; Peripheral Nerves

No abstract available.
Humans ; Methacholine Chloride* ; Rhinitis*

PURPOSE: Before we report the results of curative radiotherapy in cervix cancer patients, we review the significance and safety of our dose specification methods in the brachytherapy system to have the insight of the potential predictive value of doses at specified points. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyze the 45 cases of cervix cancer patients treated with intracavitary brachytherapy. In the lateral simulation film we draw the isodose curve and observe the absorbed dose rate of point A, the reference point of bladder(SBD) and rectum(SRD). In the sagittal view of pelvic MRI film we demarcate the tumor volume(TV) and determine whether the prescription dose curve of point A covers the tumor volume adequately by drawing the isodose curve as correctly as possible. Also we estimate the maximum point dose of bladder(MBD) and rectum(MRD) and calculate the inclusion area where the absorbed dose rate is higher than that of point A in the bladder(HBV) and rectum(HRV), respectively. RESULTS: Of forty-five cases, the isodose curve of point A seems to cover tumor volume optimally in only 24(53%). The optimal tumor coverage seems to be associated not with the stage of the disease but with the tumor volume. There is no statistically significant association between SBD/SRD and MBD/MRD, respectively. SRD has statistically marginally significant association with HRV, while TV has statistically significant association with HBV and HRV. CONCLUSION: Our current treatment calculation methods seem to have the defect in the aspects of the nonoptimal coverage of the bulky tumor and the inappropriate estimation of bladder dose. We therefore need to modify the applicator geometry to optimize the dose distribution at the position of lower tandem source. Also it appears that the position of the bladder in relation to the applicators needs to be defined individually to define "hot spots".
Brachytherapy* ; Cervix Uteri* ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Prescriptions ; Radiotherapy ; Tumor Burden ; Urinary Bladder ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

Ninety patients of esophageal cancer treated with radiation since November 1985 to June 1990 at the Deprtment of Therapeutic Radiology, Chonnam University Hospital, were analysed retrospectively regarding survival. Seventy five patients (94.9%) revealed squamous cell carcinoma in its histologic type, and most ofpatients were in advanced stage with 25 patients (27.8%) of T2 and 64 patients (71.1%) of T3 Minimum follow up period was 12 months and median was 5 months. Overall actuarial 2 year survival rate was 11.6%. Two year survival rates according to the parameters such as treatment aim, T stage, site, length, radiation dose and response were compared and resulted that survival by tumor length only had statistically significant impact on survival of esophageal carcinoma.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Esophageal Neoplasms* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Jeollanam-do ; Radiation Oncology ; Radiotherapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

The synergistic effect of combining radiation therapy and hyperthermia kills significantly more cells than using either modality alone. The reason for enhanced cell killing from the combined treatment is that the two modalities are complementary. For histopathological exmination, 102 rats were divided into 4 groups as hyperthermia, radiation, hyperthermia combined with radiation and normal control groups. The effect of prior irradiation (6-15 Gy of X-ray) on the response of small and large bowel of rats to 40degree C-44degree C (for 30 minutes) microwave (2450 MHz) hyperthermia was investigated. The musculature of the small and large intestine remained intact and the circumference of the histological sections were not significantly altered by the heated at 43degree C for 30 minutes. Thermal enhancement ratios of normal tissue is 1.0. Thermal enhancement ratio was not increased in combination therapy by evaluation of histopathologic changes in small and large intestine.
Animals ; Fever* ; Homicide ; Hot Temperature ; Intestine, Large* ; Microwaves* ; Rats*