PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between fatigue and quality of life (QOL) of Korean cancer inpatients. METHODS: The data were collected from May to August 2007. Study subjects were recruited at D, Y and A university hospitals in Daegu and Kyungpook, Korea. The research instruments utilized in this study were fatigue (FACT-F) and quality of life (FACT-G) in Korean version 4. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation using SPSS Win 12.0 program. RESULTS: Fatigue of subjects showed a significant difference according to the type of treatment, change in weight, performance status, exercise, and sleep. The QOL of subjects showed a significant difference according to the purpose of treatment, change in weight, performance status, exercise, and sleep. The mean score of fatigue was 22.48 and the mean score of QOL was 55.52. The fatigue was negatively related to QOL, physical well-being, emotional well-being, and functional well-being. CONCLUSION: The results suggest the needs for intervention in order to reduce fatigue and to improve QOL of cancer inpatients.
Fatigue ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Korea ; Quality of Life

A 33-year-old-woman with twin pregnancy underwent genetic amniocentesis in our hospital at 16 weeks of gestation. Fetal chromosomal analysis showed 46,XY,inv(9) and 47,XX,+21. The affected twin was terminated by ultrasonographically guided intracardiac injection of 3 ml potassium chloride solution at 19 weeks of gestation. A healthy 2570 g male infant was born by cesarean section with Apgar scores of 8 and 9 at one and five minutes, respectively.
Amniocentesis ; Cesarean Section ; Down Syndrome* ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Potassium Chloride ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second* ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnancy, Twin ; Twins, Dizygotic*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was secondary analysis to explore about risk factors with breast cancer on a basis of primary literature. METHODS: This study was searched articles by using CINAHL, MEDLINE, Riss4u, Internet website regarding breast cancer. This study searched for the journal published in Korea and foreign countries from 2000 to 2008, about risk factors of breast cancer. This study was reviewed 42 articles (5 experimental study, 35 survey, 1 qualitative study, 1 report) suitable for the research objectives. RESULTS: Magnitude of risk breast cancer (++) was age, geographic region, family history, mutations in BRCA1, BRCA2 genes and in other penetrance genes, radiation, history of benign breast disease, late age of menopause, early age of menarch, nulliparity and older age at first birth, high mammographic breast density, high insulin-like growth factor 1 level. Magnitude of risk factor (+) was hormone replacement therapy, oral contraceptives use, obesity, tall stature, alcohol consumption, high prolactin level, high saturated fat and well-done meat intake, polymorphisms in low penetrance gene, high socioeconomic status. CONCLUSION: A breast cancer screening protocol according to magnitude of risk factors is needed for disease prevention. The nurses need to educate and counsel women with risk factors of breast cancer.
Alcohol Drinking ; Birth Order ; Breast ; Breast Diseases ; Breast Neoplasms ; Contraceptives, Oral ; Female ; Genes, BRCA2 ; Hormone Replacement Therapy ; Humans ; Internet ; Korea ; Mass Screening ; Meat ; Menopause ; Obesity ; Parity ; Penetrance ; Prolactin ; Risk Factors ; Social Class

We describe the distinctive brain CT and MRI findings seen in the putamen of three patients with hyperglycemia. The chief complaint of these patients was either chorea (n=1) or mental change (n=2). They showed hyperglycemia, but physical examination and laboratory data revealed no other abnormalities. In all patients, non-enhanced CT scanning revealed high-attenuated lesions in the unilateral putamen. In two of the three patients, brain MRI performed two days after the onset of symptoms showed an abnormally high signal on T1-weighted images and a low signal on T2-weighted images. One patient had a history of diabetes mellitus, and another had acute myocardiac infarction. The third had no specific history. After the correction of hyperglycemia, the patient's symptoms subsided and diabetes mellitus was diagnosed.
Brain ; Chorea ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Humans ; Hyperglycemia ; Infarction ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Physical Examination ; Putamen ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to identify the correlation that exists between quality of life and self-efficacy of schizophrenic patients, focusing on the influence of related factors on these varables. METHOD: The subjects of this study were 151 schizophrenic patients. The data were collected using questionnaires. The instruments used for this study were the general self-efficacy scale developed by Sherer & Maddex (1982), the specific self-efficacy scale modified and complemented by these co-researchers on the basis of the past studies and modified SIP by Voruganti (1996). The period of data collection was from July. 2000 to Jan. 2001. Data analysis was done by SPSS, t-test, ANOVA and the Pearson Correlation Coefficient. RESULT: 1. The level of self-efficacy showed a mean score of 60.0 and the level of quality of life, a mean score of 47.0. 2. The general characteristics affecting the self-efficacy of schizophrenic patients were staying with family (p=0.05) and employment (p=0.00). 3. The general characteristics affecting the quality of life of schizophrenic patients were staying with family (p=0.04), employment (p=0.05) and duration of illness (0.03). 4. A positive correlation was identified between self-efficacy and quality of life (r=-0.469, p=0.000). CONCLUSION: The study suggests that nursing intervention strategy should be worked out to develop a psychiatric rehabilitation program that can promote self-efficacy and thus enhance the quality of life of schizophrenic patients.
Complement System Proteins ; Data Collection ; Employment ; Humans ; Nursing ; Quality of Life* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Rehabilitation ; Schizophrenia ; Statistics as Topic

No abstract available.

