BACKGROUND: The EuroQol-5 Dimension (EQ-5D) is the most frequently used questionnaire in cost-utility studies such as the quality-adjusted life year measure. Nevertheless, little attention has been paid to the relationship between an individual's visual analogue scale (VAS) score and EQ-5D dimensions. The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between the EQ-5D and VAS quality of life measures after adjusting for socio-demographic factors in the Korean general population. METHODS: The Fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which is a national representative sample, was used to analyze the impact of the EQ-5D dimensions on the VAS. The known-group construct validity of the VAS was assessed by factors that included age, income and comorbidities. The ordinary linear regression models were applied to test for the effect of the EQ-5D dimensions after adjusting for socio-demographic and clinical factors. RESULTS: We found that the VAS showed good construct validity. The VAS significantly declined as age increased, and as education and income levels decreased. VAS scores decreased for all EQ-5D dimensions as the response level rose. The explanatory power of the VAS increased from 23.0% in the first model, which included only the EQ-5D dimensions and levels, to 25.0% in the full model, which included socio-demographic and clinical factors. CONCLUSIONS: While the EQ-5D dimensions were significant factors in determining the VAS, they did not, however, explain a sufficient amount of variance in the VAS. Further research is required on adding more dimensions to the EQ-5D preference-based instrument.
Comorbidity ; Korea ; Linear Models ; Nutrition Surveys ; Quality of Life ; Quality-Adjusted Life Years

No abstract available.
Haloperidol* ; Humans*

BACKGROUND: the prediction on changes in the lung function after lung surgery would be an important indicator in terms of the operability and postoperative complications. In order to predict the postoperative FEV1 - the commonly used method for measuring changes in lung function- a comparison between the quantitative CT and the perfusion lung scan was made and proved its usefulness. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The subjects included 22 patients who received perfusion lung scan and quantitative CT preoperatively and with whom the follow-up of PFT were possibles out of the pool of patients who underwent right lobectomy or right pneumonectomy between June of 1997 and December of 1999. The FEV1 and FVC were calibrated by performing the PFT on each patient and then the predicted FEV1 and FVC were calculated after performing perfusion lung scan and quantitative CT postoperatively. The FEV1 and FVC were calibrated by performing the PFT after 1 week and after 3 momths following the surgery. RESULTS: There was a significant mutual scan and the actual postoperative FEV1 and FVC at 1 week and 3 months. The predicted FEV1 and FVC(pneumonectomy group : r=0.962 and r=0.938 lobectomy group ; r=0.921 and r=913) using quantitative CT at 1 week postoperatively showed a higher mutual relationship than that predicted by perfusion lung scan(pneumonectomy group : r=0.927 and r=0.890 lobectomy group : r=0.910 and r=0.905) The result was likewise at 3 months postoperatively(CT -pneumonectomy group : r=0.799 and r=0.882 lobectomy group : r=0.934 and r=0.932) CONCLUSION: In comparison to perfusion lung scan quantitative CT is more accurate in predicting lung function postoperatively and is cost-effective as well. Therefore it can be concluded that the quantitative CT is an effective method of replacing the perfusion lung scan in predicting lung function post-operatively. However it is noted that further comparative analysis using more data and follow-up studies of the patients is required.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lung* ; Perfusion* ; Pneumonectomy ; Postoperative Complications

BACKGROUND: Although warts are known to be caused by viruses, one of their peculiarities is that they may be treated by suggestion therspy or hypnosis. This suggests that psychologic or emotional factors influence the hosts response to the virus lesions. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to analyze the role of psychologic factors in the therapeutic response of warts. METHODS: The self-concept scale test(Korean Testing Center) was done in all 61 patients with common wsrts before the cryot.herapy from September 1991 to June 1993. Clinical follow-up data were obtained on 50 patients after 2 months, and then were evaluated usir g the self-eoncept scale in treated vs untreated group. RESULTS: 1. The overall cure rate was 56.0%, being higher in females and patients with high education, 1-3 in number of lesions and no previous treatment history as well as in those with less than 1 year of duration. 2. In the comparison of self-concept scale between treated(n=18) and untreated(n=22) groups, the treated group had remarksble results in moral ethical self, personal self and family self scores (p<0.05). Only 14 items were significantly different between two groups(p<0.05 by Wilcoxon rank sum test). 3. Patients of 20 years or more showed a high cure rate(67.79%, p<0.05 by t-test) and demonstrated significance in total positive self score and its self identity, and satisfaction, self behavior, physical self, moral ethical self and family self scores(p<0.05, by t-test). CONCLUSION: The self-cancept significantly related to the positive aersonality, harmonious family, stable self-esteem and high normal ethics, may influence at least the therapy to the warts in the treated patients in contradistintion to the untreated ones.
Cryotherapy* ; Education ; Ethics ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypnosis ; Warts*

