Tumors of the central nervous system are the second most frequent neoplasm in children. In a review of 43 children with brain tumor under the age of 16 evaluated at a pediatric and neurosurgical department at Severance Hospital Yonsei University during a 61/2 year period, following results were obtained. 1. All 43 cases were diagnosed by pathological examination as well as brain CT scan. The sex ratio of male and female was equal. The age distribution was highest between 13-14 year of age and 7% of them were under 1 year of age. 2. There was a small preponderance of infratentorial tumors (51%) over supratentoral tumors (49%). 3. Among 43 verified brain tumors by pathological examination, glioma represented 75%, of which astrocytoma was the commonest neoplasm being 19 cases (45%) and remainder were medulloblastoma 10 cases (23%), choroid plexus droglioma 2 cases (5%), ependymoma 1case (2%). The rest were craniopharyngioma 6 cases (14%), choroid plexus papilloma 1 case (2%), neuroblastoma 2 cases (5%), pineal teratoma 1 case (2%), melanotic neuroectodermal turmor 1 case (2%). 4. The most common symptom was headache occuring 63% of the patients followed by vomiting, motor weakness, visual disturbance, gait distrubance, mental disturbance and seizure in order of trequency. Neurological signs showed positive Babinski sign, papilledema, cerebellar sign, 6th nerve palsy and facial weakness. 5. Plain skull X-ray changes were noted in 26 out of the 43 cases (61%). Those were suture separation of skull noted 35% of tumors followed in frequency by increased digital marking, sella changes and calcification. 6. In brain CT scan studies, the most common abnormal finding was solid mass shadow followed by cystic mass shadow, solid and cystic mass shadow. After contrast infusion, diffuse enhancement was the most common features. 7. 27 cases were treated by operation only, 15 by operation and radiotherapy, 1 by operation, radiation and chemotherapy. 8. Progonsis of brain tumor was very poor. 5 of 43 cases died within 1 month of diagnosis, 1 year survival rate was 19%, and 2 year survival rate was 16%. The survival rate was better in the group of patients in whom total or subtotal resection combined with radiotherapy was performed. 53% of cases were not able to follow-up or discharged anainst advice without proper treatment.
Abducens Nerve Diseases ; Age Distribution ; Astrocytoma ; Brain Neoplasms* ; Brain* ; Central Nervous System ; Child* ; Choroid Plexus ; Craniopharyngioma ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Ependymoma ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gait ; Glioma ; Headache ; Humans ; Infratentorial Neoplasms ; Male ; Medulloblastoma ; Neural Plate ; Neuroblastoma ; Papilledema ; Papilloma, Choroid Plexus ; Radiotherapy ; Reflex, Babinski ; Seizures ; Sex Ratio ; Skull ; Survival Rate ; Sutures ; Teratoma ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Vomiting

No abstract available.
Vibrio vulnificus* ; Vibrio*

PURPOSE: Asphyxia is the most common cause of neurologic sequelae in perinatal period. We hoped to help other clinicians by investigating factors affecting neurologic outcome in asphyxiated term babas. METHODS: A clinical study of factors affecting neurologic outcome was made on 120 patients, who were asphyxiated term baby. They admitted to neonatal intensive care unit of Chungnam National University Hospital from January, 1995 to December, 1996. RESULTS: There was no significant correlation in neurologic outcome and gestational age, delivery type, sex, birth weight, one minute Apgar score. Five minute Apgar score had influence on neurologic outcome. Presence of acidemia had influence on neurologic outcome. Mental status and seizure influenced on neurologic outcome. Poor neurologic outcome was prone to come in the presence of prolonged duration of abnormal mental function or a repetitive seizure not controlled immediately. There was poor neurologic outcome in the patients who have abnormal findings on EEG, CT, and neurosonography. In addition, there was poor neurologic outcome in congenital heart disease patients. All of above had statistical significance. CONCLUSION: Now, we can obtain much benefit by monitoring clinical course such as five minute Apgar score, mental change, and seizure. And, we can obtain much benefit by monitoring acidemia and perform EEG, CT and neurosonography.
Apgar Score ; Asphyxia ; Birth Weight ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Electroencephalography ; Gestational Age ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Hope ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Seizures

