A retrospective study was conducted to investigate the effects of CNS prophylaxis with 1,800 cGy cranial irradiation on standing height growth of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Seventeen longterm survivors (DFS over 5 years ) of ALL and Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma who had been admitted at pediatric department of Inje University Seoul Paik Hospital from January 1982 to September 1988 were studied. The long term survivors were divided into two groups by prophylactic treatment modality; intrathecal chemotherapy alone (Group I, 7 cases), intrathecal chemotherapy with cranial irradiation (Group II, 10 cases). The heights of each groups were compared normal standard growth of the sane aged children by mean SD score (The SD score was calculated with the use of the following formula). SD score=(x-x)/SD (x; height measurement, x; mean height for age of the normal population SD; standard deviation). The results were as follows; 1) The mean SD scores of Group I and Group II at diagnosis were -0.30 and -0.17, which were smaller than height of normal child. 2) In Group 1, the mean SD scores after the end of treatment were -0.14 of 1 year, 0.03 at 2 years and 0.01 at 5 years, which suggests that were normal height velocity and catch-up growth in these patients (P<0.05). The height of 1 year after the beginning of treatment were particularly smaller than that of the normal children (P<0.05). 3) The mean SD scores 5 years after the end of treatment were 0.10 in Group I and -0.17 in Group II, which shows strong tendency to statistical difference among these two groups. If larger numbers of patients are evaluated, it, however, may turn significant. In conclusion, 1,800 cGy cranial irradiation in ALL children significantly affects on height growth. We recommend to evaluate growth hormone for patient with 1,800 cGy cranial irradiation and to treat them with growth hormone.
Child* ; Cranial Irradiation* ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Growth Hormone ; Humans ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul ; Survivors

PURPOSE: The main purpose of this study was to compare the clinical competency in different instructio nal methods for funda- mentals of nursing practicum, standardized patients methods story as text method ,and traditional lecture/model method. METHOD: The study was designed as a quasi-experimental, nonequivalent control group post-test design with three separate classes of sophomore students attending fundamentals of nursing classes at one baccaleureate nursing school located in metropoli tan Seoul area. Control group was taught by traditiona lecture/ model method and two experimental groups were taught by standardized patients method and story as text method. Data were collected from September, 1999 to June 2001. There were 36 students in the standardized patient method group, 38 students in story as text group, and 40 students in the control group. Data analysis was done using SPSS WINDOW 9.0. RESULT: The results showed that the standardized patients method and story as text method groups were significantly better in clinical judgement and communication skills than the traditional lecture/model method group. The standardized patients method group was significantly better in clinical nursing skills performance than two other groups. However, there was no significant difference among the three groups in student satisfaction. CONCLUSION: The standardized patients method is an effective in teaching clinical cometency for student nurses. It is necessary to explore more efficient way to develop standardized patients cases for wider areas of nursing education. Also, it is recommended to develop more research projects with many nursing programs.
Education, Nursing ; Humans ; Nursing* ; Schools, Nursing ; Seoul ; Statistics as Topic ; Triacetoneamine-N-Oxyl

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between psychosocial factors and symptom experience of patients with cardiovascular disease over a 6-month follow-up period. METHOD: Baseline data for each of the 138 patients were collected. Eighteen patients were dropped for a final total of 120 patients in the present study. To monitor patients' symptom experience after discharge, each patient was interviewed by telephone, and interviewed directly with a questionnaire at each clinic visit. RESULTS: Mean scores for hostility, anger, anxiety, and depression were 51.63, 22.87, 48.95, and 41.21, respectively. Mean scores for the level of symptom experience at discharge, 3 months and 6 months after discharge were 32.83, 24.79, and 26.70, respectively. There were significant differences in the level of hostility by gender, BMI, job, and monthly income. Also the differences in the level of anxiety and depression were statistically significant according to gender and existence of spouse. In the regression analysis, depression was identified as the significant factor associated with symptom experience at discharge, 3 months, and 6 months after discharge. CONCLUSION: This study presented baseline data to elucidate whether psychosocial factors were associated with the progression of cardiovascular diseases. Accordingly, it suggests that nurses need to take into consideration psychosocial factor as well as physiological factor in symptom management for patients with cardiovascular disease.
Ambulatory Care ; Anger ; Anxiety ; Cardiovascular Diseases* ; Depression ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Hostility ; Humans ; Psychology* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Spouses ; Telephone