Some of the proteins of mycobacteria are preferentially associated with the cell wall and are powerful immunogens, and humoral antibody responses to these mycobacterial antigens may occur in patients with tuberculosis. In this study, Triton X-100 solubilized protein (TSP) antigen was isolated from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv by overnight shaking with 1% Triton X- 100/PMSF and 10-90% ammonium sulfate precipitation. IgG and IgM antibody levels against TSP, crude protein from the unheated cultrue filtrate (CF#) and 30 kDa antigens were determined in the sera of 80 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and 99 healthy controls with PPD (+) and (-). High IgG reactivity to TSP and CF antigen was observed in tuberculosis patients. Mean IgG antibody titers against all of three mycobacterial antigens were differed significantly (P<0.01) between patients and controls but IgM showed no difference. By the cut-off value adding 2 standard deviation to the mean absorbance of controls, the sensitivity and specificity of the IgG antibody to TSP antigen were 93.9% and 77.5%. The specificity to TSP antigen was a litttle higher than those obtained by CF and 30 kDa antigen. From the above results, the TSP antigen may be useful for the serodiagnosis of tuberculosis.
Ammonium Sulfate ; Antibody Formation ; Cell Wall ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; Neptune* ; Octoxynol* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Serologic Tests ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary*

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Cisplatin* ; Drug Therapy, Combination* ; Female ; Ovary* ; Paclitaxel*

PURPOSE: To report a case of pediatric medial wall blowout fracture with entrapment of medial rectus muscle which can be easily misdiagnosed as a cerebral lesion. CASE SUMMARY: A 16-year-old male visited our clinic with headache, severe restriction of his right eye movement, and diplopia after a head injury due to falling occurring 1 day before evaluation. The patient was inebriated at the time of the accident and could not recall the event but occipital hematoma was palpable. Periorbital ecchymosis or edema was not observed with minimal soft tissue injury except mild conjunctival injection on slit-lamp examination. The patient had an 18 prism diopter exodeviation at primary position and severe medial and mild lateral gaze limitation in his right eye. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed no specific cerebral findings although trapdoor orbital medial wall fracture with incarceration of soft tissue and medial rectus muscle at the medial wall fracture site of his right eye was observed. Within 48 hours from the first evaluation, the blowout fracture was repaired and 50 days postoperatively, right eye gaze limitation and diplopia were nearly recovered. CONCLUSIONS: A case of pediatric blowout fracture with uncertain injury location, periocular ecchymosis, or edema absent could be misdiagnosed as a cerebral lesion. If a pediatric patient is experiencing gaze limitation, diplopia, nausea, or vomiting after trauma, neurological examination as well as evaluation for blowout fracture should be performed.
Adolescent ; Brain ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Diplopia ; Ecchymosis ; Edema ; Exotropia ; Eye Movements ; Headache ; Hematoma ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Nausea ; Neurologic Examination ; Orbit ; Soft Tissue Injuries ; Vomiting

PURPOSE: This study was to verify the effects of spiritual care module education programs by applying it to nurses. METHOD: The study employed a non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design in a quasi-experimental basis. Subjects were 93 nurses (46 in an experimental group and 47 in a control group) with more than two years clinic experience, attending a bachelor program of K University, in I city, Korea. The program consists of courses with 2.5 hours per week for seven weeks. RESULT: Scores of spiritual needs and spiritual nursing competence increased significantly in the experimental group. The score of spirituality and spiritual well-being also increased in the experimental group, but not significantly. CONCLUSION: The spiritual care module education program was considered to be an effective nursing intervention education course. Nurses educated with this program seemed to perform better nursing interventions for subjects facing difficulties or confusion by helping them restore and cope with those problems by themselves. Therefore, it is recommended that spiritual care module education should be settled as a regular course of nursing college with consideration to the corrections and supplements mentioned in this study.
Education* ; Korea ; Mental Competency ; Nursing ; Spirituality

We observed 2 cases of multiple trichoepithelioma, which occured in 25-year- old male and 20-year-old female. They visited our department for multiple skin rashes on the face of 8 years duration in male and 7 years' duration in female patient. Both of them have similar skin lesions characterized by multiplel waxy gshiny, skin colored, firm papules scattered on the nasolabial folds, both eyelids and forehead. Each one of them has a history of similar skin lesions in the family. Literatures are briefly reviewed for discussion of clinical and histopathologicl findings in this disease.
Exanthema ; Eyelids ; Female ; Forehead ; Humans ; Male ; Nasolabial Fold ; Skin ; Young Adult

Adenomyoepithelioma is a rare benign tumor which occurs mainly in the skin, salivary gland and very rarely in the breast, in case of malignant adenomyoepithelioma of the breast is a rare lesion characterized by malignant proliferation of epithelial and myoepithelial cells that show characteristic histology and immunohistochemical features. We report two cases of adenomyoepithelioma, one was benign occuring in the outer upper quadrant of the right breast (48-year-old female), and the other was malignant adenomyoepithelioma occuring in the peri-areolar of the left breast (46-years-old female). We confirmed with both H&E stain and immunohistochemistry. We report benign and malignant adenomyoepithelioma of the breast occurred in middle aged women.
Adenomyoepithelioma* ; Breast* ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Middle Aged ; Salivary Glands ; Skin