BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The outcome of asthma treatment has traditionally been assessed by measuring the conventional clinical parameters such as symptoms, expiratory flow rates and needs for medications. But none of them tells us whether the patients are actually able to function properly in their lives. Only assessment of the quality of life (QOL) can reflect the parts of patients lives affected by the disease. However, there is no measure to assess the quality of life of patients with any chronic diseases in Korea yet. We developed the QOL Questionnaire for Korean Asthmatics and evaluated its measurement properties. METHOD: The questionnaire was composed of 18 items in four domains : i.e. activity limitation (6 items), symptoms (5 items), emotional function (3 items) and environmental stimuli (4 items). At our out-patient clinic, 32 adults with moderate to severe persistent bronchial asthma were enrolled. The study design consisted of 4 week unblinded single cohort with visits at 0 and 4 weeks, and the patients were asked to answer the questionnaire by self administration method at the two separate visits. Forced expiratory volume for 1 second (FEV1) and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) were recorded at each visit. According to the patients and physicians global assessment, the patients were divided into two groups, i.e. stable and changed (improved). The responsiveness, reproducibility and validity of the questionnaire were evaluated. RESULTS: The total QOL scores at the second visit in the changed group were significantly higher than those at the first visit. The score differences between the two visits in the changed group were higher than in the stable group. In the stable group, the responses to the questionnaire were reproducible. The QOL scores showed good longitudinal correlation with the expiratory flow rates, whereas FEV1 did not correlate with the QOL in cross-sectional analysis. CONCLUSION: The questionnaire proved to be reproducible, responsive and valid in the subjects. It could be recommended for the outcome evaluation of Korean asthmatics.
Adult ; Asthma ; Chronic Disease ; Cohort Studies ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Humans ; Korea ; Outpatients ; Peak Expiratory Flow Rate ; Quality of Life* ; Self Administration ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze factors affecting work engagement and burnout among clinical nurses according to resilience. METHODS: The study design was a descriptive survey and questionnaires were collected from 182 clinical nurses who worked in hospitals in "J" province. Data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Scheffe test, Pearson correlation, and hierarchical multiple regressions. RESULTS: The mean score of resilience, work engagement, burnout were 3.47+/-0.38, 4.29+/-0.98, 2.25+/-0.82 respectively. Resilience had 26.3% of the influence on work engagement and 50.5% of the influence on burnout. Sub-variables of causal analysis and empathy of resilience were statistically useful as factors influencing burnout. CONCLUSION: Resilience has been identified as a factor affecting work engagement and burnout. Therefore, nursing departments and nurse managers should strive to develop programs for the promotion of resilience.
Empathy ; Humans ; Nurse Administrators ; Surveys and Questionnaires

No Abstract Available.
Adult* ; Female ; Granuloma* ; Humans ; Toxocariasis*

No abstract available.
Dyspnea* ; Hypothyroidism*

No abstract available.
Connective Tissue Diseases* ; Connective Tissue* ; Diagnosis*

When bronchogenic carcinoma is coexisting with pulmonary tuberculosis, it is difficult to differentiate bronchogenic carcinoma from pulmonary tuberculosis radiologically. Thus, the object of this study is to define differential diagnosis of bronchogenic carcinoma by computed tomography. We analized CT scans of 27 patients with radiologic findings of pulmonary tuberculosis and mass of which twelve cases were pulmonary tuberculosis and fifteen cases were primary lung cancer. The location of parenchymal infiltration and the mass was the same in 60%(9/15) of the primary lung cancer in cases and 83%(10/12) of the pulmonary tuberculosis cases. The common location of the mass was the both upper lobes in 92%(11/12) of the pulmonary tuberculosis cases and 53%(8/15) of the primary lung cancer cases. The common locations of the mediastinal lymphadenopathy were 4R, 2R of the pulmonary tuberculosis cases and 4R, 10R of the primary lung cancer cases. In the feature of post enhanced lymph nodes, homogenous increased density was more frequent in primary lung cancer. Measurements of the maximum thickness part of the cavity wall was not a reliable indication of malignancy.
Carcinoma, Bronchogenic ; Diagnosis* ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung* ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary*

PURPOSE: To compare chest radiographic findings of pulmonary tuberculosis in non-AIDS immunocom- promised adult patients with those in immunocompetent patients. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Eighty six patients who had pulmonary tuberculosis were included in the study. Of these, 41 were non-AIDS immunocompromised adult patients and 45 were immunocompetent adult patients. Chest radiographs obtained from 86 patients were retrospectively evaluated with regard to the followings ;the anatomic distribution and extent of tuberculous lesions, typical or atypical patterns of radiographic findings. We then compared the results in non-AIDS immunocompromised adult patients with those in immunocompetent adult patients. RESULTS: The characteristic manifestation of pulmonary tuberculosis was a tendency of pulmonary lesions to localize in the apico-posterior segments of the upper lobe and the superior segment of the lower lobe in both groups but more wide distribution such as the anterior segment and the lingular segment of the upper lobe and the basal segments of the lower lobe was frequently identified in non-AIDS immunocompromised adult patients, and also bilateral, multisegmental and multilobular extents were common findings. in immunocompetent adult patients, more common findings were in local exudative and productive lesions and several cavities in preferential sites. Atypical plain radiographic findings were more common in non-AIDS immunocompromised adult patients, and which were multiple cavitary lesions, wide extent of bronchogenic spread and tuberculous pneumonia, and .miliary disseminations and mass like lesions. CONCLUSIONS: Pulmonary tuberculosis in non-AIDS immunocompromised adult patients is characterized by frequent bilateral distribution, wide pulmonary extent, and atypical radiographic findings.
Adult* ; Humans ; Pneumonia ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Retrospective Studies ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary*