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous Mitral Valvuloplasty (PMV) is the first-line treatment modality in selected patients with symptomatic mitral stenosis and more recently available Inoue single-balloon catheter technique produces good results with low incidence of complications. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the immediate and over 6 months follow-up results after successful PMV with an Inoue balloon and to identify the predictive factors for the results. METHODS: From May 1995 to Feburary 1997, a PMV with an Inoue balloon was tech-nically successful in 114 (95%) of the 119 patients treated at the Sejong General Hostpital. In this study, a series of echocardiographic follow-up were performed in 54 patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis, at least 6 months after their successful PMV. In PMV, the inflation was conducted in steps, starting with a recommended maximum size of balloon by the Inoue criteria. After each inflation, the mitral valve opening and competence were evaluated by Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and continuing increase balloon size. RESULTS: Echocardiographic follow-up assessment was performed in 54 patients serially in a interval of 3 months or 6 months. Their mean age was 46+/-11 years (24 to 66 years) and the mean total echocardiographic score was 7.1+/-1.6. A optimal result was obtained in 95% of the cases (51/54). The post-PMV mitral valve area increased to 1.95+/-0.37 cm 2 and 1.79+/-0.28 cm 2 by 2-D and Doppler method, the average transmitral mean diastolic pressure gradient decreased to 5.16+/-2.8 mmHg and LA pressure was decreased to 11.28+/-8.2 mmHg. The newly developed and aggravated mitral regurgitation was observed in 17 patients (31.5%). The restenosis was noted in 2 cases (3.7%) after 1 year follow-up. The pre-procedural echocardiographic score for leaflet mobility, thickening and calcification was more higher in patients with restenosis. There was significant tendency of decrement in the mitral valve area in patients with a echocardiographic score=8 compared with those< or =8 over 6 months after the PMV. CONCLUSION: PMV with the Inoue balloon under TEE guide as a combined treatment modality of patient with symptomatic mitral stenosis is relatively safe and achieves good immediate and midterm follow-up results. The echocardiographic score is considered as useful predictor of midterm results and restenosis after PMV with Inoue balloon.
Blood Pressure ; Catheters ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Inflation, Economic ; Mental Competency ; Mitral Valve ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency ; Mitral Valve Stenosis

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the influencing factors on turnover intention of nurses in long-term care hospitals. METHODS: Data were collected from 210 nurses in 11 long-term care hospitals in B city. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and Stepwise multiple regression. RESULTS: Turnover intention was significantly correlated with emotional labor(r=.35, p<.001) and job involvement (r=-.38, p<.001). In a multiple regression, emotional labor (beta=.31, p<.001), age (beta=-.27, p<.001), job satisfaction (beta=.24, p<.001), job involvement (beta=-.23, p<.001), and number of patients assigned(beta=.14, p=.009) were associated with turnover intention. These factors attributed to 41.2% of the total variance in turnover intention. CONCLUSION: Considering the results of this study, proactive educational and/or human resource management interventions need to be developed especially for those younger nurses in order to reduce emotional labor as well as to promote job satisfaction and job involvement of nurses in long-term care hospitals.
Humans ; Intention* ; Job Satisfaction ; Long-Term Care*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Binding Sites* ; Carbon Monoxide* ; Carbon* ; Rats* ; Serotonin*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the predictors of Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) among hospital nurses. METHODS: Participants in this study were 231 nurses from two hospitals. The self-reported questionnaire was used to assess the level of self-efficacy, social support and OCB. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation coefficient, t-test, ANOVA and multiple regression. RESULTS: The mean score of OCB was 4.82, self-efficacy was 4.65, and social support was 4.56. The OCB was statistically significant according to position (t=-1.97, p=.049). The OCB was positively correlated with self-efficacy (r=.558, p<.001) and social support (r=.245, p<.001). The self-efficacy and social support explained 33.0% of the variance for OCB. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that developing programs to improve self-efficacy and social support might be useful. Furthermore, more studies are needed to explore variables that influence nurses' Organizational Citizenship Behavior.
Surveys and Questionnaires

