PURPOSE: This descriptive study is aimed at understanding how clinical nurses' terminal care attitude and spiritual health affect their terminal care stress. METHODS: Data were collected from self-reported questionnaire filled by 238 nurses at a general hospital in G Metropolitan City. RESULTS: The study showed that nurses' attitudes toward terminal care, spiritual health, marital status, and clinical experience largely affect their terminal care stress. In particular, the higher they scored on terminal care attitudes, the lower they scored on terminal care stress. These variables accounted for 52.3% of the total variance. CONCLUSION: The study shows terminal care attitude is an important factor for terminal care stress perceived by clinical nurses. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an educational intervention program to improve nurses' terminal care attitudes and spiritual health, which in turn would lower their terminal care stress or help them effectively cope with it.
Hospitals, General ; Marital Status ; Spirituality ; Stress, Psychological ; Terminal Care* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

The inhibitory effect of rice(Oryza sartiva L., illpumbyeo) against mutagenicity induced by tryptophan pyrolysates were investigated using Salmonella typhimurium reversion assay. Both methanol extracts of obtained from brown and white rice were found to possess strong activites of inhibiting the mutagenicities of 3-amino-1,4-dimethyl-5H-pyriod[4,3-b]indol(Trp-P-1) and 3-amino-1-methyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indol(Trp-P-2) on Salmonella typhimurium reversion assay. As the concentration of methanol extract increased, inhibitory effect on mutagenicity increased but reached at steady state as inhibition rate of 90% when the concentration was above 10mg/plate. There was no significant difference(p>0.05) in inhibitory effect of methanol extracts between brown and white rice against tryptophan pyrolysates.
Methanol ; Salmonella typhimurium ; Tryptophan*

OBJECTIVE: The measurement of tumor-associated antigen as tumor makers in the serum is useful for early diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and the determination of remission after therapy in cases of malignancy. A tumor-associated antigen is not always present in all the cells forming the tumor and also be detected in other tumors or normal organs. Tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) is a single polypeptide chain without carbohydrate. TPA has immunosuppresive properties in patients with cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical usefulness of the cytokeratin tumor marker TPA in early diagnosis of patients with the gynecologic cancer. METHODS: In this study, the levels of TPA were measured in the serum of 61 patients with benign gynecologic tumors, 24 patients with malignant gynecologic neoplasms, and 38 healthy nonpregnant females. Serum TPA level was measured by a "sandwitch technique based" radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: As a result, serum TPA level was 30.4+/-7.6 U/L in control group, 32.6+/-9.4 U/L in benign gynecologic tumor group, 39.1+/-9.8 U/L in malignant gynecologic neoplasm. Serum TPA level was 56.6+/-7.0 U/L in ovarian cancer group. CONCLUSION: Serum levels of TPA was increased in the ovarian cancer group, but it does not seem to be a useful tumor maker for non-ovarian cancer. It would seem that measurement of TPA is useful for early diagnosis of ovarian cancer.
Diagnosis, Differential ; Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Genital Neoplasms, Female ; Humans ; Keratins ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Radioimmunoassay ; Tissue Polypeptide Antigen*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop elderly meaning in life scale with high validity and reliability. METHOD: The process of development of this scale were as follows. A conceptual framework composed of 4 phases of meaning in life of elderly was identified based on the literature review and interviews with elderlies and discussion with experts in meaning in life. Total 62 items, 4-points scale were developed. Through reliability testing, factor analysis, 40 preliminary items were selected. By means of internal consistency of 40 items, 2 items whose inner-items correlation coefficient was below .30 were deleted. Through factor analysis 1 item whose factor loading was below .30 was deleted. Finally 37 items were remained. To verify 37 items, factor analysis, reliability testing, LISEREL were done. Data were collected from 320 elderly subjects in Busan-KyungNam and Jeonla Province from May to June in 2002.. SPSS WIN. 10.0 Program was used. RESULT: The result of factor analysis of 37 items, 8 factors were extracted. These factors were labeled as 'self- awareness and self-acceptance', 'contentedness with life', 'purpose in life', 'love in family', 'role awareness', 'futuristic aspiration', 'commitment', and 'experience of love'. These factors included 4 phases of the meaning in life. Cronbach's Alpha of 37 items was .908 and correlation coefficient of PIL was .75. CONCLUSION: The researchers recommend the follows : The explorative study on the variables related to meaning in life are needed for criterion validity of this scale. The studies on meaning in life of different age groups, subjects are needed for reverification.

