PURPOSE: The objective of the study was to identify the effects of the meridian massage therapy on hand edema and hand functions in patients with hemiplegia. METHOD: The experiment was conducted in the Oriental Medical ward of "K" hospital during the period of 2000. 12. 15 - 2001. 03. 15. Fifty five subjects with hemiplegia following a stroke participated in the study. Volumetric size of the hand and the circumference of the index finger of each patient was measured and functional points were recorded for pre and post experiment. RESULT: 1. Apparent decrease in volumetric size of the hand and the circumference of the index finger(p=.022. p=.021), and higher functional points(p=.003) in the experimental group in comparison to the control group. 2.Volume of hands & their functions appeared to be irrelevant(r=-.195, p=.154). 3. Circumference of the index finger & their functions also turned out to be irrelevant (r=-.110, p=.424). CONCLUSION: Meridian massage is an effective nursing interventional therapy to relieve hand edema and improve hand functions in hemiplegic patients and has great potential for use in a wide range of medical fields as an efficient supplementary treatment for stroke rehabilitation.
Edema* ; Fingers ; Hand* ; Hemiplegia ; Humans ; Massage* ; Nursing ; Rehabilitation ; Stroke

Bacterial endogenous endophthalmitis is a rare, but devastating complication of septicemia.It has occurred in the process of systemic infection and its underlying conditions are Diabetes Mellitus, advanced liver disease and immunosuppressive state or drug abuse. Klebsiella endogenous endophthalmitis is especially rapidly progressive and visual outcome is typically poor. To evaluate the clinical aspect of this disease, particularly predisposing factors, causative microorganism, outcome of therapeutic modality and initial time of therapy, we performed a retrospective study on 9 eyes of 9 patients who had been treated with this diagnosis from September 1988 to January 1999 at Kyung-Hee Medical Center. Mean time between the onset of disease and the initiation of therapy was 4.33 days. Underlying systemic diasease consist of Daibetes Mellitus, advanced liver disease and chronic renal failure [5 patients:DM with advanced liver disease, 3 patients:DM alone, 1 patient:DM with CRF].The visual outcome was poor but it turned out better in two patients compared with initial visual acuity, no change in one patient and worse in six patients. We found that Diabetes Mellitus and advanced liver disease were leading underlying predisposing factors of Klebsiella Pneumoniae and visual outcome was poor despite the various intensive treatments.High index of suspicion and aggressive diagnostic and therapeutic approach might improve visual outcome.
Causality ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diagnosis ; Endophthalmitis* ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Klebsiella ; Klebsiella pneumoniae ; Liver Diseases ; Retrospective Studies ; Substance-Related Disorders ; Visual Acuity

PURPOSE: This study was founded to identify perception and ways of coping with stress according to classification of Sasangin(4 constitutions). METHOD: The subjects were 258 regular students who majored in oriental medicine in Jechon and Seoul. Data was collected by 3 types of questionnaires for 3 months; Perceived stess, ways of coping, Questionnaires of Sasang Constitution Classification (QSCC II). Data analysis was conducted by SPSS version 10. RESULT: 1) Difference of perceived stress in Sasangin: Perceived stress by the Sasangin indicated that Soeumin perceived more stress than Soyangin and Taeumin(P=0.013). 2) Different method in coping with stress of Sasangin: It was found that Soeumin didn't make use of emotional coping way according to the analysis(P=0.040). 3) Relationship between ways of coping for stress and perceived stress in Sasangin: It was shown that as Soeumin perceived stress so higher than Soyangin and Taeumin, they tended to use the solving problem-method therefore it was shown to have a negative correlation(P=0.044). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, it was found that there were differences of Sasangin in perceived stress and ways to cope with it. The dose relationship between the perception and coping method of stress was found.
Classification ; Constitution and Bylaws ; Humans ; Medicine, East Asian Traditional ; Seoul ; Statistics as Topic ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to explore factors associated with the social distance attitudes of nursing students towards adults with mental disorders. The relationship between social distance and attitudes toward adults with mental disorders was also examined. METHODS: A descriptive research was conducted to describe the characteristics of the population and the data were collected from September 22 to October 2, 2014. The sample included 359 participants. Social distance was measured by a modified version of the Social Distance Scale and CAMI was used to assess attitudes towards adults with mental disorders. RESULTS: Participants showed less authoritarian, more benevolence, less social restrictiveness in attitudes towards adults with mental disorders. The participants also showed a positive community mental health ideology. More importantly, the attitudes towards people with mental disorders was the strongest predictor (β=.67), explaining 35% of the social distance. CONCLUSION: With a deeper understanding of social distance as related to attitudes towards people with mental disorders, it is possible to create targeted interventions with the overall goal of minimizing the social distance and authoritarianism and of facilitating benevolence among nursing students.
Adult* ; Authoritarianism ; Beneficence ; Humans ; Mental Disorders* ; Mental Health ; Nursing* ; Social Distance* ; Students, Nursing*