Hansens' disease is well known chronic inflammatory granulomatous disease by Macobacterium leprae., and occur rarely in these days. The wide range of clinical manifestations develop by status of the host resistant. These are from mild sensory change, erythematous macular patches, diffuse infiltrating plaque, and nodules to severe destruction of peripheral nerve and internal organ involvements. Vitilgo and xanthelasma rarely may occur in the lepromatous leprosy. The patient was a 60-year-old a farmer who complained erythematous diffuse ill defined infiltrative plaques or nodules on the face, trunk. He was diagnosed as lepromatous leprosy by skin biopsy and fite staining and had taken the standard 3 multidrug (dapsone, rifampicin, lamprene)therapy. About 3 months during the therapy, the existing skin lesions became erythematous and mild edematous, some of which show vitiligo like change, and severe general aching and neuralgia developed. Type 1 lepra reaction with upgrading was diagnosed by clinical symptoms and skin biopsy feature. The vitiligo lesions also appeared on the normal looking skin without previous lepromatous lesion. At that time, yellowish plaque appeared on both eyelid and diagnosed as xanthelasma without hypolipoproteinemia. The mutidrug therapy for lepsory continued and oral predinsolone was given for the general aching of neuralgia. The lepra skin lesions had been improved gradually and the vitiligo lesions also disappeared. Presenting case is very interesting in point of view that he had vitiligo related to type 1 lepra reaction, and simultaneously developed xanthelasma palpebrum.
Biopsy ; Eyelids ; Humans ; Hypolipoproteinemias ; Leprosy ; Leprosy, Lepromatous ; Middle Aged ; Neuralgia ; Peripheral Nerves ; Rifampin ; Skin ; Vitiligo

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to review studies that have examined the quality of life of women with urinary incontinence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A review was conducted that used the databases PubMED, Proquest, CINAHL, and Sciencedirect. Articles were included that were published in English between 2005 and 2010 the key words use were urinary incontinence, women, and quality of life. RESULTS: A total of 18 studies were identified, and the prevalence of urinary incontinence varied depending on the definition of incontinence used and the age of the population studied. The Incontinence Quality of Life (I-QoL), Incontinence Impact Questionnaire-short form (IIQ-7), and King's Health Questionnaire (KHQ) were the most commonly used instruments. Demographic, medical, physical, psychological, health, and intervention factors were reported as influencing factors on the quality of life of women with incontinence. Age, severity of urinary incontinence, type of urinary incontinence, number of urinary incontinence episodes, body weight, stress, and help-seeking behavior were statistically significant variables influencing quality of life. CONCLUSION: Future studies are needed to identify factors related to quality of life among women with incontinence and to use validated instruments according to specific subjects.
Body Weight ; Female ; Humans ; Prevalence ; Quality of Life ; Urinary Incontinence

PURPOSE: We performed the study to evaluate the risk factors associated with cardiac complication and the outcome of coronary lesions after high-dose (2g/kg, 1dose) gammaglobulin (IVIG) treatment in patients with Kawasaki disease (KD). METHODS: Retrospective studies were performed on 338 cases of KD treated with high-dose IVIG at this hospital from May 1994 to March 1999. RESULTS: Among 338 patients, fever was persistent for 8.09+/-3.45 days in all patients and after IVIG infusion, fever subsided in 26.5+/-26.4 hours. Forty-five patients (13.3%) with abnormal baseline echocardiogram remained febrile for 9.09+/-4.09 days, significantly longer than normal baseline echocardiogram group. There was no significant differences in age, sex and other clinical findings. In 7 patients (2.1%) usage of medications above 12 months were needed. Eleven cases(3.3%) with persistent fever after their first course of IVIG therapy became afebrile post-second course of IVIG in 5 of the 11 cases with cardiac complication and in 1 case with recurrence. Twelve (male 11, female 1) of the 338 cases recurred after 8.45+/-4.39 months. Three of those 12 cases had cardiac complication. CONCLUSION: The overall prevalence of persistent coronary abnormalities in KD patients treated with high-dose IVIG and aspirin remains low. Even if patients had cardiac complication, they improved later.
Aspirin ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome* ; Prevalence ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

A 73-year-old man who had undergone a right pneumonectomy and open window thoracostomy due to tuberculous empyema, presented with purulent discharge from the previous operation site. The computed tomography of the chest showed diffuse pleural thickening and a low attenuated lesion, with air bubbles in a dependent portion of the right hemithorax. These air bubbles were revealed to be due to 7 pieces of retained surgical gauze by flexible bronchoscopy. The patient showed marked clinical improvement with diminished purulent discharge after removal of the foreign bodies.
Aged ; Bronchoscopy ; Empyema, Tuberculous ; Foreign Bodies ; Humans ; Pneumonectomy ; Thoracostomy* ; Thorax

