The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of mouth care on the relief of oral discomfort undergoing radiation therapy patients. The nonequivalent control group time series design was used for this experimental study. The subjects were 32 patients who were receiving radiation therapy at P, D, G, hospital in Pusan from July 1, 1996 to August 31 1996. Among 32 subjects, 16 were placed in the experimental group and 16 in the control group. The subjects were contacted at the hospital, given an explanation of the study, and asked them to participate. The experimental group was educated according to oral care protocol. The data were collected through interviews, observations, and the health care records of the patients. The instruments were the "Perceived Oral Symptoms Assessment" by Chung, C. W. and "Oral Assessment Guide(OAG)" by Elers, Berger, & Petersen. SPSS PC+ was used to analyze the collected data. The general characteristics were analyzed by frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviations. The homogeneties between the experimental groups and control groups were tested by t-test and chi-square test. Perceived oral symptoms & OAG were tested by mean and standard deviations. The results of this research can summarized as follows : 1. Between two groups, the differences of perceived oral symptoms were not statistically significant (t=.0035, p=.9634). 2. In time series analysis the differences of perceived oral symptoms between two groups in the 7th week were only significant(t=5.0123, p=.0491). 3. The comparisons of each item in perceived oral symptoms, the differences between two groups were observed but they were not statistically significant. 4. Between two groups, the differences of OAG were not significant statistically(t=.0221, p=.8827). 5. In time series analysis, the differences of OAG between two groups were no statistically significant. 6. The comparisons of each item in OAG, the differences between two groups were observed but they were not statistically significant. In conclusion, this study could be utilized in patients care with radiation therapy although the results of the experiment were not accepted statistically.
Busan ; Delivery of Health Care ; Humans ; Mouth*

This study was conducted to determine the level of inflammatory cytokines in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with meningitis. All the CSF of the patients were examined by Gram and acid-fast stain, culture, and PCR for Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycoplasrma spp..The levels of sugar, protein and leukocytes count were also evaluated in the CSFs. Concentrations of Interleukin (IL)-1B, IL-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a in the CSF were evaluated by the ELISA kit (Genzyme, USA). General bacteria, tubercle bacilli, and Mycoplasma spp. were not detected with stain and culture methods, but, Mycoplasma spp. was detected by PCR method from four (6.3%) patients with meningitis. The mean CSF concentration of IL-1B, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-cx in the control group were 0.6+/-0.2, 896.8+/-107.6, 50.1+/-5.1, and 4.8+/-1.4 pg/ml, respectively. The mean CSF concentration of IL-1B, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-a in the patients with aseptic meningitis were 3.8+/-0.6, 1261.6+/-144.3, 466.7+/-42.3, and 10.8+/-2.0 pg/ml, respectively. The mean CSF concentration of IL-1B, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-a in the patients with mycoplasmal meningitis were 10.2+/-8.1, 1979.5+/-133.8, 459.7+/-96.4, and 17.5+/-5.1 pg/ml, respectively. There were significantly differences in the levels of IL-1B, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-a between control and patients with aseptic meningitis or Mycoplasmal meningitis (each p<0.001). These results suggest that increased levels of IL-1B, IL-8, and TNF-a could be higly suggestive of meningitis.
Bacteria ; Cerebrospinal Fluid* ; Cytokines ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Interleukin-6* ; Interleukin-8* ; Interleukins ; Leukocytes ; Meningitis* ; Meningitis, Aseptic ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Mycoplasma ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

This study was started for the purpose of providing the basic data for continous managment of kidney transplantation patients after discharge. This study was conducted on 180 patients who received renal transplants at three hospital ( B, M. P) pusan, korea.. The data collection was done for june 1. to August 31. 2002. General characteristics, renal transplantaton characteristics. physical characteristics, the level of compliance and the degree of educational demand were done by the number and percentage. the mean. standard deviation. The level of compliance and educational demand followed by the characteristics of general and kidney transplantation were analyzed by t-test and ANOVA. The result were as fallows: 1. Man was higher than woman such as 60.0%, Mean age was 42.5 years old. Average total duration of after operation was 5.5 years. 2. Cases of systolic blood pressure over 140mmHg were 10.0%, cases of diastolic blood pressure over 90mmHg were 22.8% and obesity factor in BMI was 15.6%. The person who daily water intake amount is 5000cc was 0,6%, the case that daily urine output is below 1000cc was 8.9%. and the case that urine output is zero was 0,6%. 3. The mean score of compliance was 77.47 point. The score in medication part was highest such as 4.67 point, that in stress situation was lowest such as 3,50 point. 4. The average score of educational demand was 154.02 point. and physical state part was 4.36 points highest. activation part was 3.48 points lowest. As a role of nurse Confirmation of compliance is very important encourage to make good through regular hospital visitation. point out the noncompliance part and then increase compliance of renal transplantation patient As well there will be maintain the normal kidney function to satisfy educational demand through continous education.
Blood Pressure ; Busan ; Compliance* ; Data Collection ; Drinking ; Education ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney ; Kidney Transplantation* ; Korea ; Obesity

