PURPOSE: This study was conducted to examine effects of a sexual function improvement program on sexual distress, sexual satisfaction and marital intimacy among breast cancer survivors. METHODS: With quasi-experimental design, a total of 54 women after breast surgery were assigned into experimental group (n=28) and control group (n=26) after recruited via convenience sampling. They were endocrine surgery outpatients in university hospital at Chonnam province. Experimental group received a sexual function improvement program 5 sessions over 5 weeks. Sexual distress, sexual satisfaction, and marital intimacy were examined with self-report structured questionaries. Data were analyzed using ?2 test, Fisher's exact, independent t-test, and analysis of covariance with SPSS 17.0/window program. RESULTS: Women who participated in the sexual function improvement program had lower sexual distress (F=27.29, p<.001), higher sexual satisfaction (t=3.09, p=.003) higher marital intimacy (F=17.51, p<.001) than the women who did not participate. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that a sexual function improvement program can be effective strategy to improve sexual distress, sexual satisfaction and marital intimacy. Therefore, this program can be regarded as useful nursing intervention program for breast cancer survivors.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Female ; Humans ; Jeollanam-do ; Nursing ; Outpatients ; Survivors*

The aquatic quality of the Naktong river after two of three months in June, 1991 with phenol spillage from a electrical factory in Kumi was investigated. The samples were collected at six sites of the Naktong river basin and Kachang and Kongsan lakes. Phenol was not detected from all water samples. Turbidity was very much increased to the down stream in the Naktong river. The BOD and COD values exceeded the 2nd grade(3 mg/l) of the Korean standard quality of Environmental Water Act at the all sampling sites of the Naktong river. Especially, the value of COD at Kaejin (12.5 mg/l) was poorly classified as to the 5th grade of water class for the environmental quality standards. Organophosphorous pesticides such as parathion, malathion, fenitrothion and diazinon were investigated but not detected. Diazinon was only detected at the Ilson bridge(1.42 ppb), Okkye stream(6.95 ppb), Waekwan bridge(0.32 ppb), Gangjung reservior(0.13 ppb), Kaejin(0.05 ppb). Of the carbamates such as carbanyl, isoprocarb and cabofuran, the carbofuran was detected all sites except tap water, and Kachang and Kongsan lakes. The content of heavy metals such ans Cd, Pb, Zn, Fe, Mn, Hg were not exceeding for drinking water standards at the all sampling region, but only mecury was detected from Okkye stream(0.018ppb) and Kaejin(0.09ppb). In the regions of Kachang and Kongsan lakes, the content of heavy metals were lower than that of reservoir of Naktong river.
Carbamates ; Carbofuran ; Diazinon ; Drinking Water ; Fenitrothion ; Gyeongsangbuk-do* ; Korea* ; Lakes ; Malathion ; Metals, Heavy ; Parathion ; Pesticides ; Phenol* ; Rivers* ; Water ; Water Quality

Carotid-cavernous fistula(CCF) is the most common arteria-venous fistula in the head and neck region which has characteristic ophthalmic findings and threat of visual loss. An analysis of clinical records was done of 21 CCF patients who visited the Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University Hospital from August 1, 1986 to July 31, 1990. Seventeen cases(81.0%) were of the direct type, and four cases(19.0%) were of the indirect or spontaneous type. Fifteen patients(88.2%) of the direct type had a definite history of recent head trauma. Clinical symptoms on the first visit included exophthalmos(76.2%), conjunctival injection(76.2%), noise in cranial cavity(76.2%), visual disturbance(61.9%), diplopia(42.9%), and ocular pain(28.6%). In general ocular examination, exophthalmometry revealed proptosis in all cases. In seventeen cases(81.0%) vascular bruit was heard with auscultation on the eyelid. Eleven cases(52.4%) showed a limitation of ocular movement and sixth nerve palsy was the most common type(45.5%). On funduscopic examination, nine patients(42.9%) showed engorged retinal vessels. Increased intraocular pressure(Ta>21 mmHg) was recorded in 9 patients(42.9%). Computerized tomography(CT) of orbit or brain, and percutaneous transarterial carotid angiography were used as a diagnostic procedure in all patients. In thirteen of 17 direct type patients detachable balloon embolization was done at the time of angiography, and in 12 cases(92.3%) fistulas were successfully embolized.
Abducens Nerve Diseases ; Angiography ; Auscultation ; Balloon Occlusion ; Brain ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Exophthalmos ; Eyelids ; Fistula* ; Head ; Humans ; Neck ; Noise ; Ophthalmology ; Orbit ; Retinal Vessels ; Seoul