An eruptive vellus hair cyst is an uncommon, benign, epithelial tumor with hair differentiation. Clinically, it presents as asymptomatic, flesh-colored to yellowish, follicular papules, 1 to 4 mm in diameter, most commonly on the chest. It is usually seen in children and young adults but may be congenital. Histologically, it shows a middermal cyst lined by squamous epithelium containing keratinous material and vellus hairs. It has a tendency to clear spontaneously but may be persistent. We report a case of congenital eruptive vellus hair cyst in an 11-year-old girl who presented multiple pinhead-sized brown to black papules on her anterior chest since birth.
Child ; Epithelium ; Female ; Follicular Cyst ; Hair* ; Humans ; Parturition ; Thorax ; Young Adult

We investigated whether the combination of phytochemicals and acetic acid in the form of fruit vinegar provides an additive effect on changes of mRNA levels related to fatty acid oxidation in human hepatocyte (HepG2). Among the seven fruit vinegars (Rubuscoreanus, Opuntia, blueberry, cherry, red ginseng, mulberry, and pomegranate) studied, treatment of HepG2 with pomegranate vinegar (PV) at concentrations containing 1 mM acetic acid showed the highest in vitro potentiating effect on the mRNA expression levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha, carnitinepalmitoyl transferase-1, and acyl-CoA oxidase compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Reversed-phase liquid chromatography in combination with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry analysis revealed four potential compounds (punicalagin B, ellagic acid, and two unidentified compounds) responsible for altered gene expression in HepG2 cells treated with PV as compared with the others. Further investigations are warranted to determine if drinking PV beverages may help to maintain a healthy body weight in overweight subjects.
Acetic Acid ; Acyl-CoA Oxidase ; Beverages ; Blueberry Plant ; Body Weight ; Chromatography, Reverse-Phase ; Drinking ; Ellagic Acid ; Fruit ; Gene Expression ; Hep G2 Cells ; Hepatocytes ; Humans ; Mass Spectrometry ; Morus ; Opuntia ; Overweight ; Panax ; PPAR alpha ; Prunus ; Punicaceae ; RNA, Messenger

PURPOSE: The introduction of the mumps vaccine has dramatically reduced the number of mumps cases, but outbreaks have recently occurred among highly vaccinated populations in developed countries. Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients with mumps admitted between 1989 and 2012 in a single hospital in Korea are described in the present study. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated inpatients with mumps between 1989 and 2012 and outpatients and inpatients with mumps in 2011-2012. RESULTS: A total of 152 patients with mumps were admitted between 1989 and 2012, and 163 patients were recorded in 2011-2012. The highest number of admitted cases occurred in 1998 and 2012 (35 and 34 cases, respectively). Among the patients admitted in 2011-2012, the highest frequency was observed among people aged 15-19 years, and low frequency was observed in those aged <4 years and >20 years, compatible to the city data and national data. In patients admitted to our department in 1998 (35 cases) and in 2010-2012 (27 cases), there were significant differences in the mean age and the rate of secondary measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination, but had similar clinical features, including complications, except aseptic meningitis. Antimumps immunoglobulin (Ig) G was positive in 83% and 100%, and IgM was positive in 67% and 41%, respectively, in the two periods. CONCLUSION: In Korea, recent mumps outbreaks have occurred mainly among secondary school students who received two doses of the MMR vaccine. The vaccinees might have a modified immune reaction to viral insults, manifesting modified epidemiological and clinical features.
Antibodies ; Developed Countries ; Disease Outbreaks* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin M ; Immunoglobulins ; Inpatients ; Korea ; Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine ; Meningitis, Aseptic ; Mumps Vaccine ; Mumps* ; Observational Study* ; Outpatients ; Retrospective Studies ; Vaccination

