PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a self-management program based on INR monitoring for patients with cardiac valve replacement. METHODS: This program was comprised of five weekly sessions based on Sousa's Enhance-Behavior Performance Model. The first session included individual teaching, and the other four sessions included Prothrombin Time International Normalized Ratios (PT INR) self-monitoring, telephone counseling and self-management checklist recording. Participants were patients who had cardiac valve replacement. They were randomly assigned to the experimental or control group. Sixteen in the experimental group participated in the self-management program and seventeen in the control group participated in general care. Self-management knowledge, self-efficacy, self-management behavior and PT INR were measured as dependent variables. Data were analyzed using Mann Whitney U-test, t-test and ANCOVA. RESULTS: The experimental group showed significantly higher post-test scores in self-management knowledge (t=5.86, p <.001), self-efficacy (F=18.32, p <.001), and self-management behavior (t=3.44, p =.002) compared to the control group. Also, the experimental group showed significantly higher frequency in maintaining the treatment range of PT INR compared to the control group (chi2=4.80, p =.028). CONCLUSION: The results of the research on the self-management program based on PT INR monitoring showed that it is effective in improving self-management knowledge, self-efficacy, and self-management behavior as well as maintaining treatment range of PT INR of patients with cardiac valve replacement.
Aged ; Anticoagulants/therapeutic use ; Female ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Heart Valve Diseases/*therapy ; Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation ; Humans ; International Normalized Ratio ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Patient Education as Topic ; *Program Development ; *Program Evaluation ; Prothrombin/*analysis ; *Self Care ; Self Efficacy ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Telephone

Cystic lymphangioma are rare benign tumors that originate as a congenital anomaly of the lymphatic system. Their common presentation is in neck and axillary area at the birth, during infancy or early pediatric age group. Author reports an unusual case of cystic lymphangioma of breast which was diagnosed in a 32-year-old woman. The findings were very dense, sharply defined, and multilobulated masses on mammography, and mu-Itiloculated echo free lesions on ultrasonogram.
Adult ; Breast* ; Female ; Humans ; Lymphangioma, Cystic* ; Lymphatic System ; Mammography ; Neck ; Parturition ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: This study was designed to evaluate the effect of TENS on pain and pulmonary function of post-lobectomy patients with lung cancer. METHODS: The study data collection was done from February 4, 2008 to February 7, 2009. The subjects were assigned at random to the experimental group and control group with 20 subjects in each group. The experimental group was measured for pain and pulmonary function after surgery and then again after applying TENS 100 Hz frequency and 40 mA output for 20 minutes. The control group was measured the same as the experimental group except applying sham TENS. RESULTS: The pain score of the experimental group which had TENS applied revealed that there were more significant reductions than the control group which had sham TENS applied. There was no significant difference with the number of times of receiving analgesics between the experimental and control group. The effect of TENS on pulmonary function was significantly different between the experimental group and the control group on VC 2 hours after surgery. There was no significant difference between FVC and FEV1. CONCLUSION: The findings of the study indicate that the TENS is effective in easing the pain of patients after a lobectomy.
Analgesics ; Data Collection ; Humans ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Salicylamides ; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation

Congenital Abnormalities ; Female ; Humans ; Jaw ; Jeollabuk-do ; Male ; Orthognathic Surgery ; Osteotomy ; Osteotomy, Sagittal Split Ramus ; Rehabilitation ; Surgery, Oral

No abstract available.

Malignant neoplasm associated with chronic empyema is rare. Most squamous cell carcinomas of the pleura may occur in association with chronic persistent empyema, with or without pleurocutaneous fistula. We report a case of squamous cell carcinoma associated with chronic empyema caused by a metallic foreign body.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Empyema* ; Fistula ; Foreign Bodies ; Pleura

Malignant epithelial neoplasm usually occurs in postmenopausal women, with less than 10% of cases occurring in women under the age of 20. In patients below this age, the majority of ovarian tumors are of germ cell origin and malignant ovarian epithelial tumors are uncommon. We report US & CT imaging in a case of mucinous cystadenocarcinoma in a 17-year-old nullipara who complained of amenorrhea for 45 days and a palpable mass.
Adolescent* ; Amenorrhea ; Carcinoma ; Cystadenocarcinoma, Mucinous* ; Female* ; Germ Cells ; Humans ; Mucins*

