PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to explore perceived cognitive function and its related factors in breast cancer patients that had received or were receiving adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery. METHODS: A cross-sectional and correlational design was used in this study. A total of 118 women who had undergone or were undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy after breast cancer surgery recruited from a convenience sample from a university hospital in Korea were included in the study. The attentional function index was used to measure perceived cognitive function while the linear analogue self-assessment scale was used to measure mood disturbance. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were done to determine possible predictors of perceived cognitive function in patients with breast cancer. RESULTS: Perceived cognitive function and mood disturbance had a mean score of 66.22 (SD = 13.43) and 159.78 (SD = 81.40), respectively. Mood disturbance was a statistically significant predictor of cognitive function in patients with breast cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Breast cancer patients with mood disturbance may experience decrements in perceived cognitive function. Nurses should be aware of mood changes and its influence on perceived cognitive function in breast cancer patients.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Cognition ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Self-Assessment

PURPOSE: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study in which an exploration was done of how nursing students perceive debriefing and what they think are the most effective debriefing methods for simulation-based nursing education. METHODS: A convenience sample of 296 sophomore, junior and senior nursing students from three universities and who had attended simulation classes participated in this study. Survey data garnered was analyzed using descriptive analysis and χ² test. RESULTS: A high majority of the participants (98.3%) saw debriefing as “learning from mistakes”, while 62.8% considered it more important than simulations/scenarios. They also perceived debriefing to be effective when they analyzed their colleagues'and their own performances and received feedback. Sophomore students preferred writing a reflection paper as an effective debriefing method compared to junior and senior students. CONCLUSION: The study findings indicate that debriefing is an important component of simulation-based education and should be considered part of the teaching strategies with debriefing methods dependent on themes and scenarios and what is needed to achieve learning outcomes.
Education* ; Education, Nursing ; Humans ; Learning ; Methods* ; Nursing* ; Patient Simulation ; Students, Nursing ; Writing

Purpose: This study aimed to identify research topics and trends on living liver donors over time through text network analysis and topic modeling. Methods: Five electronic databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, Web of Science, and PsycINFO) were reviewed for studies published through September 2023, and 392 studies were included. Text network analysis was used to identify the basic characteristics and centrality of the network. The topics were named after extracting meaningful topics through topic modeling using latent Dirichlet allocation. Results: A total of 1,111 keywords were extracted from the abstracts of 392 selected studies, among which “length of stay,” “morbidity,” “mortality,” “pain,” and “quality of life” showed high frequency and centrality. Through topic modeling analysis, the following four topics were derived: objective health indicators (topic 1), subjective health indicators (topic 2), hepatobiliary-related indicators (topic 3), and early health indicators (topic 4). An analysis of trends in these topics over time showed that the proportion of topics 1, 3, and 4 increased or remained stable. In contrast, there was no significant change in topic 2, representing subjective health indicators. Conclusion This study explored research trends on living liver donors using text network analysis and topic modeling. Based on the main topics derived, research on postoperative outcomes for living liver donors has focused on objective health indicators, hepatobiliary-related indicators, and early health indicators compared to subjective health indicators. We suggest that future studies utilize integrated indicators of physical and psychosocial aspects.

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to examine public level of knowledge and attitudes regarding antibiotic use and potential drug resistance. METHODS: A cross-sectional face-to-face survey of 1,177 residents aged 18 or over was conducted in Korea. A quota sampling method was used. RESULTS: Most respondents (70%) did not know that antibiotics are ineffective in treating coughs and colds. Two-thirds of the respondents were unaware of the conditions under which antibiotic resistance occurs, despite understanding the concept of resistance. Lower education level and older age were independently associated with inadequate knowledge. Lower education level, older age, inadequate knowledge and no exposure to the education campaign were independently associated with poor attitude. CONCLUSION: The results of this study demonstrate that the general public has misunderstandings and a lack of knowledge with regard to antibiotic use, despite a national educational campaign. However, the campaign may have had an effect on the public's attitudes towards antibiotics.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/*therapeutic use ; Bacterial Infections/*drug therapy ; Common Cold/drug therapy ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Female ; Health Education ; *Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Questionnaires ; Republic of Korea ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to identify knowledge and attitudes on antibiotic use held by adolescents (middle and high school students) in Korea. METHODS: Data were collected from a convenience sample of 651 students residing in 5 major cities in Korea. The questionnaire was developed after an extensive literature review and professional advisory meetings. Descriptive statistics, t-test, chi square test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficients with the SPSS program were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Respondents correctly answered 6.23 antibiotic-related questions out of 15 questions. Two thirds of the respondents knew viruses caused most colds and coughs, but 80% did not know that antibiotics do not work against viruses. High school students' attitudes towards antibiotics were somewhat negative. More middle school students than high school students asked doctors for antibiotics for a cold. High school students did not check if antibiotics were included in their prescription for a cold. There was no significant correlation between knowledge and attitudes towards antibiotic use. CONCLUSION: Education programs on appropriate antibiotic use need to be developed for these students. Continual reinforcement and repetition of the contents are required to change attitudes.
Adolescent ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Cold Temperature ; Cough ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Drug Resistance ; Humans ; Korea ; Prescriptions ; Reinforcement (Psychology)

