The cause of essential hypertension is yet unknown, but in general is caused by interaction of hereditary factors, diet, obesity, lack of exercise and stress. The aging process influences various physiological mechanism related to regulation of blood pressure. So elderly hypertensives have a tendancy to consider the disease as a result of the physiological aging process. This attitude causes many complications, worsening of the disease and even early death because of inappropriate care. In order to improve self-management of elderly hypertensives in this study the researcher examined the effect of blood pressure regulation by an education program that improves self-care behavior, through increasing self-efficacy. The education program consisted of group education on hypertension and self-care strategies, and encouraging and reinforcing self-efficacy resources such as verbal persuation, performance accomplishment and vicarious experiences. A quasi-experimental pre-and post-test design was used. Thirty-two elderly hypertensives participated in the study. Eighteen in the education group and fourteen in the control group. The education program consisted of eight sessions twice a week for four weeks. There was no intervention for the control group. Data were analysed using SPSS for Windows(Version 8.0). The results were as follows. 1. There was a significant decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure between the experimental group and control group over three different times, and interaction by groups and over time. 2. There was no significant difference in the level of self-care behavior between the experimental group and control group over three different times, and interaction by groups and over time. 3. There was significant difference in self-efficacy of experimental and control group, depending on the measuring period, but there was no difference between these groups on interaction by groups and over time. 4. There was positive correlation between self efficacy and self care behavior depending on the measuring period. There was negative correlation between diastolic blood pressure and self-care behavior on the posttest of the program, and between systolic blood pressure and self-care behavior on the follow-up test of the program. Findings indicate that this study will contribute to develop nursing strategies for the regulation of blood pressure for the elderly, which is easy for the elderly to learn as a nonpharmacologic approach.
Aged* ; Aging ; Blood Pressure* ; Diet ; Education* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Nursing ; Obesity ; Self Care* ; Self Efficacy

NSAID-induced upper gastrointestinal (GI) damage occurs easily in people with a prior history of complicated or uncomplicated ulcers. Many recent clinical studies have proved the benefit of Helicobacter pylori eradication in NSAID users; however, the exact pathophysiologic relationship between concomitant H. pylori infection and NSAID use has not yet been fully elucidated. Testing and eradication of H. pylori are generally recommended in patients who are at a high risk for NSAID-induced GI damage. However, in high-risk patients, ulcer prophylaxis with proton pump inhibitor or misoprostol is needed even if H. pylori has been successfully eradicated. In low-risk patients, it is still questionable whether or not eradication of H. pylori can reduce upper GI damage. However, in western countries, due to its cost effectiveness, testing and eradication of H. pylori is recommended before starting aspirin or NSAID irrespective of the risk level. In regions with a high prevalence of H. pylori infection (>20%), the usefulness of testing and eradication of H. pylori has not yet been determined.
Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/*therapeutic use ; Aspirin/therapeutic use ; Helicobacter Infections/*drug therapy ; *Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Peptic Ulcer/*etiology ; Proton Pump Inhibitors/therapeutic use ; Risk Factors

PURPOSE: This study was performed to explore the effect of senior simulation on nurses' attitudes toward the elderly. METHOD: Twenty-seven nurses working in various settings such as acute hospitals, community health centers, geriatric hospitals, and clinics were recruited. Among them, 25 subjects completed the whole experimental protocol. Aging Semantic Differential Scaling was utilized to evaluate attitudes toward the elderly and 'Suit for Experiencing Being Aged' from the Sakamoto Model was provided for the experiment. Before and after the experiment subjects filled out questionnaires. RESULT: Attitude score before experiment was 4.36, which indicates neutral attitude. Objective attitude scores were not different significantly after experiment. However subjective statements indicated attitude changes in a positive way. CONCLUSION: Senior simulation can affect nurses' attitude toward elderly in subjective way. That is, nurses became more empathetic and understanding to elderly's physical limitations and felt more initiative nursing approach were needed in caring elderly.
Adult ; *Aged ; *Attitude of Health Personnel ; Female ; Humans ; Nurse-Patient Relations ; Nurses/*psychology ; *Patient Simulation

