PURPOSE: This study was done for the purpose of testing the effects of hand moxibustion on pain in the knee joint, range of motion of the knee, and discomfort during ADL in elderly persons with knee joint pain. METHOD: Nonequivalent control group pre-post test research design was used. The participants were 35 elders who had knee joint pain. Sixteen were assigned to the experimental group and 19 to the control group. The instruments used for this study were the GRS (Graphic rating scale) for knee joint pain, goniometer for knee joint ROM, and modified ADL questionnaire developed by Lee. Analysis of data was done by percents, means and standard deviation, x2test, t-test, and ANCOVA using SPSS WIN 10.0. RESULT: The pain score for the right knee joint after hand moxibustion was significantly different between the experimental group and the control group after hand moxibustion (p=.035). The pain score for the left knee joint was not significantly different between the experimental group and the control group after hand moxibustion (p=.075). Right and left knee ROM scores were significantly different between the experimental group and the control group after hand moxibustion (Right p=.000, Left p=.034). Discomfort of ADL score was not significantly different between the experimental group and the control group after hand moxibustion (p=.053). CONCLUSION: In summary, knee joint pain in elders after hand moxibustion decreased and knee ROM in elders after hand moxibustion increased. So it would be useful for nurses to provide hand moxibustion as an alternative therapy to elders with knee joint pain in the community and thus reduce joint pain and increase knee ROM
Activities of Daily Living* ; Aged* ; Arthralgia* ; Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Hand* ; Humans ; Knee Joint* ; Knee* ; Moxibustion* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Range of Motion, Articular* ; Research Design

BACKGROUND: Postoperative ileus is a universal complication after major intraabdominal surgery. Choice of postoperative analgesia may affect the rate of functional recovery of bowel. Epidural analgesia with morphine and bupivacaine is a popular method for pain relief. However little is known about the effects of this regimen on bowel motility. METHODS: Forty patients undergoing partial or total gastrectomy were randomized into two groups. All groups received a standardized general inhalation anesthesia with enflurane. Control group received traditional intramuscular(IM) administration of meperidine for the postoperative analgesia. Experimental group received a bolus of epidural 0.5% bupivacaine 10 ml followed by continuous epidural infusion of 0.21% bupivacaine with 0.01% morphine, started at the end of operation with the basal infusion rate of 1 ml/hours, bolus 1 ml, and ldegrees Ckout interval 30 min during 48 hr. We compared the analgesic effect, side effects and restoration of bowel function(first passage of flatus and feces)between two groups. Postoperative pain was assessed using the 10 cm visual analog pain scale (0=no pain, 10=worst imaginable pain) at rest. Scores were taken at 1, 6 hours after operation and 7 AM, 6 PM of the 1st postoperative day and 7 AM of the 2nd postoperative day. RESULTS: Experimental group revealed superior analgesia(p<0.005) but had a greater incidence of nausea, pruritus and urinary retention. No significant difference was found in restoration of bowel function between two groups. CONCLUSION: There was no superior effect of epidural analgesia with morphine and bupivacaine on bowel motility after gastrectomy than the effect of traditional IM meperidine administration.
Analgesia ; Analgesia, Epidural* ; Anesthesia, Inhalation ; Bupivacaine* ; Enflurane ; Flatulence ; Gastrectomy* ; Humans ; Ileus ; Incidence ; Meperidine ; Morphine* ; Nausea ; Pain Measurement ; Pain, Postoperative ; Pruritus ; Urinary Retention

Intussusception is rare in adults accounting for 5% of all cases. It can be caused by various lesions but is rarely the result of trauma. Recently we encountered a case of adult intussusception after blunt abdominal trauma without any other leading causes. We report this case with a review of the relevant literatures.
Abdomen, Acute ; Adult* ; Humans ; Intussusception*