The objective of this study was to determine the incidence and distribution of root fusion as well as its sexlinkage in maxillary and mandibular molars. One hundred fifty patients who had eight maxillary and mandibular molars (third molars excluded) were consecutively selected for the study subjects. The subjects provided a total of 1200 molars, i.e., 600 maxillary and 600 mandibular molars. A decision about root fusion was made on the radiographic examination. If a molar had one root and/or roots fused at any part in the root surface, it was considered as having root fusion. The results showed that : (1) 14.1 % of the maxillary molars and 5.8 % of the mandibular molars had a fused root, (2) the prevalence of root fusion in the male was 33 % and 56.4 % in the female, (3) 60 % in the male and 48.8 % in the female had bilaterally paired root fusion, (4) the root fusion was most frequently observed in the maxillary second molar position, but none in the mandibular first position in this study. Within limitations of this study, it can be concluded that, in management of molars with a furcation problem, treatment options such as hemisection and root amputation should be chosen after careful evaluation of root fusion. Further studies are needed to investigate a possible relationship between root fusion and periodontal disease progression.
Amputation ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Molar* ; Periodontal Diseases ; Prevalence*

Prolapse of the fallopian tube into the vaginal vault after hysterectomy is a rare phenomenon and it occurs more frequently after vaginal hysterectomy than abdominal hysterectomy. The exact incidence of tubal prolapse is unknown, because most of cases remain undiagnosed and may resolve before detection. The tubal prolapse may be suspected when granulation tissue or tender friable tissue are detected in vaginal cuff in women complaining lower abdominal pain, dysparenunia, vaginal discharge, or postcoital spotting. The definitive diagnosis of fallopian tube prolapse is made only by histologic confirmation. Reported methods of treatment have included transvaginal excision or transabdominal excision, cautery, and combined vaginal and laparoscopic salpingectomy. We experienced a case of fallopian tube prolapse after abdominal hysterectomy in a 40-year-old woman. We present this case with a brief review of the literature.
Abdominal Pain ; Adult ; Cautery ; Diagnosis ; Fallopian Tubes* ; Female ; Granulation Tissue ; Humans ; Hysterectomy* ; Hysterectomy, Vaginal ; Incidence ; Metrorrhagia ; Prolapse* ; Salpingectomy ; Vaginal Discharge

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was 1) to confirm the reliability and validity of a Korean version of Washington Psychosocial Seizure Inventory (K-WPSI), 2) to investigate the psychosocial functioning of epilepsy patients from Korea, and 3) to compare with other countries. METHODS: The subjects were 302 patients with epilepsy (above 18years). They completed K-WPSI of 132 items including 11 subscales:family background, emotional adjustment, interpersonal adjustment, adjustment to seizures, medical management, overall psychological functioning, Blank, Lie and Rare. We assessed internal consistency, item-subscale correlations, and split-half reliability. Construct validity was assessed by correlating scales of Psychosocial Rating Sheet and K-WPSI. K-WPSI profiles were compared with those from the West Germany, Finland, Canada, the United States, Chile, Dutch, and Japan. RESULTS: The internal consistency estimated by cronbach's alpha coefficient was .934 and split-half reliability coefficient was .876 for adequate reliability (p<.01). Each of subscales in the K-WPSI were high correlated with theoretically similar scales but correlation between theoretically dissimilar subscales was not high. And K-WPSI subscales were significantly related to the PRS subscales. It showed that the Korea epilepsy patients had serious problems in emotional, interpersonal, vocational adjustment, financial status, adjustment to seizure, and overall psycho-social functioning. Comparing the outcomes of various countries, epilepsy patients from Korea and chile had the most serious problem in most areas of psychosocial functioning. CONCLUSIONS: K-WPSI could be a useful test in Korea for reliable determination of the various psychosocial problems of epilepsy patients but modifications of the limitation of the Lie scale may be needed. Comparing the results of other countries, Korea epilepsy patients have been experienced serious psychosocial problem. To solve this problem, social policy and medical and emotional supportive system for persons with epilepsy should need to be established.
Canada ; Chile ; Cross-Cultural Comparison* ; Epilepsy ; Finland ; Germany ; Humans ; Japan ; Korea ; Reproducibility of Results* ; Seizures* ; Social Problems ; United States ; Washington* ; Weights and Measures