Purpose: : This study aims to identify the factors influencing field adaptation among nurses who have undergone department transfers, by examining the levels of and the relationships between their nursing work environment, interpersonal skills, grit, and field adaptation. Methods: : The study involved 137 nurses who had experienced at least one department transfer within the last three years across two hospitals. Data analysis was performed using SPSS/WIN 29.0, involving descriptive statistics, means, standard deviations, independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Scheffé post-hoc tests, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple regression analysis (enter method). Results: : Factors affecting field adaptation included the nursing work environment (β=.37, p ＜.001), interpersonal skills (β=.19, p =.021) and grit (β=.18, p =.025), with a total explanatory power of 31% (F=12.16, p ＜.001). Conclusion : This study contributes insights into effective nursing personnel management, offers foundational data for managing department transfers, and aims to improve the overall quality of nursing care.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of dehydrated human amnion/chorion membrane (dHACM) to repair perforated sinus membranes in rabbits. METHODS: Bilateral surgical windows (7.5-mm diameter) were prepared on the nasal bones of 14 rabbits. Standardized circular perforations (5-mm diameter) were made in the sinus membrane by manipulating implant twist drills. The perforated sinus membranes were repaired using dHACM or a resorbable collagen membrane (CM). The negative control (NC) group did not undergo perforated sinus membrane repair, while the positive control (PC) group underwent sinus augmentation without perforations. The same amount of deproteinized porcine bone mineral was grafted in all 4 groups. After 6 weeks, micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and histomorphometric evaluations were conducted. RESULTS: The micro-CT analysis revealed that the total augmented volume was not significantly different among the groups. In the dHACM group, newly formed bone filled the augmented area with remaining biomaterials; however, non-ciliated flat epithelium and inflammatory cells were observed on the healed sinus membrane. Histometric analysis showed that the percentage of newly formed bone area in the dHACM group did not differ significantly from that in the CM group. The dHACM group showed a significantly higher percentage of newly formed bone area than the NC group, but there was no significant difference between the dHACM and PC groups. CONCLUSIONS: dHACM could be a feasible solution for repairing sinus membrane perforations that occur during sinus floor augmentation.
Amnion ; Biocompatible Materials ; Chorion ; Collagen ; Epithelium ; Humans ; Membranes ; Miners ; Nasal Bone ; Rabbits ; Sinus Floor Augmentation ; Transplants

For treatment of partially edentulous patients, a treatment using implant is widely used. Treatment method using implant are implant fixed prostheses and removable partial dentures, and for patients with severe bone resorption, removable implant overdenture with the effects of aesthetic and reducing cost can be used as treatment options. Specially, prosthesis with milled-bar and attachment has the effect of being splinted between implant fixtures, higher retention and stability than conventional removable partial denture. And it has the effect of improvement of aesthetic through lip support by denture base. In this case, the patient with severe alveolar bone resorption and partial edentulous maxilla and mandible was treated by implant-assisted removable partial denture using Milled-bar and ADD-TOC attachment. The esthetic was improved by removing the clasp because of effects of additional retention by using the attachment, and reducing palatal coverage of implant-assisted removable partial denture. The clinical results were satisfactory on the aspect of aesthetic and masticatory function.

