PURPOSE: This study was conducted to understand the meaning of mind control as it is understood by elderly persons in Korea. METHOD: This study was conducted by engaging three elderly persons who are over the age of sixty five and presently residing in Seoul. Several in depth interviews were conducted with these individuals from March 2003 until November 2003. The contents of the interviews were analyzed using the Giorgi Method (1985), which places the emphasis on discovering meaning within the phenomenological context of an individual's experience. RESULTS: The analysis of the contents revealed the following four components with regard to the meaning of mind control for elderly persons (1) Settling the mind (2) Gradual lowering of expectations and hope for the success of offspring, (3) Having good thoughts and acting accordingly, and (4) Making up one's mind to follow the 'natural flow of life'. CONCLUSION: By allowing a wider and deeper understanding of the meaning of mind control for elderly persons the results of this study provide a basis for improving the care of elderly with a holistic perspective.
Aged* ; Hope ; Humans ; Korea* ; Life Change Events ; Seoul

A research survey was conducted on 112 nursing educational institutes with three year associate and four ear baccalaureate programs and 36 institutes with master programs to determine the status of computer and informatics education in Korea. Seventy-seven(68.8%) of the 112 schools with associate and baccalaureate programs responded and 20(55.6%) of 36 schools with master program responded. Out of 77 institutions only 16 schools indicated that Nursing Informatics was offered as a separate course. It was taught mostly to the first year or the second year students and number of credits ranged from 1 to 3 while 2 credit being the most popular one. Further analysis of the syllabus indicated that the contents covered by different schools varied from school to school. They were computer basics, internet and communication, application program, the concept and the elements of the nursing informatics, utilization of nursing informatics in nursing practice, education, research, and administration, and health information system. Sixty schools out of 77 addressed computer related subjects in their curriculum. Computer related subjects were taught mostly to the first year students as a 2 credits class. Contents covered in computer related subjects were computer basics, internet and communication, and application program. Strategies for the implementation of nursing informatics in nursing education and exemplary programs are presented based on the findings.
Academies and Institutes ; Curriculum ; Ear ; Education* ; Education, Nursing ; Health Information Systems ; Humans ; Informatics ; Internet ; Korea* ; Nursing Informatics* ; Nursing*

PURPOSE: An umbilical arterial catheter (UAC) in the high position reduces the lumen of the aorta and may thereby impair blood supply to the intestine. Effects of UAC on intestinal blood flow were investigated. METHODS: With the measurement of the aortic diameter, pulsed Doppler ultrasonography was performed in 23 fasting newborns to measure blood flow velocities (peak systolic velocity, end-diastolic velocity, mean velocity, time velocity integral and resistive index) in the celiac trunk (CT) and the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) before and after removal of the UAC in the high position. RESULTS: UAC reduced the cross-sectional area of the aorta by 3.5-15.0% (mean 7.5%), with the percentage of reduction being inversely related to birth weight (r=-0.86, P<0.0001). Blood flow velocities in the CT and the SMA did not change significantly after removal of the UACl left in place for 7 days. There were also no differences in blood flow velocities pre- and postremoval of the UAC which stayed in place for 17.3 days and caused a mean aortic obstruction of 11.7%. However, a longer indwelling time of the UAC may lead to a higher velocity in the CT with UAC in place, as reflected by a correlation by multiple regression analysis (r=0.42, P=0.045). CONCLUSION: Although UAC remaining in place for up to 2 weeks in fasting newborns does not lead to direct alterations in blood supply to the intestine, the possibility of blood flow impairment to abdominal organs by prolonged use cannot be excluded.
Aorta ; Birth Weight ; Blood Flow Velocity ; Catheterization* ; Catheters* ; Fasting ; Hemodynamics* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Intestines ; Mesenteric Artery, Superior ; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Pulsed

No abstract available.
Animals ; Embryonic Structures* ; Fertilization in Vitro* ; Fetal Blood* ; Humans* ; Mice* ; Quality Control* ; Sperm Motility* ; Spermatozoa*

