This study was designed to identify the relationship between perceived social support and discernd powerlessness held by the elderly residing in a rural community. The purpose of this study was to contribute to theoretical understanding of the relationship of these two variables and eventually to the more effective adaptation of the elderly to their situation. The subjects for this study were the 89 elderly residing in a rural community. Data were collected by a questionnaire from June 2 to 20, 1998. The data were analysed by descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlated coefficient and stepwise multiple regression using a SAS program. The results of this study can be summarized as follows. 1. The relationship between perceived social support and discernd powerlessness was significant(r = -.23502, p=.0266). Especially, discernd elderly's powerlessness shows a highly significant relationship with family and neighborhood support(family r= -.45096, p=.0001, neighborhood r= -.35681, p=.0006). In the support patterns, the discernd powerlessness of the elderly has a significant relationship to emotional, informational and evaluational support. Therefore the hypothesis that, "the lower the degree of social support peiceived by the elderly, the higher the degree of discened powerlessness" was supported. 2. Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that the most powerful predictor of discened powerlessness was family support in support system (R2 = .2034), and emotional support (R2 = .0627) in support patterns. 3. General characteristic related to the degree of social support was only residential status(P< .05), but the degree of family support was related to spouse(t=2.390. p<.01). residential status(t= -2.157, p<.05), and household.
Aged* ; Family Characteristics ; Humans ; Residence Characteristics ; Rural Population*

Cognitive impairment associated with childhood-onset epilepsy is an important consequence in the developing brain owing to its negative effects on neurodevelopmental and social outcomes. While the cause of cognitive impairment in epilepsy appears to be multifactorial, epilepsy-related factors such as type of epilepsy and underlying etiology, age at onset, frequency of seizures, duration of epilepsy, and its treatment are considered important. In recent studies, antecedent cognitive impairment before the first recognized seizure and microstructural and functional alteration of the brain at onset of epilepsy suggest the presence of a common neurobiological mechanism between epilepsy and cognitive comorbidity. However, the overall impact of cognitive comorbidity in children with epilepsy and the independent contribution of each of these factors to cognitive impairment have not been clearly delineated. This review article focuses on the significant contributors to cognitive impairment in children with epilepsy.
Brain ; Child ; Cognition ; Comorbidity ; Epilepsy* ; Humans ; Seizures

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship among emotional intelligence, empathy and facilitative communication ability of psychiatric nurses. METHODS: Participants were 173 conveniently selected psychiatric nurses from 10 hospitals in Korea. Data were collected from June to September, 2015 through self-reported questionnaires. RESULTS: Facilitative communication ability was significantly different depending on educational level (t=6.06, p=.003). There were significant positive correlations between emotional intelligence and facilitative communication ability (r=.61, p<.001), and also between empathy and facilitative communication ability (r=.63, p<.001). In the multiple regression, except for education level, emotional intelligence (β=.17, p=.003) and empathy (β=.21, p=.000) explained 38.2% of the variance in facilitative communication ability. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that emotional intelligence and empathy are important factors in psychiatric nurses' facilitative communication ability. Accordingly, to improve the facilitative communication ability of psychiatric nurses, educational programs based on development of emotional intelligence and empathy are necessary.
Communication* ; Education ; Emotional Intelligence* ; Empathy* ; Korea

The traditional treatment for the femoral shaft fractures in children is closed reduction by continuous traction, usually for 2–3 weeks, until the fracture has achieved partial stability, followed by spica cast immobilization. Fifty three cases, from 3 to 10 years of age, has been treated with closed reduction and immediate application of hip spica csst; all of them were closed fractures of femoral shaft and were not associated with head, abdominal, or vascular injuries. Any angulations in excess of acceptable ranges were corrected with wedging the cast; any overridings in excess of acceptable ranges were corrected by skeletal traction for 1 week, followed by incorporation of the pin to the cast. The resultant overriding and angulation of fragments were within acceptable ranges, and complications were not significant.This method of treatment not only is likely easy in nursing care and comfortsble to the patients but also has some advantages of short stay in the hospital, better utilization of hospital beds, and costsaving. This immediate hip spica cast immobilization seems to be a good method of treatment for the femoral shaft fracture in children.
Child ; Clinical Study ; Fractures, Closed ; Head ; Hip ; Humans ; Immobilization ; Methods ; Nursing Care ; Traction ; Vascular System Injuries

