The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the changes of salivary cortisol and electrolytes as an indicator of stress in nursing practice. Unstimulated 5cc saliva samples were collected at pre-duty and post-duty, and were measured with chemical assay and radioimmunoassay in nursing practice period and in studying period. In nursing practice, salivary cortisol concentration revealed lower, and K+/Na+ ratio revealed higher than in studying. And salivary cortisol correlated significantly with Na+, and also with K+ concentration. These results suggest that K+/Na+ ratio tends to be highered in student taking nursing practice, and raised levels of cortisol might be expected in nursing practice and also in studying, and that salivary constituents could indicate physiological stress. This study will facilitate a better understanding for the loading effect on the physiologic conditions of nurses.
Electrolytes* ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone* ; Nursing* ; Radioimmunoassay ; Saliva ; Stress, Physiological ; Students, Nursing*

The object of this study was to determine the radiation effect on the urinary bladder and to establish the basic date for optimal fraction schedule on the whole abdominal irradiation of the mice. Although radiation damage of the urinary bladder is one of the dose-limiting factor for treatment of lower abdominal cancer, such as uterine cervical or rectal cancer, systematic histopathological study of total dose and recovery duration is very rare, especially in conventional fractionation regimen of clinical use. Authors used 198 mice and analyzed histopathological findings according to total dose (40&50 GY) and recovery duration (1-15 weeks after completion of irradiation) The results were summarized as follows: 1. No definite difference of radiosensitivity was noted between male and female group. 2. Most of mucosal injuries were recovered within 14 weeks in 40 GY irradiated group. 3. Vascular injury and change of connective tissue were prominent and persisted even mild degree until 15 weeks after completion of irradiation in 50 GY irradiated group. 4. Although follow up duration of this study (105 days) was not enough to compare life span of mice, this study emphasized that precious schedule for treatment planning was necessary for preventing or reducing of late complication.
Animals ; Appointments and Schedules ; Connective Tissue ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Mice* ; Radiation Effects ; Radiation Tolerance ; Rectal Neoplasms ; Urinary Bladder* ; Vascular System Injuries

The contamination period of the sterilized pack is influenced by the storage environment such as air contamination, temperature, humidity and the quality of the wrapping material. This study was conducted to provide basic data, for the expiration date of the EO gas sterilized pack (which was wrapped with polypropylene / polyester one side and paper the other side) by investigating the storage environment and monthly contamination period. The duration of study was 12 months, from Dec. 1, 1997 to Nov. 30, 1998. A total of 144 EO gas sterilized packs were kept in six storage cabinets of storage area after selecting four Operating Room, the Central Supply Department and General Surgery Clinic of one University Hospital in Taegu city. The samples were cultured in fluid thioglycolate media 30m1 in 37degrees C incubator for 48 hours. Air microbial bioburden in the six storage area and storage cabinet was monitored by exposing blood agar plate for fit teen minutes and culture were observed at 37t incubator for 2 thours. Temperature and Humidity were investigated four times(8 am, 2, 5, & 10 pm) a day and the mean values calculated. The results of this study are as follows 1. There was no contaminations in EO gas sterilized packs for 12 months observation. 2. The mean air contamination rate of storage area and cabinet in Operating Room was 4.9 CFU and 2.4 CPU during observation period. The mean air contamination rate of storage area and cabinet was 4.2 CPU and 2.2 CPU each during observation period. The rate of air contamination in storage room was at least twice than that of storage in Operating Room. The period that showed highest air contamination was in Feb. 98 as 9.2 CPU and the lowest in Mar. 98 as 1.1 CPU. 3. The predominant microorganisms were gram post five staphylococci, gram negative staphylococci in all storage environment, gram positive bacilli, gram negative bacilli in C cabinet of Operating Room and storage area in General Surgery Clinic, Fungi in storage area of Operating Room. 4. The mean temperature was 24.9+/-0.6degrees C(mean standard deviation) in storage area and 24.8+/-0.5degrees C in storage cabinet of Operating Room. The temperature was not differentiated between storage area and cabinet of Operating Room. The mean humidity was 63.6 7.3% (mean standard deviation) in storage area, 663+/-7.9% in cabinet of Operating Room. The humidity was observed high rate in storage area than cabinet of the six area environment. There was no growth of microorganism in sterilized packs during the observation. So we concluded that the contamination period of EQ gas sterilized packs was over 12 months. The high rate of air contamination in storage area might increase the degree of contamination of sterilized packs and the infection rate of operative wound. So the methods which could reduce the air contamination should be developed.
Adolescent ; Agar ; Daegu ; Ethylene Oxide* ; Fungi ; Humans ; Humidity ; Incubators ; Operating Rooms* ; Polyesters ; Polypropylenes ; Wounds and Injuries

A case of 23 years old male with Reiters syndrome was reported. The skin lesions were characterized by thick, britle and heavy keratotic crust formation on whole body with weakness, severe arthritis, ankylosis, on the feet, wrists, knees, ankle and finger joints. Histopathological examination showed a spongiform vesicopustules, acanthosis and parakeratosis, interpapillary process elongated in the epidermis hyperkeratosis, dilated. vessels with perivascular infiltrate in the dermis. He was treated with Arning's tincture, Nystatin ointment, coaltar ointment painting and oral administration of prednisolone, methotrcxate for 1 month, resulting favorable improvement.
Administration, Oral ; Ankle ; Ankylosis ; Arthritis ; Candidiasis* ; Dermis ; Epidermis ; Finger Joint ; Foot ; Humans ; Knee ; Male ; Nystatin ; Paint ; Paintings ; Parakeratosis ; Prednisolone ; Skin ; Wrist ; Young Adult

