OBJECTIVES: Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is effective in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), but the major limitation of CPAP may be poor compliance. The aims of the study were to investigate the compliance and side effects of CPAP, and to evaluate the efficacy of CPAP in patients with OSAS. METHODS: This study enrolled 106 patients with OSAS who took the CPAP treatment. The severity of daytime sleepiness was measured using Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and sleep quality and depressive symptoms were assessed by Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), respectively. RESULTS: During 29 months of the study period, 41.5% of patients were using CPAP and 38.7% of patients stopped using it. Compared to non-compliant patients, compliant patients had a higher PSQI score and obstructive apnea index. Among non-compliant patients, 51.2% of them stopped using CPAP within 1months. 85.7% of non-compliant patients were discomforted by the CPAP, but much more nasopharyngeal symptoms were reported in the compliant group. ESS (p<0.01), PSQI (p<0.01) and BMI (p<0.01) were reduced significantly after CPAP treatment but not BDI (p=0.86). CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that CPAP can reduce the daytime sleepiness, nocturnal sleep disturbance, and body mass index. To increase the compliance of CPAP, we suggested that some education and support is needed at the early stage of the CPAP treatment.
Apnea ; Body Mass Index ; Compliance* ; Continuous Positive Airway Pressure ; Depression ; Education ; Humans ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the value of fast field echo(FE) technique in accesing temporOmandibular joint(TMJ) dynamics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A series of 120 TMJ MRI examinations of 60 symptomatic patients was performed. The fast FE technique was used to provide dynamic images of the TMJs in various phase of mouth opening with a step-bite-block. RESULTS: Among 120 cases, there were 30 cases which were normal, 21 cases of anterior displacement with reduction, 66 cases of anterior displacement without reduction, 11 cases of deformity of menisci, 23 cases of bony deformity, and 3 cases of medial displacement. The menisci and condyles were clearly delineated and the motions of the menisci during jaw opening were well evaluated in both normal and pathologic conditions. CONCLUSION: The dynamic TMJ MRI scan using fast FE technique permits both fast scanning and study of joint dynamics as well as TMJ anatomy.
Congenital Abnormalities ; Humans ; Jaw ; Joints ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Mouth ; Temporomandibular Joint*

No abstract available.
Thymus Hyperplasia*

PURPOSE: This study was done to examine the awareness and management practice of operating room nurses, to prevent nosocomial infection, to identify problems and to propose solutions. METHOD: The research tools used were the hospital infection control guideline and a modified version of the measurment tools used in the study of Cho (1998). The questionnaire consisted of questions on hand washing, personal hygiene and clothes control, cleaning and environment control, sterilizing supplies and disposal of contaminated materials. The collected data were analysed with the SPSS program. RESULTS: The mean score for domain-specific awareness of nosocomial infection control was 4.81 out of a possible 5 points. The highest score was for sterilizing supplies and disposal of contaminated materials. The mean score for domain-specific practices of nosocomial infection control was 4.40, out of a possible 5 points. Sterilizing supplies and disposal of contaminated materials had the highest scores. The mean score for awareness in all domains was higher than mean score for practice. Among the general characteristics of the nurses, high awareness was found only in the provision of infection control guidelines and it had shown statistically significant difference. Examination of relation of general characteristics to practice showed that for age, career, the provision of infection control guidelines, and experience in infection control education there were statistically significant differences in the scores. For the relation between awareness of nosocomial infection control and practice, positive correlation was found in all domains, thus high awareness leads to high practice. CONCLUSION: Considering the result of this research, plans are needed that promote virtual practice of hospital infection control.
Cross Infection* ; Education ; Equipment and Supplies ; Hand Disinfection ; Humans ; Hygiene ; Infection Control ; Operating Rooms* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Intracavernosal self injection therapy is now being widely used to treat patients with erectile dysfunction. However, there is a large number of patients who gives up the self injection program due to the fear of needle or injection. Therefore, the less invasive route of drug administration is highly recommended. We investigated the efficacy of intraurethral instillation of PGE1 solution in comparison with the trimix intracavernosal injection. A total of 24 patients have been observed with either injection of trimix (11 patients), or intraurethral instillation of PGE1 (13 patients). All patients were evaluated with the penile doppler ultrasonography before 5,15,30 and 45 minutes after the drug administration. Penile length and circumference were measured before and after intraurethral administration of PGE1. Ten out of 11 patients (91%) showed positive response in trimix group and nine of 13 patients (69.2%) in PGE1 group. Mean length and circumference of penile shaft before and after the pharmacologic erection test showed significant difference in PGE1 group. The mean peak systolic velocity at 30 minutes was 28.5% 10.53 cm/sec in Trimix group and 28.2 t8.47 cm/sec in PGE, group (p=0.4773). The mean end diastolic velocity at 30 minutes was 8.4 5.23 cm/sec in Trimix group and 8.2=4.21 cm/sec in PGE1 group (p=0.4689). With the intraurethral administration of PGE1, urethral pain and irritation were the noticeable complications but systemic side effect was not noticed In conclusion, PGE1 intraurethral instillation can be satisfactorily used for the patients with erectile dysfunction of psychogenic, less prominent organic and neurogenic origin, although the effect of intraurethral instillation of PGE1 is obviously less than that of Trimix intracavernosal injection.
Alprostadil* ; Erectile Dysfunction* ; Humans ; Male ; Needles ; Prostaglandins E ; Ultrasonography, Doppler

