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*

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

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to develop feasible and detailed infection control guidelines (ICG) and audit protocols for health care workers and auditors in postpartum care centers (PCC). METHODS: PCC ICG and audit protocols were developed in several steps: 1) review of previous ICG for PCCs; 2) establishment of frameworks for updating guidelines and audit protocols; 3) review of new ICG, regulations, etc.; 4) drafting of PCC ICG and audit protocols and revision based on feedback from the research committee; 5) Delphi survey to solicit opinions from infection control, infant care, and maternal care professionals as well as PCC health care workers; 6) re-revision after discussion with the research committee; and 7) finalization of PCC ICG and audit protocols. RESULTS: We developed ICG with 4 categories and 26 sub-categories, and internal and external audit protocols with 163 and 85 items, respectively. CONCLUSION: The ICG and audit protocols are valid and feasible; we recommend their utilization as auditing tools, baseline data for the development of national infection control policies, and as educational materials for PCC healthcare workers.
Checklist ; Delivery of Health Care ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant Care ; Infection Control* ; Postnatal Care* ; Postpartum Period* ; Social Control, Formal

Background: Transportation costs can be a barrier to healthcare services, especially for low-income, disabled, elderly, and geographically isolated populations. This study aimed to estimate the transportation costs of healthcare service utilization and related influencing factors in Korea in 2016. Methods: Transportation costs were calculated using data from the 2016 Korea Health Panel Study. A total of 14,845 participants were included (males, 45.07%; females, 54.93%), among which 2,148 participants used inpatient and 14,787 used outpatient care services.Transportation costs were estimated by healthcare types, transportation modes, and all disease and injury groups that caused healthcare service utilization. The influencing factors of higher transportation costs were analyzed using multivariable regression analysis. Results: In 2016, the average transportation costs were United States dollars (USD) 43.70 (purchasing power parity [PPP], USD 32.35) per year and USD 27.67 (PPP, USD 20.48) per visit for inpatient care; for outpatient case, costs were USD 41.43 (PPP, USD 30.67) per year and USD 2.09 (PPP, USD 1.55) per visit. Among disease and injury groups, those with neoplasms incurred the highest transportation costs of USD 9.73 (PPP, USD 7.20). Both inpatient and outpatient annual transportation costs were higher among severely disabled individuals (inpatient, +USD 44.71; outpatient, +USD 23.73) and rural residents (inpatient, +USD 20.40; outpatient, +USD 28.66). Transportation costs per healthcare visit were influenced by healthcare coverage and residential area. Sex, age, and income were influencing factors of higher transportation costs for outpatient care. Conclusion Transportation cost burden was especially high among those with major noncommunicable diseases (e.g., cancer) or living in rural areas, as well as elderly, severely disabled, and low-income populations. Thus, there is a need to address the socioeconomic disparities related to healthcare transportation costs in Korea by implementing targeted interventions in populations with restricted access to healthcare.

No abstract available.
Foreign Bodies* ; Granuloma, Foreign-Body* ; Lipectomy*

BACKGROUND: Norwegian scabies is a highly infectious disease characterized by crust formation, different from ordinary scabies, and is caused by Sarcoptes scabiei. After the patient in our case was diagnosed with Norwegian scabies, active measures were taken to prevent its transmission within the hospital. Methods: A 66-year-old female patient was admitted to the general ward of a university hospital on January 23rd, 2008 and 6 days later, she was found to have been infected with Norwegian scabies all over the body. For epidemiological investigation, those who had been in contact with the patient were identified and interviewed. The patient was advised to follow the contact precaution, and linen the patient used was cleaned thoroughly. The surrounding environment was decontaminated by applying surface disinfectant. Preventive cream against the Norwegian scabies was distributed to staff members and patients who had been exposed to the patient, and appointed a dermatologist to educate them on how to use of medicine, what the mechanism of the disease is, what cautions must be taken, and how to write an ex post facto report. RESULTS: After the confirmation of the 1st case, no additional cases have been reported in the hospital during the ensuing 2 months. Therefore, prompt prevention and infection control activities against Norwegian scabies can be thought to have been successful. CONCLUSION: Whena patient with an uncertain skin disease is admitted, pertinent measures must be taken from the moment the patient is admitted and contact precaution should be applied both to the patients and the staff members. When a scabies patient is detected in an institution, the medical staff must enforce as much active preventive measures as possible, and by doing so, there will be a better chance to prevent the outbreak of scabies in the hospital.
Aged ; Bedding and Linens ; Communicable Diseases ; Cross Infection ; Female ; Humans ; Infection Control ; Medical Staff ; Patients' Rooms ; Sarcoptes scabiei ; Scabies ; Skin Diseases

