Korean student nurses may be exposed to stress caused by their future employment (employment stress). The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a Laughter Program on psychological stress, by assessing salivary cortisol and the subjective happiness of student nurses in order to relieve employment stress.

PURPOSE: To analyse complications and to review usefulness of large needle(18G) in percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage(PTBD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: 46 patients underwent PTBD in 52 occassions using large needle. 44 of 46 patients had either definite or suspicious malignant biliary obstruction, and most patients were poor in general dondition. Complications were classified as acute type if developed within 30 days and as delayed type if developed after 30 days. Acute type was subdivided into severe and mild forms. RESULTS: Severe forms of complications were death(5.8%), septicemia(3.8%), and bile peritonitis(1.9%). There were not different from the rate of complication in PTBD using fine needle but the procedure was much more simple. CONCLUSION: We PTBD using large neddie is a simple and safe procedure for prompt bile decompression.
Bile ; Decompression ; Drainage* ; Humans ; Needles*

PURPOSE: Studies reported controversial results about prognosis of root resection with 0%-38% failure rate. The purpose of this study is to consider clinical efficacy of root resection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study reported three cases of root resection which were performed on different sites. In first case, lower right first molar showed pus discharge and 7 mm of probing pocket depth. It was diagnosed as fracture of mesial root. Hemisection of mesial root was performed In second case, upper right first molar showed severe bone loss on disto-buccal root and 7 mm of probing pocket. Resection of disto-buccal root was performed In third case, lower left second molar showed severe bone loss on distal root including apex and 15mm of probing pocket depth. Hemisection of distal root was performed. RESULT: In these three cases of root resection, compromised molars were treated successfully and conserved. CONCLUSION: Root resection is a successful procedure treating compromised multi-rooted teeth and conserving teeth when proper case selection is performed.
Molar ; Prognosis ; Suppuration ; Tooth

No abstract available.

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate differences in neck pain, shoulder pain, and comfort between buckwheat and latex pillows in elderly sanatorium residents. METHODS: The crossover experimental study was performed with 30 elderly patients in a convalescent hospital for seniors. The buckwheat and latex pillows were used for 2 weeks, the 7 day was assigned as the washout between each one week intervention, respectively. Pre- and posttest visual analog scale (VAS) scores for neck and shoulder pains and the neck disability index (NDI) were investigated. Data were analyzed using paired-samples t test, and their correlations were analyzed using SPSS/WIN 21.0 (IBM Corp., New York, NY, USA). RESULTS: After the 2-week intervention, results showed that the use of buckwheat pillows decreased the VAS scores for neck and shoulder pains and NDI. Further, the use of latex pillows decreased the VAS score for neck pain and NDI, but the VAS score for shoulder pain showed no statistically significant differences (t=1.887, P=0.069). CONCLUSION In conclusion, using latex and buckwheat pillows is the best option for reducing neck pain. Between the buckwheat and latex pillows, the buckwheat pillow is a better option for decreasing neck and shoulder pains.

Several reports on burst fractures of the thoracolumbar spine have noted that the neural canal encroachment caused by bone in the canal did not correlate with the neurologic status of the patient. But in the thoracolumbar spine the average percent compromise was significantly higher in those patients with complete and incomplete lesions, compared with those patients with no neural deficits. In this study, we evaluated 38 patients with unstable thoracolumbar fractures, operated from March 1989 to February 1993 to know the amount of neural canal compromise, demonstrated on computed tomography scans with neurologic status, level of injury and type of fractures. Among them 22 patients had neurologic deficit and 16 did not neurologic deficit. The results were as follows; 1. 19(76%) of 22 patients with disruption of the posterior spinal elements had neurologic defictis. 2. In the group with neurologic deficits, the stenotic ratio was 44% at the epiconus level, 55% at the conus medullaris, level and 63% at the cauda equna level. 3. The average A-P diameter of the bony fragments retropulsed into the spinal canal was 4.5mm at the epiconus level, 5.2mm at the conus medullaris level and 6.0mm at the cauda equina level. 4. Unstable bursting fracture and fracture dislocation showed higher incidence of neurologic injury and percentage of spinal stenotic ratio than those of flexion distraction and wedge compression fracture. In conclusion, the higher the level of the injured vertebrae, the smaller the size of the retropulsed fragment needed compromise the neural tissues. We suggest that it is necessary to get enough decompression for restoration of spinal canal and recovery of neurological function and computed tomography was more sensitive than any other modality in detection the reduction of the retropulsed bony fragment into spinal canal.
Cauda Equina ; Decompression ; Dislocations ; Fractures, Compression ; Humans ; Incidence ; Neural Tube ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Spinal Canal ; Spinal Cord ; Spine ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate differences in neck pain, shoulder pain, and comfort between buckwheat and latex pillows in elderly sanatorium residents. METHODS: The crossover experimental study was performed with 30 elderly patients in a convalescent hospital for seniors. The buckwheat and latex pillows were used for 2 weeks, the 7 day was assigned as the washout between each one week intervention, respectively. Pre- and posttest visual analog scale (VAS) scores for neck and shoulder pains and the neck disability index (NDI) were investigated. Data were analyzed using paired-samples t test, and their correlations were analyzed using SPSS/WIN 21.0 (IBM Corp., New York, NY, USA). RESULTS: After the 2-week intervention, results showed that the use of buckwheat pillows decreased the VAS scores for neck and shoulder pains and NDI. Further, the use of latex pillows decreased the VAS score for neck pain and NDI, but the VAS score for shoulder pain showed no statistically significant differences (t=1.887, P=0.069). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, using latex and buckwheat pillows is the best option for reducing neck pain. Between the buckwheat and latex pillows, the buckwheat pillow is a better option for decreasing neck and shoulder pains.
Aged ; Fagopyrum ; Hospitals, Convalescent ; Humans ; Latex ; Neck Pain ; Neck ; Shoulder Pain ; Shoulder ; Visual Analog Scale

As noe of causes of epipora, anatomic abnormality of nasolacrimal duct, has been treated with dacryocystorhinostomy. Recently, the development of nasal endoscopy has made it easy to observe the intranasal sturcture. Thus, authors investigated the effect of nasal endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy used in combination with microdrill and nasal endoscopy in those patients, with nasolcrimal obsturction at the time of dacryocystorhinography. From 1995 to April 1997, twenty-four patients have been treated by the intranasal dacryocystorhinostomy using the microdrill with follow up more than six months. All patients had been tested by preoperative intranasal exam and was measured radiologically preoperative`s size of lacrimal sac. The nasal endoscopy using microdrill had shown success rate of 83.3 percent and the surgerywas more successful as the size of preoperative lacrimal sac was larer without any complication. The formation of accurate bone foramen did not remarkably differ from the skin incisio at the time of operation. Therefore, dacryocystorhinostomy using microdrill can be useful for the treatment of lacrimal canal obstruction, especially with the proper operating equipment.
Dacryocystorhinostomy* ; Endoscopy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lacrimal Apparatus Diseases ; Nasolacrimal Duct ; Skin

Purpose: To compare the contrast sensitivities of type 2 diabetic patients without retinopathy and healthy subjects, and to assess the risk factors associated with a change in contrast sensitivity in diabetes. Methods: A total of 75 (diabetic patients without retinopathy) and 41 (healthy subjects) eyes were reviewed from the medical records. The threshold of contrast sensitivity was measured at 6.3°, 4.0°, 2.5°, 1.6°, 1.0°, and 0.64° under scotopic and photopic states. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging was used to measure the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GC-IPL) thickness in diabetic patients. Results: Diabetic patients showed a lower threshold of contrast sensitivity at all degree measures than did the controls under both scotopic and photopic states. In subgroup analyses, diabetic patients with abnormal contrast sensitivity showed a longer duration of diabetes, decreased total retinal thickness, and decreased average GC-IPL, superior RNFL, superior GC-IPL, and temporal GC-IPL thicknesses. Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that the duration of diabetes and total retinal thickness were significant predictive factors of decreased contrast sensitivity (odds ratio = 1.117 and 0.942, respectively). Conclusions As the duration of diabetes increased, the contrast sensitivity decreased in type 2 diabetic patients. Neuroretinal degeneration changes both the inner retinal thickness and total retinal thickness and affects contrast sensitivity. Therefore, for longer-term diabetic patients, it is necessary to consider the changes in contrast sensitivity and retinal thickness on OCT evaluation, even if the patient presents with normal fundus findings.