The Computed Tomography is the most exact method to find out some diesase, soft tissue or musculoskeletal system. It is searching examination distinguishing normal structure and abnormal states in the spine and spinal canal. This is almost an absolute diagnostic method for spinal stenosis, and it has a special forte becasue it can distinguish the soft tissue around the spine. Thus we can distinguish metastatic cancer, herniated intervertebral disc, hypertrophy of the yellow ligament, and spine tumor very easily. Thirty-two cases of herniated intervertebral disc in lumbar spine were treated for 18 months from Jan. 1981 to Jun. 1982. Of thirty two cases, 18 cases were underwent CT scanning and 9 cases were underwent CT scanning and myelography. We obtained following results: 1. In the 18 cases taking a CT scan we found 6 cases of bulging annulus, 7 cases of herniated disc, one case each of facet syndrome, lateral recess syndrome, and three cases had normal finding. 2. In 9 cases taking CT scan, myelography and operation, 7 cases showed the same positive findings, but one case showed the positive CT scan and myelography, negative surgical exploration, and another case showed positive myelography, negative CT scan surgical exploration. 3. In 9 cases who took only a CT scan, there were 6 cases in which myelography was impossible or refused. Among these 6 cases 4 patients took operation and showed positive findings. 4. The diagnosis of herniated intervertebral disc by means of the CT scan has been made more accurately by the supplementary use of metrizamide and improvement of interpretation. a. When the patient refuses myelography. b. For discrimination of other diseases than herniated intervertebral disc. c. When the patient is allergic to iodine dyes used in myelography. As mention above, not only herniated intervertebral disc, but also many other diseases in spine can be diagnosed and we can decide that the herniated intervertebral disc surgery would by desirable with only the CT scan as nonivasive diagnostic test.
Coloring Agents ; Diagnosis ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Humans ; Hypertrophy ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; Intervertebral Disc ; Iodine ; Ligaments ; Methods ; Metrizamide ; Musculoskeletal System ; Myelography ; Spinal Canal ; Spinal Stenosis ; Spine ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to identify correlations in hospital nurses' work environment, emotional labor and happiness index to provide basic resources for nurses' happiness at work. METHODS: Resources were gathered from 291 nurses who agreed to participate. Random sampling of nurses in nine hospitals in G-do was done between July 15 and August 14, 2014. Data were analyzed using chi2 tests, independent t-test, One-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients and multiple hierarchical regression with SPSS/WIN 18.0. RESULTS: Mean scores (scale of 5) were nurses' work environment, 2.81, emotional labor, 3.24, and happiness index, 2.94. There were significant differences on the happiness index for: age, marriage, children, clinical experience, position, payment, and future work plans and a negative correlation between work environment and emotional labor, emotional labor and happiness index but a positive correlation between happiness index and work environment. Happiness index was influenced by work environment, emotional labor, future work plans. Explanatory power of these variables was 26%. CONCLUSION: Based on the findings of this study, so it is necessary to improve the work environment and reduce the frequency of emotional labor in order to increase the happiness index of hospital nurses.