Authors report the preliminary result of 86 consecutive femoral head replacements with ceramic head performed at Chonnam University Hospital(73 hips) and Kwangju Christian Hospital(13 hips) during the period of 2 years and 6 months between January 1985 and June 1987. The results were as follows ; l. Eighty-three patients were comprised of 41 men(44 hips) and 42 women(42 hips). 2. Their average age at operation was 62.8 years, the oldest being 86 and the youngest being 24 years and 57 patients(68.7%) of them were over 60 years of age. 3. The causative diseases of the femoral head were hip fracture and its related conditions in 74 hips, and idiopathic avascular necrosis in 12 hips. 4. Associated general diseases, a total of 69 in number, could be diagnosed in 54 patients of them. These included hypertension(18 patients), cardiovascular disease(10 patients), and diabetes mellitus(8 patients). 5. The average diameters of the ceramic head were 49.8 mm in men and 45.1 mm in women. 6. The types of femoral stem were cemented stem(Xenophor 900 stem) in 45 hips and noncemented stem(Autophor 900S stem) in 41 hips. 7. The early postoperative complications, a total of 9 in number, were encountered and these included death in hospital(3 patients), trochanteric fracture(2 patients), pneumonia (1 patient), and others(3 patients). 8. The late postoperative complications, a total of 9 in number, were encountered and these included acetabular erosion(4 hips) and heterotopic ossification(5 hips). 9. Forty-nine hips could be followed more than 1 year with average follow-up of 19.9 months. The hip function of these 49 hips were excellent in 13 hips, good in 24 hips, fair in 8 hips, poor in 3 hips and bad in 1 hip. 10. In conclusion, it can be stated that the femoral head replacement with ceramic head prosthesis is very promising in reducing the incidence of acetabular erosion and maintaining the regained hip function.
Acetabulum ; Ceramics ; Female ; Femur ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gwangju ; Head ; Hemiarthroplasty ; Hip ; Humans ; Incidence ; Jeollanam-do ; Male ; Necrosis ; Pneumonia ; Postoperative Complications ; Prostheses and Implants

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship among the factors of self-awareness, other-awareness and communication ability, and how they relate to communication ability in nursing students. METHODS: For data collection 237 nursing students completed self-report questionnaires. Data were analyzed using independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression. RESULTS: Self-awareness, other-awareness and communication ability of the participants showed moderate levels of self-awareness, other-awareness, and communication ability. There were significant positive correlations between self-awareness and communication ability (r=.59, p<.001). and between other-awareness and communication ability (r=.22, p=.001). Social anxiety, private self-awareness, and internal other-awareness were significant factors, which explained about 37% of the variance in communication ability. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that a systematic and effective curriculum focused on self-awareness and other-awareness should be developed for nursing students in order to promote their communication ability.
Anxiety ; Communication* ; Curriculum ; Data Collection ; Humans ; Nursing* ; Students, Nursing*

BACKGROUND: Nucleoplasty is a minimally invasive spinal surgery using a Coblation(R) technique that creates small voids within the disc. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of cervical nucleoplasty in patients with cervical disc disorder. METHODS: Between March 2008 and December 2009, 22 patients with cervical disc disorders were treated with cervical nucleoplasty after failed conservative treatment. All procedures were performed under local anesthesia, and fluoroscopic guidance and voids were created in the disc with the Perc(TM) DC Spine Wand(TM). Clinical outcomes were evaluated by the Modified Macnab criteria and VAS score at preprocedure, postprocedure 1 month, and 6 months. RESULTS: Six patients had one, eight patients had two and eight patients had three discs treated; a total of 46 procedures was performed. Mean VAS reduced from 9.3 at preprocedure to 3.7 at postprocedure 1 month and to 3.4 at postprocedure 6 months. There was no significant complication related to the procedure within the first month. Outcomes were good or excellent in 17/22 (77.3%) cases. Postprocedure magnetic resonance imaging was acquired in two patients after two months showing morphologic evidence of volume reduction of protruded disc material in one patient but not in the other. CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous decompression with a nucleoplasty using a Coblation(R) technique in the treatment of cervical disc disorder is a safe, minimally-invasive and less uncomfortable procedure, with an excellent short-term clinical outcome.
Anesthesia, Local ; Decompression ; Diskectomy ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Retrospective Studies ; Spine