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to investigate factors that influence university women with eating problems. METHODS: Study participants were 307 women from two universities. Self-report questionnaires which included items on eating problems, satisfaction with body shape, self-esteem, body mass index, and weight control methods were used. Data were analyzed using independent t-tests, chi2 tests, and a multiple binary logistic regression. RESULTS: About 20% of the undergraduate women were experiencing eating problems. The problematic eating group showed more dissatisfaction with body shape than the normal eating group, and used more diets, fasting, diet-products, and uretics/laxatives to control body weight. Significant predictors for the problematic eating group were diets, diet-products, BMI, self-esteem and dissatisfaction with body shape. The strongest predictors were diets; risk for women university students who had been on a diet was 15 times higher than their counterparts. CONCLUSION: It is pertinent for health professionals to start intervention programs to educate university women with eating problems. The contents should include information on healthy weight control methods, improving satisfaction with body shape and self esteem, as well as creating social atmosphere about healthy body shape for women.
Atmosphere ; Body Mass Index ; Body Weight ; Diet ; Feeding and Eating Disorders ; Eating* ; Fasting ; Female ; Health Occupations ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Self Concept

PURPOSE: To investigate the concentration of benzalkonium chloride (BAC) in aqueous humor and the cytotoxicity of corneal endothelium according to BAC concentrations of instillation and sizes of deepithelized area. METHODS: Three experiments were performed: (I) After instillation of 0.02%, 0.05% and 0.1% of BAC (1cc, 15 drops during 30 minutes, 1 drop per 2 minutes) on normal cornea (24 eyes each), concentrations of BAC in aqueous humor were measured in 10, 30, 60, 120 minutes by HPLC; (II) After instillation of 0.02% and 0.1% of BAC on deepithelized cornea (2 and 5 mm in diameter), the same measurement was done in 60 minutes (6 replicates); (III) Corneas from both I and II were examined under transmission electron microscope (TEM) at 60 minutes following instillation. RESULTS: The concentrations of BAC in aqueous humor were increased with time until 60 minutes (approximately 1/1000 of instilled concentration) and then decreased. The higher the concentration of BAC instillated and the larger the deepithelized area are, the higher the concentration of BAC in aqueous humor were measured (P<0.05, Wilcoxon rank sum test). According to the TEM, endothelial cellular damage was detected on both normal and deepithelized cornea and BAC concentration in aqueous humor was 0.52+/-0.13microgram/ml in the case of 0.05% BAC. In the case of 0.1% BAC, irreverisible endothelial cellular necrosis was visible on both normal and deepithelized cornea, and BAC concentrations in aqueous humor were 1.06+/-0.61microgram/ml (normal cornea), 1.37+/-0.85microgram/ml (2 mm deepithelized cornea), and 3.49+/-1.39microgram/ml (5 mm deepithelized cornea). CONCLUSIONS: Even the clinically used low concentration of BAC may cause endothelial damages, especially in the absence of epithelial barrier. Therefore great care is warranted when the topicals containing BAC are applied to the largely erosive cornea.
Aqueous Humor* ; Benzalkonium Compounds* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Cornea* ; Endothelium ; Endothelium, Corneal ; Necrosis