Child ; Happiness* ; Humans ; Marriage ; Personal Satisfaction

Thirty one infants of diabetic mothers(IDM) who had been admitted in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Chonnam University Hospital from January 1987 to July 1991 were studied for evaluation of their perinatal outcome and prognosis. The results were as follows; 1) The distribution of diabetic mothers according to modified White's classification was GD & class A in 12 cases(38.7%), B in 16 cases(51.6%), C in one case, D4 in one case, and R in one case. 2) Of the 31 diabetic mothers, 8(25.8%) had a history of infertility or stillbirth, 20(64.5%) had prognostically bad signs of pregnancy (PBSP), and 12(38.7%) were treated with insulin and/or oral hypoglycemic agent during pregnancy. 3) C-section rate was 32.2%, and the rates of shoulder dystocia and birth asphyxia were 35.5% and 29.0%, respectively. 4) The rates of large for gestational age were 75.0% in class GD & A, 68.8% in class B, and the rates of small for gestational age were 8.3% and, 6.3% respectively, Characteristic face with body composition was noted in all babies, hepatosplenomegaly in 90.3%, heart murmur in 41.9%, respiratory distress syndrome in 12.9%, transient tachypnea of mewborn in 19.4%, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in 40.0%, and seizure in 6.5%. 5) Laboratory abnormalities were hypoglycemia in 77.4%, hyperbilirubinemia in 83.9%, polycythemia in 16.1%, hyperinsulinemia in 45.5%, hypercalcemia in 22.6%, and hypomagnesemia in 23.1%. 6) Birth injuries were noted in 61.3%, The most common were caput succedaneum and/or cephal-hematoma, brachial palsy, and fracture. Congenital anomalies were noted in 16.1%. The most common were musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal anomalies. 7) In the short term follow up of 19 patients, there were mild developmental delay in 2 cases, cerebral palsy in 2 cases, and epilepsy in 1 case. These results suggested that infants of diabetic mothers had greater morbidity than infants of nondiabetic mothers. Therefore, long term follow up is recommended to achieve their normal growth and development.
Asphyxia ; Birth Injuries ; Body Composition ; Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic ; Cerebral Palsy ; Classification ; Dystocia ; Epilepsy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gestational Age ; Growth and Development ; Heart Murmurs ; Humans ; Hyperbilirubinemia ; Hypercalcemia ; Hyperinsulinism ; Hypoglycemia ; Infant* ; Infant, Newborn ; Infertility ; Insulin ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Jeollanam-do ; Mothers* ; Paralysis ; Parturition ; Polycythemia ; Pregnancy ; Prognosis ; Seizures ; Shoulder ; Stillbirth ; Tachypnea

OBJECTIVE: Nitric oxide (NO) produced in ovary may contribute to follicle maturation, ovulation, oocyte maturation and luteinization. In this study, the effect of nitric oxide on the spontaneous maturation of mouse oocyte was observed. Method: The index of oocyte maturation was checked by the germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) and appearance of polar body (PB) under microscope in the denuded oocytes and oocyte-cumulus complexes (OCCs) from mouse ovarian follicles after 24 hours pregnant-mare serum gonadotropin treatment. RESULTS: The GVBD appeared 50 %, 1 hour and 80 %, 2 hrs after changes of oocytes from dibutyryl cAMP (dbcAMP, 0.5 mM) contained media into dbcAMP-free media. dbcAMP (0.5 mM) completely blocked the GVBD until 24 hrs but dbcGMP (5 mM) delayed the GVBD by 1 hr. Sodium nitroprusside, the NO generator, inhibited the GVBD dose-dependently at 2 hr incubation in denuded and OCCs. The appearance of GVBD was not different between control and dbcGMP or SNP in denuded oocytes and OCCs at 24 hrs incubation. The guanylate cyclase activity in denuded oocyte cytosol was not detected whereas the guanylate cyclase activity in OCCs cytosol was 1.3 nmole/min/mg protein which was increased about 3 times by SNP (100 micrometer). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the NO in ovary may delay the spontaneous oocyte maturation in early stage by acting on the maturation signaling protein as well as guanylate cyclase.
Animals ; Bucladesine ; Cytosol ; Female ; Gonadotropins ; Guanylate Cyclase ; Lutein ; Luteinization ; Mice* ; Nitric Oxide* ; Nitroprusside ; Oocytes* ; Ovarian Follicle ; Ovary ; Ovulation ; Polar Bodies ; Staphylococcal Protein A

BACKGROUND: Nutrition label reading is helpful in attaining a healthy diet. Nutrition label use and its related factors have been studied in many Korean articles, but their research samples were the general population and not chronic disease patients. This study aimed to explore the use of nutrition labels and its relation to dietary intake among chronic disease patients in Korea. METHODS: A total of 3160 respondents aged> or =20 years from the 2008-2009 Fourth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES-IV) participated in the study. Their chronic medical conditions included hypertension, hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease, diabetes and/or stroke and they were interviewed regarding their use of nutrition labels. Nutrition intake was also estimated by 24-hour dietary recalls. RESULTS: Overall, 10.4% of the chronic disease patients reported to using nutrition labels. The nutrients they looked at first were total calories, fat and cholesterol. Factors related to reading nutrition labels were relatively higher education, high body mass index and lower frequency of alcohol intake in males and relatively younger age and higher education in females. Nutrition label users consumed lower total calories, protein and fat in the male CAD group, lower total calories and carbohydrate in both diabetes and total groups and lower total calories and fiber in the female stroke group. CONCLUSIONS: Our study found that, in Korea, a significantly lower rate of patients with chronic disease read nutrition labels. Strategies need to be developed to improve clinical application of nutrition labels in this population.
