PURPOSE: This study was to identify the relationship between physical suffering, emotional state, and nursing needs of pregnant women in preterm labor and the difference depending on general characteristics. METHODS: The participants in this descriptive survey, selected by convenience sampling, were 126 pregnant women who were hospitalized after being diagnosed with preterm labor at 3 university hospitals. RESULTS: The level of personal hygiene was assessed in physical suffering, level of fear was assessed by the emotional state, and level of perterm labor was assessed by the nursing cares. In the analysis, physical suffering, emotional state, and nursing needs in the subjects all showed a significantly positive correlation. Differences in physical suffering, emotional state, and nursing needs depending on general characteristics were as follows: age, job, family type, economic condition, smoking, drinking admission days, previous delivery type, and artificial insemination. CONCLUSION: Based on the results of this study, the nurse should focus on the domain of personal hygiene, and teaching contents specific for abdominal breathing exercises for relieving the women's fear and anxiety should be added.
Anxiety ; Breathing Exercises ; Drinking ; Female ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Hygiene ; Insemination, Artificial ; Obstetric Labor, Premature ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Stress, Psychological

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the patients' general perception about the analgesics and the effects of the preoperative education about analgesics and patient-controlled analgesia (PCA). METHODS: One hundred patients scheduled for elective gastrectomy were randomly allocated into two groups. In control group (n = 50), patients were given conventional preanesthetic visit with questionnaire survey on PCA one day before operation. In study group (n = 50), patients were sufficiently explained about postoperative analgesia and PCA by anesthesiologist and given precise explanation sheet about PCA. Total amounts of drug used in PCA as well as rescue analgesics, the pain scores, and side effects were compared. RESULTS: 62.2% of patients had much information from various sources that analgesics effects positively in the recovery phase, but actually 73.7% of patients considered that analgesics do not seem to have any influence on the recovery after operation. There was no difference between the amounts of total PCA used, rescue analgesics, and the pain scores. However, the educated patients complained less dizziness at postoperative days (POD) one. Also, the number of patients excluded from study due to the PCA discontinuation secondary to related side effects was less in educated patients (P = 0.025). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative education about analgesics and PCA failed to demonstrate significant decrease in the amount of analgesics and of pain scores. However, it lowered the incidence of PCA discontinuation due to side effects.
Analgesia ; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled* ; Analgesics* ; Dizziness ; Education* ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Incidence ; Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis ; Postoperative Care

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) is associated with chronic inflammation, and C-reactive protein (CRP) level is elevated in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We investigated the impacts of CRP and AF on carotid atherosclerosis and ischemic stroke in patients with suspected ischemic cerebrovascular disease. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: One-hundred forty patients (78 males) with suspected ischemic cerebrovascular disease underwent carotid ultrasonography. The mean common carotid artery IMT, mean internal carotid artery (ICA) IMT, and plaque score were measured. Patients were divided into four groups according to the presence of AF and elevated CRP level {n=46 for AF(-)CRP(-), n=38 for AF(-)CRP(+), n=43 for AF(+)CRP(-), and n=13 for AF(+)CRP(+)}. RESULTS: Common carotid artery IMT was significantly higher in the AF(-)CRP(+) (0.98+/-0.51 mm) and AF(+)CRP(+) (0.96+/-0.27 mm) groups compared to the AF(-)CRP(-) (0.80+/-0.32 mm) and AF(+)CRP(-) (0.77+/-0.19 mm) groups (p=0.027). Although there was no significant difference in mean ICA IMT among the groups, plaque score was the highest in the AF(+)CRP(+) (4.18+/-3.84 mm) group, followed by AF(-)CRP(+) (3.87+/-2.78 mm), AF(+)CRP(-) (1.34+/-2.61 mm), and AF(-)CRP(-) (1.17+/-2.02 mm) (p<0.001). The AF(+)CRP(+) group showed significantly higher incidence of ischemic stroke than the other groups (all p<0.05). Binary logistic regression analysis showed that age {odds ratio (OR)=1.033, p=0.001}, elevated CRP (OR=3.884, p=0.001), and the presence of AF (OR=1.375, p=0.018) were significantly correlated with incidence of ischemic stroke. CONCLUSION: Elevated plasma CRP concentration may be a reliable surrogate marker for predicting carotid atherosclerosis in patients with AF, which may be related to increased risk of ischemic stroke.
Atrial Fibrillation* ; Biomarkers ; C-Reactive Protein* ; Carotid Artery Diseases* ; Carotid Artery, Common ; Carotid Artery, Internal ; Carotid Intima-Media Thickness ; Cohort Studies* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Inflammation ; Logistic Models ; Plasma ; Retrospective Studies* ; Stroke* ; Ultrasonography