OBJECTIVES: It is known that the high fibrogenecity of particles is connected with their cytotoxicity for macrophages. Although the molecular mechanism leading to fiber-induced fiber-induced cytotoxicity is still not clear, several mechanism have been suggested. The release of reactive oxygen species (ROS) from activated alveolar macrophages (AM) by dust have been suggested as a possible mechanism of particle-induced cell damage. But the mechanism which man-made vitreous fiber (MMVF) induces the production of ROS in AM is still not clear. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between ROS production and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release from alveolar treated with refractory ceramic fiber (RF2) or rock wool (RW1) and signal transduction path-way of ROS production in RF2 or RW1 exposed AM. METHODS: We investigated LDH release from MMVF-stimulated AM for index of cytotoxicity. To determine what kind of signal transduction pathways are involved in MMVF-stimulated ROS generation, we used some drugs which have an effect on the signal transduction pathway. RESULTS: RF2 and RW1 induced increase of LDH release with dose-dependent manner with RF2 having greater effect than RW1. There was a dose-dependent increase in the production of ROS by RF2 or RW1. At all level of concentration,. RF2 induced more ROS production than RW1. Inhibitors of PKC (bisindolylmaleimide), PLC (U73122 and neomycine) and PTK (genistein and erbstatin) suppressed RF2 or RW1-induced ROS production. CONCLUSION: There was significant correlation between LDH release and ROS production from AM treated with RF2 or RW1. RF2 and RW1 induced ROS generation through protein kinase C (PKC), phospholipase C (PLC) and protein tyrosin kinase (PTK) pathways.
Ceramics* ; Dust ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; Macrophages ; Macrophages, Alveolar* ; Phosphotransferases ; Protein Kinase C ; Reactive Oxygen Species* ; Signal Transduction* ; Type C Phospholipases ; Wool

OBJECTIVES: This study explored the relationship between alcohol consumption and exposure to traumatic events in male firefighters. METHODS: Data was collected from a sample of 584 firefighters at urban fire stations. We surveyed the firefighters using self-administered questionnaires including sociodemographic and job-related characteristics such as the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), Life Event Checklist (LEC), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Korean Occupational Stress Scale-Short Form (KOSS-SF), Impacted Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), Stait Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). RESULTS: There were significant differences in smoking, traumatic events (LEC), post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms (IES-R), and anxiety (STAI-T) between the two drinking groups (p<0.05). In multivariate logistic regression, smoking (OR=2.084, 95% CI=1.172-3.705), LEC (OR=1.163, 95% CI=1.010-1.339) and IES-R (OR=1.024, 95% CI=1.002-1.046) were significant predictors for AUDIT (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: These results indicate that an appropriate intervention about the exposure to traumatic events should play a useful role in preventing firefighter alcohol problems.
Alcohol Drinking ; Anxiety ; Checklist ; Depression ; Drinking ; Firefighters ; Fires ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to meta-analyze the relationships of major concepts, which were made by synthesizing similar explanatory variables into more comprehensive concepts, to hope. METHOD: The relevant researches from Jan 1980 to Dec 2003, performed in adults or adult patients, were collected. Using the SAS program, meta-analysis were done with the input data of the number of subjects, the correlation coefficients provided from most of the studies or a few transformed correlation coefficients from F value. In order to get the analysis to be done in homogeneous status of the data regarding each relationship of each major concept to hope(p>0.05), heterogeneous data were eliminated in repeating Q-test. RESULT: The major variable regarding relationship to self/transcendental being/life(spiritual wellbeing & self esteem) and social support(social support & family support) have very large positive effects on hope(D(_)=1.72, D(_)=1.27). The negative effect of the variable regarding captive state(uncertainty in illness, perceived unhealthiness status, & fatigue) and positive effect of coping(approach coping) on hope are in the level between moderate to large(D(_)=-0.61,D(_)=0.78). All the effects of the major concepts on hope were verified as significant statistically(p=.000). The Fail -Safe numbers showed the significant effects of the three major concepts except coping on hope were reliable. CONCLUSION: The results can be a guide to advance hope theory for nursing.
Attitude to Health ; *Emotions ; Humans ; Self Concept ; Social Support ; Spirituality