BACKGROUND: We prospectively evaluated the incidence and possible factors causing intramuscular injection during lumbar sympathetic ganglion block and compared the multiple needle technique to the single technique to obtain a profound and complete block effect. METHODS: Among 83 patients, 58 patients (group A, n = 27, multiple needle technique and group B, n = 31, single needle technique) were reevaluated for the changes of skin temperature (Ts) and mean segment of longitudinal contrast spread. After injecting the contrast agent, the incidence of psoas muscle injection and the change of Ts was compared between two groups. RESULTS: The incidence of psoas muscle injection was 21.3% (46/216) and it was associated with the level of injection (L2) significantly (chi-square = 14.773, P = 0.001). DT(post) (postblock temperature difference between ipsilateral and contralateral great toe, 4.6 +/- 2.8degrees C, 1.8 +/- 1.6degrees C, P < 0.001 for group A and B) and DT(net) (DT(post) - DT(pre), 3.9 +/- 2.7degrees C, 1.5 +/- 1.5degrees C, P < 0.001 for group A and B) was significantly higher in group A. The mean segment of longitudinal contrast spread was 8.1 +/- 0.9 for group A and 3.2 +/- 1.6 for group B (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The LSGB at the L2 level showed the lowest incidence of psoas muscle injection of contrast. Multiple needle approach showed more significant increase of DT(net) and DT(post).
Ganglia, Sympathetic ; Humans ; Incidence ; Injections, Intramuscular ; Needles ; Prospective Studies ; Psoas Muscles ; Skin Temperature ; Toes

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Basal Cell* ; Nevus*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate osteoporosis knowledge, health beliefs, and influencing factors on health behaviors among female college students. METHODS: Using the Osteoporosis Quiz, the Health belief Scale, and the Health Behavior Questionnaire, data were collected from 314 female college students from 4 universities located in Chungcheong providence. RESULTS: The mean scores of knowledge and health belief were 12.7+/-3.81 and 90.9+/-12.66, respectively. There was a statistically significant correlation between osteoporosis knowledge and health belief (p<.001). Also, a statistically significant correlation was found between health belief and health behavior (p<.001). According to the regression model, knowledge, perceived benefit, perceived barrier, family history of osteoporosis, and health interest explained 6.7% of total variance in health behavior. CONCLUSION: Female college students should be taught to be aware of the importance of proper dietary intake and regular exercise as a way to maintain or promote the health of their bones so that they can prevent osteoporosis.
Female* ; Health Behavior* ; Humans ; Osteoporosis* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to investigate the effect of vitrification on the implantation the pregnancy of human blastocysts. METHOD: The transfer of the frozen-thawed blastocysts by the slow freezing or vitrification was performed between January 1998 and July 1999. The zygotes derives from IVF were cocultured with cumulus cells in YS medium containing 20% hFF for 5days. Two or three of the best balstocysts produced on day 5 were transferred into the uterus, and then supernumerary blastocysts were randomly divided into two groups. One was frozen by slow freezing and the other was frozen by vitrification method. The slow freezing procedure was performed in two steps (5% glycerol and 9% glycerol + 0.2 M sucrose for 10 min, respectively) using programmed freezer (-2degrees C/min to -7degrees C, 0.3degrees C and plunged into LN2). The blastocysts frozen by slow freezing were thawed at 36degrees C then removed glycerol in 7 steps. The vitrification procedure was performed in three steps (10% glycerol for 5 min, 10% glycerol + 20% ethylene glycol for 5 min, 25% glycerol + 25% ethylene glycol and directly LN2 within 1 min). The blastocysts frozen by vitrification were thawed at 20degrees C water then removed cryoprotectant in 3 steps. In each group, thawed blastocysts were cocultured with cumulus cells in YS medium containing 20% hFF for 18h and transferred into the uterus. The implantation rate was evaluated per transferred blastocysts and the pregnancy rate was evaluated per transfers. RESULTS: The survival rate of vitrified group (74.5%) was higher than slow freezing group (68.0%), but not significant. When 98 thawed blastocysts of vitrification were transferred in 40 cycles, 19 pregnancies (clinical pregnancy rate; 47.5%) were established. One miscarriage occurred in the eighth week of pregnancy (ongoing pregnancy rate; 45.0%). 7 pregnancies were ongoing, 11 pregnancies went to term, and 16 healthy infants were born. The Implantation rate was 31.6%. These results were higher than those obtained by the slow freezing (clinical pregnancy rate; 40.3%, ongoing pregnancy rate; 32.5% and implantation rate; 25.3%), but not significant. CONCLUSION: Vitrification is a simple, quick and economical method when compared to slow freezing. It will be chosen as a good method of human embryo freezing in IVF-ET programs.
Abortion, Spontaneous ; Blastocyst* ; Cumulus Cells ; Embryonic Structures ; Ethylene Glycol ; Female ; Freezing ; Glycerol ; Humans ; Infant ; Pregnancy Rate ; Pregnancy* ; Sucrose ; Survival Rate ; Uterus ; Vitrification* ; Water ; Zygote

