The purpose of this study was to produce proper nutrition and foodservice through positive intervention for diet-refusal patients who has difficulties in adaptation to hospital diet, and to contribute to hospital management with the focus of fast recovery. The survey was conducted using questionnaires between July 18 and August 17, 2000. The subjects were consisted of 24 diet-refusal patients who were hospitalized in St. Mary's Hospital except the patients hospitalized for the purpose of operation or pre-therapy tests. Also chart reviews were conducted. The statistical analysis of data was done by SAS/win 6.11 package to determine descriptive analysis and paired t-test and Pearson's correlation. The summary of study results is as follows : 1. Most of the subjects was receiving chemotherapy. The leading place for offering private food was from patient's home. Subjects worried about delayed recovery from illness due to nutritional problems caused by extreme fasting. The problems were in order of anorexia, nausea and vomiting during therapy process. 52.4% of subjects ate hospital diet after positive intervention. 2. Major reasons of hospital diet-refusal patients' dissatisfation were in order of expeness, dissatisfation, serum total protein levels were significantly lower(p<.05). 3. Serum Alb(p<.05), Hb(p<.05), Hct(p<.05) and TLC(p<.001) levels showed significantly negative correlations with fasting duration. With these results, it is concluded that a major cause of malnutrition among patients is to last fasting.
Anorexia ; Diet* ; Disulfiram* ; Drug Therapy ; Fasting ; Humans ; Malnutrition ; Nausea ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Vomiting

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of an information protocol for anxiety and nursing satisfaction of family caregivers. The caregivers were caring for a family member who had a CVA (cerebrovascular accident) and who had been admitted to the ICU (intensive care unit). METHOD: The research design was a non-equivalent control group non-synchronized design. Data were collected from April 1 to October 31, 2005 at D hospital in Busan City. The participants were 40 family caregivers of patients with a CVA admitted to the ICU. Caregivers in the experimental group participated in the information protocol for 30 min. Both groups were pre-tested before the intervention for two variables, anxiety and nursing needs. The post-test of both groups included anxiety and nursing satisfaction. The instruments used in this study were the Spielberger's state anxiety inventory (1976) and the nursing satisfaction scale developed by Molter (1979). RESULTS: Anxiety scores were significantly lower and nursing satisfaction scores were significantly higher for caregivers in the experimental group compared to those in the control group. CONCLUSION: The information protocol was effective in reducing anxiety and increasing the level of nursing satisfaction of family caregivers caring for an ICU patients with a CVA.
Anxiety* ; Busan ; Caregivers* ; Humans ; Nursing* ; Research Design ; Stroke*

BACKGROUND: The perception of sleep time in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is not well understood, some studies have reported that subjects with OSA have abnormal sleep perception. We hypothesized that the severity of OSA would affect the sleep perception of patients with OSA and investigated the associated factors that affect the sleep perception in OSA. METHODS: Four hundred and sixty eight subjects with OSA were included in present study. Subjects with OSA were divided, depending upon their sleep perception. The first group included individuals who underestimated their time spent sleeping, the second group included those who did not underestimate their sleep time. The underestimation of sleep time is defined as the perceived total sleep time being less than 80% of that measured in polysomnography (PSG). All participants were analyzed their demographics, PSG parameter and questionnaires such as Beck Depression Inventory, Epworth Sleepiness Scale. RESULTS: Of 468 participants, 179 (38.2%) subjects were included in the group that underestimating sleep. Gender (female, odds ratio [OR]=2.01, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.25–3.22), depression (OR=1.75, 95% CI=1.03–2.97) and proportion of slow wave sleep (OR=0.98, 95% CI=0.96–0.99) were related to the underestimation of sleep. CONCLUSIONS: The underestimation of sleep in OSA is not directly related to OSA severity. Gender, psychiatric disorder, and sleep architecture are associated with the underestimating sleep in OSA.
Demography ; Depression ; Humans ; Odds Ratio ; Polysomnography ; Retrospective Studies ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and effect of various cryopreservation method on the survival and the cytoskeletal stability of metaphase II mouse oocyte. METHODS: Mouse ovulated oocytes were collected and cryopreserved by a modified slow-freezing method with 1.5 M 1,2-propanediol (PrOH)+0.1 M sucrose or by vitrification using cryo loop and EM grid with 40% ethylene glycol+0.6 M sucrose. Four hours after thawing, intact oocytes were fixed and stained with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-conjugated monoclonal anti-beta-tubulin antibody to visualize spindle and propidium iodide (PI) to visualize chromosome. Spindle morphology was classified as follows: normal (barrel-shaped), slightly and absolute abnormal (multipolar or absent). RESULTS: Survival rate of the frozen-thawed oocytes in vitrification group was significantly higher than that of slow-freezing group (62.7% vs. 24.4%, p<0.01). Vitrification with cryo loop showed significantly higher survival rate than that with EM grid (67.7% vs. 53.5%, p<0.05). On the other hand, proportion of normal spindle and chromosome configurations of the frozen-thawed oocytes between two vitrification group was not significantly different. CONCLUSION: For mouse ovulated oocytes, vitrification with cryo loop may be a preferable procedure compared to slow-freezing method. Further study should be needed to investigate developmental competency of frozen-thawed mouse oocytes.
Animals ; Cryopreservation* ; Fluorescein ; Hand ; Metaphase ; Mice* ; Oocytes* ; Propidium ; Propylene Glycol ; Sucrose ; Survival Rate ; Vitrification

