Prematurity is the main cause for respiratory disorders in neonates. The goal in respiratory management is to maintain respiration with adequate oxygenation. Chest vibration(CV) prior to endotracheal suctioning(ETS) has been arbitrarily applied to ventilated premature infants without the scientific evaluation of its safety and efficacy. A repeated measure within subjects experimental study was conducted to investigate the effects of CV prior to ETS on oxygenation and lung secretions in twenty-one ventilated premature infants. The independent variable was the type of research protocol, the control type(ETS without CV) and the intervention(ETS with CV). The dependent variables were oxygen saturation(SpO2), heart rate (HR), measured by pulse oximeter, and the amount of lung secretions measured in gram, the results showed there was no difference in SpO2 responses regardless CV employed before ETS. But there was a significant difference in HR responses between the control and the intervention, even without clinical significance. There was a significant difference in the amount of lung secretions retrieved during ETS with CV, compared to ETS without CV. This study suggested the safety of CV by demonstrating no clinically significant changes in SoO2 and HR in premature infants. The efficacy of CV could be supported by the increases in the amount of sputum during ETS with CV compared to ETS without CV in premature infants.
Heart Rate* ; Heart* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature* ; Lung* ; Oxygen* ; Respiration ; Sputum ; Suction* ; Thorax* ; Vibration* ; Child Health

Macular atrophy is relatively rare skin disease and is characterized histologically by deficiency of elastic fibers and clinically by circumscribed area of thin, wrinkled bulging out skin. Whether the association with identificable specific dermatosis or not divides the macular atrophy into primary & secondary type. I present a case of widespreaded primary macular atrophy. A 28 year old male has been suffered from symptomless, slowly progressive, numerous, well demarcated, neither coalesced nor grouped, rice sized, round to oval shaped, hypopigmented, protruded, wrinkled surfaced eruptions which began from both flank at first about 3 years ago and then spreaded to abdomen, chest, back and all extremities except hands & feet. General physical & laboratory examinaions did not show distinct abnormality except skin tindings. Histopatholgical study revealed fragmentation, scantiness or disappearance of elastic fibers by means of Verhoeff-VanGieson stain and no increase of Periodic acid-Schiff stain positive material ruled out the possibility of amyloidosis. Diagnosis was confirmed by clinical & histochemical findings. Literature was briefly reviwed for the discussion.
Abdomen ; Adult ; Amyloidosis ; Atrophy* ; Diagnosis ; Elastic Tissue ; Extremities ; Foot ; Hand ; Humans ; Male ; Skin ; Skin Diseases ; Thorax

No abstract available.
Erectile Dysfunction* ; Humans ; Male*

No abstract available.
Aging* ; Humans ; Male* ; Reproduction*

No abstract available.
Metabolism*

No abstract available.
Metabolism*

No abstract available.
Andropause* ; Diagnosis* ; Male

Newborn period is a transitional stage for independent adaptation from intrauterine to extrauterine life by maintaining respiration, temperature and nutrition. In general, the adaptability of the newborn is proportional to the gestational age(GA), so knowing the accurate GA is critical to develop nursing process in the newborn nursery. A newborn maturity rating, a Ballard examination, has been used to measure GA by assessing the maturity of newborn. It consists a total of 12 items, which is the 6 items for the neuromuscular maturity and the 6 items for the physical maturity. A total of 75 newborn were assessed for the maturity and GA using the Ballard examination. The results are follows: 1) The score of each item of Ballard examination is proportional to GA using the Ballard examination as well as LMP. 2) There was a greater positive relationship between neuromuscular, physical and total maturity, and the GA measured by Ballard examination, than the GA measured by LMP. 3) Any stressful environment to the newborn could influence to the maturity of newborn. In summary, the study showed the Ballard examination is more reliable and clinically feasible method to measure the accurate GA, compared to the GA by LMP. Therefore, it suggests the application of Ballard examination to measure the newborn maturity and GA is beneficial in developing nursing process. The expansion of the study with the variety of the subject characteristics will enhance the clinical applicability of the examination.
Gestational Age* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn* ; Nurseries ; Nursing Process ; Respiration ; Child Health

No abstract available.
Lithotripsy*

As a preliminary step to determine if we can perform methacholine challenge test in young children, We investigated the feasibility of modified technique of methacholine challenge test in which tidal breathing and chest auscultation were used instead of dosimeter and measurement of lung function in older children. The results are as follows: 1) Values of PC20 measured by the tidal breathing method correlated significantly with those of PC20 measured by dosimeter 2) Ratio of values (PC20) obtained wth both methods was not related to age. 3) The minimal concentration of methacholine which caused wheezing on chest ausculation (PCW) correlated closely with PC20, but was 44% greater on average. 4) Expiratory wheezing is associated with greater fall of FEVI from baseline than inspiratory wheezing. Thus wheezing on chest auscultation can be used to detect bronchial obstruction at the end point for bronchial provocation testing in older children during the quiet tidal inhalation of methacholine. This may be applied to measurement of airway reactivity in young children who are unable to perform routine pulmonary function tests.
Auscultation* ; Bronchial Provocation Tests ; Child ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Lung ; Methacholine Chloride ; Respiration* ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Respiratory Sounds ; Thorax*