OBJECTIVES: This study was carried out to determine nutritional status of elderly patients in a long-term care hospital according to meal type and eating ability. METHODS: Subjects were 47 female patients aged over 65 (79.3 +/- 7.1 years) who resided in a long-term care hospital in Seoul. Thirty seven patients who ate diet orally were grouped according to meal type (27 general diet and 10 soft diet) and eating ability (26 eating by oneself and 11 eaten with help) and 10 were on tube feeding. Nutritional status was determined by food consumption and mid-arm circumference. RESULTS: The mean adequacy ratios (MARs) of 12 nutrients (protein, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, niacin, folic acid, vitamin C) were 0.687 for general diet, 0.565 for soft diet, 0.680 for eating by oneself and 0.677 for eaten with help, which were significantly lower than 0.982 for tube feeding (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01). The patients on tube feeding had significantly lower % arm circumference compared to those who ate general diet (84.0% vs. 95.4%, respectively, p < 0.05). Nutrients intakes, nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR) and index of nutritional quality (INQ) were not different between meal types as well as eating ability. The most insufficiently consumed nutrients by the patients on diet were folic acid, vitamin B2, and calcium (NAR 0.334~0.453, 0.515~0.539, and 0.516~0.533, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested that regardless of meal type or eating ability, the subjects who were on diets in this study might have inadequate intake of folic acid as well as vitamin B2, and calcium, which need to be reflected on menu planning. The measurement of mid-arm circumference presented more risk of malnutrition of patients on tube feeding than those on diets, despite apparently better nutrient consumption.
Aged* ; Arm ; Calcium ; Diet ; Eating* ; Enteral Nutrition ; Female ; Folic Acid ; Humans ; Long-Term Care* ; Malnutrition ; Meals* ; Menu Planning ; Niacin ; Nutritional Status* ; Nutritive Value ; Phosphorus ; Riboflavin ; Seoul ; Thiamine ; Vitamin A ; Vitamin B 6 ; Vitamins ; Zinc

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify the level of senior nursing students’ knowledge about palliative care, meaning of life, and willingness to palliative care and to identify factors affecting their willingness to palliative care. Methods: Data were collected from 192 senior nursing students at six nursing schools in four cities in Korea from December 8, 2022 to January 5, 2023. Descriptive statistics, an independent t-test, Pearson’s correlation, and multiple linear regression test were used to analyze the data. Results: The mean±standard deviation score of knowledge about palliative care and meaning of life were 8.44±2.20 and 146.48±19.32. Factors affecting senior nursing students’ willingness to palliative care were the knowledge about palliative care (β=.18, p=.005), meaning of life (β=.36, p<.001), and motivation for admission into a nursing school based on aptitude and interest (β=.16, p=.020). Conclusion It is necessary to develop a nursing education program for enhancing knowledge about palliative care and meaning of life to prepare the palliative care competency of nursing students.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify effects of fatigue, depression and anxiety on quality of life in pregnant women with preterm labor. METHODS: With a survey design, data were collected from 138 mothers who were admitted at a hospital in Seoul, between June 2014 and September 2015. Instruments used to collect the data for the study were: Fatigue Continuum Form, Depression anxiety stress scale (DASS-21) and maternal postpartum quality of life (MAPP-QOL). RESULTS: The mean fatigue score was 68.30 with 50.7% of women being depressed and 79.7% of the 138 women being anxious. The mean quality of life was 18.92 with quality of life being associated with fatigue, depression and anxiety. Depression and fatigue explained 26% of the variance in quality of life. CONCLUSION: Depression and fatigue adversely affected women's quality of life. It is important to address appropriate management of depression and fatigue in order to improve quality of life in pregnant women with preterm labor.
Anxiety* ; Depression* ; Fatigue* ; Female ; Humans ; Mothers ; Obstetric Labor, Premature* ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women* ; Quality of Life* ; Seoul