No abstract available.
Humans ; Intensive Care Units* ; Critical Care*

A case of 24 years old male patient with Acrodermatitis continua(Hallopeau) is reported. Clinically, the skin lesions were characterized by the pustular eruption on digit of extremities. Diagnosis was conformed by characteristic clinical appearance, laboratory findings and histopathology finding. He has been treated with prednisolone 20 mg daily, antibiotics and symptomatic therapy and relieved temporaly.
Acrodermatitis* ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Diagnosis ; Extremities ; Humans ; Male ; Prednisolone ; Skin ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: This study was to test some effects on pain, depression and ego integrity of the elderly by adapting group reminiscence therapy with mugwort fragrance to the elderly with chronic pain. METHOD: The research was executed from April 2001 through September 2001, and research participants were male and female olderly people randomly assigned from 3 environmentally similar day care centers. They were divided into experimental group A and B, and a control group; The control group was divided into a daily care group and a regularly visiting group, and the experimental group A was for group reminiscence therapy with mugwort fragrance inhalation and the group B for group reminiscence therapy. RESULT: The group reminiscence therapy with mugwort fragrance inhalation showed significant effects on decrease of pain and depression, and improvement of ego integrity, and for 2 weeks after the treatment proved its continuous effect. CONCLUSION: The result above explains the fact the mugwort fragrance stimulates reminiscence and shows curing effects. In further researches, it is necessary to adapt various health problems of the elderly, not only to the aged with chonic pain.
Aged* ; Artemisia* ; Chronic Pain* ; Day Care, Medical ; Depression* ; Ego* ; Female ; Humans ; Inhalation* ; Male

The purpose of this study was to develop the basis of scientific nursing intervention by examining the changes of stress level with elapse of post chemotherapy in breast cancer patients. The design of this study was a longitudinal descriptive study. The subjects of this study was patients receiving chemotherapy from March 1, 1998 to June 30, 1998 at K university hospital in Taegu. The number of subjects was 14 and they were given treatment every 21 days, a cycle of chemotherapy. The changes of their stress with the elapse of chemotherapy were examined every other day. The changes of stress reaction were measured by fatigue and salivary cortisol level. The instrument used to measure fatigue was the revised Pipe Fatigue Scale which was developed by Piper(1984). The reliability of this instrument was Cronbach's alpha .997. The Salivary cortisol was meausured to examine the stress physiological reaction, analyzed using radioimmunoassay. Data was analyzed by computer using the SPSS WIN 7.0 program. Frequency, and Wilcoxon Singned Ranks test were used to examine the changes in degree of fatigue and salivary cortisol with the elapse of chemotherapy. The relationship between fatigue and salivary cortisol was examined using Spearman's rho. The results of this study were as follows: 1) The degree of fatigue was increased a little on the third day 5.64( +/- 1.86)(z=-1.85, p=.06) compared with that of fatigue on the basic day. After that, the degree of fatigue was continuously decreased. it had tendancy to increase a little as patients visited the clinic for next chemotherapy. 2) The mean of salivary cortisol concentration was the higest shortly before chemotherapy. 3) The relationship of fatigue and salivary cortisol was r= .4(p=.098). To sum up, the degree of fatigue was the highest on the third day and salvary cortisol was the highest shortly before chemotherapy. Because the stress reaction of cancer patient receiving chemotherapy was the higest within 3 days in one cycle, it will be effective to provide specified nursing interventions to reduce stress within 3 days after chemotherapy.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Daegu ; Drug Therapy* ; Fatigue* ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone* ; Nursing ; Radioimmunoassay

BACKGROUND: Mivacurium has a characteristics of rapid onset and the shortest duration of non- depolarizing neuromuscular relaxants and the onset of action could be accelerate more rapidly by using priming principle. The purpose of this study was to compare the onset time of mivacurium by priming principle with succinylcholine during rapid endotracheal intubation. METHODS: 36 patients were randomly divided into 3 groups: mivacurium group by priming principle (Group 1), mivacurium group by bolus injection (Group 2) and succinylcholine group (Group 3). In Group 1, subparalyzing dose of 0.02 mg/kg was administered 2 minutes before principle dose of 0.25 mg/kg was given. Onset time and intubating conditions were observed when twitch tension was reduced by 25% block in each group. RESULTS: The onset of Group 1 (75 sec) was significantly faster than that of Group 2 (90 sec) (p<0.05) but was significantly slower than that of Group 3 (37.5 sec) (p<0.05). Intubating conditions were excellent in all groups. CONCLUSIONS: The attempts of priming principle with mivacurium could accelerate the onset of action of mivacurium compared with that of bolus injection but their onsets were shorter than those produced by succinylcholine.
Humans ; Intubation, Intratracheal* ; Succinylcholine*

Malignant hyperthermia is a dramatic syndrome that rarely arises during anesthesia and which is still fatal in the majority of cases. It is a hypermetabolic muscle condition characterized by hyperpyrexia and skeletal muscle rigidity. Any potent inhalation anesthetic agent or any skeletal muscle relaxant can trigger this acute catast rophic reaction. A case is presented of a 28 year old femal with a family history of malignant hyperthermia in herrelatives. She sunderwent repair of a retinal detachment under N2O-O2-halothane withcinduction by thiopenthal and succinylcholine. One and half hours after induction, arrhythmia developed and was followed by unstable blood pressure, hyperpyrexia, muscular rigidity. Anesthesia was ended and vigorous emergency treatment was attempted. But she died postoperatively on the 4th day after anesthesia. The etiologic factors, incidence, clinical feature, prevention, treatment and prognosis of malignant hyperthermia are discussed.
Incidence