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the main factors influencing family functioning of caregivers in families with stroke. METHOD: A Convenient sample of 173 primary family caregivers who take care of a stroke patient at an Oriental medicine hospital in Jeonbuk. Interviews were done with a standardized questionnaire including family functioning by nurses. RESULTS: In Pearson's correlation analysis, the influencing factors related to family functioning were ADL(p=.017), level of paralysis(p=.019) as stressors, Quality of relation(p=.000) as situational variables, and family caregivers' burden(p=.000). Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed 29.9% of the variance family functioning was significantly accounted for by the quality of relationship between stroke patient and caregiver(26.8%), and caregiver burden(3.1%). CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicate that families of stroke patients need family-focused nursing intervention as supported care to improve the relationship between patient and primary caregiver and relieve caregiver burden by culturally tailoring to Korean.
Caregivers* ; Humans ; Jeollabuk-do ; Medicine, East Asian Traditional ; Nursing ; Stroke* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: To find the effect of visual feedback of head angle with using a mobile posture-aware system on craniocervical angle and neck and shoulder muscles fatigue for preventing or decreasing the forward head posture. METHODS: Twenty-four healthy young adults in Chungbuk to participate in this study. The subjects started to watch a movie clip for 10 minutes with visual feedback in 0°, 30°, and 60° of head angles. During the task, surface electromyography (EMG) was used to collect data from the upper trapezius (UT), sternocleidomasetoid muscle (SCM), cervical erecter spinae (CES) during watching the smartphone. Craniocervical angles were measured using a sagittal-view photograph of the subject in a sitting posture. A one-way repeated analysis of variance with a significant level of 0.05 used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Craniocervical angle with 0° visual feedback was significantly greater than 30°and 60°. Craniocervical angle with 30° visual feedback was significantly greater than 60°. In addition, MDF of UT muscles in 0° and 30° of visual feedback was significantly greater than 60°. CONCLUSION: We concluded that 0° visual feedback of head angle with using a mobile posture-aware system would be beneficial to prevent or decrease forward head posture during watching a smartphone. We also could recommend using of 30° visual feedback in case of caring UT muscle fatigue primarily.
Chungcheongbuk-do ; Electromyography ; Fatigue* ; Feedback, Sensory* ; Head* ; Humans ; Muscle Fatigue ; Muscles* ; Neck* ; Posture ; Shoulder* ; Smartphone* ; Superficial Back Muscles ; Young Adult

No abstract available.
Catheterization, Central Venous* ; Central Venous Catheters* ; Jugular Veins*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare depression and quality of life (QOL) according to nutritional status of elderly cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. METHODS: A sample of 144 elderly cancer patients receiving chemotherapy was recruited for the cross-sectional survey design. The instruments were the Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF), Geriatric Depression Scale Short Form-Korea (GDSSF-K), European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30 and QLQ ELD14. Data were analyzed using the SPSS/WIN program. RESULTS: Nutrition had mean of 10.17 points out of 14 and depression had mean of 6.72 points (out of 15). In quality of life, global health status/QoL was 50.06 points, 66.68 for the functional scale, and 29.77 for the symptom scale based on 100 points. The quality of life of elderly cancer patients was 36.52~70.14. There was a significant difference between the well-nourished and malnourished group in depression and QoL. There were significant correlations among the variables, nutritional status, depression and quality of life. CONCLUSION: We found that patients with cancer of the elderly receiving chemotherapy had poor nutritional status, depression, and poor QoL. It is necessary to evaluate the nutritional status of elderly cancer patients receiving chemotherapy and to develop interventions.
Aged* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Depression* ; Drug Therapy* ; Global Health ; Humans ; Nutritional Status* ; Quality of Life*