No abstract available.
Child* ; Drug Therapy ; Humans

PURPOSE: The objectives for this study were to identify the factors that correlate with appraisal of illness and to explore what variables are predictive of cancer patients primary caregivers' cognitive appraisal for stress. METHOD: The subjects were selected by convenient sampling and 130 caregivers who completed a questionnaire. Measures used in this study included the Family Inventory of Resources for Management, Social Support Index, Family Crisis Oriented Personal Evaluation Scales and Family Coping Coherence Index. Pearson correlation was used to identify the relationship among factors and multiple regression was used to determine the individual and cumulative effect of potential predictors on the caregivers' appraisal. RESULTS: Patient's level of activity, severity of the disease, quality of relation between patient and caregiver, caregiver's subjective health status, economic status, family resources and coping were significantly correlated. Among the variables, coping, family resources, economic status and quality of relation between caregiver and patient predicted 49.2 percent of the variance in appraisal of caregivers' stress condition. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that coping mechanisms and family resources are important for positive appraisal. Nurses should provide adequate nursing care for the primary caregiver about professional care information and supportive counseling.
Adaptation, Psychological ; Caregivers* ; Counseling ; Humans ; Nursing Care ; Weights and Measures ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to survey the college students' perception of cancer risks, cancer related health behavior, and perception of cancer occurrence possibility before and after age 40. METHODS: The subjects were 771 college students who were conveniently selected from two colleges in the Gyeonggi Province. Data were analyzed using SPSS WIN 12.0. RESULTS: The mean score of cancer risk perception was 3.8. The highest score item was 'smoking may cause cancer'. The mean score of cancer related health behavior was 3.0. The highest score item was 'take bath or shower'. Student felt that possibility of developing cancer before age 40 was 20.1% and that after age 40 was 36.2%. The perception of cancer risks was significantly different between male and female, and the health behavior was significantly different between age groups. There were weak relationships between the perception of cancer risks and cancer related health behavior. CONCLUSION: College students' perception of cancer risks was mostly good, but their behavior to reduce the risks did not match the degree of perception. Students recognized that after age 40 has a higher risk of developing cancer, therefore, intervention on behavioral modification to reduce cancer risks would be beneficial.
Baths ; Female ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Male

One-hundred ninty five cases with Kawasaki disease who were diagnosed and treated at the Department of Pediatrics, Kyung Hee University Hospital from January 1985 to June 1993, were investigated for their clinical manifestations and laboratory findings, and cardiac complications. The results are as follows: 1) Most patients (92.8%) were under 5 years of the age. 2) Boys were more prevalent than girls, as a ratio of 2.3 : l 3) The incidence of principal symptoms and signs were fever over 5 days (89.8%), bilateral conjunctival injection (78.5%), changes of oral mucosa and lip (82.3%), skin eruption (72.8%), changes in extremities (58.5%), and cervical lymphadenopathy (47.2%). 4) The main laboratory findings observed were anemia (29.2%), leukocytosis (90.8%), thrombocytosis (89.7%), increased ESR (85.1%), positive CRP (100%), increased sGOT (33.3%), increased sGPT (34.9%), pyuria (41.5%), proteinuria (5.6%), microscopic hematuria (9.7%), and abnormalities of EKG (23.5%). 5) Abnormal findings of the heart were found in 27.2% by echocardiogram and coronary aneurysm and dilatation were present in 19.7%. 6) Among 147 cases assessed by echocardiogram, the abnormalities of coronary artery were present in 16 of 92 cases (17.4%) in the aspirin and intravenous gammaglobulin treated group, as compared with 13 of 55 cases (23.6%) in the aspirin treated group.
Alanine Transaminase ; Anemia ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Aspirin ; Coronary Aneurysm ; Coronary Vessels ; Dilatation ; Electrocardiography ; Extremities ; Female ; Fever ; Heart ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Incidence ; Leukocytosis ; Lip ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Mouth Mucosa ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome ; Pediatrics ; Proteinuria ; Pyuria ; Skin ; Thrombocytosis

