BACKGROUND: Gamma linoleic acid (GLA, Epogam) is considered a safe and effective modality in the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD) in which impaired function of the enzyme, delta-6-desaturase, has been reported to result in reduced levels of GLA, desaturated fatty acids. OBJECTIVE: We performed this study to observe the changes of skin surface conditions measured objectively by bioengineering methods in relation to clinical improvement after treatment with GLA (Epogam®) in children with AD. METHODS: Thirty-four children with AD were treated with GLA (Epogam®) and evaluated with clinical parameters.The changes of skin surface conditions were monitored by non-invasive experimental instruments. RESULTS: There was a significant decrease of transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and gradual improvements in clinical severity after 12 weeks of GLA (Epogam®) treatment. The change of skin surface pH was statistically significant on the antecubital fossa and abdomen except the popliteal fossa. The other parameters including skin surface hydration and skin surface lipid did not show consistent changes. CONCLUSION: Clinical improvement of AD with GLA (Epogam) seemed to be achieved by the reduction of TEWL.
Abdomen ; Bioengineering ; Child ; Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Fatty Acids ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Linoleic Acid* ; Linoleoyl-CoA Desaturase ; Skin* ; Water

Nursing Diagnosis has evolved in the guest to define nursing and its functions. But for the application to clinical practice an unified system of terminology that help nurses to assess selected data and identify potential or actual client problems is required. Consistent terminology that captures the real meanings of the nursing diagnosis makes oral and written communication more accurate and efficient. Already we had performed to deliver a Korean -translated version of the 98 nursing diagnoses through the process of content validity tests and translations, and additionally performed to deliver a Korean-translated version of another 17 nursing diagnoses. The list of 17 nursing diagnoses were reviewed by our research team and two linguists, one specialized in Korean and the other in English. 17 diagnoses were mailed to 719 subjects to test content validity from December 10, 1997 to January 24, 1998, Among 719 questionnaires, 185 were used for analysis. Total mean score of the diagnoses was 3.72 on the 5 point likert scale. The diagnoses that acquired less than 3.50 were 'Risk for altered parent/infant/child attachment'(3.28), 'Potential for enhanced organized infant behavior'(3.40), 'Potential for enhanced community coping' & 'Risk for disorganized infant behavior'(3.49). We suggest to conduct tests for validation of related factors and characteristics of these 17 Nursing Diagnosis.
Diagnosis ; Humans ; Infant ; Nursing Diagnosis* ; Nursing* ; Postal Service ; Translations ; Surveys and Questionnaires

The purpose of this study is to make an emphasis the necessity of the dynamization after interlocking intramedullary nailing. We reviewed 75 cases of the fractures of the shaft of femur or tibia fixed with static interlocking intramedullary nailing. We excluded the cases in whom the locking screws were removed for the purpose of the relief of pain from the irriataion by those screws. The parameter we reviewed were the type of fracture, postoperative gap between the major fragments. Early callus formation, the union time, postoperative dynamization and controlled weight bearing. In those cases in which the contact surface between the major fragments was more than 50% and there noticed no early callus within 6 weeks after operation, the union time was shortened after dynamization, when the contact surface was less than 50% and there noticed no early callus, the union time was shortened after bone graft and dynamization which resulted in some shortening in the length in acceptable ranges. In cases with a major gap of more than 2mm, the union time was shortened after dynamization. The rate of early callus formation was a little higher in cases with postoperative controlled weight bearing than those to whom we did not permit a controlled weight bearing.
Bony Callus ; Femur ; Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary ; Tibia ; Transplants ; Weight-Bearing

In order to inquire the most-effective management of increased intracranial pressure(ICP), mannitol, steroid and hyperventilation were used in rabbits after ligation or non-ligation of the carotid artery. Mannitol was more effective than steroid and hyperventilation in the degree of the reduction of ICP. The intracranial pressure was decreased 43~45% for 25~30 minutes after injection of mannitol. Steroid was less effective than mannitol in the degree of the reduction of ICP. But the time of reduction of ICP was longer, that is, the degree of reduction was 24~60 minutes after injection of steroid. Hyperventilation is effective in the initial time only, for 10 minutes after hyperventilation. The degree of ICP reduction was 13.5~16.7 % for 10 minutes after hyperventilation. The combined group, that is three kinds of mangenent were used, is the most effective treatment to reduce ICP of ICP. The degree of the reduction of ICP was 42.1~49.3% for 20 minutes, 47.7~52.5% for 30minnutes. There was no significant difference between and non-ligation group.
Carotid Arteries ; Carotid Artery, Internal* ; Hyperventilation ; Intracranial Pressure* ; Ligation ; Mannitol ; Rabbits*

OBJECTIVE: This study is aimed to see ultrastructural changes of pineal gland in rats exposed to microwaves. METHODS: We conducted an experiment by exposing rats at the electromagnetic wave frequency of 2.45GHz, using with an EMR(electromagnetic radiation) emitting apparatus to study the effect of electromagnetic wave on the pineal gland. Paying especial attention to measure damages to pineal gland cells in the brain, we set the levels of EMR according to the duration of electromagnetic wave exposure at 1.2 joules(20min exposure), 2.4 joules(40min exposure), 3.6 joules(60 min exposure), and 4.8 joules(80min exposure) per 1cm2. RESULTS: Compared with normal cells, main histologic changes were observed with an electron microscope included swelling of the pineal gland cells, a decrease in the electron density of interstitial tissue, an increase in the distances between pineal gland cells, an increase in number of lipid-droplets, and swelling of mitochondria. Especially in those pineal cells exposed to EMR for 80 min, severe swelling of mitochondria and a slight increase in lysosome were observed. CONCLUSION: The authors could identify the harmful effect of microwave by observing abnormal ultrastructural changes of pineal cell in rat according to the increasement of electromagnetic radiation.
Animals ; Brain ; Electromagnetic Radiation ; Lysosomes ; Microwaves* ; Mitochondria ; Pineal Gland* ; Rats*

