As advance care planning is taking center stage in the field of end-of-life care, various tools have been developed to aid in the often emotional and difficult decision-making process. Video decision support tools are one of the most promising means of assistance, of which the modus operandi is to provide more comprehensive and precise information of medical procedures to patients and their families, allowing them to make better informed decisions. Despite such value, some are concerned about its potential negative impact. For example, video footages of some procedures may be shocking and unpalatable to non-medical professionals, and patients and families may refuse the procedures. One approach to soften the sometimes unpleasant visual of medical procedures is to show less aggressive or more relaxing scenes. Yet another potential issue is that the objectivity of video decision support tools might be vulnerable to the very stakeholders who were involved in the development. Some might argue that having multiple stakeholders may function as checks and balances and provide collective wisdom, but we should provide more systematic guarantee on the objectivity of the visual decision aids. Because the decision of the modality of an individual's death is the last and most significant choice in one's life, no party should exert their influence on such a delicate decision. With carefully designed video decision support tools, our patients will live the last moments of their lives with dignity, as they deserve.
Advance Care Planning* ; Decision Making ; Decision Support Systems, Clinical ; Decision Support Techniques ; Hope* ; Humans ; Lifting* ; Nimodipine ; Palliative Care ; Shock ; Terminal Care ; Videotape Recording

A 3-year-old boy with purulent otitis media received a chest radiograph as the part of a routine work up. The patient was normal appearing, in no acute distress. The patient's lung and heart sounds were clear and normal. The patient's abdomen was soft, non-distended, and non-tender. An anterior cardiophrenic mass was incidentally identified on the lateral chest radiograph. A computed tomography scan demonstrated a diaphragmatic hernia with bowel loops in the retrosternal space. An exploratory operation revealed a diaphragmatic defect (4 cm in diameter) on the left side of the falciform ligament, through which transverse colon was protruded. There was no hernia sac, and the defect was closed with interrupted No. 2 silk sutures. The child was discharged on the 8th postoperative day without any complications. During 6 months of follow-up period, recurrence was not noticed.
Abdomen ; Child ; Child, Preschool* ; Colon, Transverse ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Sounds ; Hernia* ; Hernia, Diaphragmatic ; Humans ; Ligaments ; Lung ; Male* ; Otitis Media, Suppurative ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Recurrence ; Silk ; Sutures

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare quality of life of long-term survivors after a subtotal or a total gastrectomy for gastric cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30 questionnaire and QLQ-STO22 questionnaire were used to assess quality of life of 166 patients on their 5th annual follow-ups after gastrectomy for gastric cancer. One hundred twenty-six patients underwent a subtotal gastrectomy and 40 patients a total gastrectomy. RESULTS: The subtotal gastrectomy group revealed a trend to have better quality of life in functional scales (physical, role, emotional, cognitive and social), fatigue, pain, dyspnea, diarrhea and financial difficulties. The total gastrectomy group showed a trend to have better quality of life in the global health status and quality of life, nausea and vomiting, insomnia, appetite loss and constipation. In all scales of the EORTC QLQ-STO22, the subtotal gastrectomy group had a trend to have better quality of life. However these did not reach the statistical significance. CONCLUSION: Surgeons may not limit the extent of resection concerning long-lasting poor quality of life. Oncologically sound resection is recommended.
Appetite ; Constipation ; Diarrhea ; Dyspnea ; Fatigue ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Nausea ; Quality of Life ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Survivors ; Vomiting ; Weights and Measures

The Rejuran(R) is a new filler product made from purified polynucleotides. Here we present data from an animal study and a clinical trial to examine the durability, efficacy and safety of the Rejuran(R) on crow's feet. For the animal study, 25 mice were divided into three groups: Group 1 received phosphate buffered saline (PBS); Group 2 were treated with Yvoire(R); and Group 3 were treated with Rejuran(R). The durability and efficacy of each treatment were assessed by microscopy and staining. In the clinical trial, 72 patients were randomized to receive Rejuran(R) treatment for crow's feet on one side and Yvoire-Hydro(R) on the contralateral side, at a ratio of 1:1. Repeated treatments were performed every two weeks for a total of three times, over a total of 12 weeks' observation. All injections and observations of efficacy and safety were performed by the same two investigators. In the animal study, the Rejuran(R) group showed similar durability and inflammatory response to the Yvoire(R) group. Upon efficacy assessment, the Rejuran(R) group showed the greatest elasticity and collagen composition, and a significant difference in skin surface roughness and wrinkle depth. In the clinical trial, the primary and secondary objective efficacy outcome measure showed no statistical significance between the two groups, and in safety outcomes there were no unexpected adverse effects. Our data suggest that the Rejuran(R), as a new regenerative filler, can be useful to reduce wrinkles, by showing evidence for its efficacy and safety.
Adult ; Animals ; Dermatologic Surgical Procedures/*methods ; Double-Blind Method ; Elasticity/drug effects ; Female ; Humans ; Hyaluronic Acid/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Injections, Intradermal ; Male ; Mice ; Middle Aged ; Polynucleotides/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Skin ; Skin Aging ; Surgery, Plastic/*methods ; Treatment Outcome ; Wound Healing