The endemic status of clonorchiasis and metagonimiasis along the Geum-gang (River) in Okcheon-gun (County) in Korea was examined. From February to December 2000, stools of total 1,081 inhabitants living in 5 villages were examined. Each stool specimen was examined by both the cellophane thick smear method and the formalin-ether sedimentation technique. Egg-positive cases were further analyzed by Stoll's egg-counting technique, and praziquantel was administered to positive cases. The egg-positive rates for Clonorchis sinensis and Metagonimus species were 9.3% and 5.5%, respectively, and the double infection rate was 3.5%. The numbers of eggs per gram (EPG) of feces of C. sinensis and Metagonimus sp. were 918 +/-1.463 and 711+/-947, respectively. The egg-positive rates for C. sinensis and Metagonimus sp. in the riverside area were 14.2% and 8.4%, respectively, which were significantly higher than those of the inland area (3.2% and 1.7%, respectively). The egg-positive rates of C. sinensis and Metagonimus sp. in males (16.7% and 10.0%) were significantly higher than those of females (3.5% and 1.8%). However, there were no significant differences of EPG values between localities and sexes. The prevalence of clonorchiasis and metagonimiasis in this survey was significantly lower than that in the previous reports. However, there is still a high prevalence of infection with C. sinensis and Metagonimus sp. in this region, especially in the riverside area.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Animals ; Child ; Clonorchiasis/*epidemiology/parasitology ; Clonorchis sinensis/isolation & purification ; Feces/parasitology ; Female ; Heterophyidae/isolation & purification ; Humans ; Korea/epidemiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Parasite Egg Count ; Prevalence ; Rural Population ; Sex Factors ; Time Factors ; Trematode Infections/*epidemiology/parasitology

PURPOSE:The objective of this study was to identify the effectiveness of continued breast feeding and maternal identity between rooming-in and not rooming-in groups of mothers in post partum care. METHOD: The subjects were selected by convenient sampling, with 95 women in childbirth completing a questionnaire. The data were collected on the 2nd day after delivery by questionnaire, and after the 4th and 8th weeks by telephone interview. Measures used in this study included general characteristics, breast feeding related characteristics, and the maternal identity scale revised by Koh(1996). The data were analyzed with the SPSS program, and the Chi-test and t-test were used to identify the effect on breast feeding and maternal identity. RESULTS:Continued breast feeding up to 4 weeks after deliverly was not statistically significant between rooming-in and not rooming-in group, but beyond 8 weeks of deliverly, it was significantly different in rooming-in group(p<.01). Maternal identity was significantly higher in rooming-in group than in not rooming-in group(p<.01). CONCLUSIONS: Mothers preferred rooming-in system because it helped breast feeding and baby care. Rooming-in system provides self confidence in taking care of baby, knowledge about breast feeding and stimulates early phase lactation. We recommend rooming-in system in hospitals to promote breast feeding and maternal identity. Nurses are encouraged to discuss prenatal breast feeding before delivery and rooming-in care should be planned individually for continuation of breast feeding and formation of maternal identity.
Breast Feeding* ; Female ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Lactation ; Mothers ; Parturition ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Rooming-in Care

To evaluate the role of nitric oxide (NO) in IFN-gamma production and apoptosis of splenocytes in genetically different strains of mice with toxoplasmosis, BALB/c (a toxoplasmosis resistant strain) and C57BL/6 (a toxoplasmosis susceptible strain) mice were infected with Toxoplasma gondii cysts orally and subsequently injected intraperitoneally with aminoguanidine, an iNOS inhibitor (AG; 35 mg/kg per mouse daily for 14 days). When BALB/c or C57BL/6 mice were infected with T. gondii without AG treatment, number of brain cysts, NO and IFN-gamma production by splenocytes, and percentages of apoptotic splenocytes were increased compared to uninfected control mice without AG treatment. AG treatment increased the number of brain cysts, and reduced NO and IFN-gamma production in T. gondii-infected C57BL/6 mice. In contrast, in T. gondii-infected BABL/c mice, the number of brain cysts, and NO and IFN-gamma production of splenocytes was not altered by treatment with AG. However, the percentages of apoptotic splenocytes in T. gondii-infected BALB/c or C57BL/6 mice were not affected by AG treatment. These results suggest that NO modulates IFN-gamma production in T. gondii-infected C57BL/6 mice, and that NO is involved in mediating a protective response in toxoplasmosis susceptible, but not resistant, mice strain during acute infection.
Animals ; Apoptosis/drug effects/*immunology ; Comparative Study ; Female ; Guanidines/*pharmacology ; Interferon Type II/*biosynthesis ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Nitric Oxide/*biosynthesis ; Nitric-Oxide Synthase/*antagonists & inhibitors ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Species Specificity ; Spleen/immunology ; Toxoplasmosis, Animal/*immunology