Mullerian agenesis or dysgenesis, rare developmental anomaly presenting as primary amenorrhea, is characterized by absence of vagina and absence or rudimentary development of the uterus. Anatomic anomalies of the axial skeleton and kindney often accompany this psychologically devatating condition. There are various methods of surgical treatment for congenital absence of the vagina. The six cases reviewed in this paper were all treated with McIndoe technique. All of 6 women experienced satisfactory sexual activity and were satisfied with vaginal depth following vaginal creation using a split thickness skin graft technique. Despite the existence of several alternative methods, the McIndoe technique is a relatively simple and highly successful procedure and hence is still prefered by many surgeons.
Amenorrhea ; Female ; Humans ; Sexual Behavior ; Skeleton ; Skin ; Transplants ; Uterus ; Vagina*

The variations of the sigmoid sinus were studied in 50 Korean adults (average age 67). The classification of the shape and a measurement of the diameters of the sinus were done and the morpological. 1. The shape was classified into 4 types, and the round type was the most common in both sides. S shaped type was below 10% in both sides. 2. The breadth was regular in 54% of the right and in 70% of the left sinuses. According to the breadth change, the shape was classified into 4 shapes. 3. The average diameter was 8.6mm on the right side and 7.2mm on the left side. 4. Symmetry was present in 16% of all. 5. The right transverse sinus was absent in 1 case (2%) and the superior petrosal sinus did not open into the sigmoid sinus in 2 cases (4%). 6. Petrosqamous sinus was observed in 16%.
Adult* ; Classification ; Colon, Sigmoid* ; Humans

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of ferritin-folate-cyanocobalamin supplementation for prevention of anemia during pregnancy. METHODS: The authors conducted a clinical investigation on 50 pregnant women from 20th to 36th gestational weeks. The cobination of cyanocobalamin coenzyme 500mg, folic coenzyme 800mcg, and ferritin 20mg constituted the supplementation. The parameters examined in first trimester as baseline, before treatment(at 20th weeks), and after treatment(at 36th weeks) were : hemoglobin, hematocrit, ferritin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin(MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration(MCHC), mean corpuscular volume(MCV), red blood cell count(RDW), folic acid, and vit. BPaired sample t-test was used for comparison. RESULTS: The results indicated a significant increase in the value of hemoglobin(p<0.05) and hematocrit(p<0.01) in comparison to before and after the treatment. The values of serum ferritin, folic acid, vitamin Bwere increased after the treatment compared to those of before the treatment, though there was no statistical significance. The results of MCV, MCH, MCHC, and RDW showed no statistically significant in comparison to before and after the treatment. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that supplementing ferritin 20mg-folate 800mcg-cyanocobalamine 500mcg per day from 20th to 36th weeks' gestation can increase values of hemoglobin, hematocrit, and ferritin concentration and can be cosidered as an appropriate method to prevent iron deficient anemia. It also might increase the value of folic acid and vitamin B12, concentration, but further study is stiU needed to determine whether the supplementation of folate and cyanocobalamine in combination with iron can have better eflicacy than iron alone in prevention of iron deficiency anemia.
Anemia* ; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency ; Erythrocyte Indices ; Erythrocytes ; Female ; Ferritins* ; Folic Acid* ; Hematocrit ; Humans ; Iron ; Pregnancy Trimester, First ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnant Women ; Vitamin B 12* ; Vitamins

Neural tube defects are reported one of the important congenital malformation in the world, with an incidence of 1.4 to 2 per 1000 pregnancies. Maternal serum AFP at the second trimester is used as screening test. But this is associated with numerous causes, including twins, fetal death, misdated pregnancies, cystic hygromas, teratomas, renal abnormalities, esophageal atresia and aberrations in the placenta. If the AFP level was elevated, targeted ultrasonography should be evaluated for confirming the gestational age and fetal viability, fetal number. Then if the ultrasonographic examination is nondiagnostic, or if an NTD is suspected, amniotic fluid AFP should be measured with acetylcholinesterase. But the false positive rate of the AF-AFP is high, and there is 0.3% of the false positive rate in amniotic acetylcholinesterase. This time the women with normal ultrasonographic examination continue the pregnancy after counseling of family history, past history with follow up of ultrasonography. We report a case with elevated second trimester MS-AFP, AF-AFP and positive amniotic acetylcholinesterase, but in which repeated sonographic findings were normal and result in delivery of a healthy baby without anomalies.
Acetylcholinesterase* ; Amniotic Fluid ; Counseling ; Esophageal Atresia ; Female ; Fetal Death ; Fetal Viability ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lymphangioma, Cystic ; Mass Screening ; Neural Tube Defects ; Placenta ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second ; Pregnancy* ; Teratoma ; Ultrasonography