POEMS syndrome is a rare paraneoplastic syndrome and there are few reports of polyneuropathy and monoclonal gammopathy associated with kidney dysfunction. Here, we report a case of POEMS syndrome with recurrent acute kidney injury (AKI). A 52-year-old man presented with bilateral aggravating paresthesia and latermotor weakness of the lower extremities accompanied by repeated elevation of serum creatinine. The patient was finally diagnosed with POEMS syndrome on the basis of fulfilling the two mandatory major criteria (polyneuropathy and monoclonal gammopathy), one other major criterion (sclerotic bone lesion), and several minor criteria. A renal biopsy was performed to clarify the cause of AKI and showed membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis-like lesions with mesangiolysis and endothelial cell injury. This case illustrates that renal manifestations, not included in the diagnostic criteria for POEMS, can be apparent before various other systemic symptoms.
Acute Kidney Injury* ; Biopsy ; Creatinine ; Endothelial Cells ; Humans ; Kidney ; Lower Extremity ; Middle Aged ; Paraneoplastic Syndromes ; Paraproteinemias ; Paresthesia ; POEMS Syndrome ; Polyneuropathies*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Neurohormonal compensation plays an important role on the pathophysiologic aspects of congestive heart failure (CHF). There is recent clinical evidence that beta blocker is beneficial in selected patients. However, there is little information regarding the effect of beta blocker on elderly patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 26 patients of CHF under stable condition by conventional management were selected and were divided into two age subgroup. Group 1 were more than 65 years (n=12) and group 2 were less than 65 years (n=14). From 12.5 to 25 mg/day of carvedilol was given according to the clinical condition. The left ventricular end diastolic dimension (LVEDD), left ventricular end systolic dimension (LVESD), left ventricular volume index (LVVI), ejection fraction (LVEF), E/A ratio and E wave deceleration time (EwDT) of mitral inflow doppler velocity were measured by echocardiographic examination before and 3 months after carvedilol trial. Six-minute walk distance were also measured. RESULTS: Between before and after carvedilol treatment, there were significant decrease of LVVI and sign-ificant increase of EF in group I and group II. The EwDT and 6 minute walk distance of both group were also increased significantly after carvedilol trial. The delta EF of group I is smaller than group II (4.1+/-5.7 vs 9.7+/-10.0, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: When compared to younger patients with CHF, the efficacy of carvedilol on LV function in aged patients was evident. Improved clinical conditions would be expected by using carvedilol in elderly patients with CHF.
Aged* ; Compensation and Redress ; Deceleration ; Echocardiography ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP)* ; Heart Failure* ; Humans ; Ventricular Function, Left*

We performed this study to compared pregnancy outcome between low dose aspirin alone and aspirin plus prednisolone treatment in patient of recurrent spontaneous abortion associated with antiphospholipid antibodies. From May 1994 to March 1996, forty-two patients of recurrent spontaneous abortion associated with antiphospholipid antibodies were randomized to receive either low dose aspirin alone(LDA group, n=21) or aspirin plus prednisolone(AP group, n= 21). When pregnancy was confirmed, women were stared with 100mg of aspirin oral daily until 29 weeks of gestation and thereafter 50 mg daily until 35 weeks of gestation in LDA group. In AP group, aspirin administration was same as LDA group and prednisolone was administrated 30 mg oral daily until 24 weeks of gestation and thereafter 10 mg daily until 35 weeks of gestation. Lupus anticoagulant(LAC) was positive in 15 patients, anticardiolipin antibody (ACL) was positive in 24 patients, and both were positive in 3 patients. There was not significant difference in the rate of spontaneous abortion between LDA and AP group[7/21(33.3%) vs 3.21(14.3%)]. There was also no significant difference in live birth rate between LDA and AP groups[14/21(66.7%) vs 18/21(85.7%)]. In LAC positive patients, there was lower rate of live birth in LDA group than in AP group, but not significantly different[4/8(50.0%) vs 6/7(85.7 %)]. In ACL positive patients, there was no significant difference in live birth rate between LDA and AP groups[10/12(83.3%) vs 11/12(91.7%)]. In the case of both LAC and ACL positive patients, there was also no significant difference in live birth rate between LDA and AP group [0/1(0.0%) vs 1/2(50.0%)]. There were no significant difference in mean gestational age and mean fetal body weight at delivery between LDA and AP groups(35.5+/-3.0 vs 36.7+/-2.5 wks, 2546.0+/-685.9 vs 2693.3+/-683.6 gm). There were also no significant difference in the rate of cesarean section due to fetal distress, the rate of Apgar score less than 7 at 5 minutes, the rate of admission to neonatal intensive care unit, and the rate of perinatal mortality between two groups. There was no congenital anomalous fetuses in all study patients. We found that combined treatment of aspirin plus predinisolone might be potentially more effective than low dose aspirin alone in patients of recurrent spontaneous abortion associated with antiphospholipid antibodies, especially in patients of LAC positive.
Abortion, Spontaneous* ; Antibodies, Anticardiolipin ; Antibodies, Antiphospholipid* ; Apgar Score ; Aspirin* ; Cesarean Section ; Female ; Fetal Distress ; Fetal Weight ; Fetus ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Live Birth ; Perinatal Mortality ; Prednisolone* ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome* ; Pregnancy*