Osteochondroma is the most common of the benign bone tumors. They are probably developmental malformations rather than true neoplasms. But rarely they develope in a joint, especially in the ankle joint. We reported a case of intraarticular osteochondromatosis of ankle joint.
Ankle Joint ; Ankle ; Joints ; Osteochondroma ; Osteochondromatosis

OBJECTIVES: Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) mutation are commonly associated with hyperhomocysteinemia, and through their defects in homocysteine metabolism, they have been implicated as a risk factor for recurrent spontaneous abortion. Recent report describe that 28-bp tandem repeat polymorphism in thymidylate synthase enhancer region (TSER) that influence enzyme activity would affect plasma homocysteine level. We have investigated the relationship between TSER genotype and plasma homocysteine level in 54 patients with recurrent spontaneous abortion. METHODS: Plasma homocysteine level was measured by fluorescent polarizing immunoassay. MTHFR mutation (C677T and A1298C) was identified by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay and TSER mutation was analyzed by PCR method. The data were analyzed using the program SAS 8.2 for Windows. RESULTS: Total homocysteine level was significantly higher in MTHFR 677TT genotype (9.80+/-3.87 mumol/L) than MTHFR 677CC genotype (8.14+/-1.74 mumol/L) in Korean patients with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (p=0.0143). However, the plasma homocysteine level was not significantly different in the MTHFR 1298AA (8.42+/-2.65 mumol/L) and 1298CC (6.09+/-0.32 mumol/L; p=0.2058) and, TSER 2R2R (8.61+/-1.68 mumol/L) and 3R3R (8.05+/-2.81 mumol/L; p=0.9319) mutant genotypes, respectively. In this study, we found the combination effects of TSER and MTHFR C677T genotypes. Plasma homocysteine levels were the highest (11.47+/-4.66 mumol/L) in individuals with TSER 3R3R (8.05+/-2.81 mumol/L) and MTHFR 677TT (9.80+/-3.87 mumol/L) genotypes. Individuals with a combination of both TSER 2R2R/2R3R and MTHFR 677CC/CT genotypes (7.69+/-1.77 mumol/L) had lower plasma homocysteine levels than TSER 2R2R (8.61+/-1.68 mumol/L) and MTHR 677CC (8.14+/-1.74 mumol/L) genotypes, respectively. The effect of MTHFR polymorphism in the homocysteine metabolism appears to be stronger than that of TSER polymorphism. CONCLUSION: Although statistically not significant, we found the elevated level of plasma homocysteine in combined genotypes with TSER and MTHFR (C677T and A1298C) in Korean patients with unexplained habitual abortion. In this study, we reported the possibility that TSER polymorphism is a genetic determinant of plasma homocysteine levels in the Korean patients as well as MTHFR C677T polymorphism. A large prospective study is needed to verify our findings.
Abortion, Habitual ; Abortion, Spontaneous* ; Female ; Genotype ; Homocysteine* ; Humans ; Hyperhomocysteinemia ; Immunoassay ; Metabolism ; Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2) ; Plasma* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Pregnancy ; Risk Factors ; Tandem Repeat Sequences ; Thymidylate Synthase*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to understand family members' experience of deciding to withdraw life-sustaining treatments for terminally-ill patients in an unconscious state. METHODS: Data were collected by performing an in-depth interview with eight terminally-ill patients' family members who decided to withdraw life-sustaining treatments. Colaizzi's phenomenological method was used for data analysis. RESULTS: Questions were classified into 12 groups and finally into five categories. The five categories were about family members' frustration with patient's condition, emotional preparation for the patient's death upon medical professionals' recommendation, patient's wishes, exhaustion due to caring and past experiences related to life-sustaining treatment. CONCLUSION: Using the five categories, hospice and palliative professionals could better understand family members' decision making experience of withdrawing life-sustaining treatments for terminally-ill patients. Based on that, the family members could be provided with appropriate counseling and care, which in turn could improve hospice and palliative care intervention.
Counseling ; Decision Making ; Frustration ; Hospices ; Humans ; Palliative Care ; Qualitative Research ; Terminally Ill ; Unconscious (Psychology) ; Unconsciousness ; Withholding Treatment