Body Mass Index ; Cholesterol ; Chronic Disease* ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Diet ; Education ; Female ; Food Labeling ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; Hypertension ; Korea ; Male ; Nutrition Surveys* ; Stroke

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to analyze risk factors that are associated with intracranial lesion, and to propose criteria for classification of mild head injury (MHI), and appropriate treatment guidelines. METHODS: The study was based on 898 patients who were admitted to our hospital with Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 13 to 15 between 2003 and 2007. The patients' initial computerized tomography (CT) findings were reviewed and clinical findings that were associated with intracranial lesions were analyzed. RESULTS: GCS score, loss of consciousness (LOC), age and skull fracture were identified as independent risk factors for intracranial lesions. Based on the data analysed in this study, MHI patients were divided into four subgroups : very low risk MHI patients are those with a GCS score of 15 and without a history of LOC or headache; low risk MHI patients have a GCS score of 15 and with LOC and/or headache; medium risk MHI patients are those with a GCS score of 15 and with a skull fracture, neurological deficits or with one or more of the risk factors; high risk MHI patients are those with a GCS score of 15 with abnormal CT findings and GCS score of 14 and 13. CONCLUSION: A more detailed classification of MHI based on brain CT scan findings and clinical risk factors can potentially improve patient diagnosis. In light of our findings, high risk MHI patients should be admitted and treated in same manner as those with moderate head injury.
Adult ; Brain ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Glasgow Coma Scale ; Head ; Humans ; Light ; Risk Factors ; Skull Fractures ; Unconsciousness

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis is developed by progressive decrease of bone rnass from decreased collagen content of bone. Accurate measurement of bone collagen is necessary for the diagnosis of osteoporosis and it is possible by bone biopsy, however bone biopsy is not easy in clinical practice. Skin collagen is consist with type I collagen which is same type of bone collagen and progressive decrease of bone collagen is reflected by decrease of skin collagen. Since skin thickness reflect skin collagen amount, skin thickness measurement may be a useful method for the evaluation of osteoporosis. So ultrasonic skin thickness measurement was developed for the evaluation of osteoporosis. METHODS: A randomly selected 200 women aged fram 30 to 71 years old were asked to have their skin thickness measured as well as lumbar vertebral DXA(Norland, USA) bone densitometry. Except for the two women who failed to complete the study, 45(22.7%) of these women were diagnosed as normal, 74(37.4%) were osteopenic and 79(39.9%) were diagnosed as osteoporosis patients using the WHO criteria. Skin thickness was measured using 20MHz Osteoson DCIII (Minhorst, Germany) at the medial side of the upper arm. A minimal of Two scans were measured and the mean value was cakulated automatically. RESULTS: The correlation coefficient of skin thickness and age was -0.121(ns), DXA BMD(bone mineral density) and age was -0.420(P<0.01), skin thickness and DXA BMD L2-L4 was 0.181(P<0.05). Skin thickness was significantly correlated with body weight(correlation coefficient 0.254, P<0.01) and BMI(correlation coefficient 0.195, P<0.01). Furthermore, the mean and standard deviation of skin thickness in normal BMD group was 0.94+-0.021mm, osteopenic group was 0.92+-0.006mm, and osteoporotic group was 0.89+-0.018mm. There was statistically significant difference in the mean values of skin thickness between the three groups even adjusted with age and BMI(P<0.05). The mean and standard deviation of skin tbickness of healthy 20-40 year old women was 1.11+-0,023mm and their mean and standard deviation of L2-L4 mean BMD was 1.17+-0.145mg/cm2. The diagnostic predictability of skin thickness less than 1mm as the risk of osteoporosis(BMD T score less than -1.0) was evaluated. The sensitivity and the specificity of skin thickness less than 1mm being osteoporotic were 78,2% and 57.8% respectively. The positive and negative predictive value of the skin thickness less than 1mm being osteoporotic were 82.2% and 36.5% respectively. CONCLUSION: This study indicate that the skin thickaess measured with the ultrasound method show good correlatian with the bone density measured with conventional DXA at the lumbar vertebra and the skin thickness less than 1mm on the medial side of the opper arm is relatively sensitive in diagnosing osteoporosis risk in Korean women. The authors suggested that a large randomized control study to define the relationship between the skin thickness and the other determinants of bone turnover in the near future.