Early diagnosis of cerebral palsy may help to provide early therapeutic intervention. The early treatment of cerebral palsy is critical in the prevention of deformity and promotion of normal movement patterns. However, it is difficult to identify those who are at substantial risk of cerebral palsy before the age of one, particularly in its mild and moderate forms. The purpose of this study was to analyze and establish an efficient early diagnostic tool for cerebral palsy. The subjects in this study were 247 infants selected from outpatients at the Rehabilitation Hospital of Yonsei University from December, 1987 to March, 1996. The infants had problems in motor development or a past history of perinatal risks and all were under one year of corrected age. The assessments included a structured developmental history taken from the child's parents, evaluation of motor development status, and neurological examiniations including assessment of muscle tone, several primitive reflexes and Vojta's postural reactions. These infants were assessed every 2-3 months. According to the findings of developmental milestones, muscle tone, and Vojta's postural reactions, we divided the patients into high and low risk groups. The final diagnosis confirmed that 126 children had cerebral palsy, 43 children had other diagnoses while 78 children turned out to be normal. We found that diagnosis of cerebral palsy during the first six months of postnatal period relied mainly on abnormal muscle tone, Vojta's postural reactions, developmental motor delay, a positive finding of asymmetric tonic neck reflex and a negative finding of optical righting reaction. The sensitivity and specificity of the evaluation methods were 91.1% and 66.7%, respectively in the first six months of postnatal period. In conclusion, we have proved that the delayed motor development, abnormal muscle tone and abnormal Vojta's postural reactions are very valuable tools for the early diagnosis of cerebral palsy.
Cerebral Palsy* ; Child ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis* ; Humans ; Infant ; Neck ; Outpatients ; Parents ; Reflex ; Rehabilitation ; Sensitivity and Specificity

OBJECTIVE: Reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) is a syndrome of post-traumatic neuropathic pain in association with dystrophic changes and signs of sympathetic overactivity. Pain following spinal cord injury occurs frequently, but RSD is not usually considered as one of the common sources of pain. There have only been a few reports of RSD in spinal cord injured patients, although this condition is well-known in the painful upper extremity of hemiplegia due to stroke. The purpose of this study was to investigate the rate of occurrence, characteristic clinical features and more objective evaluation tools for the diagnosis of RSD in cervical cord injured patients. METHOD: Thirty-two cervical cord injured patients were evaluated for hand pain, swelling, vasomotor changes and dystrophic skin or nail changes. The patients were evaluated with studies such as three phase bone scintigrathy, digital infrared thermographic imaging (DITI) and plain roentgenograms of the hands. RESULTS: Eighteen patients (56.3%) were diagnosed as RSD based on the clinical symptoms and findings of three phase bone scintigraphy. Characteristic symptoms were hand pain, edema and dystrophic skin or nail changes, in the order of frequency. In patients with spasticity of the upper extremity, the incidence of RSD was higher than in patients without spasticity. CONCLUSION: We should consider RSD as a cause of upper extremity pain in cervical cord injured patients. This will lead to early diagnosis and treatment of the condition and it will be helpful in preventing various complications.
Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Edema ; Hand ; Hemiplegia ; Humans ; Incidence ; Muscle Spasticity ; Neuralgia ; Radionuclide Imaging ; Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy* ; Reflex* ; Skin ; Spinal Cord ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; Stroke ; Upper Extremity

Purpose: To investigate whether the signal or morphological changes in the adjacent bone or soft tissue after intradiscal electrothermal therapy (IDET) occur due to postprocedural inflammation or infectious spondylodiscitis. Materials and Methods: Ten patients (female:male = 5:5; age range, 18–71 years; mean age: 36.5 years) who underwent lumbar IDET between January 2018 and December 2020 and complained of fever or pain were included in this study. The presence and extent of bone marrow and paraspinal soft tissue signal changes were evaluated using the first follow-up magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after IDET. Signal changes in the treated discs and the presence and extent of epidural enhancement were evaluated. Additionally, we investigated the presence and margins of subchondral erosions in the vertebral body. Results: Two radiologists analyzed the imaging findings by consensus. Six patients were diagnosed with postprocedural inflammation and four with infectious spondylodiscitis, which was confirmed by specimen culture after surgery. All 10 patients showed signal changes in the bone marrow of the vertebral bodies adjacent to the treated disc. Signal changes in the paraspinal soft tissue were observed in only five patients: three with infectious spondylodiscitis and two with postprocedural inflammation. In six patients with postprocedural inflammation, subchondral erosions had well-defined margins with a sclerotic rim and in four patients with infectious spondylodiscitis, subchondral erosions had ill-defined margins. Epidural enhancement showed an extensive pattern in all cases of infectious spondylodiscitis and localized patterns in cases of postprocedural inflammation. Conclusion MRI or computed tomography findings of well-defined subchondral erosions with a sclerotic rim and more localized signal changes in the paraspinal soft tissue or epidural space might aid in the differentiation of infectious spondylodiscitis and postprocedural inflammation in patients who underwent IDET.