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the attitude of persons with an mental disability to marriage. METHODS: The Q-methodology which provides a method of analyzing the individual's subjectivity was used. The 30 participants classified 36 selected Q-statements on a 9 point scale to make a normal distribution. The collected data was analyzed by a PC Quanl Program. RESULTS: Four types of attitude of persons with an mental disability to marriage were identified. Type I: Actively supportive-resistant against social bias, Type II: Passively supportive-reliant on others, Type III: Intensively desiring-less sense of reality, Type IV: Controlling desire-more sense of reality. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest a need develop a variety of programs specifically designed for each type of attitude to change attitudes to marriage for persons with an mental disability.
Bias (Epidemiology) ; Humans ; Marriage* ; Mentally Disabled Persons

PURPOSE: This study was to investigate difficulties in daily activities and tingling from patients having treatment of FOLFOX chemotherapy after colon resection. METHOD: This study included 103 patients hospitalized for FOLFOX chemotherapy in one of the university affiliated hospital from August 1, 2008 through September 30, 2009. Data were collected using the questionnaire comprised general symptoms, tingling, difficulties in daily activities and coping behavior. Using the SPSS 14.0 program, data analytic methods include Chi-Square test, ANOVA, Scheffe's test. RESULTS: The tingling sensation occurred in hands, feet, mouth, throat. Contacts with cold objects and the number of chemotherapy cycle worsen tingling sensation. Patients experienced difficulties in daily activities such as personal hygiene, kitchen work, eating cold food, sleeping cold, using fine motors like button up, writing, or using knife. The coping behavior included drinking warm water, sleeping warm, using gloves and socks, wearing comfortable shoes, massaging hands and getting help from supporters. CONCLUSION: An educational guideline for promoting coping behavior to relieve tingling sensation and difficulty in daily living in patients with FOLFOX chemotherapy is needed.
Activities of Daily Living ; Adaptation, Psychological ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; Cold Temperature ; Colon ; Drinking ; Eating ; Fluorouracil ; Foot ; Hand ; Humans ; Hygiene ; Leucovorin ; Mouth ; Organoplatinum Compounds ; Pharynx ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Sensation ; Shoes ; Writing

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of bereavement for main family members who had made and followed DNR decision for their family members. METHOD: This qualitative study was based on a grounded theory, and used in-depth interview techniques with the bereaved 10 main family members who had been treated and died under DNR order. RESULTS: The causal condition of the family member was 'Releasing', and the main consequent phenomenon were 'Blaming self and ruminating'. The contextual condition was 'The memory of the deceased'. The action/reaction strategy was 'Purifying'. The intervening condition was 'Supporting system', and the consequence was 'Acceptance'. The experience after bereavement of the family member on DNR decision were rational processes that purified themselves and healed the guilt feeling about the decision from reflective assessment and response about DNR decision. Based on this results, the substantive theory 'Reflective self healing' was derived. CONCLUSION: The main family members in following DNR decision are more likely to have unhealthy emotional condition than others in normal bereavement process. But they overcame the grief of bereavement through reflective self healing process.
Bereavement ; Grief ; Guilt ; Humans ; Memory ; Qualitative Research ; Resuscitation Orders

Sister chromatid exchange (SCE) has recently become a common cytogenic assay system for detecting exposure to chemical mutagens and carcinogens. One application of SCE is the monitoring of populations believed to have been exposed to such agents. A cross-sectional study of SCE frequency in peripheral blood lymphocytes from 45 Koreans aged 61 to 84 years was conducted. The effect of cigarette smoking and age on SCE was assessed by different degrees of smoking status such as smokers (n = 14), ex-smokers (n = 16) and non-smokers (n = 15). Mean spontaneous SCE per cell for the smokers (11.5 +/- 1.1) was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than that for the non-smokers (8.8 +/- 0.3). However, mean SCE frequencies per cell for the ex-smokers (10.3 +/- 0.6) were not significantly different from those of the smokers or the non-smokers. The smokers showed an increased number of high SCE frequency cells (HFCs) when compared to the ex-smokers and non-smokers (p < 0.05). The mean SCE frequencies of the non-smokers showed a statistically significant increase (p < 0.05) with the subject's age. These results show that age and smoking habits contribute a great deal in setting a higher degree of basal DNA damage in elderly Koreans, and smoking appeared to be a more significant damaging factor than age.
Aged* ; Carcinogens ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; DNA Damage* ; DNA* ; Humans* ; Lymphocytes* ; Mutagens ; Sister Chromatid Exchange ; Smoke* ; Smoking*