Atypical antipsychotics have more beneficial effects than conventional antipsychotics, particularly with regard to negative symptoms, cognitive functions, and also have a superior side effect profile. Although with such advantages, the use of the atypical antipsychotics cause numerous complications such as hypertension, increase of insuline, diabetes mellitus due to gain in weight, hyperprolactinemia, sexual dysfunctions, cardiovascular symptoms as well as noncompliance due to the previously mentioned side effects and high medical expenses which burden individual and governments. Now is the time to consider both advantages and disadvantages to balance out gains and losses in using the atypical antipsychotics. Blind trust or exclusive decision in using the atypical antipsychotics are unsuitableness. The decision on the use of the medicine must be the one that balances out its general advantages and disadvantages and its appropriateness must be decided upon a full consideration of its pharmacology, efficacies and side effects.
Antipsychotic Agents* ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Hyperprolactinemia ; Hypertension ; Insulin ; Neurobehavioral Manifestations ; Pharmacology

Major surgery in a patient with pancytopenia might be associated with increased surgical risks, especially for bleeding and infection. A 66-yr-old man was admitted to the hospital due to shortness of breath. His dyspnea was classified by the New York Heart Association (NYHA) as functional class III. Prior to admission, he had a 5-yr history of medical management for idiopathic aplastic anemia. The severity of aplastic anemia of the patient was graded as non-severe aplastic anemia. Echocardiography revealed reduced left ventricular function and severe aortic valve regurgitation (grade IV) with left ventricular end diastolic dimension measuring 87 mm. Because of dyspnea and echocardiographically documented aortic valve insufficiency, the patient underwent elective aortic valve replacement. Although extracorporeal circulation for valve operations might be associated with aggravation of impaired blood cell function, the patient recovered from surgery uneventfully. Here, we report a successful cardiac surgery with extracorporeal cardiopulmonary bypass in a patient with severe aortic valve insufficiency and concomitant idiopathic aplastic anemia.
Aged ; Anemia, Aplastic/*surgery/*therapy ; Anticoagulants/therapeutic use ; Aortic Valve/pathology ; Aortic Valve Insufficiency/*surgery ; *Cardiac Surgical Procedures ; Echocardiography/methods ; Heart Valve Prosthesis ; Humans ; Male ; Treatment Outcome

PURPOSE: We evaluated a rapid preparation procedures for the labeling and quality control of 99mTc-ECD, MAG3, and MIBI using microwave heating and Sep-Pak cartridges. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 99mTc labeling of ECD, MAG3, and MIBI kit preparation was performed according to the package inserts with microwave heating modification. Heating time was 10-15 sec, and heating was performed with 3 mm plastic bottle with screw cap to prevent radiation contamination. Labeling efficiency was obtained with C18 or Alumina N Sep-Pak cartridges. RESULTS: The radiochemical purity of 93~96% for 99mTc-ECD and 95~99% for 99mTc-MIBI was obtained using Alumina N Sep-Pak cartridge. The optimum irradiation time of microwave method for 3 ml 99mTc-labeled radiopharmaceutical solution was 10 sec for 99mTc-ECD and 99mTc-MIBI, and 15 sec for 99mTc-MAG3. The RESULTS of quality control data with Sep-Pak cartridges were well correlated with TLC method. The total preparation time of these radiopharmcaeuticals was 5~6 min including quality control procedure. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that radiopharmaceuticals preparation by microwave heating and quality control by Sep-Pak cartridges can be efficiently utilized as an alternative to the recommended method by manufacturer's manual.
Aluminum Oxide ; Heating* ; Hot Temperature* ; Microwaves* ; Plastics ; Product Labeling ; Quality Control* ; Radiopharmaceuticals ; Technetium Tc 99m Mertiatide

Plexiform neurofibroma is considered to be pathognomic of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). Herein we report a solitary plexiform neurofibroma which is not associated with NF1. A 61-year-old man presented with asymptomatic skin colored nodules on the medial side of his left great toe. No other abnormalities were found in his personal or family history. Clinically, the tumor was simulating the appearance of mucous cysts. Microscopically,it was a plexiform neurofibroma located in the dermis which seemed to originate from small superficial nerves. This case would seem to confirm that the superficial form of plexiform neurofibroma involving small nerves in the dermis or subcutis is not necessarily pathognomic for NF1.
Dermis ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Neurofibroma, Plexiform* ; Neurofibromatosis 1 ; Skin ; Toes

No abstract available.

The Laugier-Hunziker syndrome is a rare syndrome characterized by macular hyperpigmentation of the lips and buccal mucosa associated with melanonychia. Onset is usually in adult life and no consistent systemic associations have been reported. Here we report a 39-year-old wonam with a longitudinal pigmented band on a finger and pigmented macules on the lip. We suggest that this is the first report in Korea and the syndrome is presumably more common than recognized.
Adult ; Fingers ; Humans ; Hyperpigmentation ; Korea ; Lip ; Mouth Mucosa