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.

No abstract available.
Female ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Ectopic*

No abstract available.
Colitis, Ulcerative* ; Ulcer*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the treatment results and prognostic factors after radiotherapy in stage IIB uterine cervix cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the records of 90 patients with stage IIB uterine cervix cancer who received radiotherapy between 9/94 and 12/99. Age was ranged from 28 to 79 years (median 57). Tumor size was > or = 4 cm in 64 patients. Preteatment SCC level was measured in 76 patients. Twenty nine patients received conventional radiotherapy (QD) and the others received modified hyperfractionated radiotherapy (BID). Only 7 patients in BID had tumor size <4 cm. All patients received high dose rate brachytherapy (4 Gy x 7 or 5 Gy x 6). No patient received concurrent chemotherapy during radiotherapy. Follow up period was ranging from 9 to 76 months (median 38). RESULTS: The 5-year overall and disease free survival rates were 73.4% and 71.6%, respectively. Local recurrences occurred in 10% of patients, and distant metastasis in 18.9%. There was a significant correlation between OS/DFS and tumor size (<4 cm; OS 95.2%, DFS 91.4%, > or = 4 cm; OS 63.4%, DFS 63.4%). Pretreatment SCC level was one of prognostic factors only in univariate analysis. CONCLUSION: With modified hyperfractionated radiotherapy, there was very low local recurrence rate (6.6%) and high 5-year overall and disease free survival rate (75.4% and 70.5%), which is comparable to results after concurrent chemoradiotherapy in bulky, locally advanced stage IIB uterine cervix cancer.
Brachytherapy ; Cervix Uteri* ; Chemoradiotherapy ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Radiotherapy* ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies

No abstract available.
Adult* ; Cerebral Infarction* ; Humans ; Polycythemia Vera* ; Polycythemia*

PURPOSE: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Questionnaire (PCOSQ) was developed to measure health-related quality of life of women who had polycystic ovary syndrome. The purpose of this study was to exam reliability and validity of the Korean version of PCOSQ. METHODS: sample of 101 women who had polycystic ovarian syndrome was recruited from outpatient gynecology clinics. Factor analysis was carried out to verify the composition of dimensions of the Korean version of PCOSQ. Concurrent validity was examined by assessing the correlation between the PCOSQ and health related quality of life, and convergent validity was evaluated by testing correlation between PCOSQ and depression. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha. RESULTS: The content validity was satisfactory (CVI=0.85). Factor analysis identified 5 factors, and factor loadings of the PCOSQ ranged from .48 to .90. Correlation was found between the PCOSQ and health related quality of life (Physical component score: r=.33, p=.001; Mental component score: r=.44, p<.001) and between the PCOSQ and depression (r=-.36, p<.001). The Cronbach's alpha of the PCOSQ was .93, indicating reliable reliability. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that the Korean version of PCOSQ is a reliable and valid instrument for evaluating Korean-speaking women with polycystic ovarian syndrome.
Depression ; Female ; Gynecology ; Humans ; Outpatients ; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome* ; Quality of Life ; Surveys and Questionnaires* ; Reproducibility of Results*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship among life style, body composition and Bone Mineral Density (BMD) in community dwelling Korean adults. METHODS: Data were collected from 140 adults who participated in a health check-up program at community health departments in D city, Choong-chung providence. Subjects' life style was assessed with a structured interview survey. Body composition analyses were performed by the bioimpedence method and BMD was measured by peripheral dual energy X-ray absorptionmetry. RESULTS: Among the subjects, 39.3% showed normal BMD values, 50.7% were osteopenic and 10% were assessed as osteoporotic. BMD was significantly different by gender, age, education, economic status and BMI. Subjects who had three or more meals/day had higher BMD then who had less than three meals (t=-2.273, p=.026). BMD was not influenced by regular exercise, alcohol consumption, or smoking. In terms of body composition, there was a significant relationship between fat free mass and BMD (r=.172, p=.043). CONCLUSION: Implementing an osteoporosis prevention program would be warrented considering the significant proportion of osteopenic or osteoporotic subjects. Regular eating habit with three meals for adequate nutrition need to be emphasized to prevent further bone loss in this population. Among the body composition, fat free mass seem to be the mostly predicting factor for BMD.
Adult ; Alcohol Drinking ; Body Composition ; Bone Density ; Eating ; Humans ; Life Style ; Meals ; Osteoporosis ; Smoke ; Smoking

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to investigate levels of stress, self-esteem, and powerlessness in Korean husbands married to foreigner wives. METHODS: The subjects were 183 Korean men who were living with foreigner wives in the Gwangju, Jeonnam and Jeonnbuk areas. Data were collected from January to May 2012 and analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way ANOVA, Scheffe test, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and backward multiple regression with the SPSS PC WIN version 18.0. RESULTS: The average level of stress was 4.48, with difficulties in international marriage experienced by the subjects due to differences in language and culture. The average reported self-esteem score was 29.69, and the average powerlessness score 117.76. There were significant differences in perceived powerlessness depending on the employment statuses, income levels, and nationalities of the participants' wives, and their perceived levels of satisfaction with living with a foreigner wife. Powerlessness was positively correlated with stress (r=.41, p<.001), and negatively correlated with self-esteem(r=-.63, p<.001). The factors affecting the perceived powerlessness included self-esteem (beta=-.54, p<.001), stress (beta=.28, p<.001), lower income (beta=.13, p=.016), and working wife (beta=.12, p=.036). CONCLUSION: Healthcare providers need to explore strategies to improve self-esteem and powerlessness in Korean men married to foreigner wives.
Emigrants and Immigrants ; Employment ; Ethnic Groups ; Health Personnel ; Humans ; Male ; Marriage ; Spouses

Recently, Wireless internet market has reached to the induction and growth stage by rapid development of Mobile service by fusion of Internet and wireless technology of communications. This paper improved the problem of a result report system of the donation of blood inspection which is delivered to the mail currently. We can confirm the result of the blood inspection to the execution. The user uses cellular phone taking the security of the individual into account. We used ASP language with WML and developed in this paper, Database used MS-SQL2000 Servr and Web server used a host server which offers Mnuri.
Cellular Phone ; Internet ; Postal Service ; Viperidae ; Wireless Technology