PURPOSE: It was investigated if abdominal meridian massage has effects on constipation in institutionalized psychiatric patients taking antipsychotic drugs. METHODS: According to the constipation screening tests, 22 patients were selected as subjects. One group pre and post repeated measurement design was used. Constipation was operationalized as perceived constipation, frequency of defecation, frequency of bowel sound, and number of medicine taken to relieve constipation. Abdominal meridian massage was given for two weeks, 10-15 minutes each time and 10 times in total. RESULTS: Perceived constipation, frequency of bowel sound, and number of medicine taken were significantly improved after massage. Except for number of medicine taken, the effects on perceived constipation and frequency of bowel sound were found to be persistent 2 weeks after massage. CONCLUSION: Based upon these results, abdominal meridian massage was recommended as independent nursing intervention for the relief of constipation in psychiatric patients who taking anti-psychotic drugs. Further studies to investigate the maximal duration time of effects and whether the effects of intermittent application of this method is more beneficial than the continuous application of this method are necessary.
Antipsychotic Agents* ; Constipation* ; Defecation ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Massage* ; Nursing ; Psychotic Disorders

PURPOSE: To identify the feasibility and provide the direction for future studies regarding hand massage, studies on hand massage published in Korea were analyzed. METHODS: Using the key word of hand massage, 23 studies which identified the effects on sleep, pain, anxiety and depression were found. They were analyzed on research tendency and effects. Research tendency was analyzed in terms of published year, methods, study design, sample characteristics, and outcome variables. Effects were analyzed with hypothesis testing and effect size. RESULTS: Among 23 studies, 60%(14 studies) were about hand massage and others (9 studies) were about aroma hand massage. The most prominent outcome variables were physiological and cognitive/emotional ones. To improve sleep, hand massage over 60 minutes was necessary while pain and anxiety were improved in the studies which less than 10 minutes hand massage was applied. Aroma hand massage was more effective than hand massage. Effect size for anxiety and depression was larger than those of sleep and pain. CONCLUSION: Hand massage and aroma hand massage are recommended to improve anxiety and depression as an independent nursing intervention. More randomized clinical trials are necessary to increase the validity and identify the effects of hand massage on sleep, pain, anxiety and depression.
Anxiety ; Depression ; Hand ; Korea ; Massage

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of hand massage provided with different intervals and periods on pain and sleep disturbance after orthopedic surgery. METHODS: A non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design was used. The subjects were admitted in an orthopedic hospital to get a surgery. They were divided into three groups. Group I (n=30) had hand massage every day. Group II (n=30) had hand massage every other day. Control group (n=31) had usual care. Data of all three groups were collected on the day before operation, POD (postoperative day) 6 and POD12. Hand massage was given for 2 and half minutes per hand. RESULTS: Pain on POD6 of experimental group II was reduced more than those of control group. Pains on POD12 of both experimental groups were reduced more than those of control group. On POD6, only perceived sleep disturbance (PSD) was significantly different among groups. On POD12, PSD, total sleeping time, and sleep efficiency were more improved in the experimental groups. CONCLUSION: Hand massage was effective on the reduction of pain and sleep disturbance after orthopedic surgery. Applying hand massage on alternate day was effective enough. Also the effects were more obvious after 12 days.
Hand* ; Massage* ; Orthopedics*

The effects of social support on post-stroke depression were investigated. Social support was classified into three categories: primary caregiver's. significant other's. and professional support. And primary caregiver's and significant other's support were divided into their relation, living state (which means they living together or not), frequency which they met at. and perceived satisfaction about the support, respectively. Professional support was divided into number of professionals who take care of. frequency they met at. and perceived satisfaction. The subjects were 254 stroke patients who had been discharged and were taken follow-up care at the outpatient department. The depression was measured using CES-D. Out of the primary caregiver's support. only relation and perceived satisfaction were identified to affect the post-stroke depression. The patients who primarily their spouse takes care of were less depressed than those who their adult children take care of. None of the significant other's support affects the post-stroke depression. Only perceived satisfaction of the professional support was found to affect the post-stroke depression. So it was found that the quality, not the amount, of care was important to post-stroke depression. These results also support the claim that the facilities and teaching programs for primary caregivers are necessary
Adult Children ; Caregivers ; Depression* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Outpatients ; Spouses ; Stroke