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to explore how hospital nurses decide to quit working as professional nurses using the grounded theory method. METHOD: The data was collected by individual in-depth interviews with 12 hospital nurses who recently resigned from work and it was analyzed using 'constant comparative analysis.' RESULT: The core category that emerged was "in search of new balance with self, work, and family". Three stages were identified: 1) "unconditionally accepting the working situation of itself," 2) "weighing advantages and disadvantages of working as a hospital nurse", and 3) "redesigning a future". Each stage contains three major strategies. The major strategies of the first stage are "maintaining a learning attitude", "enduring physical burnout," and "enduring unfair interpersonal relationships". The second stage contains "identifying advantages of working", "identifying disadvantages of working", and "comparing the advantages with the disadvantages". Lastly, the third stage includes "reassessing the aim of life", "beginning to construct an alternative life", and "deciding to quit working at a certain point". CONCLUSION: The results of the study will help nursing administrators in designing and implementing an effective turnover prevention program for nurses by understanding more deeply the process of turnover phenomenon among hospital nurses.
Administrative Personnel ; Humans ; Korea* ; Learning ; Nursing

A prospective study was initiated to compare maternal serum concentration of CA-125 during the first trimester of normal and abnormal pregnancies. Serum specimens were obtained from 87 women with a normal intrauterine pregnancy and 47 women with abnormal pregnancies which were ended in spontaneo abortion or pathologically confirmed to be missed abortion. In normal pregnancies, the mean serum CA-125 concentrations were increased significantly from amenorhea 6 weeks (139.838.7 IU/ml), and were higher statistically than the values tested in the same weeks of abnormal pregnancies. In abnormal pregnancies serum CA-125 concentations were relatively lower than those of normal pregnancies. But these differences were not statistically significant except the values tested in amenorhea 6weeks. So serum levels of CA-125 may not be proved useful in monitoring of early pregnancies outcome.
Abortion, Missed ; Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, First* ; Pregnancy* ; Prospective Studies

A retrospective study was conducted to evaluate the clinical outcomes of midtrimester emergency cervical cerclage in patients with painless cervical dilatation with/without prolapsed amniotic sac, including cases of no previous history of cervical incompetence. 10 patients including 1 twin pregnancy were teviewed for study, All had received emergency cervical cerclage with Macdonald operation or Shirodka operation at 18 to 31 weeksgestation. The procedures were carried out without serious complication except for one patient who had received re-operation 3 days after Macdonald operation because of re-protrusion of amniotic sae. The mean procedure to delivery internal was 8.9+/-5.3 (range 1 to 17) weeks. The mean gestational age at delivery was 32.4+/-5.6 (range 22 to 39+6) weeks for the entire group, 36.1+/-2.6 (range 32+4 to 39+6) weeks for the 6 who achived viability, and 27.6+/-5.0 (range 22 to 29+4) weeks for the 3 who died during the neonatal period. 1 died during gestation and was delivered at 33+6 weeksgestation. The mean birthweight was 2181.6+/-971.6 (range 498 to 3500)g for the entire group, and 2712.9+/- 571.5 (range 1860 to 3500)g for the 7 infants who lived until after neonatal period. The total survival rate for 11 babies was 64%. This study demonstrates that midtrimester emergency cervical cerclage for the patients who have dilated cervix with/without prolapsed amniotic sac is valuable method to try in the cases predicted they would lost the baby with conservative treatment only.
Cerclage, Cervical* ; Cervix Uteri* ; Dilatation* ; Emergencies* ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant ; Labor Stage, First ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second ; Pregnancy, Twin ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

A case of pancreatic pseudocysts and bloody pancreatic ascites as complications of chronic pancreatitis in eleven-year-old girl was reported. She was admitted to the pediatric ward with chief complaints of abdominal distension and bloody ascites. About nine months prior to admission, when she was stuck by a bicycle, she had sustained a blow on her abdomen. She has been apparently well until four months prior to admission, when she began to feel colidy and intermittent abdominal pain and her appetits became poor. About a week prior to admission, her mother noticed that the girl's abdomen was distended. One day prior to admission, bloody ascites was revealed by paracenteis at a local clinic. Clinical and laboratory pictures were observed for 3 months. Ascites amylase at preoperative state were 496~705 u/dl and 740~772 u/dl Protein in ascites was 2,390mg%~4,820mg%. On the fifty fifth hospital day, an exploratory laparotomy was performed. About 7,000cc of bloody ascites was drained. A 30 x 20cm sized pseudocyst with thin wall was found between stomach and transverse colon. The portion of disrupted pancreatic duct was drained with sump tube. Abdomen distension and pain was markedly relieved after operation. On the 60 th postoperative day, ultrasonography of abdomen revealed no cysts. So sump tube was removed. A brief review of the literature was done.
Abdomen ; Abdominal Pain ; Amylases ; Ascites* ; Colon, Transverse ; Female ; Humans ; Laparotomy ; Mothers ; Pancreatic Ducts ; Pancreatic Pseudocyst* ; Pancreatitis, Chronic* ; Stomach ; Ultrasonography

We have seen a case of oligodendroglioma arising in the left frontal lobe of 64-year-old woman. She had complained of longstanding headache with occasional seizures and episodic dysarthrias for six years before admission. On admission there were drowsy mentality and bilateral papilledema of 3 diopters without other neurological abnormality. The tumor was showed as a calcified mass of an egg size in the left frontal lobe even on the plain skull X-ray films. The tumor was totally removed by surgery and measured 4(5(4cm. On microscopic examination it was a typical oligodendroglioma. The patient was discharged in good condition on the twelfth postoperative day. Many authors reported that the incidence of oligodendrogliomas in all glioma group was relatively rare. In Korea there was no clinical report of oligodendroglioma except only two cases reported by Dr. Lee et al. in 1966. So we present this case, though it was typical and classical in pathological nature and clinical process.
Dysarthria ; Female ; Frontal Lobe ; Glioma ; Headache ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Middle Aged ; Oligodendroglioma* ; Ovum ; Papilledema ; Seizures ; Skull ; X-Ray Film

Posterior fossa injury is a relatively infrequent in all craniocerebral injuries, which may be a rapidly fatal disease unless the diagnosis and prompt treatment are made. Delay in operation or failure to make the diagnosis early may result in death from medullary decompensation. An injury to the occipital region, followed by signs and symptoms of cerebellar or medullary nerve dysfunction, should cause one to suspect the existence of this lesion. It is well to remember that neither the surgically demonstrated presence of a supratentorial clot nor the roentgenological failure to demonstrate an occipital fracure excludes the presence of a mass lesion in the posterior fossa. Authors studied 104 cases of posterior fossa injury admitted at Department of Neurosurgery, Kyung Hee Medical Center from October 5 th, 1971 to August 30 th, 1974. The results were as follows: 1) The incidence of posterior fossa injury was 5.7% of all craniocerebral injuries. 2) The age incidence was greatest in the age group between 10 and 20. 27.9% of all cases were belonged in this group. 3) Common causes were traffic accident(82 cases:78.8%), falls from(14 cases:13.5%) and direct blow(6 cases:5.8%). 4) Male outnumbered female by almost 2 to 1. 5) Common symptoms were disturbance of consciousness(67 cases:64.4%), headache(43 cases:41.3%) and vomiting(24 cases:21.3%). 6) Scalp injuries were demonstrated in 95 cases and occipital, bone fracture in 58 cases under gross and radiological examination of posterior fossa. 7) Time interval between injury and operation was greatest at 3 to 6 hours. 8) In 30 cases of operation, massive cerebellar contusion was 13 cases, extradural hematoma was 7 cases and subdural hematoma was 2 cases and negative exploration was 6 cases. 9) The overall mortality rate was 25%.
Contusions ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Fractures, Bone ; Hematoma ; Hematoma, Subdural ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Mortality ; Neurosurgery ; Scalp

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of infant massage on stress, immune function and self-confidence in postpartum mothers. METHOD: From September, 2003 to February, 2004, 65 women who had delivered babies and were enrolled in the postpartum clinic were assigned to the experimental group or control group. In the experimental group, infant massage was given for 20 minute sessions twice a day from 4 days to 14 days after delivery. The instruments were Parental Stress Index, serum cortisol levels, WBCs, lymphocytes, and Self Confidence Scale. RESULTS: Stress scores, WBCs and lymphocytes showed significant differences by the time, but there weren't significant differences according to the group and interactions between the group and the time. Cortisol and self-confidence scores showed significant differences by the time and the group. CONCLUSIONS: Applying massage to their newborn baby influenced cortisol levels of postpartum mothers. Therefore stress, cortisol, and immune functions in postpartum mothers should be generally screened and follow up studies are needed for the effective application of massage in postpartum mothers.
Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn* ; Lymphocytes ; Massage* ; Mothers* ; Parents ; Postpartum Period*