BACKGROUND: The chronic disease patients have various psychological problems during the treatment. Therefore, it is needed about understanding and support for chronic disease patients. The main purposes of this study are to identify the psychometric characteristics. METHODS: To evaluate the psychometric characteristics of chronic disease patients-liver cirrhosis, chronic pulmonary disease, etc. -a questionnaire(SCL-90-R) survey was performed toward 100 chronic disease patients in admission to 2 general hospital. 100 persons without any disease were investigated by the same questionnaire for comparison. The survey was performed from June to August 1996. RESULTS: The disease history among the patients, 31% of patients suffered from liver disease, 19% of patients suffered from chronic respiratory disease. 30% of patients reported that they were not expected a recovery from the disease. The patients have a significant higher score in the somatization, obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation, psychoticism than normal control (p<0.05). Most of the psychometric characteristics were associated with expectancy of the recovery, education about the disease, number of admission, duration of admission and type of disease(p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The chronic disease patients showed higher score psychological symptoms in various characteristics than normal control. Therefore it will be needed that is an proper treatment and psychological support continuously.
Anxiety ; Chronic Disease* ; Depression ; Education ; Fibrosis ; Hospitals, General ; Hostility ; Humans ; Liver Diseases ; Lung Diseases ; Psychometrics* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: The chronic disease patients have various psychological problems during the treatment. Therefore, it is needed about understanding and support for chronic disease patients. The main purposes of this study are to identify the psychometric characteristics. METHODS: To evaluate the psychometric characteristics of chronic disease patients-liver cirrhosis, chronic pulmonary disease, etc. -a questionnaire(SCL-90-R) survey was performed toward 100 chronic disease patients in admission to 2 general hospital. 100 persons without any disease were investigated by the same questionnaire for comparison. The survey was performed from June to August 1996. RESULTS: The disease history among the patients, 31% of patients suffered from liver disease, 19% of patients suffered from chronic respiratory disease. 30% of patients reported that they were not expected a recovery from the disease. The patients have a significant higher score in the somatization, obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation, psychoticism than normal control (p<0.05). Most of the psychometric characteristics were associated with expectancy of the recovery, education about the disease, number of admission, duration of admission and type of disease(p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The chronic disease patients showed higher score psychological symptoms in various characteristics than normal control. Therefore it will be needed that is an proper treatment and psychological support continuously.
Anxiety ; Chronic Disease* ; Depression ; Education ; Fibrosis ; Hospitals, General ; Hostility ; Humans ; Liver Diseases ; Lung Diseases ; Psychometrics* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of magnesium sulfate and ritodrine hydrochloride in the management of preterm labor. METHODS: This study was undertaken to assess the clinical efficacy & safety of magnesium sulfate and ritodrine hydrochloride on 120 patients admitted with preterm labor from Jul. 1, 1996 to Dec. 31, 1998. RESULTS: 1. The incidence of preterm labor was showed 6.0~7.7% of total number of delivery. 2. The risk factors of the preterm labor were premature rupture of membrane, severe preeclampsia, previous preterm delivery, twin pregnancy, placenta previa, fetal anomaly, incompetent cervix, placental abruption, and uterine myoma in order, but 28.6% of preterm labor had no apparent risk factors. 3. The days gained in uterus was not statistically different between the magnesium sulfate group and the ritodrine group (p<0.05) but longer in the two groups than the control group. And the delivery time was also not statistically different between the magnesium sulfate group and the ritodrine group (p<0.01) but significantly increased in the two groups than the control group. 4. The rate of complete and incomplete success was similar as 12.5% and 35% (total success rate 47.5%) in the magnesium sulfate group, 7.5% and 45% (total success rate 52.5%) in the ritodrine group but only 2.5% and 27.5% (total success rate 30%) was showed in the control group. 5. The side effects were much more in the ritodrine group than the magnesium sulfate group. The patients requiring second-line therapy were similar in the both groups but the main cause was uncontrolled uterine contraction in the magnesium sulfate group, and intolerable side effects in the ritodrine group. 6. The pulse rate was not statistically different in magnesium sulfate group but markedly increased in ritodrine group (p<0.05). After managements of preterm labor, the serum potassium and ionized calcium level was significantly decreased in the two groups (p<0.05, p<0.01). CONCLUSION: There was not significantly different efficacy and safety of magnesium sulfate and ritodrine hydrochloride in the management of preterm labor.
