This study was attempted to provide the basic data for nursing intervention to improve the psychosociological adaptation of patients receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer by examining relationship between anxiety and hopelessness that they are experiencing and family support, in order to help them successfully cope with various psychological problems. This study was carried out with 93 breast cancer patients who are receiving chemotherapy in the injection treatment room of K University Hospital located in the downtown of Taegu after having underwent mastectomy in the hospital between December 1995 and August 1996. This study used the systematized questionnaires which contain 7 questions about general characteristics, Spielberger's trait anxiety & state anxiety scale, the tool that WON(1987) modified the hopelessness scale which was developed by Beck et al. (1967) and the family support tool made by TAE(1985). By using the SPSS/PC program, this study obtained the real number and percent-age for the general characteristics of the subjects, and mean and standard variation for the degrees of trait anxiety, state anxiety, hopelessness and family support. The correlation between each variables was identified on the basis of the Pearson Correlation, and the degrees of trait anxiety, state anxiety, hopelessness and family support in the general characteristics of the subjects were analyzed by using the t-test, ANOVA, and Duncan test. The results of this study were summarized as follows : In the general characteristics of the subjects, most of each group were 51 years old or more and the middle class in income, had educational background under elementary school, no job, Buddhism in religion and spouse, and were receiving chemotherapy using MTX and 5 FU. It was shown that the degree of the subjects' trait anxiety is, on an average, 50. 29, state anxiety 49. 68, hopelessness 51. 46 and family support 34. 28. Both trait anxiety and hopelessness showed normal correlation ; the higher the degree of trait anxiety is, the higher the degree of hopelessness is, while trait anxiety and family support showed reverse correlation ; the higher the degree of trait anxiety, the lower the degree of family support that the subjects perceive is. State anxiety and hopelessness also showed normal correlation ; the higher the degree of anxiety is, the higher the degree of hopelessness is. Family support and hopelessness showed reverse correlation ; the higher the degree of family support is, the lower the degree of hopelessness that the subjects perceive is. And family support and state anxiety showed reverse correlation but there was a statistically significant difference. The degree of trait anxiety in the general characteristics of the subjects showed a significant difference by age, job and religion, the degree of state anxiety a significant difference by job and religion, the degree of hopelessness a significant difference by age, educational background and existence or not of spouse. In conclusion, the breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy perceive anxiety and hopelessness due to several causes such as diagnosis itself or side effects of chemotherapy, so that it is required not only to develop specific nursing interventions including family support to alleviate anxiety and hopelessness but also to apply such interventions to clinical practice.
Anxiety* ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Buddhism ; Daegu ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy* ; Humans ; Mastectomy ; Middle Aged ; Nursing ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Spouses

Monoamniotic twin pregnancies are relatively rare, occuring in 1 percentage. But perinatal mortality is 50-60 percentage. The high mortality rate has been attributed to preterm delivery, cord entanglement, twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, intrauterine growth retardation and congenital anomalies. However, the desirable management plan of the monoamniotic twin pregnancies is still not established and there are controversies regarding the proper antepartum care of monoamniotic twins and the optimal timing and mode of delivery. We have experienced one case of monoamniotic twin without cord entanglement and both fetuses survival by cesarean section at 36+3 weeks, is reported with a brief review of the literatures.
Cesarean Section ; Female ; Fetal Growth Retardation ; Fetofetal Transfusion ; Fetus* ; Humans ; Mortality ; Perinatal Mortality ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Twin*

PURPOSE: To compare the outcomes of bilateral lateral rectus recession between 20 and 25 prism diopters (PD) for intermittent exotropia. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed with a total of 584 patients who underwent surgery for intermittent exotropia and were followed up for more than 12 months. The patients were classified into either the 20 PD group (5 mm bilateral rectus muscle recession [BLR]) or the 25 PD group (6 mm BLR). Successful postoperative motor alignment was defined as within 10 PD of exotropia and 4 PD of esotropia. RESULTS: Cumulative probabilities of surgical success rates for 24 months were 77.9% in the 20 PD group and 54.8% in the 25 PD group, respectively (p < 0.001). Postoperative deviations in recurrence patients were 13.41 +/- 3.64 PD and 14.66 +/- 3.87 PD (p = 0.062) at postoperative 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: All patients with relatively small angle of exodeviation such as 20 PD had a higher success rate and small postoperative exodaviation at 12 months. Therefore, surgery could be considered when the eye is exodeviated with a relatively small angle. However, in the group with the exotropic drift, approximately 2/3 of the preoperative angle of deviation is measured with similar outcomes between preoperative and postoperative angles of deviation.
Esotropia ; Exotropia* ; Humans ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies

This purpose of this study was to investigate the nutrient intake, the health status as determined self-assessment checklist, biochemical indicators of elderly Korean women. We interviewed and 55 female subjects living alone in the Urban aged over 65 years. Information on their dietary intake was collected by 24-hour Recall method. Their health status was determined by a NSI checklist. Biochemical indicators were performed in whole blood and plasma of subjects. Except for protein, Fe, all of the elderly subjects belonged to over moderate nutritional risk. The average daily nutrient intake of the elderly was below the level of the recommended dietary allowances (RDA) for Koreans. A relationship between their health risk score and nutrient intake was observed negatively (not significantly). They had a risk of anemia as hemoglobin and hematocrit of subjects were under the normal value. Therefore, the reason that health risk score and health status badly was thought for lower nutrient intake.
Aged* ; Anemia ; Checklist ; Female ; Hematocrit ; Humans ; Plasma ; Recommended Dietary Allowances ; Reference Values ; Risk Factors* ; Self-Assessment

A 61-year old female presented with intermittent abdominal pain. Further examination showed an pelvic mass, partially obstructing the sigmoid colon. A search of the past medical records revealed that a primary low-grade ESS of the uterus had been treated with total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy 10 years earlier. Surgical resection was performed under suspicion of recurrent ESS and subsequent pathologic examination of the tumor mass specimen established the recurrent LGSS and free resection margin. Then she has been treated with megestrol acetate and doing well for about 1 year since the surgical resection of the pelvic mass.
Abdominal Pain ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Female ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Medical Records ; Megestrol Acetate ; Middle Aged ; Recurrence* ; Sarcoma, Endometrial Stromal* ; Uterus

The use of implants could improve the support, retention, and stability of removable prosthetic restoration for fully edentulous patients with severe alveolar bone resorption. When the prosthesis is manufactured without accurate diagnosis and evaluation, this may lead to unfavorable treatment result. The patient in this case had the treatment of implant overdentures at a private dental clinic, but visited the hospital for retreatment due to soft tissue pain and decreasing retention of existing dentures. The vertical dimension was raised compared to the existing dentures, and overdentures were manufactured using milled bars and additional attachments. The clinical results were satisfactory in the aspect of improved oral hygiene maintenance, function and esthetics.

Neuropsychiatric manifestations in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus are fairly common, with a prevalence of 37~95%. Among 19 neuropsychiatric manifestations, acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (AIDP) is quite rare, and is characterized by progressive, symmetric muscle weakness accompanied by absent or depressed deep tendon reflexes. Generally, plasma exchange and intravenous immunoglobulin are the main treatment modalities. Here, we report a case of AIDP in a 29-year-old SLE patient, who was fully recovered with a treatment of high-dose glucocorticoid and immunosuppressive agents. Ours case suggests that AIDP should be treated differently in SLE patients to avoid disastrous results.
Adult ; Central Nervous System ; Guillain-Barre Syndrome* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic* ; Muscle Weakness ; Plasma Exchange ; Polyradiculoneuropathy ; Prevalence ; Reflex, Stretch

There are many possible causes of esophageal ulcer, including reflux esophagitis, the ingestion of foreign bodies or caustic agents, radiation exposure, viral infections, tuberculosis, Candida infection, Bechet's disease, and esophageal cancer. Patients with drug-induced esophagitis typically have a history of ingesting medication with little or no fluid immediately before going to bed. Here, we present the case of a 31-year-old man complaining of dysphagia and odynophagia for 4 days. The patient reported taking oral medication for acute sinusitis 12 days prior. Endoscopic examination revealed a large, deep esophageal ulcer consistent with esophageal cancer or cytomegalovirus esophagitis. The exam also revealed several esophageal erosions resembling herpes simplex virus esophagitis. However, based on the patient's history and subsequent histologic findings, drug-induced esophagitis was diagnosed and the patient was successfully treated with a proton pump inhibitor. Lesions showed improvement upon follow-up endoscopy 1 month later.
Adult ; Candida ; Cytomegalovirus ; Deglutition Disorders ; Eating ; Endoscopy ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; Esophagitis ; Esophagitis, Peptic ; Follow-Up Studies ; Foreign Bodies ; Humans ; Methylmethacrylates ; Polystyrenes ; Proton Pumps ; Simplexvirus ; Sinusitis ; Tuberculosis ; Ulcer

