This study was designed to identify the relationship between the perceived burden that is felt by family caregivers of hemodialysis patients and the quality of life of these caregivers. The subjects for this study were 102 family caregivers of patients who received hemodialysis regularly in the hemodialysis units of 4 hospitals located in Chonbuk. The data was collected during the period from February 17 to March 28, 1997 through interviews and by distributing a structured questionnaire to family caregivers through hemodialysis patients, and by mail service. The instruments used for this study are as follows : The burden instrument was the Burden Questionnaire developed by Lee Sook-Ja by referring to the Burden Scale developed by Novak & Guest(1989) and Zarit et al.(1980). The quality of life instrument was the Andrews' Scale that was treanslated and proof-read by Jeong Chu-Ja and partially amended by the author of this study. The collected data was analyzed by descriptive statistics, ANOVA, the Scheff test, Pearson's correlation and Stepwise Multiple Regression using the SAS PC+ program. The results of this study are as follow : 1. Hypothesis 1 : "The higher the perceived burden, the lower the quality of life of family caregivers of hemodialysis patients" was supported(r=-0.463, p=.000). 2. Hypothesis 2 : "The burden of family caregivers of hemodialysis patients will differ depending on the demographic characteristics of hemodialysis patients and family caregivers" was partially supported-age of family caregiver(F=3.04, p=.020), educational level of family caregiver(F=3.81, p=.012), marital status of family caregiver(F=5.82, p=.004), relationship with hemodialysis patient(F=2.74, p=.016), sex of hemodialysis patient(F=6.79, p=.010). 3. Hypothesis 3 : "The quality of life family caregivers of hemodialysis patients will differ depending on the demographic characteristics of hemodialysis patients and family caregivers" was partially supported-age of family caregiver(F=2.82, p=.029), educational level of family caregiver(F=4.64, p=.004), marital status of family caregiver(F=6.62, p=.002), monthly total income of family(F=5.61, p=.001), age of hemodialysis patient (F=3.42, p=.011), occupation change of hemodialysis patient(F=3.54, p=.032). 4. Stepwise Multiple Regression Analysis indicated that the six variables-the perceived burden of family caregiver, monthly total income of family, religion of family caregiver, occupation of family caregiver, marital status of hemodialysis patient, education level of family caregiver-were significantly predictive of the quality of life of family caregivers of hemodialysis patients. The six variables explained 41.7% of the variance in quality of life. In conclusion, this study revealed that the perceived burden is an important factor related to the quality of life of family caregivers of hemodialysis patients. Therefore, nurses must recognize family caregivers as well as hemodialysis patients as important care receivers and incorporate an intervening plan that reduces the burden and promotes the quality of life, taking into account the demographic characteristics of hemodialysis patients and their family caregivers.
Caregivers* ; Education ; Humans ; Jeollabuk-do ; Marital Status ; Occupations ; Postal Service ; Quality of Life* ; Renal Dialysis* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

No Abstract Available.
Hypopigmentation*

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Papillary* ; Thyroid Gland*

No abstract available.
Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia*

No abstract available.
Bone Density* ; Calcitonin* ; Humans ; Osteoporosis*

The phenomenon of Myotonia consist in a failure of voluntary muscles to relax immediately when voluntary innervation ceases. The stiffness is accentuated by cold and relieved by exercise, while generalized muscle weakness and atrophy (or not commonly hypertrophy of muscle) is common. Myotonia is a feature of four principal clinical syndromes which have been classified myotonia congenita (Thomsens disease), myotonia atrophica (Steinerts disease), paramyotonia and myotonia and myotonia acquisita by Walton et al. We report here a forty six years old male of myotonia atrophica (Dystrophia myotonia, Steinerts disease) who presents bilateral cataracts, frontal baldness, gonadal atrophy, facial myopathy, sterno-cleidomastoid muscle atrophy and a progressive generalized myopathy of peripheral distribution in the limbs.
Alopecia ; Atrophy ; Cataract ; Extremities ; Gonads ; Humans ; Hypertrophy ; Male ; Muscle Weakness ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Muscular Atrophy ; Muscular Diseases ; Myotonia Congenita ; Myotonia ; Myotonic Dystrophy

BACKGROUND: The 5α-reductase inhibitor finasteride blocks the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone(DHT), the androgen responsible for androgen- etic alopecia in genetically predisposed men. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of finaster- ide treatment according to the type of androgenetic alopecia in Korea. METHODS: 196 patients with finasteride(1.25mg/day) were registered in this study and 68 patients were followed over 8 months. Efficacy was evaluated by globa1 photographs, investigator assessment of clinical change,and patients' self assessment via self administered hair growth questionnaire. RESULTS: Patients' self-assessment demonstrated that finasteride treatment slowed hair loss, increased hair growth, and improved appearance of hair. These improvements were corroborated by objective assessments after 4 months of treatment. Adverse effects such as sexual dysfunction were minimal. CONCLUSION: Oral finasteride 1.25mg/day slowed the progression of hair loss and increased hair growth in clinical tria1s of men with androgenetic alopecia over 8 months. With its generally good tolerability profile, finasteride is a new approach to the management of this condition, for which treatment options are few.
Alopecia* ; Finasteride* ; Hair ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Research Personnel ; Self-Assessment ; Testosterone

Septic shock is one of the leading cause of death in hospitalized patients and mortality rates of up to 50 % have been reported. Despite all efforts, no regimen today seems to be successful in the treatment of septic shock. The endogenous opioid system (EOS) includes three major families of peptides: dynorphins, endorphins and enkephalins. Several lines of evidence indicate that EOS is implicated in the pathophysiology of anaphylactic and endotoxic shock. An opioid receptor blocker naloxone has been used extensively in studies for the role of EOS or endogenous opiod peptides (EOP). However, there have been few, if any, detailed investigative studies regarding the effect of naloxone on TNF-a production and the lethality in response to endotoxin, and tumorigenesis. ...continue...
Carcinogenesis* ; Cause of Death ; Dynorphins ; Endorphins ; Enkephalins ; Humans ; Melanoma ; Mortality ; Naloxone* ; Nitric Oxide ; Peptides ; Receptors, Opioid* ; Shock, Septic*

No abstract available.
Proteinuria*

Generalized lipodyst,rophy is characterized by generalized loss of body fat, and is asociated vith metabolic ahnormalities, including insulin resistance, hyperglycemia., and hypertriglyceridemia. like acanthosis nigricans, generalized lipodystrophy is a cutaneous marker of insulin re.istant diabetes. We report. herein a twenty year old female witti both classic generalized lipodystripin and acanthosis nigricans, in association with insulin resistant diabetes.
Acanthosis Nigricans ; Adipose Tissue ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperglycemia ; Hypertriglyceridemia ; Insulin ; Insulin Resistance ; Lipodystrophy, Congenital Generalized*