BACKGROUND: Nucleoplasty is a minimally invasive spinal surgery using a Coblation(R) technique that creates small voids within the disc. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of cervical nucleoplasty in patients with cervical disc disorder. METHODS: Between March 2008 and December 2009, 22 patients with cervical disc disorders were treated with cervical nucleoplasty after failed conservative treatment. All procedures were performed under local anesthesia, and fluoroscopic guidance and voids were created in the disc with the Perc(TM) DC Spine Wand(TM). Clinical outcomes were evaluated by the Modified Macnab criteria and VAS score at preprocedure, postprocedure 1 month, and 6 months. RESULTS: Six patients had one, eight patients had two and eight patients had three discs treated; a total of 46 procedures was performed. Mean VAS reduced from 9.3 at preprocedure to 3.7 at postprocedure 1 month and to 3.4 at postprocedure 6 months. There was no significant complication related to the procedure within the first month. Outcomes were good or excellent in 17/22 (77.3%) cases. Postprocedure magnetic resonance imaging was acquired in two patients after two months showing morphologic evidence of volume reduction of protruded disc material in one patient but not in the other. CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous decompression with a nucleoplasty using a Coblation(R) technique in the treatment of cervical disc disorder is a safe, minimally-invasive and less uncomfortable procedure, with an excellent short-term clinical outcome.
Anesthesia, Local ; Decompression ; Diskectomy ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Retrospective Studies ; Spine

A 9-year-old Korean boy with lissencephaly was found dead at home. He had previously been diagnosed with lissencephaly that presented with infantile spasm on the basis of magnetic resonance imaging and electroencephalogram results. Antemortem chromosomal banding revealed a normal karyotype. A legal autopsy was requested to eliminate the possibility of neglect or abuse by his parents. The autopsy findings revealed type I lissencephaly with the associated microcephaly. No external wounds or decubitus ulcers were noted. Postmortem fluorescence in situ hybridization for the LIS1 locus and nucleotide sequence analysis of the whole coding regions of the LIS1 gene did not reveal any deletions. The antemortem and postmortem findings revealed that lissencephaly syndrome was associated with isolated lissencephaly sequence. External causes of death were excluded by the full autopsy and toxicology test results. Because patients with mental retardation are frequently victimized and suffer neglect or abuse, thorough external and internal examinations should be conducted at the time of autopsy.
Autopsy ; Base Sequence ; Cause of Death ; Child ; Child Abuse ; Classical Lissencephalies and Subcortical Band Heterotopias ; Clinical Coding ; Electroencephalography ; Fluorescence ; Forensic Pathology ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Intellectual Disability ; Karyotype ; Lissencephaly ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Microcephaly ; Parents ; Pressure Ulcer ; Spasms, Infantile ; Toxicology

Long QT syndrome(LQTS) is characterized by prolongation of the QT interval, frequent episodes of syncope, and ventricular tachycardia leading to sudden cardiac death in adolescents and young adults. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment to reduce the risk of life-threatening cardiac events is crucial, however sudden onset convulsive syncope may be misdiagnosed as epilepsy and lead to antiepileptic drug therapy for many years. We experienced a case of six-year-old boy who were having seizure triggered by exercise and being treated with antiepileptic drugs. He had normal EEG and brain MRI but his ECG revealed prolonged QT interval(QTc=477 ms) and treadmill test induced polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. After applying beta-blocker, he had no more seizure attacks. We report a case of long QT syndrome misdiagnosed as epilepsy with a brief review of related literatures.
Adolescent ; Anticonvulsants ; Brain ; Death, Sudden, Cardiac ; Early Diagnosis ; Electrocardiography ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsy ; Exercise Test ; Humans ; Long QT Syndrome ; Seizures ; Syncope ; Tachycardia, Ventricular ; Young Adult