BACKGROUND: Laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation for general anesthesia are potent stimuli to the cardiovascular system due to sympathetic stimulation. The aim of this study was to compare the hemodynamic responses with different administration routes of lidocaine on blood pressure and heart rate changes associated with tracheal intubation. METHODS: Sixty patients were randomly assigned to spray group (Group 1, n=20) received 10% lidocaine 1.5 mg/kg spray to intratracheally immediately before tracheal intubation, IV group (Group 2, n=20) received 2% lidocaine 1.5 mg/kg intravenously before 90 sec tracheal intubation and control group (Group 3, n=20). Anesthesia was induced with thiopental 5 mg/kg IV, vecuronium 0.1 mg/kg and 50% N2O-O2- 2vol % enflurane. After 5 minutes, tracheal intubation was performed. Mean arterial pressure and heart rate were measured at preintubation and immediately postintubation, 1, 3, 5 mins after tracheal intubation. RESULTS:The differences of mean arterial pressure which were measured at preintubation and immediately postintubation and 1 minute after intubation in group 1 were significantly lower than those in other group (p<0.05). The differences of heart rate which measured at preintubation and 1 minute after intubation were lower than those in group 3 (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: For the suppression of sympathetic stimulation following tracheal intubation, 10% lidocaine spray to the laryngotrachea is an effective method to suppress cardiovascular response.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Arterial Pressure ; Blood Pressure ; Cardiovascular System ; Enflurane ; Heart Rate* ; Heart* ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Intubation* ; Laryngoscopy ; Lidocaine* ; Thiopental ; Vecuronium Bromide

In case of submucosal tumor, adenoma and atypism, we can't frequently use the snare polypectomy for treatment of them. Adenoma and atypism are premalignant, so other therapeutic modalities are necessary for resection of them. We have perfortned endoscopic mueosectomy such as strip biopsy, and "O"ring ligation on various mucosal lesions of upper GI tract in 23 patients(11 men, l2 women) from June 1993 to December l994. Fourteen patients wbo had adenoma were followed up endoscopically for 6 months to 24 months(mean: 14 months). The results were as follows: 23 patients(27 lesions) were enrolled in this study. Mean age was 50.3(range 32-74 years). The method of mucosectomy was strip biopsy in 19 cases(21 lesions), and "O"ring ligation in 4 cases(6 lesions). The rate of complete resection was 88.9%. If adenomas were resected incompletely, we added a laser therapy. There was no recurrence except a case in which carcinoma was detected on the other site during follow-up. No serious compication occurred such as massive bleeding or perforation. Based on the above results, the endoscopic mucosectomy is considered to be a safe and effective modality in the treatment of the flat polyps of upper GI tract and could be used for prevention of gastric cancer.
Adenoma ; Biopsy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Laser Therapy ; Ligation ; Male ; Polyps ; Recurrence ; SNARE Proteins ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Upper Gastrointestinal Tract*

No abstract available.
Gallbladder Neoplasms* ; Gallbladder*

No abstract available.
Vagina*

No abstract available.
Giant Cells* ; Granuloma, Giant Cell*