No abstract available.
Melanoma ; Nevus

PURPOSE: This study was to confirm the effect of acupressure on the emesis control and the weight change among pediatric cancer patients receiving anti-cancer chemotherapy. METHOD: Forty pediatric cancer patients, receiving the induction stage of chemotherapy with MTX and vincristine, were divided into control(n=20) and the intervention group(n=20). Both groups received regular anti-emesis medication, but the intervention group was added acupressure maneuver for 5 minutes on P6 point for 3 times a day for 5days: before chemotherapy, lunch and dinner by investigator during the hospitalization and by mother at home. The instruments for this study were Rhode's(1986) Index of nausea, vomiting and retching(INVR), Cas electric scale and pamphlet developed by researcher. RESULT: Significant differences in the degree of nausea and vomiting were observed between the control and the intervention group as measured by INVR(t=4.73; p=.01). Repeated measures ANOVA also shows that the group effect was significant(F=22.39, P=.01) as was the time effect(F=380.35, P=.01). The group by time interaction was also significant(F=5.27, P=.01). Acupressure maneuver was apparently effective in reducing the degree of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. There were also statistically significant weight loss noted in the control group than the intervention group(t=5.42, p=.01). CONCLUSION: Acupressure on P6 point shows an effective adjunct maneuver in reducing the degree of nausea and vomiting and conserving the weight in pediatric cancer patients. Therefore, it is proposed that acupressure should be applied as supportive nursing intervention strategies to relieve chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting and to prevent weight loss in pediatric cancer patients.
Acupressure* ; Drug Therapy* ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Lunch ; Meals ; Mothers ; Nausea ; Nursing ; Pamphlets ; Research Personnel ; Vincristine ; Vomiting ; Weight Loss ; Child Health

Cryptococcus is native to the environment and thrives in any type of environment inhabited by birds. Cryptococcal genito-urinary infection has been reported in immunnocompromised patients and can involve the adrenal gland, kidney, prostate, or penis. To our knowledge, there have been no reports of cases where cryptococcal epididymo-orchitis infects an uncompromised healthy host. Here, we report a case of primary cryptococcal epididymo-orchitis in a healthy male.
Adrenal Glands ; Birds ; Cryptococcus ; Humans ; Kidney ; Male ; Orchitis ; Penis ; Prostate

No abstract available.
Leptospira interrogans* ; Leptospira*

Tularemia is a zoonosis caused by Francisella tularensis. It is primarily a disease of wild animals. Human infection is incidental and usually results from interaction with biting or blood-sucking insects, wild or domestic animals, or the environment. An increasing number of cases have been reported in several countries. However, in Korea it has not been reported until now. A 40-year old male patient visited our department on Jan 13, 1997, complaining of multiple swollen lymph-nodes on his axillae and reddish swollen left upper arm which contained an abscess at its central portion for about ten days. On Dec 25, 1996, he found a dead wild rabbit on a nearby mountainside, ate it after cooking it by himself with his hands injured. His abscess was drained and microbiologic examination was done. However no microorganism was isolated. His lymph nodes were surgically removed from both axillae, and we investigated them microbiologically and pathologically. On microbiologic examination, small aerobic gram negative coccobacilli were grown on a chocolate agar plate in an aerobic condition with 5% CO2 at 37 degrees centigrade. On H & E staining, the lymph node showed chronic granulomatous inflammation. We sent the microorganism and lymph nodes to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States of America for the definitive diagnosis. Finally the microorganism was identified as F. tularensis by culture morphology, biological tests and immunohistochemical staining. We report the first case of F. tularensis in Korea.
Abscess ; Adult ; Agar ; Americas ; Animals ; Animals, Domestic ; Animals, Wild ; Arm ; Axilla ; Cacao ; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.) ; Cooking ; Diagnosis ; Francisella tularensis ; Hand ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Insects ; Korea ; Lymph Nodes ; Male ; Tularemia* ; United States

No abstract available.
Uterus*