Slipped capital femoral epiphysis is a rare hip disorder that mainly occurs in pubertal children. Although the exact cause of this disorder is unknown, it is known to be associated with obesity, trauma, delayed sexual development, delayed bone maturation, chronic renal failure, genetic diseases, endocrine disorders (growth hormone deficiency, hypothyroidism, hypogonadism), growth hormone therapy, and gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (GnRH agonist) therapy. We report 2 cases of slipped capital femoral epiphysis in adolescent females who were receiving growth hormone therapy. The first case is of a 16 year-old-girl with chronic renal failure and renal osteodystrophy. The second case is of an 11 year-old-girl with idiopathic precocious puberty who had received GnRH agonist and growth hormone therapy. Unilateral or bilateral slipped capital femoral epiphysis developed at 1 year 3 months after treatment in both the cases. The chief complaints were pain in the hip joint and lower extremities. Growth hormone and/or GnRH agonist therapy was stopped, and in situ screw fixations of the involved hip epiphyses were performed.
Adolescent ; Child ; Endocrine System Diseases ; Epiphyses ; Female ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; Growth Hormone ; Hip ; Hip Joint ; Humans ; Hypothyroidism ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Lower Extremity ; Obesity ; Puberty, Precocious ; Renal Osteodystrophy ; Sexual Development ; Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphyses

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to explore characteristics of and risk factors for accidental inpatient falls. METHODS: Participants were classified as fallers or non-fallers based on the fall history of inpatients in a tertiary hospital in Seoul between June 2014 and May 2015. Data on falls were obtained from the fall report forms and data on risk factors were obtained from the electronic nursing records. Characteristics of fallers and non-fallers were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Risk factors for falls were identified using univariate analyses and logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Average length of stay prior to the fall was 21.52 days and average age of fallers was 61.37 years. Most falls occurred during the night shifts and in the bedroom and were due to sudden leg weakness during ambulation. It was found that gender, BMI, physical problems such elimination, gait, vision and hearing and medications such as sleeping pills, antiarrhythmics, vasodilators, and muscle relaxant were statistically significant factors affecting falls. CONCLUSION: The findings show that there are significant risk factors such as BMI and history of surgery which are not part of fall assessment tools. There are also items on fall assessment tools which are not found to be significant such as mental status, emotional unstability, dizziness, and impairment of urination. Therefore, these various risk factors should be examined in the fall risk assessments and these risk factors should be considered in the development of fall assessment tools.
Accidental Falls* ; Dizziness ; Gait ; Hearing ; Humans ; Inpatients* ; Leg ; Length of Stay ; Logistic Models ; Nursing Records ; Patient Safety ; Risk Assessment ; Risk Factors* ; Seoul ; Tertiary Care Centers* ; Urination ; Vasodilator Agents ; Walking

PURPOSE: Procalcitonin (PCT), a precursor of calcitonin, has been described as a biomarker of bacterial infection and inflammation. This study was performed to evaluate the clinical usefulness of PCT levels and to reduce the unnecessary usage of antibiotics in children with lower respiratory tract infection (RTI). METHODS: Eighty-eight children, with lower RTI, under the age of 5 years, who were admitted to Chungnam National University Hospital, between May 2010 and December 2010, were enrolled. White blood cell counts, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, and PCT were measured. Blood and sputum cultures were performed to identify the causative bacteria and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction for the viruses. Clinical features were reviewed, retrospectively. RESULTS: The mean participant age was 1.9+/-1.5 years. The cut-off value for serum PCT levels, which was derived from the receiver-operator characteristic curve, was 0.11 ng/mL. In 29 patients (33.0%) with low PCT levels (<0.11 ng/mL), antibiotic therapy showed no benefit for clinical and laboratory findings. However, in 59 patients (67.1%) with high PCT levels (> or =0.11 ng/mL), hospitalization (P=0.005) and fever (P=0.054) exhibited a shorter duration, after antibiotic therapy. CONCLUSION: A single initial serum PCT levels (> or =0.11 ng/mL) may be clinically useful to give a guideline for antibiotic treatment in children with lower respiratory tract infection and to reduce the unnecessary usage of antibiotics.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacteria ; Bacterial Infections ; Blood Sedimentation ; C-Reactive Protein ; Calcitonin ; Child ; Fever ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Leukocyte Count ; Protein Precursors ; Respiratory System ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; Sputum

Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is an uncommon disease that is characterized by inflammation and destruction of cartilaginous structures. When tracheobronchial tree is involved, respiratory obstructive symptoms can occur. A 35-year-old man, with a previous diagnosis of RP, was scheduled for rigid bronchoscopy to relieve dyspnea, caused by subglottic stenosis. After laser splitting of the subglottic web, the spontaneous respiration of the patient was insufficient, and hypercarbia developed progressively even with assisted ventilation. After 20 minutes of aggressive hyperventilation to reduce end-tidal CO2 level, sudden extreme tachycardia and hypotension developed. Ventilation rate was reduced and prolonged expiration time was allowed to alleviate a near-tampon status from dynamic hyperinflation. After the hemodynamic status was stabilized, the patient was transferred to the ICU for mechanical ventilation. He received ICU care for 30 days, and now, he was on supportive care on a ward, considering Y stent insertion to prevent luminal collapse from tracheobronchomalacia.
Adult ; Bronchoscopy* ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Diagnosis ; Dyspnea ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Hyperventilation ; Hypotension ; Inflammation ; Laryngostenosis ; Phenobarbital ; Polychondritis, Relapsing* ; Respiration ; Respiration, Artificial ; Respiratory Insufficiency* ; Stents ; Tachycardia ; Tracheobronchomalacia ; Ventilation

A 13-year-old girl was diagnosed with non-cystic fibrosis (CF)-related multifocal bronchiectasis accompanied by nephrotic-range proteinuria of unknown cause. On renal biopsy, there were many segmental homogeneous deposits of amyloid tissue with positive Congo red staining in the glomeruli and interstitium. On electron microscopy, relatively straight, non-branching, randomly arranged amyloid fibrils were showed in the mesangium of the glomeruli. These fibrils were approximately 10 nm in diameter, compatible with secondary amyloidosis. Her level of serum amyloid A was remarkably elevated. To our knowledge, this girl is the first case of secondary renal amyloidosis induced by bronchiectasis in Korean children.
Adolescent ; Amyloid ; Amyloidosis ; Biopsy ; Bronchiectasis ; Child ; Congo Red ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Microscopy, Electron ; Proteinuria ; Serum Amyloid A Protein

BACKGROUND: Propofol, a new intravenous anesthetic agent, is now used for brief operation and day surgery for its rapid recovery and controllability. Propofol, rapid acting sedatives hypnotics, is known to no analgesic effect. This study was taken to evaluate the analgesic effect of propofol, compared to those of fentanyl. METHODS: Forty patients (ASA physical status 1, 2) scheduled for surgery of short duration (within 1 hour) were randomly allocated into two groups. Induction of anesthesia was performed by injection of thiopental (5 mg/kg) and succinylcholine (1 mg/kg) and ventilated with O2-N2O (50%) after endotracheal intubation. Maintenance of anesthesia was performed by vecuronium (1 mg/kg) and continuous infusion of propofol (group I) or fentanyl (group II). RESULTS: There was no significant differences in systolic and diastolic blood pressure in both groups. In heart rate, there was significant difference at preincision and postincision between two groups. Time to extubation (4.5 +/- 4.6 vs 6.3 +/- 4.6 min), time to eye open (7.5 +/- 7.1 vs 6.6 +/- 5.4 min), time to complain pain after stop dropping at recovery room (30.5 +/- 8.0 vs 35.5 +/- 17.9 min), the average flow rate of drugs (6.0 +/- 2.2 mg/kg/hr vs 6.7 +/- 2.4 microgram/kg/hr) has no significant difference between two groups. CONCLUSIONS: A single continuous infusion of propofol is applied as one of general anesthesia methods with O2-N2O, muscle relaxants. Propofol has a appropriate and similar analgesic effect compared with fentanyl in operation of little hemodynamic changes and short operation, and rapid recovery compared with fentanyl.
Ambulatory Surgical Procedures ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Blood Pressure ; Fentanyl* ; Heart Rate ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Hypnotics and Sedatives ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Propofol* ; Recovery Room ; Succinylcholine ; Thiopental ; Vecuronium Bromide