No abstract available.
Humans

This study examined burdens of primary family carcgivcrs of paticnto with cerebrovascular accidents (CVA) along with related factors. In addition, their needs for support group intervention were assessed to develop a support group to reduce the burdens of caregiving. Eighty-one primary family caregivers of patients with CVAs at a general hospital in Seoul participated in this study . The patients with CVAs aged from 26 to 83 years with mean age of 63 years. About 90% of the patients had some paralysis and 56.6% suffered speech problems. Fifty-eight percent of the primary family caregivers were spouses of the patients and 80.2% were women. Primary family caregivers' burdens were assessed by the Burden Scale originally devel oped by Zarit (1980) and Novak & Geust(1989) and modified by Jang (1995) for use in Korea. The instrument consists of six subscales time-dependent burden, developmental burden, physical burden, emotional burden, social burden, and financiaI burden. The results were as follows : 1. The average of burden score was 91.7, indicating moderate to severe level of burden. The time-dependent burden was scored highest followed by physical, developmental, social, financial, and emotional burdens. 2. of the characteristics of patients, age, gender, and severity of the disease were found to be associated with the level of burden. Of the characteristics of primary family caregivers, age and educational level were significantly related to the level of burden. Time of care since the CVA and the quality of relationship between a patient and a caregiver prior to the stroke were significant situational factors affecting the level of burden. 3. The need for support group intervention for the caregivero was very high (95.1%). The earcgivcrs of patients who had a CVA for the first time showed higher levels of need compared to those of patients who had a CVA more than once. The caregivers indicated a support group held once a month near home or hospital would be welcomed. In addition, they replied that a group composed of 9 to 10 caregivers and guided by health care professionals (e.g., physicians and nurses) would be most desirable. More than 85% of the earegivers identified the areas that they wanted intervention in as follows : knowledge, skills, and resources to care for a patient with a CVA. the counsel of health care professionals, share of their experiences with those who have similar situations, stress management skills, and methods to overcome emotional isolation due to the great responsibility for a patient. Given the results, support group is expected to be an effective way to reduce the burdens of primary family caregivers of patients with CVAs. As a follow up It is necessary to examine the effect of support group intervention on the patient's recovery and rehabilitation.
Caregivers* ; Delivery of Health Care ; Female ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Korea ; Paralysis ; Rehabilitation ; Self-Help Groups* ; Seoul ; Spouses ; Stroke*

The authors had studied 55 cases with clinical seizure who were regularly treated with appropriate anticonvulsants over 6 months. In their distribution of age, teens are most freguent and their twenties followed. Males are more affected than female in the ratio of 3 to 2. Seizure may occur at any age; but our study shows that it is commoner in the first to third decades of life, about 72% of all cases, commonest in teens. The figures for 55 cases collected by us are : generalized type, 78% ; partial type, 22% ; 60% of all cases 33 are ldiopathic group, who had no demonstrable underlying neurologic abnormality. The major part of all idiopathic cases had their attacks of seizure before 30 years of age and; those of symptomatic cases are rather late over age of 30, and their figures are; cerebrovascular disorder, 6 cases; brain tumor, 5 cases; cerebral cysticercosis, 4 cases. 51 cases of all patients had evident abnormalities on their EEG. According to both their type of seizure and EEG findings, their drug was determined and, if need be, second drug was added. Freguently used drugs were dilantin, phenobarbital & Valproic acid etc. Mean therapeutic serum levels of anticonvulsants are: dilantin, 8.3 mg/L phenobarbital, 12.4 mg/L; which levels are less than those in U. S. A. In our study, the reponse to anticonvulsants were mostly good in about 2 years.
Adolescent ; Anticonvulsants ; Brain Neoplasms ; Cerebrovascular Disorders ; Cysticercosis ; Electroencephalography ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Phenobarbital ; Phenytoin ; Seizures* ; Valproic Acid