No abstract available.
Humans ; Hypersensitivity* ; Skin*

No abstract available.

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine an adequate minimal concentration of lidocaine in a stellate ganglion block for decreasing a false positive response to a diagnostic sympathetic blockade determining whether the patient's pain is SMP or SIP. METHODS: This crossover study was performed in twenty patients with sudden sensory neural hearing loss. All patients received three times SGB using three different concentrations (1%, 0.5% and 0.25%) of 8 ml lidocaine at the sixth cervical vertebral level via an anterior paratracheal approach. The blocks were separately done at one week intervals in random order. The occurrence, onset time and action duration of Horner's syndrome were observed after each SGB. RESULTS: Positive cranial sympathetic blockade (Horner' syndrome) was present in all patients using 1% and 0.5% lidocaine. It was present in 60% of the patients using 0.25% lidocaine. Onset time was not significantly different among the three groups. Action duration of 1% and 0.5% lidocaine groups was significantly longer than the 0.25% lidocaine group. There was no critical side effects, and temporary foreign body sensation was the most common side effect. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that 0.5% lidocaine is an adequate minimal concentration for diagnostic SGB. Therefore, we recommend that 0.5% lidocaine instead 1% should be used in diagnostic SGB to decrease a false positive response to a sympathetic blockade.
Anesthetics ; Cross-Over Studies ; Foreign Bodies ; Hearing Loss ; Horner Syndrome ; Humans ; Lidocaine* ; Sensation ; Stellate Ganglion*

No abstract available.
Chronic Disease ; Glycemic Index

No abstract available.
Bone Marrow* ; Microwaves* ; Plastics*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to validate the Needs Assessment Tool for Case Management (NATCM) for use with Korean medical aid beneficiaries. METHODS: Psychometric testing was performed with a sample of 645 Korean medical aid beneficiaries, which included 41 beneficiaries who were selected using proportional sampling method, to examine intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Data were evaluated using item analyses, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), Cronbach's alpha, and ICC. RESULTS: Through psychometric testing the final version of NATCM was found to consist of two subscales: 1) Appropriateness of Health Care Utilization (5 items) and 2) Self Care Ability (6 items). The two subscale model was validated by CFA (RMSEA=.08, GFI=.97, and CFI=.93). Internal consistency measured by Cronbach's alpha was .82, and subscale reliability ranged from .79 to .84. The ICC of the NATCM between case managers was .73 and between case managers and health care professionals. .82. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the final version of NATCM is a brief, reliable, and valid instrument to measure needs of Korean medical aid beneficiaries. Therefore, the NATCM can be effectively utilized as an important needs assessment as well as outcome evaluation tool for case management programs in Korea.
Activities of Daily Living ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Case Management ; Female ; Health Status ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Needs Assessment ; Pain Management ; Psychometrics ; Questionnaires ; Republic of Korea ; Social Support

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a peer helper training program on existential spiritual well-being, peer relationship, and depression for students attending a specialized girls vocational high school. METHODS: The participants were forty-two students attending a specialized girls vocational high school in D city. Data were collected form october 23 to December 24, 2013. To test the effects of the peer helper training program, the participants were divided into two mached groups, an experimental group (21) and a control group (21). Data were analyzed using chi2-test, Fisher exact probability test, and t-test with the SPSS/WIN 12.0 program. RESULTS: After attending the peer helper training program, significant differences between the experimental group and the control group were found for existential spiritual well-being (t=3.35, p=.002) and peer relationship (t=2.29, p=.028). However, there was no significant differences in depression between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that the peer helper training program enhances existential spiritual well-being and peer relationship for students attending a specialized girls vocational high school. Therefore, this program is a good strategy that teachers and community mental health nurses can use to increase existential spiritual well-being and peer relationship of these high school girls.
Depression* ; Education* ; Female* ; Humans ; Mental Health ; Peer Group ; Spirituality ; Vocational Education

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence of embryo retention (ER) in the transfer catheter following embryo transfer (ET) in blastocyst transfer and investigate whether retransferring retained embryos has an impact on reproductive outcomes in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization-ET. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the records of 1,131 blastocyst transfers, which comprised 223 single blastocyst transfer (SBT) and 908 double blastocyst transfer (DBT) cycles. Each SBT and DBT group was classified depending on whether ET was performed without retained embryos in the catheter during the first attempt (without-ER group) or whether any retained embryos were found following ET (ER group) for the purpose of comparing reproductive outcomes in a homogenous population. RESULTS: The overall incidence of finding retained embryos was 2.8% (32/1,131). There were no retained embryos in SBT cycles. In DBT cycles, implantation rates (30.0% vs. 26.6%), positive β-hCG rates (57.2% vs. 56.2%), clinical pregnancy rates (45.3% vs. 46.9%), and live birth rates (38.9% vs. 43.8%) were not significantly different between the without-ER and ER groups. There were no significant differences in the mean birth weight (g) 2,928.4±631.8 vs. 2,948.7±497.8 and the mean gestational age at birth (269.3±17.2 days vs. 264.2±25.7 days). A total of nine cases of congenital birth defects were found in this study population. Eight were observed in the without-ER group and one in the ER group. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that retransfer of retained embryos does not have any adverse impact on reproductive outcomes in blastocyst transfer cycles. Furthermore, our results support finding that SBT might be advantageous for decreasing the incidence of retained embryos in catheters.
Birth Weight ; Blastocyst* ; Catheters ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Embryo Transfer* ; Embryonic Structures* ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Incidence ; Live Birth ; Parturition ; Pregnancy Rate ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUNDS: It is well known that intimal hyperplasia is one of the most important cause of vascular graft failure in angioplasty, autogenous venous graft and prosthetic bypass graft. Clinical trials of drugs including antiplatelet agents, anticoagulant, corticosteroid, cyclosporine and prostaglandin were not satisfactory in suppressing intimal hyperplasia. Seeding of endothelial cell also have been done for this purpose with some success. There are several reports that endovascular low dose irradiation and external beam irradiation might reduce the amount of proliferative neointima after arterial injury. METHODS: In order to evaluate the effect of external beam irradiation on intimal hyperplasia in grafted vessel, femoral artery autografts using external jugular vein were performed in dogs, and studied the morphological finding under microscope and compared intimal hyperplasia between control and radiated groups. Group I (control) was not irradiated after graft. But experimental groups were irradiated with 6 Mev electron: Group II, 800 cGy on day 1; Group III, 400 cGy on day 1 and day 4 each; and Group IV, 800 cGy on day 4. Radiation efficacy on intimal hyperplasia was histologically assessed by measuring neointimal thickness at the proximal and distal site of grafted vessel at 6 weeks after graft. RESULTS: Mean neointimal thickness in all irradiated groups were significantly lesser than control group (p<0.05) and not related with irradiating time: Group I (Control), 0.41+/-0.11 mm; Group II, 0.16+/-0.10 mm; Group III, 0.19 0.10 mm; Group IV 0.15+/-0.08 mm. There was no difference in intimal hyperplasia between proximal and distal anastomotic site of grafted vessels in both control and irradiated groups: Control, 0.42+/-0.11 mm vs 0.40+/-0.10 mm; Radiated groups, 0.17+/-0.10 mm vs 0.16+/-0.09 mm; (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: These data suggest that low dose external beam irradiation might suppress intimal hyperplasia in grafted vessel, but further study will be necessary to determine optimal dose and timing of radiation delivery, and its efficacy in long segment bypass graft.
Angioplasty ; Animals ; Autografts* ; Cyclosporine ; Dogs* ; Endothelial Cells ; Femoral Artery* ; Hyperplasia* ; Jugular Veins ; Neointima ; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors ; Transplants