BACKGROUND: CEDIA is a newly developed method for therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) and has some merits such as easy application to routine chemical analyzers, rapid and precise quantitation even in low concentrations and less cross reactivity. We evaluated the CEDIA(epsilon) (Microgenics Co., CA, USA) in measurement of theophyllin, valproic acid and phenytoin levels using 502X(epsilon) (A & T, Tokyo, Japan) and compared the results to those of the TDx(epsilon) (Abbott Laboratories, IL, USA) in order to assess the utility of the CEDIA(epsilon). METHODS: We evaluated the performance of 502X(epsilon) in the aspects of the within-runs and the between-runs precision, linearity, and carry-over. We compared the results of the CEDIA(epsilon) reagent with those of TDx(epsilon). The control materials (Bio-Rad TDM control level 1 and level 3; Bio-Rad laboratories, CA, USA) and clinical specimens were used for these studies. RESULTS: The coefficients of variation (CV) for the within-run and the between-run imprecision of 502X(epsilon) were 2.0-7.6% and 4.0-6.5%, respectively. The carry-over rate for theophyllin, valproic acid and phenytoin was 1.33%, 0.45% and 0.53%, respectively. The linearity (r(2)) of theophyllin, valproic acid and phenytoin was 0.9941, 0.9983 and 0.9947, respectively. The correlation coefficients (r) of theophyllin, valproic acid and phenytoin levels of CEDIA(epsilon), with those determined by the TDx(epsilon), were 0.9730, 0.9703 and 0.9695, respectively (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The recentlydeveloped CEDIA(epsilon) proved to be highly precise and linear for quantitative analysis of theophyllin, phenytoin and valproic acid. Correlations with TDx(epsilon) were significantly high. CEDIA(epsilon) was thought to be clinically useful for TDM.
Drug Monitoring ; Phenytoin* ; Theophylline* ; Valproic Acid*

A 42-year-old woman preseated with intermittent rectal bleeding of a week's duration. A large polypoid mass with pigmented, ulcerated, nodular surface was seen in the rectum at 3cm from the anal verge during flexible sigmoidoscopy. A histologic diagnosis of metastatic melanoma wae made on light microscopic examination of biopsies obtained at sigmoidoscopy. The presence of metastatic melanoma at sites other than the rectum was found at the skin, pleura and lung. We report a case of metastatic malignant melanoma of the rectum with the review of the literature.
Adult ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Lung ; Melanoma* ; Pleura ; Rectum* ; Sigmoidoscopy ; Skin ; Ulcer

PURPOSE: To evaluate whether or not previously known CT criteria for differentiating malignant and benign pleural diseases are useful in the differentiation of diffuse malignant pleural diseases and tuberculosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed CT scans of 42 patients comprising 20 cases of malignant pleural diseases and 22 cases of tuberculous pleural diseases, according to previously known CT criteria for differentiating malignant and benign pleural diseases. RESULTS: The most common shape of pleural effusion was crescentic in malignant pleural diseases and loculated in tuberculosis. The aggressive nature of pleural effusion, pleural rind, and pleura thickenign was 1.5 times more frequently observed in malignant pleural diseases than in tuberculosis. Smooth thickening or smooth nodular pleural thickening and extrapleural deposition of fat were 1.5 times more frequently found in tuberculous than in malignant pleural diseases. Interruption of pleural thickening was found twice as frequently in malignant pleural diseases as in tuberculosis. Decreased lung volume was found twice as frequently in tuberculous as in malignant pleural diseases. Anatomical mediastinal pleural involvement was three times, and irregular nodular pleural thickening nine times more frequent in malignant pleural diseases than in tuberculosis. The sensitivity and specificity of CT findings above 70%, and thus suggesting malignant pleural diseases, were as follows: 1) aggressive nature of pleural fluid collection extending to the azygoesophageal recess or tongue of the lung (51.5%, 75%); 2) involvement of anatomical mediastinal pleura (69.2%,73.7%); 3) irregular nodular pleural thickening (87.5%, 69%). CONCLUSION: Although there in overlap between previously known CT criteria for the differentiation of benign and malignant pleural diseases, the aggressive nature of pleural fluid collection extending to the azygoesophageal recess or tongue of the lung, the involvement of anatomical mediastinal pleura and irregular nodular pleural thickening may suggest malignant pleural diseases.
Humans ; Lung ; Pleura ; Pleural Diseases* ; Pleural Effusion ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tongue ; Tuberculosis*