PURPOSE: Congenital diaphragmatic hernia is an uncommon cause of respiratory distress in newborn infants and initially characterized by severe restrictive lung dysfunction. The problems of initial management and short-term prognosis have been well reported. However, long-term outcome has not been clearly defined. We studied the late respiratory problems and lung function after repair of congenital diaphragmatic hernia. METHODS: Fourteen patients who had repaired congenital diaphragmatic hernia at Ajou University from January 1995 to August 2009 were included for this study. RESULTS: Six cases (42.8%) showed late respiratory problems including recurrent bronchiolitis, pneumonia, bronchial asthma and prolonged chest wall retraction. Lung perfusion scan showed a perfusion defect in 1 case whose mean perfusion to the operated side was lower than the unaffected lung. Pulmonary function test showed restrictive pulmonary insufficiency in 2 cases. The cases with the late pulmonary problems revealed more restrictive pulmonary insufficiency compared to those without. The prolonged time taken to surgery from diagnosis, prolonged intensive care time, and prolonged ventilator care after surgery have been found to be the determinants of the impaired pulmonary functions. CONCLUSION: In summary, a portion (about 20%) of the patients with congenital diaphragmatic hernia showed impaired pulmonary function, even when they had no apparent respiratory symptom or limitations of activities. From these results, regular long-term follow-up of lung function is required postoperatively in patients with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, especially in cases with the aforementioned risk factors.
Asthma ; Bronchiolitis ; Bronchopneumonia ; Critical Care ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hernia, Diaphragmatic ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Lung ; Perfusion ; Prognosis ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Risk Factors ; Thoracic Wall ; Ventilators, Mechanical

Large numbers of reports have shown that thermal injury (TI) causes a wide spectrum of defects in immune response that lead to a high susceptibility to various opportunistic infections. However, it is still a matter of debate whether TI induces Th2 polarization or global impairment in Th1/Th2 response. In this study, TI in a mouse model was induced by exposing shaved dorsal skin to boiling water and cytokine production was analyzed. At day 2 of injury, whole spleen cells and T cells were collected and then stimulated with an anti-CD3 antibody. The levels of cytokine secretion were determined by cytokine ELISA. Production of IFNgamma and IL 4 by whole spleen cells from injured mice were concurrently decreased when compared to those from sham-injured controls. Proportional changes in T, B, and T-subset cells were not accompanied. Using purified T cells devoid of accessory cells (AC), it was shown that those defects resulted primarily from lowered T cell potentials. By using mixed cultures of sham T and TI-AC and vice versa, it was revealed that AC also acted as inhibitor cells in IFNgamma and IL 4 production in less extent. Blockade of glucocorticoid signals rendered the T cells partially resistant to TI-induced inhibition in IFNgamma and but not IL 4 production. These results clearly demonstrate that TI induces overall suppression in Th1 and Th2 response through T cell dysfunction together with the inhibition of AC activity, and that reduction in only IFNgamma but not IL 4, production may be caused, in part, by corticosteroid hormone that is secreted prominently during trauma.
Animals ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Mice ; Opportunistic Infections ; Skin ; Spleen ; T-Lymphocytes ; Water

Visceral lipoma originating from the mesentery is very rare in childhood. A 29-month-old male presented with painless abdominal distension. Abdominal ultrasonography and CT revealed a huge multilobulated hypodense mass in the peritoneal cavity. Exploratory laparotomy showed a 26 x 25 x 5 cm sized encapsulated, lobulated, homogenous mass, which originated from the transverse mesocolon. Histologic examination revealed a lipoma. The postoperative course was uneventful.
Child, Preschool ; Humans ; Laparotomy ; Lipoma* ; Male ; Mesentery ; Mesocolon ; Peritoneal Cavity ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: We studied to determine whether the degenerative spondylolisthesis has rotary deformity in addition to forward displacement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We have made an analysis of difference of rotary deformity between the 31 study groups of symptomatic degenerative spondylolisthesis and 31 control groups without any symptom,statistically. We also reviewed CT findings in 15 study groups. RESULTS: The mean rotary deformity in study groups was 6.1 degree(the standard deviation is 5.20), and the mean rotary deformity in control groups was 2.52 degree(the standard deviation is 2.16)(p <0.01) CONCLUSION: The rotary deformity can be accompanied with degenerative spondylolisthesis. We may consider the rotary deformity as a cause of symptomatic degenerative spondylolisthesis in case that any other cause is not detected.
Congenital Abnormalities* ; Spondylolisthesis*