Aged ; Arm ; Biopsy ; Bone Density ; Collagen ; Collagen Type I ; Densitometry ; Diagnosis* ; Female ; Humans ; Osteoporosis ; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Skin* ; Spine ; Ultrasonics ; Ultrasonography

The main purpose of this study is to identify nursing needs of parents who have hospitalized child. Research design is a descriptive survey. The subjects for the study were 79 parents who have hospitalized child at a pediatric ward of one of the general hospital attached to a university in J city. The data was collected by researchers using a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire was Liken type 5 point scale, composed of 5 categories with 61 items. The data was analyzed by SPSS/PC. The results of the study were as follows : 1) Mean score of nursing needs of subjects were 3.93 at 2nd day of admission and 3.99 at 7th day of ad mission. 2) Among the categories, the highest nursing need at the 2nd day and 7th day of admission was 'direct nursing', in desending order, 'facilities and environment', 'education and counseling', 'nursing assessment'. The lowest nursing need was 'reference'. 3) Differences between the nursing needs of subjects at 2nd day and 7th day were as follows ; (1) By categories, there was a significant difference only in the 'reference' category(t=2.74, P=.008). (2) By items, there were significant differences in items of 'to check necessary materials(t=2.31, P=.024)', 'to understand family function and family relationship(t=2.12. P=.041), 'to set up study room(t=2.22, P=.030)', and 'to mediate parent's meeting group(t=3.89, P=.000)'. The above result indicated that nursing needs of parents with hospitalized child were above average, especially very high in items about disease process, and items directly associated with treatment and nursing care. So, nurses have to focus on information about the patient's state of disease, treatment, test and procedure, and in efficiently giving direct nursing care to implement more effective care for the hospitalized children and their parents. And some future research is needed to identify the difference of degree of nursing needs of parents with hospitalized child according to admission duration using a different sample and a longer sampling interval.
