Many studies have reported that a lot of nursing colleges do not have good facilities for the nursing practice in hospitals, so many students do not have the good ability which is needed to be a competent nurse. The purpose of this study was to develop a program in which students could improve their ability in fundamental nursing skills before the graduation. This study was primarily designed to identify items of the fundamental nursing practice in which nursing college students have perceived deficiencies. According to previous studies, a total 75 items were presented. In identifying them, a modified Porter format was used. The questionnaire contained three sections. A. How well do you think you can/could perform the item when you graduate/graduated the college? B. How well do you think you should perform/should be able to perform the item when you graduate/graduated the college? C. How important do you think the item is? For each of the 75 items, the respondents were instructed to answer the above three questions, by circling a number on a rating scale extending from 1 to 5, where low numbers represented a low degree of performance or minimum amount, and high numbers represented a high degree of performance of maximum amount. The perceived degree of deficiency in performance on each questionnaire item was obtained by subtracting the answer to Part A of an item from that to of Part B. The larger difference means a larger perceived degree of deficiency in performance. This method of measuring the perceived degree of deficiency in performance is an indirect measure derived from two direct answers by the respondent for each item. From this result Part C of each item was used to rank the items, and the items were prioritized. The items which had the highest priority were IV injection, simple catheterization, indwelling catheterization, CPR, and nurse recording. By this method, through these results from a nursing college, and the items which will be used first in developing the supplementation program for nursing college students can be identified.
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation ; Catheterization ; Catheters ; Catheters, Indwelling ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Education* ; Humans ; Nursing*

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to investigate factors related to middle-aged women's health beliefs and their intention to practice health behaviors for preventing and improving hypertension. METHODS: The participants were 319 middle-aged(40-59 years) women who lived G city. Data was collected from January to February, 2005. Personal interviews were performed. The data was analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, Scheffe's multiple comparison test and hierarchial multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: Perceived susceptibility of health belief was high in those who had higher educational level, disease history and health education experience, significantly(p<0.05). Perceived seriousness was high in those who had higher educational level, middle economic status and health education experience, significantly(p<0.05). Perceived benefits was high in those who had higher educational level and perceived barriers was low in those who had disease history and hypertension, significantly(p<0.05). The subject's intention to practice health behaviors was significantly high in those who were younger, who had higher educational level and menopausal status(p<0.05). In hierarchial multiple regression analysis, the subject's intention was related to perceived seriousness, perceived benefit and educational level, significantly(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: It is necessary to develope the education programs which can increase the subject's health belief and intention to practice health behaviors towards hypertension in middle-aged women.
Education ; Female ; Health Behavior* ; Health Education ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Intention* ; Women's Health*

No abstract available.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop a Problem-Based Learning (PBL) package, test its application and evaluate students' recognition of the effectiveness of PBL in nursing colleges. METHOD: Thirteen steps were used in the process developing the PBL package. After its application, the first questionnaire for self-evaluation and satisfaction with PBL class was given to 94 nursing students in December, 2005. To further evaluate the students' recognition of the effectiveness of PBL, a second questionnaire was given to 83 nursing students out of the 96 in May, 2007 after clinical practice. Data analysis was conducted using means with standard deviation. RESULTS: The results of students' self-evaluation showed high achievement in learning outcome and process using the PBL method. Also, they expressed satisfaction with the subject management, the lecturer and their peers after the PBL class. Students recognized that the PBL class had positive effectiveness in clinical practice and wanted more PBL classes and the inclusion of complex cases from well designed packages. CONCLUSION: PBL class could be considered as an opportunity to fortify student nurses' abilities to adjust to the real clinical situation.
Diagnostic Self Evaluation ; Humans ; Learning ; Nursing ; Problem-Based Learning ; Questionnaires ; Statistics as Topic ; Students, Nursing

