The gate control theory was proposed by Melzack & Wall in 1965. This theory implies that selective stimulation of cutaneous afferent fibers of large diameter inhibits pain. Transcutaneous electrical stimulation(TNS) is a practical employment of this concept. TNS was used on 14 herpes zoster patients to relieve associated pain. Good effeet was obtained in 13 patients. They experienced relief of their pain for 1-4 hours after 20 minutes of application. TNS has many advantages over analgesic drugs in the control of pain in herpes zoster.
Analgesics ; Employment ; Herpes Zoster* ; Humans

Lichen sclerosus et atrophicus (LSA) is an uncommon condition of the skin with small white macular or atrophic plaques which predominantly affects the genital regions of middle aged and elderly women. We present an atypical case of LSA on a 58 year old woman. The patient had a brownish-black colored patch of 2.5 * 7.0 cm in size on the right clavicular area of one year's duration. The histopatholgy of the lesion disclosed classical findings of LSA. A marked incontinence of pigment is noted in the upper dermis which accounts for the clinical picture of the lesion. She was treated with topical hydrocortisone cream resulting in a marked diminution of pigmentation.
Aged ; Dermis ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Lichen Sclerosus et Atrophicus* ; Lichens* ; Middle Aged ; Pigmentation ; Skin

Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis (TPP) is associated with hypokalemia and occurs sporadically and usually in young adult males. We report ten cases with TPP ; all were males, mean onset age was 32.4 years old. The duration of attack. Varied from 10 to 18 hours. The distribution of paralysis was confined to limb muscles; more severe in proximal limbs and lower extremities. Potassium levels during acute attack correlated with the severity of paralysis and ECG changes, but not with the severity of decrease in TSH level. In all cases, administration of potassium salts was successful in treatment of acute attack. A patient had further attack in spite of euthyroid state under the treatment of thyrotoxicosis for one year. Another patient was free from paralytic attacks by chronic administration of the potassium salt and acetazolamide without treatment of thyrotoxicosis.
Acetazolamide ; Age of Onset ; Electrocardiography ; Extremities ; Humans ; Hypokalemia ; Lower Extremity ; Male ; Muscles ; Paralysis* ; Potassium ; Salts ; Thyrotoxicosis ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between problem behavior, school stressor and family strength in high-school girls. METHODS: Data were collected from 200 high school girls in 2008. Data were analyzed with SPSS/WIN 18.0. RESULTS: There was a positive correlation between problem behavior and school stressor. There was a negative correlation between problem behavior and family strength. The predictors of problem behavior were school stressor, family strength, and monthly family income and these factors explained 43.0% of problem behavior. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study suggest the necessity of developing nursing intervention programs for enhancing high-school girls' skills in interpersonal relationship and communication to decrease school stressor and increase family strength.
Female* ; Humans ; Nursing ; Stress, Psychological

OBJECTIVE: The incidence of ABPA was quite different according to the countries and the prevalence of ABPA has not been reported in Korea. In this study, we evaluated the prevalence of ABPA. In asthmatics with positive skin reactivity to Aspergillus fumigatus(Af). METHODS: Ninety asthmatics with positive skin reactivity to Af were enrolled. The ABPA were diagnosed by the Greenburg and Petterson's criteria or by the pathologic features of lung. RESULTS: Six cases out of 90 asthmatics (6.7%) were diagnosed as ABPA (ABPA group). Total IgE level were not significantly different between ABPA group and asthmatics with Af skin reactivity (BA group n=84). Five out of 6 ABPA had higher than 1000 ng/ml of total IgE and all six cases had more than 600/microliter of peripheral blood eosinophil counts. Only two cases had the positive immunoprecipitin band to Af antigen. Antibody index of Af specific IgE and IgG in ABPA group were 5.58+/-3.35, 2.75+/-1.29, respectively and coutruls were. Three cases of ABPA had central bronchiectasis, two case has only infiltrative lung lesions, one case with destructive lung lesions and another one cases have no pulmonary pathologic lesion at chest radiology but with the serologic evidence of ABPA. Although we could not find statistical significance, the FEV1(70.1+/-270% vs 87.8+/-23.2%) and PEFR (71.8+/-30.6% vs 95.0+/-26.5%) of ABPA group were lower than those of BA group. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that ABPA is not uncommon in Af sensitized asthmatics in Korea. We thought that initial examination of allergic skin test including Aspergillus should be emphasized for screening the ABPA in Korean asthmatics.
Aspergillosis, Allergic Bronchopulmonary* ; Aspergillus fumigatus* ; Aspergillus* ; Bronchiectasis ; Eosinophils ; Immunoglobulin E ; Immunoglobulin G ; Incidence ; Korea ; Lung ; Mass Screening ; Peak Expiratory Flow Rate ; Prevalence* ; Skin Tests ; Skin* ; Thorax