Abruptio Placentae ; Calcium ; Female ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Incidence ; Leiomyoma ; Magnesium Sulfate* ; Magnesium* ; Membranes ; Obstetric Labor, Premature* ; Placenta Previa ; Potassium ; Pre-Eclampsia ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Twin ; Risk Factors ; Ritodrine* ; Rupture ; Uterine Cervical Incompetence ; Uterine Contraction ; Uterus

Carbon monoxide poisoning is common cause of fatal intoxication. When carbon monoxide is absorbed into the blood, it interferes with the oxygen supply to the cells, causing damage to tissues and organs. Delayed neuropsychiatric sequelae (DNS) manifested by cognitive dysfunction, motor disorder, micturition disorder are widely known complication of carbon monoxide intoxication. But neuromuscular complication is a rare DNS of carbon monoxide intoxication. We herein report a 42-year-old patient with multifocal neuropathies, rhabdomyolysis, and dermal change due to carbon monoxide intoxication.

This experiment was performed to evaluate the morphological responses of the rectal intestinal glands of the mouse, inoculated with Ehrlich carcinoma cells, following administration of adriamycin or composition of the extracts of the Croton tiglium and Coptis chinensis rhizome (CP-2, Institute of Experimental Tumor Research, Seoul, Korea). Healthy adult ICR mice weighing 25 gm each were divided into normal and experimental groups (tumor control group, adriamycin treated group, and CP-2 treated group). In the experimental groups, each mouse was inoculated with 1 x 10(7) Ehrlich carcinoma cells subcutaneously in the inguinal area. From next day, 0.2 mL of saline, adriamycin (2 mg/kg) or CP-2 (30 mg/kg) were injected subcutaneously to the animals every other day, respectively. The day following the 7th injection of anticancer drugs, each mouse was injected with a single dose of 0.7 microCi/gm of methyl- 3H-thymidine through tail vein. Seventy minutes after the thymidine injection, animals were sacrificed. and rectal tissues were collected and fixed in 10% neutral formalin. Deparaffinized sections were coated with autoradiographic emulsion EM-1 (Amersham Lab., England) in the dark room and dried. The number of the labeled epithelial cells of the rectal crypts (mean number of labeled epithelial cells per 3.5 mm length of mucosa) were observed and calculated. On histological study, in the rectum of adriamycin treated groups, length of the intestinal crypts is shorter than those of the normal control ones. Disrupted intestinal crypts and epithelial cells were observed. But in the CP-2 treated group, morphological changes of the rectum were not observed. On autoradiographic study, number of the labeled cells of normal control, rumor control, adriamycin-treated, CP-2-treated groups were 263.1 (+/-38.65), 395.7 (+/-52.52), 73.3 (+/-22.54), 96.3 (+/-28.36), respectively. In the adriamycin and CP-2 treated groups., poorly-labeled cells containing only a few silver grains of 3H-thymidine were observed more frequently than in those of the normal and tumor control groups. But in the tumor control group, number of the heavy labeled cells were observed more frequently than in those of the normal control group. From the above results, adriamycin and CP-2 may suppress the DNA synthesis of the cells of the rectal crypts. But CP-2 does not result any histological defect on the rectal mucosa. These results suggest that CP-2 is expected as one of most effective anticancer drugs.