Child ; Child, Hospitalized* ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Missions and Missionaries ; Nursing Care ; Nursing* ; Parents* ; Research Design ; Child Health ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: Circardian variation in the onset of cardiovascular events includig sudden cardiac death, myocardial infarction and ventricular arrhythmias has been discribed. The frequency of ventricular premature complexes has also been reported to demonstrate a pattern consisting of a daytime peak and nightime nadir. We tried to see if the same circardian pattern is found in dilated cardiomyopathy patients. We have also studed how various modifying factors such as left ventricular ejection fration and ACE inhibitor use may affect the circardian pattern. METHOD: 24-hour ambulatory electrocaridiographic monitorings were performed in 50 dilated cardiomyopathy patients and 20 control subjects. Patients were prospectively divided in 2 groups based on LVEF and ACE inhibitor use. RESULTS: In dilated cardiomyopathy patients, the expected morning increase in VPC frequency is absent and show a peak in evening. This pattern is not correlated with heart rate. Evening peak is more prominent in low LVEF group and ACE inhibitor non-user group. CONCLUSION: In dilated cardiomyopathy patients, VPC frequency show a peak in the evening.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated* ; Death, Sudden, Cardiac ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction ; Prospective Studies ; Ventricular Premature Complexes*

OBJECTIVE: Immunofluorescence microscopy including confocal laser scanning microscopy and electron microscopy were used to study the production of fibronectin, tenascin, and laminin in the cumulus-corona (CC) cells surrounding mature, unfertilized oocytes after ovulation in view of their presumptive importance in the coordination of the processes leading to fertilization and early embryo cleavage, including the final maturation of the ovum, the sperm-egg interaction, and the complex biochemical mechanism between the ovum and the oviduct. METHODS: Mature oocyte-cumulus complex (OCC) was cultured for 24 and 48 hour and fixed in 3.7% formaldehyde. Specimens were incubated with a mixture of primary monoclonal antibodies recognizing different epitopes of fibronectin, tenascin, and laminin, and then with a mixture of secondary antibodies containing FITC, TRITC, and Cy-5 conjugated antibodies. Observation was made by confocal laser scanning microscope equipped with epifluorescece optics. Transmission electron microscopy were used to observe the OCC at 24 and 48 hours after cultrue. RESULTS: The immunocytochemical date demonstrated that CC masses are capable of producing fibronectin and tenascin but their production is heterogeneous in the CC population. Immunoreactivity to fibronectin and tenascin was shown mostly by inner corona cells, and the intensity of immunofluorescence decreased from the central corona cells to the peripheral cumulus cells. Colocalization of fibronectin and tenascin was evident in most CC cells. Moreover, fibronectin and tenascin immunoreactive material was observed in the intracytoplasmic areas, at the plasma membrane level as well as in the extracellular matrix. Whereas, laminin immunofluorescence was found around plasma membrane and extracellular area, but a intracytoplasmic reaction was rarely observed. The distribution of laminin immunofluorescence was similar to that of fibronectin and tenascin, but in some cumulus cells, colocalization between them was not found. Ultrastructurally, cumulus cells projected numerous long, thin microvilli into the intercellular area and some micovilli penetrated into zona pellucida. The inner layer of the cumulus mass was loose arrangement of relatively uniform, small cells with widened intercellular spaces, whereas in the outer layer, cumulus cells are rather larger in size and compact arrangement by narrow, irregular spaces. A small and large linear gap junctions were easily found at cell contacts. The cytoplasm of most cells had abundant organelles typical of steroidogenesis: numerous mitochondrias, a well-developed smooth endoplasmic reticulum, electron dense lipid droplets, and bundles of microtubules and microfilaments. Rudimentary disrupted basal lamina along the cytoplasmic border was rarely seen in a few inner conora cells. CONCLUSION: Even though the functional role of these extracellular matrix proteins remains still unclear, it is reasonable to suggest that they are necessary in various steps of the reproductive process. Cumulus cells appears to be a heterogeneous and dynamic system for suitable microenviroment of fertilization. And functional differences between corona and cumulus cells during the oocyte denudation may be accounted for particular distribution of these adhesive proteins and steroidogenesis-related organelles.
Actin Cytoskeleton ; Adhesives ; Animals ; Antibodies ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Basement Membrane ; Cell Membrane ; Cumulus Cells ; Cytoplasm ; Embryonic Structures ; Endoplasmic Reticulum, Smooth ; Epitopes ; Extracellular Matrix ; Extracellular Matrix Proteins ; Extracellular Space ; Female ; Fertilization ; Fibronectins* ; Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Formaldehyde ; Gap Junctions ; Immunohistochemistry ; Laminin* ; Microscopy, Confocal ; Microscopy, Electron* ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; Microscopy, Fluorescence ; Microtubules ; Microvilli ; Mitochondria ; Oocytes ; Organelles ; Oviducts ; Ovulation ; Ovum ; Sperm-Ovum Interactions ; Tenascin* ; Zona Pellucida