Purpose: This study compares the snacking pattern, diet, lifestyle, and food preference of children by evaluating the most frequently eaten snacks. Methods: The survey enrolled 435 students from three elementary schools in Gyeonggi. Based on the most frequently eaten snacks, the subjects were divided into 3 groups: fruits and milk/dairy products for natural snacks (NS, n = 114); noodles, snack foods and fast foods for meal-like snacks (MS, n = 74); cookies, beverages and bread as sweet snacks (SS, n = 247). Results: Compared to the MS group, preferences of the NS group were significantly higher for jabgokbap (cooked rice with multi-grains, p < 0.05) and saengchae (seasoned raw vegetables, p < 0.01), and significantly lower for gogitwigim (deep-fried meat, p < 0.05). Taste preference of the NS group was considered to be more desirable; the taste preference of more subjects was ‘sweet taste’ in the SS group, ‘spicy taste’ in the MS group, ‘salty taste’ in the MS and SS groups, and ‘sour taste’ and ‘bland taste’ in the NS group than the other groups. Compared tothe MS and SS groups, the NS group was determined to exercise more frequently; exercising for more than 30 minutes/day was determined to be 76.3% in the NS group and 58.1% and 57.9% in the other groups (p < 0.01). Moreover, a higher proportion of subjects in the MS group tended to answer ‘not hungry’ as the reason for leaving school meals, as compared to other groups (p = 0.055), thereby suggesting that inappropriate snacking habits interfere with regular meals. Conclusion This study provides evidence that healthy snacking habits, which include natural snacks such as milk/dairy products and fruits, are important for children during the elementary school years, since these habits are associated with healthier diet, lifestyle, and food and taste preferences. These results provide basic information for developing nutritional education materials for elementary school children.

Extramedullary plasmacytoma (EMP) is a common plasma cell tumor often involving the upper aerodigestive tract. Although extremely rare, mediastinal involvement is possible. An 81-year-old man was presented to our emergency department with chest and back pain with weakness in both legs. Chest X-ray showed a large mass in the upper right mediastinum; subsequently, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging evaluated the mass. He was diagnosed with mediastinal EMP, which progressed to spinal cord compression. The patient was treated with radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Spinal cord compression, due to metastatic tumor, is an emergency clinical situation that requires prompt diagnosis and treatment. Emergency medicine physicians should be aware of the clinical presentation and complications associated with EMP.
Aged, 80 and over ; Back Pain ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Emergencies ; Emergency Medicine ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Humans ; Leg ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Mediastinum ; Multiple Myeloma ; Plasmacytoma* ; Radiotherapy ; Spinal Cord Compression* ; Spinal Cord* ; Thorax

PURPOSE: To determine the effect of changing practice guidelines designed to avoid hyperoxia or hypoxia in very low birth weight or very preterm infants. METHODS: We analyzed a database of <1,500 g birth weight or <32 weeks of gestation infants who were born and admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of Chungnam National University Hospital from January 2007 to July 2010. First, we defined the relationship between arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) and pulse oxygen saturation (SpO2). When we evaluated 96 pairs of PaO2 and SpO2 measurements, oxygen saturation was 90-94% at a PaO2 of 43-79 mmHg on the oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve, according to pulse oximetry. Based on this observation, a change in practice was instituted in August 2008 with the objective of avoiding hypoxia and hyperoxia in preterm infants with targeting a SpO2 90-94% (period II). Before the change in practice, high alarms for SpO2 were set at 100% and low alarms at 95% (period I). RESULTS: Sixty-eight infants the met enrollment criteria and 38 (56%) were born during period II, after the change in SpO2 targets. Demographic characteristics, except gender, were similar between the infants born in both periods. After correcting for the effect of confounding factors, the rates for mortality, severe retinopathy of prematurity, and IVH attended to be lower than those for infants in period II. No difference in the rate of patent ductus arteriosus needed to treat was observed. CONCLUSION: A change in the practice guidelines aimed at avoiding low oxygen saturation and hyperoxia did not increase neonatal complication rates and showed promising results, suggesting decreased mortality and improvements in short term morbidity. It is still unclear what range of oxygen saturation is appropriate for very preterm infants but the more careful saturation targeting guideline should be considered to prevent hypoxemic events and hyperoxia.
Anoxia ; Birth Weight ; Blood Gas Analysis ; Dissociative Disorders ; Ductus Arteriosus, Patent ; Humans ; Hyperoxia ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Infant, Very Low Birth Weight ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Oximetry ; Oxygen ; Oxyhemoglobins ; Partial Pressure ; Pregnancy ; Retinopathy of Prematurity

Acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis is a rare, drug-induced disease that is occasionally accompanied by acute renal failure. It is characterized by the abrupt onset of widespread pustules on an erythematous base and rapid spontaneous healing. We report a case involving a 47-year-old male who presented with exanthematous pustules after taking medication. Azotemia was found in the resulting blood test. We were able to achieve the final diagnosis by skin biopsy. After instructing the patient not to take the previous medication, oral steroids were prescribed. He recovered within 2 weeks with just desquamations remaining.
Acute Generalized Exanthematous Pustulosis ; Acute Kidney Injury ; Azotemia ; Biopsy ; Hematologic Tests ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Skin ; Steroids

Internal iliac artery aneurysm (IIAA) is a type of abdominal aneurysm that is a rare cause of lower urinary tract symptoms because of its anatomic location. If diagnosed after rupture, it can be lethal and surgery is mandatory. A 57-year-old male presented with acute urinary retention and syncope. An intra-abdominal mass initially thought to be an aneurysm was apparent by ultrasound. A computed tomography scan of the abdomen confirmed an internal iliac artery aneurysm accompanied by rupture. The patient was discharged without any complications within 20 days after receiving a vascular graft and resection of the aneurysm.
Abdomen ; Aneurysm ; Humans ; Iliac Aneurysm ; Iliac Artery ; Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Rupture ; Syncope ; Transplants ; Urinary Retention

Emphysematous pyelonephritis (EPN) is a necrotizing infection of the renal parenchyma and its surrounding tissues that results in the accumulation of gas in the renal parenchyma, collecting system or perinephric tissue. EPN is a potentially life-threatening condition, which is most commonly associated with poorly controlled diabetes. We describe a case of emphysematous pyelonephritis associated with emphysematous ureteritis and cystitis in a 68-year-old diabetic woman, who was cured with medical treatment and surgical intervention.
Aged ; Cystitis ; Female ; Humans ; Pyelonephritis ; Ureter

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Increasing evidence supports that psychological factors may be related to development of coronary artery disease (CAD). Although psychological well-being, ill-being, and control strategy factors may play a significant role in CAD, rarely have these factors been simultaneously examined previously. We assessed comprehensive psychological factors in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 85 ACS patients (56 unstable angina, 29 acute myocardial infarction; 52.6+/-10.2 years; M/F=68/17) and 63 healthy controls (48.7+/-6.7 years, M/F=43/20) were included. Socio-demographic information, levels of psychological maladjustment, such as anxiety, hostility, and job stress, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and primary and secondary control strategy use were collected through self-report questionnaires. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the ACS group and control group in levels of anxiety, hostility, and job stress. However, ACS patients had significantly lower scores on the general health perception and bodily pain subscales of HRQoL than the control group. The ACS group, as compared with the controls, tended to use primary control strategies more, although not reaching statistical significance by univariate analysis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis after adjusting age and gender identified the physical domain of HRQoL {odds ratio (OR)=0.40}, primary control strategy (OR=1.92), and secondary control strategy (OR=0.53) as independent predictors of ACS. CONCLUSION: Poor HRQoL and primary control strategy, proactive behaviors in achieving ones' goal, may act as risk factors for ACS, while secondary control strategy to conform to current situation may act as a protective factor for ACS.
Acute Coronary Syndrome* ; Angina, Unstable ; Anxiety ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Hostility ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Myocardial Infarction ; Psychology ; Quality of Life* ; Risk Factors* ; Stress, Psychological ; Surveys and Questionnaires