The related factors of the quality of life (QOL) in stroke patients was identified empirically. The subjects were 254 stroke patients who were discharged and taken follow-up care at the outpatient department. In this model, the physical, psychological, and social status were assumed to affect the QOL. And the social support was assumed to moderate these effects. NIH stroke state, ADL, and IADL were used to measure the physical status. Using CES-D, the psychological status was measured. The social status was defined as the job change after stroke attack. The satisfaction with the care by primary caregivers, significant others, and health professionals was measured as the social support. To identify the effect of the physical, psychological, and social status on the QOL, multiple regression analysis was carried out. The psychological and social status were found to be the significant predictors of the QOL(R2=0.27, p=0.00). Next, to identify the moderating effect of the social support, the subjects were divided into two groups, that is, the low social support group and the high social support group. It is found that the predicting variance is different between these two groups. In the low social support group, the psychological, social, and physical status predicted as much as 42% of the QOL. On the contrary, the psychological status predicted only 8% of the QOL in the high social support group. So it is concluded that the social support moderates the effects of the physical, psychological, and social status on QOL. Finally, to identify the social support which moderates those effects, the social support was divided into three classes. Each social support class was divided into the low and high social support group again. In the every class of social support, the difference between two groups was also identified. So the model of the QOL is recommended for the framework of the care for the stroke patients. Also these results support the claim that the long-term facilities for stroke patients are necessary.
Activities of Daily Living ; Caregivers ; Follow-Up Studies ; Health Occupations ; Humans ; Outpatients ; Quality of Life* ; Self-Help Groups ; Stroke*

Background: Bile duct ligation (BDL) has been used for experimental research on hepatic encephalopathy (HE) caused by chronic liver disease. However, little research has been done on a BDL model in C57BL/6 mouse. Therefore, we evaluated the suitability of a BDL model in C57BL/6 mouse for the study of HE and determined which behavioral tests are appropriate for the identification of HE in this model. Methods: Twelve to fourteen-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned to either sham group or BDL group. Histological changes in liver were confirmed by hematoxylin/ eosin and Masson’s trichrome staining. Liver function alterations were detected by alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and ammonia levels. To identify behavioral changes, open field, elevated plus maze, novel object recognition, and passive avoidance tests were performed. Results: Inflammatory liver injury and fibrosis were observed 14 days after BDL. ALT and ammonia levels were significantly higher in BDL group than in sham group. There were no differences in general locomotor activity or anxiety between the groups. No difference was observed between these two groups in the novel object recognition test, but BDL group showed significant learning/memory impairment in the passive avoidance test compared to sham group. Conclusions Fourteen days of BDL in 12–14-week-old male C57BL/6 mice is a clinically relevant model for HE, as these mice have liver fibrosis with impaired liver function, hyperammonemia, and learning/memory impairment. Passive avoidance can be used as the major behavioral test in this model of HE.

An explanatory design was employed to identify the relationship of physical, emotional & social readjustment and social support of post hospitalized stroke patients and their caregiver. A convenient sample of 254 patients who given follow-up care at the outpatient department after discharge and 225 caregivers were recruited. Mental Status Questionnaire(MSQ), Social Support Inventory Stroke Survivors(SSISS), Illness intrusiveness(II), Instument Activity of Daily Living(IADL), Center of Epidnmilogic Studies-Depression(CES-D), social activity and caregiver burden were used for measurement in this study. Results showed patient's physical level measured by IADL and psychological level measured by depression were high. But social activity was low. Cognitive function, depression & social activity were not significantly different by the posthospitalized period, but IADL was. The source of professional support was mostly the physician at the outpatient department. The family support was found significantly related to patient's depression & social activity and caregiver's subjective related to patient's IADL & depression. ILLness intrusiveness as a mediating variable was a significantly predicting power on patient's IADL & depression. The path analysis was used to identify the variables to predict the physical, emotional, and social status of patients, the physical, emotional, and cognitive function, illness intursiveness and professional support significantly predicted the level of siveness and family support significantly predicted the level of depression ; and patient's age and family support significantly predicted the level of social activity of posthospitalized stroke patients. Based upon these results, the rehabilitation programs to reduce the illness intrusiveness and improve cognitive function were recommended for the readjustment of the stroke patients. This model of the readjustment of the posthospitalized stroke patients is recommended as the framework for care of the stroke patients.
Caregivers ; Depression ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Negotiating ; Outpatients ; Rehabilitation ; Stroke*