BACKGROUND: Ischemic stroke is a complex condition influenced by many factors. Previous studies have demonstrated that inflammatory markers might play a role in such vascular diseases. Therefore the purpose of this study was to compare the expression of inflammatory markers in Korean ischemic stroke patients and to investigate their relationship to APOE polymorphism. METHODS: The patient group consisted of 275 patients with large artery atherosclerosis (LAA, n=169) and small artery occlusion (SAO, n=106). One hundred and nineteen age matched healthy subjects were recruited as the control group. Serum levels of three inflammatory markers (matrix metalloproteinase, MMP-9; tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1, TIMP-1; and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, hs-CRP) were measured in each patient by using commercially available kits. Comparison of clinical risk factors, inflammatory marker levels, and APOE genotypes between the stroke patient group and control group and between the two patient subgroups was assessed. RESULTS: Comparison of the stroke group to control group showed significantly elevated levels of circulating MMP-9 (P<0.01) and hs-CRP (P=0.01). Comparison between the individual subgroups revealed a significantly higher level of only TIMP-1 in the LAA subgroup compared to the SAO subgroup (P<0.01). There was no significant difference in inflammatory marker levels among each allele carrier. CONCLUSIONS: The present study revealed the obvious tendency of increased circulating inflammatory markers in the patients with acute ischemic attack, especially MMP-9 and hs-CRP. Our observations suggest that measurement of serum MMP-9, TIMP-1, and hs-CRP levels may be useful in the diagnosis of ischemic stroke patients.
Aged ; Apolipoproteins E/*genetics ; Biological Markers/blood ; Brain Ischemia/complications/*diagnosis ; C-Reactive Protein/analysis ; Carotid Artery Diseases/complications ; Female ; Genotype ; Humans ; Inflammation Mediators/*blood ; Korea ; Male ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9/blood ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Stroke/*diagnosis/etiology/immunology ; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1/blood

PURPOSE: To report 2 cases of cytomegalovirus retinitis treated with intravitreal ganciclovir. CASE SUMMARY: A 29-year-old female (Case 1) who received immunosuppressive therapy with tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil for 3 months after pancreatic transplantation, was given an intravitreal Bevacizumab injection 4 times in each eye under the suspicion of bilateral central retinal vein occlusion. During follow-up, a new lesion with white opacification and multiple snowballs appeared in the left eye. Suspecting cytomegalovirus retinitis, we administered an intravitreal ganciclovir injection resulting in a decrease of white opacification and improvement of visual acuity. A 66-year-old male (Case 2) who was receiving treatment for general weakness and heart failure, presented with visual disturbance in both eyes. Fundoscopic examination revealed white opacification, multiple snowballs and retinal hemorrhage in the left eye; diagnostic vitrectomy was performed. Macular edema and subretinal fluid continued after the vitrectomy and the serologic testing revealed an IgG titer positive for cytomegalovirus, therefore, an intravitreal injection of ganciclovir was given. Macular edema and subretinal fluid decreased and visual acuity improved. CONCLUSIONS: Intravitreal ganciclovir can be an effective treatment option for the management of CMV retinitis.
Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized ; Cytomegalovirus ; Cytomegalovirus Retinitis ; Eye ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Ganciclovir ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Intravitreal Injections ; Macular Edema ; Male ; Mycophenolic Acid ; Retinal Hemorrhage ; Retinal Vein ; Retinitis ; Serologic Tests ; Subretinal Fluid ; Tacrolimus ; Transplants ; Visual Acuity ; Vitrectomy ; Bevacizumab

Cerebral infarction is a major complication of intracranial artery angioplasty and stenting (IAS), and commonly affects the territory of the manipulated artery during IAS, resulting from distal embolization, vessel dissection, and acute vessel occlusion secondary to dissection or platelet aggregation. We present two cases with unexpected infarctions involving territories unrelated to the IAS procedures. We believe that blood pressure control under normal range may have triggered the adverse effects by hemodynamic infarction of other vascular territories with stenooclusive lesion.
Angioplasty ; Arteries ; Atherosclerosis ; Blood Pressure ; Cerebral Infarction ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Glycosaminoglycans ; Hemodynamics ; Infarction ; Platelet Aggregation ; Reference Values ; Stents

Herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) is rare, serious sporadic encephalitis associated with high mortality in untreated cases. Although cognitive impairment with fever could be the clue of diagnosis, various symptoms can make it difficult to be diagnosed. Dizziness is one of the most frequent symptoms ENT doctors can encounter. Authors experienced the HSE patient suffered rotatory sense of dizziness as a primary symptom and treated the patient successfully without major complication. We reported our experience and findings of vestibular function test of patient. It could be helpful to other ENT doctors who encounter similar patients.
Dizziness ; Encephalitis ; Encephalitis, Herpes Simplex ; Fever ; Herpes Simplex ; Humans ; Methylmethacrylates ; Polystyrenes ; Vestibular Function Tests