Adult ; Animals ; Edible Grain ; Coptis ; Croton ; DNA ; Doxorubicin* ; Epithelial Cells ; Formaldehyde ; Humans ; Intestinal Mucosa ; Mice* ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Mucous Membrane* ; Rectum ; Rhizome ; Seoul ; Silver ; Thymidine ; Veins

This experiment was performed to evaluate the morphological responses of the gastric epithelial cells and the gastric chief cells of the mouse inoculated with Ehrlich carcinoma cells in the inguinal area following administration of acriflavine-guanosine composition (AG60). Healthy adult ICR mice were divided into normal and experimental groups. In the experimental groups, each mouse was inoculated with 1x10(7) Ehrlich carcinoma cells subcutaneously in the inguinal area. The day following the 7th injection of saline or AG60, each mouse was injected with methyl-3H-thymidine through tail vein. Seventy minutes after the thymidine injection, gastric tissues were taken and fixed in 10% buffered neutral formalin. Deparaffinized sections were coated with autoradiographic emulsion EM-1 and dried, and then placed in a light-tight box. The number of labeled epithelial cells in the gastric mucosae were observed and calculated. And for electron microscopic observation, gastric tissues were prefixed with 2.5% glutaraldehyde-1.5% paraformaldehyde solution, followed by post-fixation with 1% osmium tetroxide solution. The ultrathin sections were stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate. The size of zymogen granules and mitochondria in the gastric chief cells were observed and calculated. On the autoradiographic study, number of labeled cells in the area of 3.5 mm width (6 micrometer thickness) of mouse gastric mucosae of normal control, tumor control and AG60-treated groups were 319.7+/-66.46, 343.7+/-47.72 and 102.3+/-54.99 respectively. On the electron microscopic study, the size of zymogen granule in the gastric chief cells of normal control, tumor control and AG60-treated groups were 0.74+/-0.208 micrometer, 1.18+/-0.291 micrometer and 0.97+/-0.259 micrometer, respectively. And the mitochondrial size of the gastric chief cells of normal control, tumor control and AG60-treated groups were 0.86+/-0.364 micrometer, 1.02+/-0.466 micrometer and 0.92+/-0.390 micrometer, respectively. And in the AG60 treated group, most chief cells did not show any difference in ultrastructure, except that myelin figures were more frequently observed, in comparison with that of nornmal control group. From the above results, AG60 may suppress the DNA synthesis of the gastric epithelial cells, but does not results severe fine structural defect on the gastric chief cells. These results suggest that AG60 is expected as one of the most effective anticancer drugs.
Adult ; Animals ; Chief Cells, Gastric ; Citric Acid ; DNA ; Electrons ; Epithelial Cells ; Formaldehyde ; Gastric Mucosa ; Humans ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Mitochondria ; Mitochondrial Size ; Myelin Sheath ; Organometallic Compounds ; Osmium Tetroxide ; Polymers ; Secretory Vesicles ; Thymidine ; Veins

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Mitral annular calcification (MAC) is known to be associated with degenerative processes of the cardiac fibrous skeleton and cardiovascular disease mortality. However, MAC has not been evaluated in an extreme age group (patients > or =90 years of age). In this study, the clinical significance of MAC associated with aging was examined in this age group and compared with MAC associated with aging in a younger (20 to 50 years of age) group of patients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We assessed echocardiographic parameters in 43 nonagenarians and 51 young patients. In the nonagenarian group, patient's age was 92+/-2 years and 27% were male; in the young control group, patient's age was 36+/-9 years and 51% were male. Comprehensive M-mode and Doppler echocardiography, including tissue Doppler imaging, were performed. The frequency and severity of MAC was assessed from the leading anterior to the trailing posterior edge at its largest width for least 3 cardiac cycles. RESULTS: Echocardiography showed that the left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic dimension was larger in the young controls (p=0.007); however, the ejection fraction (EF) was lower in the nonagenarian group (p=0.001). The frequency of MAC was greater in nonagenarians {42/43 (97%)} than in controls {9/51 (17%), p<0.0001}. The maximal width of MAC was larger in nonagenarians (0.52+/-0.17 mm and 0.05+/-0.13 mm, p<0.0001). MAC was correlated with LV mass index (g/m2) (r=0.280, p=0.014) and EF (%) (r=-0.340, p=0.001). More importantly, early mitral inflow velocity/early diastolic mitral annulus velocity (E/E') was strongly correlated with MAC in non-agenarians (r= 0.683, p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: MAC may be associated with extreme age and increased LV filling pressure in nonagenarians. Further study is necessary to assess the cardiovascular mortality and structural changes related to mitral annulus calcification associated with aging.
Aged, 80 and over ; Aging ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Male ; Skeleton ; Ventricular Function, Left