PURPOSE: This study was to investigate the effects of respiratory rehabilitation training on the respiratory functions of hospitalized cervical spinal cord injury patients. METHODS: One group pre and post test design was used. Subjects were 20 cervical spinal cord injury inpatients of the national rehabilitation center. Training program consisted of air cumulation training, manual assisted coughing training, and abdominal breathing. Trained rehabilitation nurse implemented 20 minutes program twice a day for 4 weeks. Respiratory function was measured as peak coughing flow rate, and perceived respiratory difficulty after activity on wheel chair for 30 minutes and during speaking and singing. Perceived respiratory difficulty was measured with modified Borg scale. Also content analysis was done with the result of open ended question about subjective feeling about training. All variables were measured 3 times before, 2weeks and 4 weeks after the program. RESULTS: Peak coughing flow rate significantly improved after compared to before training. Also all three perceived respiratory difficulty variables decreased significantly after training. In the content analysis, 'it's easier to cough up phlegm' was the most frequent answered subjective feeling. 'Sound at speaking and coughing became louder', 'respiratory volume increased', and 'comfortable chest feeling' were frequent answered subjective feeling, in order. CONCLUSION: Although it is preliminary since no control group, respiratory rehabilitation training was found to be effective to improve respiratory function in terms of peak coughing flow rate, perceived respiratory difficulty, and subjective feeling. It is necessary further systemic research to investigate the effects of respiratory rehabilitation training.
Cough ; Education ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Rehabilitation Centers ; Rehabilitation* ; Respiration ; Singing ; Spinal Cord Injuries* ; Spinal Cord* ; Thorax ; Wheelchairs

Pruritus (itching) is classically defined as an unpleasant cutaneous sensation that leads to scratching behavior. Although the scientific criteria of classification for pruritic diseases are not clear, it can be divided as acute or chronic by duration of symptoms. In this study, we investigated whether skin injury caused by chemical (contact hypersensitivity, CHS) or physical (skin-scratching stimulation, SSS) stimuli causes initial pruritus and analyzed gene expression profiles systemically to determine how changes in skin gene expression in the affected area are related to itching. In both CHS and SSS, we ranked the Gene Ontology Biological Process terms that are generally associated with changes. The factors associated with upregulation were keratinization, inflammatory response and neutrophil chemotaxis. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway shows the difference of immune system, cell growth and death, signaling molecules and interactions, and signal transduction pathways. Il1a , Il1b and Il22 were upregulated in the CHS, and Tnf, Tnfrsf1b, Il1b, Il1r1 and Il6 were upregulated in the SSS. Trpc1 channel genes were observed in representative itching-related candidate genes. By comparing and analyzing RNA-sequencing data obtained from the skin tissue of each animal model in these characteristic stages, it is possible to find useful diagnostic markers for the treatment of itching, to diagnose itching causes and to apply customized treatment.
Animals ; Biological Processes ; Chemotaxis ; Classification ; Cytokines ; Dermatitis, Contact* ; Gene Expression ; Gene Ontology ; Genome ; Hypersensitivity ; Immune System ; Interleukin-6 ; Mice* ; Models, Animal ; Neutrophils ; Pruritus* ; RNA* ; Sensation ; Sequence Analysis, RNA* ; Signal Transduction ; Skin* ; Transcriptome ; Transient Receptor Potential Channels ; Up-Regulation ; Wound Healing