Objective: : Biodegradable poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) with a highly biocompatible surface via tantalum (Ta) ion implantation can be an innovative solution for the problems associated with current biodegradable stents. The purpose of this study is to develop a Ta-implanted PLLA stent for clinical use and to investigate its biological performance capabilities. Methods: : A series of in vitro and in vivo tests were used to assess the biological performance of bare and Ta-implanted PLLA stents. The re-endothelialization ability and thrombogenicity were examined through in vitro endothelial cell and platelet adhesion tests. An in vivo swine model was used to evaluate the effects of Ta ion implantation on subacute restenosis and thrombosis. Angiographic and histologic evaluations were conducted at one, two and three months post-treatment. Results: : The Ta-implanted PLLA stent was successfully fabricated, exhibiting a smooth surface morphology and modified layer integration. After Ta ion implantation, the surface properties were more favorable for rapid endothelialization and for less platelet attachment compared to the bare PLLA stent. In an in vivo animal test, follow-up angiography showed no evidence of in-stent stenosis in either group. In a microscopic histologic examination, luminal thrombus formation was significantly suppressed in the Ta-implanted PLLA stent group according to the 2-month follow-up assessment (21.2% vs. 63.9%, p=0.005). Cells positive for CD 68, a marker for the monocyte lineage, were less frequently identified around the Ta-implanted PLLA stent in the 1-month follow-up assessments. Conclusion : The use of a Ta-implanted PLLA stent appears to promote re-endothelialization and anti-thrombogenicity.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether funisitis is associated with changes in the umbilical cord plasma concentration of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP-8), microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity and neonatal outcome. METHODS: The relationship among the presence of funisitis, IL-6 and MMP-8 concentrations in umbilical cord plasma at birth, the results of amniotic fluid culture performed within 5 days of birth was examined in 83 consecutive singleton births (20-35 weeks' gestation). Funisitis was diagnosed in the presence of neutrophil infiltration into the umbilical vessel wall or Wharton's jelly. The IL-6 and MMP-8 concentration was measured with a specific immunoassay. Amniocentesis was performed in 47 patients within 5 days of birth. RESULTS: (1) Funisitis was present in 21.7% of patients. (2) Patients with funisitis had a significant higher cord plasma IL-6 concentration, but had no significant difference in cord plasma MMP-8 concentration. (3) Clinical chorioamnionitis was more common in patients with funisitis than those without funisitis. (4) A cord plasma IL-6 > 6.34 pg/ml had a sensitivity of 77.8% and a specificity of 75.4% in the identification of funisitis. (5) No correlation between cord blood plasma IL-6 concentration and MMP-8 concentration was found. (6) There was no significant correlation between gestational age at birth and cord blood plasma MMP-8 concentrations, but there appeared to be a trend to increase of cord plasma MMP-8 concentrations as gestational ages at birth were increased. (7) Neonates with congenital sepsis had a significantly higher cord plasma IL-6 and MMP-8 concentration than those without congenital sepsis. CONCLUSION: In patient with funisitis, umbilical cord plasma IL-6 concentrations were higher than those without funisitis, but umbilical cord plasma MMP-8 concentrations had no significant difference in each group. The umbilical cord plasma IL-6 and MMP-8 can be useful as a predictor of the occurrence of congenital sepsis in preterm infant.
Amniocentesis ; Amniotic Fluid* ; Chorioamnionitis* ; Female ; Fetal Blood ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Immunoassay ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Interleukin-6* ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 8* ; Neutrophil Infiltration ; Parturition ; Plasma* ; Pregnancy ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sepsis ; Umbilical Cord* ; Wharton Jelly