BACKGROUND: Epidermis is directly exposed to various external stimuli and protects internal structures. Most studies about skin tension focused on the dermis, and epidermal tension has not been able to attract interest because dermis much thicker than epidermis and dermal collagen fibers play a predominant role in the skin tension. However, circumstances which involve only the epidermis are often shown, and thus it is necessary to study the mechanical property of the epidermis. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to quantify the role of the epidermis as a mechanical barrier. METHODS: Human epidermal sheets were obtained from suction blisters in 14 patients with vitiligo during epidermal grafting. Maximal tension, that is the power required to break the epidermal sheets, was measured by tensiometer. RESULTS: The maximal tension of the epidermis ranged from 40.0 g/cm² to 84.5g/cm² with a mean values of 56.1g/cm² and did not differ significantly according to the age or anatomical sites. CONCLUSION: The barrier function of epidermis is important and the results are expected to be used as the basic information for other studies about the mechanical property of the epidermis. In addition, this will be important data in developing an artificial skin whose mechanical property is similar to that of the human skin.
Blister* ; Collagen ; Dermis ; Epidermis* ; Humans* ; Skin ; Skin, Artificial ; Suction* ; Transplants ; Vitiligo

The purpose of this is to understand the aspect of human spirituality and its general meaning to nursing practice. This conceptual analysis has been defined thus : 1) spirituality is a basic human attribute 2) spirituality gives meaning to life 3) spirituality is a relationship between the omnipotent and the supernatural. Spirituality assumes these : 1) all human beings possess a spiritual nature 2) it is the source of human power 3) it assumes mutual relationship between the individual and others 4) conviction etc. And the result of spirituality leads to : 1) petition 2) peacefulness 3) hope 4) love between the self and the surrounding others and etc. The experience of the spirituality refers to the relationship between the self, others, and with the environment as well as the relationship with God. And that positive and assertive mentality and attitude will result in a desirable spiritual relationship between the caregiver(the nurse and the receiver.
Hope ; Humans ; Love ; Nursing ; Spirituality*

This study was done to identify the effectiveness of a proper positioning on musculoskeletal complication on patient with Stroke by using a quasi-experimental study. A total of 18 patients were selected as a subject from June 1st to October 31th 1998 who had been hospitalized at Intensive Care Units in K medical center. A experimental group consists of 8 patients who were given proper positioning every two hours. A control group consists of 10 patients who were given traditional positioning. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS windows including chi-test(Fisher's exact method), Wilcoxon Rank Sum test and McNemar test. The result of this study was summerized as follows: 1) The experimental group with proper positioning has shown lower shoulder pain score, dorsiflexion contracture score, Shoulder subluxation score and higher Range of Motion and than the control group. 2) The experimental group with proper positioning has shown lower muscle pain score and edema score than the control group, but it was not statistically significant. Therefore, proper positioning could be applied as an independent nursing intervention for patients on Stroke in order to facilitate rehabilitation.
Contracture ; Edema ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Myalgia ; Nursing ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Rehabilitation ; Shoulder ; Shoulder Pain ; Stroke*

No abstract available.
Tracheal Stenosis*

No abstract available.
Family Practice* ; Humans ; Internship and Residency*

No abstract available.
Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn* ; Vaccination*

Regardless of the any cause leg ulcers are painful and inconvenient to patients and present clinical and economic problems due to their chronicity. Conventional skin grafts, cultured allogenic epidermis, and cultured autologous epidermis have been used for the treatment of leg ulcers. In a twenty-year-old woman with leg ulcers, autologous pure epidermal sheets were obtained from the lower chest by means of suction blisters and grafted to the leg ulcers. All lesions were healed completely in 20 days after grafting. The donor sites showed slight postinflammatory hyperpigmentations without scars. The autologous epidermal graft using suction blisters appears to be a useful method for the treatment of leg ulcers, with no immunologic rejection, no need for cultivation and anesthesia, no desiccation, and no scars on the donor sites.
Anesthesia ; Blister* ; Cicatrix ; Desiccation ; Epidermis ; Female ; Humans ; Leg Ulcer* ; Leg* ; Methods ; Skin ; Suction* ; Thorax ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants*

No abstract available.

Lichen striatus is an uncommon unilateral inflammatory linear papular dermatosis of uncertain etiology. It most commonly affects the extremities and has a self-limiting course. Nail involvement in lichen striatus is a very rare reported finding and is a cause of a deformity of the nail plate. It tends to have a more prolonged course for cutaneous eruptions than disease limited only to the skin. Characteristic histopathological features are important to differentiate this condition from other linear lesions that may interfere with nail growth. Three cases of lichen striatus with onychodystrophy are presented herein.
Congenital Abnormalities ; Extremities ; Lichens* ; Skin ; Skin Diseases

We investigated the occurrence of color vision loss in 70 organic solvent mixtures exposed workers and in 47 controls. Color Vision was assessed with a color arrangement test designed to identify the defective color sense, the Han Double 15-Hue Test. The results of the test were no significant difference between exposed workers and controls in the proportion of subjects who committed one or two errors. Quantitative analysis, using color confusion index(CCI), showed no signifiant difference between exposed workers and controls. A significant linear correlation was present between age and CCI in both exposed workers(CCi=0.0056age + 0.94; r=0.23; p<0.05) and controls(CCI=0.0066age + 0.86; r=0.33; p<0.05). Qualitative analysis of the patterns on the hue circle showed that the prevalence of acquired dyschromatopsia was 21% in both and no significant difference. Multiple regression analyses showed that age was significantly related to color vision loss. These results did not provide evidence of a relationship between organic solvents exposure and incidence of color vision loss. In field studies for monitor the people at risk of the acquired color vision loss involving low-dose organic solvents exposed workers, both quantitative and qualitative information should be considered.
Color Vision ; Incidence ; Prevalence ; Solvents