Background: As a side effect of interscalene brachial plexus block (ISBPB), stellate ganglion block (SGB) causes reductions in pupil size (Horner’s syndrome) and cardiac sympathetic nervous activity (CSNA). Reduced CSNA is associated with hemodynamic instability when patients are seated. Therefore, instantaneous measurements of CSNA are important in seated patients presenting with Horner’s syndrome. However, there are no effective tools to measure real-time CSNA intraoperatively. To evaluate the usefulness of pupillometry in measuring CSNA, we investigated the relationship between pupil size and CSNA. Methods: Forty-two patients undergoing right arthroscopic shoulder surgery under ISBPB were analyzed. Pupil diameters were measured at 30 Hz for 2 s using a portable pupillometer. Bilateral pupil diameters and CSNA (natural-log-transformed low-frequency power [0.04–0.15 Hz] of heart rate variability [lnLF]) were measured before ISBPB (pre-ISBPB) and 15 min after transition to the sitting position following ISBPB (post-sitting). Changes in the pupil diameter ([right pupil diameter for post-sitting – left pupil diameter for post-sitting] – [right pupil diameter for pre-ISBPB – left pupil diameter for pre-ISBPB]) and CSNA (lnLF for post-sitting – lnLF for pre-ISBPB) were calculated. Results: Forty-one patients (97.6%) developed Horner’s syndrome. Right pupil diameter and lnLF significantly decreased upon transition to sitting after ISBPB. In the linear regression model (R2 =0.242, P=0.001), a one-unit decrease (1 mm) in the extent of changes in the pupil diameter reduced the extent of changes in lnLF by 0.659 ln(ms2/Hz) (95% CI [0.090, 1.228]). Conclusions Pupillometry is a useful tool to measure changes in CSNA after the transition to sitting following ISBPB.

PURPOSE: The present study examines the current influenza immunization rate among kidney transplant patients in an effort to identify the factors influencing their decisions pertaining to the immunization. METHODS: Participants in the study included 150 adults over the age of 64 years who visited a General Surgery Department in Korea on April 2015, who had had a kidney transplant at least two years prior to the visit. We compared the characteristics of transplant patients who were immunized against those of the patients who had not been immunized. RESULTS: The average age of the participants was 48.5±9.6 years, consisting of 87 males (58.0%) and 63 females (42.0%). The average post-surgery period was 91.0±59.0 months. Between September and December 2014, the immunization rate among these participants was 61.3%. Factors which influenced the participant's decision to get immunized in 2014 and drove up the immunization rate were: previous immunization in 2013 (OR=24.57, CI= 8.79-68.70, p<.001), marital status (OR=3.33, CI 1.05-10.56, p=.041), and awareness (OR=1.58, CI=0.99-2.52, p=.056). CONCLUSION: The current study found that the previous year's immunization record, marital status, and awareness increased the rate of immunization among the participants.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Immunization* ; Influenza, Human* ; Kidney* ; Korea ; Male ; Marital Status ; Vaccination*

Purpose: We report a case of keratitis that improved after removal of a causative plant foreign body from below the posterior surface of an opaque cornea. The foreign body was revealed by anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) and gonioscopy.Case summary: A 79-year-old woman was referred with an impression of left-eye keratitis; the eye had been injured by a branch of a tangerine tree 1 month prior. She had been given the usual topical antibiotics by a local clinic, but they were ineffective. At her initial visit, her visual acuity was only hand motion in the left eye; slit-lamp examination revealed a 3 × 3-mm corneal infiltration with a hypopyon in the anterior chamber. Despite administration of strong topical antibiotics on an hourly basis, the corneal lesion worsened. AS-OCT and gonioscopy revealed a small foreign body below the posterior surface of the cornea; this was surgically removed. The corneal opacity and corneal epithelial defects dramatically improved, and the hypopyon disappeared. Conclusions The possibility of a residual foreign body should be considered if trauma precedes infectious keratitis that does not improve with conventional treatment and the posterior surface of the cornea is not visible because of corneal opacity. In such a case, AS-OCT and gonioscopy can be useful.