Hashimotos thyroiditis and Graves disease have been thought to be the autoirnmune diseases having their distinct and separate clinical and pathologic features. Because of the partial and complete simi1arity in histologic feature, it has been hypothesized that Hashimoto's thyroiditis and Oraves disease may be interrelated. Several patients who had been diagnosed as Graves disease showed features of hypothyroidism, and were proven to have histologie features of Hashimotos thyroiditis in their thyroid tissue. Two meehanisms had been suggested to explain tbis phenomenon. One is that the combined Hashimotos thyroiditis in Graves' disease may become predominant with time, The other is that the amount of TSH receptor blocking antibody may increase in the course of Graves disease. Early recognition of these patients would be impartant to estabilish therapeutic plan. Futhermcee, extensive study of these patients would give more understanding of the mechanism of these diseases. Here we report 5 cases of clinically diagnosed Graves disease with pathologic features of Hashimotos thyroiditis or focal lymphocytic thyroiditis.
Graves Disease ; Humans ; Hypothyroidism ; Receptors, Thyrotropin ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroiditis ; Thyroiditis, Autoimmune

The purpose of this study was to develop and test the validity of standardized Korean nomenclature of the International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP), developed by the International Council of Nursing (ICN). The four phases of the study were: (1) Two professors and 15 graduate students translated who were taking a nursing intervention course, translated nursing phenomena and nursing action of the ICNP into Korean; (2) 12 nurses with various clinical backgrounds reviewed the nomenclature taking into consideration of the definition, and contents for each Korean nursing terminology, and the Delphi method was used to determine the best appropriate nomenclature for each terminology; (3) 20 academic and clinical experts in nursing were given a questionnaire to rate the validity of each Korean nomenclature using a 5 point Likert scale ranging from very inappropriate to very appropriate; (4) five members of the Korean Nurses Association Research Committee reviewed the survey results and determined the most appropriate Korean nomenclature for each nursing phenomena and activity of the ICNP. Most nomenclature of the ICNP had a score of more than 4.0, but four nursing phenomena had a score between 3.5 and 4.0: Unilateral neglect(3.86), Care Giver strain (3.86), Health denial(3.86), Health Adjustment (3.86) and draining(2.63) . In nursing activity 726 items, except for twelve items, had a score of over 4.0: Drainage(2.63) Weaning(3.13), Caring(3.75), Cold Wrapping(3.63), distraction Technique(3.57), drawing(3.88), Establishing Report with(3.5), Heating Wrapping(3.5), Manipulating(3.75), Performing(3.88), Reading material(3.75) and Restricting(3.75).
Caregivers ; Classification ; Heating ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Nursing

Moxibustion is a traditional Oriental medicine therapy that treats the symptoms of a disease with thermal stimulation. However, it is difficult to control the strength of the thermal or chemical stimulus generated by the various types and amounts of moxa and to prevent energy loss through the skin. To overcome these problems, we previously developed a method to efficiently provide RF thermal stimulation to subcutaneous tissue. In this paper, we propose a finite element model (FEM) to predict temperature distributions in subcutaneous tissue after radio-frequency thermal stimulation. To evaluate the performance of the developed FEM, temperature distributions were obtained from the FEM, and in vivo experiments were conducted using the RF stimulation system at subcutaneous tissue depths of 5 and 10 mm in the femoral region of a rabbit model. High correlation coefficients between simulated and actual temperature distributions—0.98 at 5 mm and 0.99 at 10 mm—were obtained, despite some slight errors in the temperature distribution at each depth. These results demonstrate that the FEM described here can be used to determine thermal stimulation profiles produced by RF stimulation of subcutaneous tissue.
Finite Element Analysis ; Medicine, East Asian Traditional ; Methods ; Moxibustion ; Skin ; Subcutaneous Tissue*

The purpose of this study was to develop the computerized nursing diagnoses system for clinical application and activation of nursing diagnosis based on validity verification. In addition, our research team also performed system tests in clinical situations, to identify ways to improve the program and make it more practical. Nursing Diagnoses System will increase nurses' knowledge and experience of the application of nursing diagnoses in clinical situations and development of nursing interventions by nurses as well as the effectiveness of hospital computerized systems. We expect this system can contribute to an improvement in the quality of nursing care. Also we will continuously evaluate and revise the system related to the utilization of the program.
Nursing Care ; Nursing Diagnosis* ; Nursing*

A ganglion cyst is a relatively common benign tumor on the wrist. Conservative and surgical approaches have been used for its treatment. Various conservative treatment methods have been suggested such as reassurance, aspiration, sclerosant injection, and direct compression. But, there is no acceptable treatment of choice yet because each suggested method has a relatively high recurrence rate. We want to report two cases in which the size of the wrist ganglion was decreased by using electroacupuncture. One patient presented with a chronic ganglion for six years and the other patient presented with a recently occurred acute ganglion. We applied electroacupuncture for 20 minutes once a week for eight weeks to both of them. Afterwards, the size of the wrist ganglion diminished in the follow-up sonography and the accompanying pain was also relieved. Herein we report both cases along with a review of the relevant literature.
Electroacupuncture* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Ganglion Cysts* ; Humans ; Recurrence ; Wrist*