There are many different approaches to ultrasound-guided supraclavicular brachial plexus block (US-SCBPB), and each has a different success rate and complications. The most commonly performed US-SCBPB is the corner pocket approach in which the needle is advanced very close to the subclavian artery and pleura. Therefore, it may be associated with a risk of subclavian artery puncture or pneumothorax. We advanced the needle into the central part of the neural cluster after penetrating the sheath of the brachial plexus in US-SCBPB. We refer to this new method as the "central cluster approach." In this approach, the needle does not have to advance close to the subclavian artery or pleura. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of the central cluster approach in US-SCBPB.
Brachial Plexus* ; Needles ; Pleura ; Pneumothorax ; Punctures ; Subclavian Artery ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: To determine whether an analysis of two-phase spiral CT features provides a sound basis for differential diagnosis between gallbladder carcinoma and cholecystitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed a total of 89 cases of gallbladder carcinoma (n=35) or cholecystitis (n=54) in patients who had undergone two-phase spiral CT. For this, a GE Highspeed Advantage scanner (GE Medical Systems, Milwaukee, U.S.A.) was used. A total of 120ml of contrast material was injected at a rate of 2 -3 ml/sec. Arterial and venous phase scans were obtained 35 and 65 seconds, respectively, after the initiation of contrast infusion. All cases of gallbladder carcinoma and 468 of cholecystitis (of a total of 482) were confirmed by histopathology. We reviewed the two phase spiral CT features, analyzing and assessing thickness of the lesion, the enhancement pattern seen during the arterial and the venous phase, invasion of the liver, pericholecystic fat infiltration, dilatation of intrahepatic ducts, and other associated findings. RESULTS: Mean wall thickness was 12.6 mm in the gallbladder carcinoma group, and 7.2 mm in the cholecystitis group. The common enhancement patterns seen in gallbladder carcinoma were a highly enhanced thick inner wall layer during the arterial phase which became iso attenuated with adjacent liver parenchyma during the venous phase (16/35; 45.7%), and 2) a highly enhanced thick inner wall layer during both the arterial and the venous phase (8/35; 22.9%). The most common enhancement pattern in cholecystitis cases was an iso attenuated thin inner wall layer during both the arterial and the venous phase (44/54; 81.5%). Findings of intrahepatic mass formation by direct invasion (9/35), lymph node enlargement (12/35), and metastasis to other organs (7/35) occurred only in cases of gallbladder carcinoma. Dilatation of intrahepatic ducts was more frequent in cases of gallbladder carcinoma (18/35, 51.4%) than of cholecystitis (10/54, 18.5%). The incidence of pericholecystic fat infiltration and fluid collection was not significantly different between the gallbladder cancer and cholecystitis groups. CONCLUSION: Gallbladder carcinoma and cholecystitis varied in terms of wall thickness, enhancement pattern, and intrahepatic ductal dilatation, as seen on two phase spiral CT. Findings of liver invasion, lymph node enlargement and distant metastasis strongly suggested gallbladder carcinoma. These results suggested that gallbladder carcinoma and cholecystitis can be distinguished by analysis of their two phase spiral CT features.
Cholecystitis* ; Diagnosis, Differential* ; Dilatation ; Gallbladder Neoplasms ; Gallbladder* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Liver ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Tomography, Spiral Computed*

No abstract available.
HIV* ; Humans ; Lymphocytes*

Thyrotropin(TSH)-secreting pituitary adenoma is a rare disorder causing hyperthyroidism, which is one of the syndrome of inappropriate secretion of TSH. It is characterized by high serum T4, T3 as well as elevated serum TSH. Generally serum free alpha-subunit concentration is also increased and alpha- subunit/TSH molar ratio is more than 1. This alpha- subunit/TSH molar ratio is a clue of diagnosis as well as a useful marker of therapeutic response. We experienced a case of 29-years old man with hyperthyroidism due to TSH-secreting pituitary adenoma. He was underwent 1.5cm sized pituitary tumor removal via transsphenoidal approach in our neurosurgery department. In immunohistochemical stain monotonous tumor cells showed strong positive reaction to antihuman TSH antibody and equivocal reaction to ACTH antibody. After operation, goiter size was progressively decreased and also serum T4, T3 and TSH were decreased in nearly normal range. However, he showed elevated serum T4, T3 and TSH after 1 month due to residual tumor. So he received radiation therapy thereafter. In this case the alpha-subunit and alpha-subunit/TSH molar ratio were not increased. So we report a case of TSH-secreting pituitary macroadenoma which had low alpha-subunit/TSH molar ratio with a literature review.
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; Adult ; Diagnosis ; Goiter ; Humans ; Hyperthyroidism ; Molar* ; Neoplasm, Residual ; Neurosurgery ; Pituitary Neoplasms* ; Reference Values ; Thyrotropin*

No abstract available.
Cytomegalovirus Infections* ; Cytomegalovirus* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature*

No abstract available.
Erythrocytes* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction*