BACKGROUND: Obesity is linked to a wide range of respiratory diseases. Several studies have shown that body weight at baseline and weight change were related to pulmonary function. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between change in body mass index (BMI) and pulmonary function in adults. METHODS: Of those aged 40-64 years at baseline who had initially visited the health promotion center at one university-level hospital from January 2000 to December 2002, 499 (men: 309, women: 190) patients revisited the center over a 5-year period up to December 2009 and were enrolled in the study. Subjects were classified into 4 groups- group 1: normal-normal, group 2: normal-obese, group 3: obese-normal, and group 4: obese-obese, based on their BMI at baseline and follow-up. Forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) and FEV1/FVC were measured by spirometry. RESULTS: Change in FEV1/FVC was significantly associated with change in BMI for men in all 4 groups. Change in FEV1/FVC was significantly different between group 1 and 3 and between group 1 and 4. Changes in FEV1, FVC and FEV1/FVC were significantly associated with change in BMI for women in all 4 groups. Change in FEV1 was significantly different between group 3 and 4, and change in FVC was significantly different between group 1 and 3. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that a change in BMI is negatively associated with change in pulmonary function. Obesity itself can be a risk factor for pulmonary dysfunction, and a decrease in BMI through weight reduction could reduce pulmonary dysfunction or improve pulmonary function in adults.
Adult ; Aged ; Body Mass Index ; Body Weight ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Male ; Obesity ; Risk Factors ; Vital Capacity ; Weight Loss

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to analyze and clarify the meaning of the concept for relocation stress -focusing on patients transferred from an intensive care unit to a general ward. METHODS: This study used Walker and Avant's process of concept analysis. RESULTS: Relocation stress can be defined by these attributes as follows: 1) involuntary decision about relocation, 2) moving from a familiar and safe environment to an unfamiliar one, 3) broken relationship of safety and familiarity, 4) physiological and psychosocial change after relocation. The antecedents of relocation stress consisted of these facts: 1) preparation degrees of transfer from the intensive care unit to a general ward, 2) pertinence of the information related to the transfer process, 3) change of major caregivers, 4) change in numbers of monitoring devices, 5) change in the level of self-care. There are consequences occurring as a result of relocation stress: 1) decrease in patients' quality of life, 2) decrease in coping capacity, 3) loss of control. CONCLUSION: Relocation stress is a core concept in intensive nursing care. Using this concept will contribute to continuity of intensive nursing care.
Adaptation, Psychological ; Caregivers ; Concept Formation ; Humans ; *Intensive Care Units ; *Patient Transfer ; Patients' Rooms ; *Stress, Psychological

PURPOSE: In this study, relationships between symptom experience and quality of life in a cross-sectional sample of patients with Atrial Fibrillation (AF) were investigated. METHODS: This descriptive study involved a convenience sample of AF patients from S university hospital, C city. One hundred and two AF patients completed psychometric validated measures of AF related symptoms and quality of life. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation coefficients with SPSS WIN 14.0 were used for data analysis. RESULTS: Of 16 atrial arrhythmia-related symptoms, the patients reported 'tiredness' as the most frequent and 'shortness of breath' as the most severe. The level of overall quality of life for patients with AF was 53.92. There were significant differences in symptom frequency according to religion, New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification and left ventricular ejection fraction ; symptom severity according to monthly income and stroke ; quality of life according to age, job, alcohol intake, NYHA class and stroke. Quality of life for these patients was positively correlated with symptom frequency and symptom severity. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that patients with more frequent and severe symptoms perceive poorer quality of life than patients with less frequent and less severe symptoms. Symptom experience should be assessed early to improve quality of life for patients.
Atrial Fibrillation ; Heart ; Humans ; New York ; Psychometrics ; Quality of Life ; Statistics as Topic ; Stroke ; Stroke Volume

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare anxiety, depression and quality of life according to the severity of urinary incontinence in married women. METHOD: The participants were 168 married women aged 30-65 years who experienced urinary incontinence. The data were collected from May to July, 2006 using a structured questionnaire. Frequencies, percent, means and standard deviation, t-test, ANOVA, chi-square-test and Scheffe test with SPSS win 14.0 program were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: The distribution of urinary incontinence severity was mild 87.5%, or moderate 12.5%. Significant differences in the severity of urinary incontinence were found for the general characteristics of age, education level, having a job and having a spouse and for the obstetric characteristics of type of delivery, and menopause. Differences in the score for anxiety (t=-2.41, p=0.001) and quality of life (t=5.50, p<0.001) according to the severity of urinary incontinence were statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Women with moderate to severe urinary incontinence should be screened for psychosocial factors. Severity of urinary incontinence in married women negatively affects their quality of life. Further research is needed to determine factors predicting the quality of life for incontinent women.
Anxiety* ; Depression* ; Education ; Female ; Humans ; Menopause ; Psychology ; Quality of Life* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Spouses ; Urinary Incontinence*

A neonate may incur liver injury during spontaneous delivery. The liver is the organ most likely to be injured during the birth process. Breech presentation and manipulation are the most common causes of hepatic trauma. However, hepatic hemorrhage can occur in any infant, regardless of size and the type of delivery. Infants with subcapsular hemorrhage are usually asymptomatic at birth, and gross hepatic rupture from these lesions is unusual. In patient with primary rupture, major bleeding takes place immediately, explaining the high percentage of neonatal deaths with massive liver rupture. If subcapsular hemorrhage remain intracapsular with spontaneous resolution, the only treatment needed in subcapsular hemorrhage may be transfusion. We experienced one case of neonatal subcapsular hemorrhage with persistent hyperbilirubinemia. We report this case with the brief review of related literature.
Breech Presentation ; Female ; Hematoma* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hyperbilirubinemia ; Hyperbilirubinemia, Neonatal* ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Liver ; Parturition ; Pregnancy ; Rupture

PURPOSE: Relocation stress is a common phenomenon in patients discharged from an intensive care unit(ICU) to a ward. Therefore, nurses need to be aware of the problems that can arise during the transfer process. The aim of this study was to identify nurses' experiences in transferring critically ill patients from the ICU to a ward. METHOD: Focus group interviews were done with 13 nurses from wards and ICU, which participated in receiving and sending of ICU patients. The debriefing notes and field notes were analyzed using the consistent comparative data analysis method. RESULT: Seven major categories were identified in the analysis of the data. These were 'mixed feeling about transfer', 'lack of transfer readiness', 'increase in family burden', 'uncertainty with unfamiliar environment', 'difficulty in decision making', 'difference of perception of the relationships between patients and health care providers', 'need for continuity of nursing care'. CONCLUSION: Transferring out of the critical care area should be presented to the patient and family as a positive step in the recovery process. However, a more universal method of passing information from nurse to nurse is needed to assist in a smooth transition.
Collodion ; Critical Care ; Critical Illness ; Delivery of Health Care ; Focus Groups ; Humans ; Critical Care ; Intensive Care Units ; Statistics as Topic

PURPOSE: This study was done to identify the relationship of malnutrition, social network and health-related quality of life and to investigate the main factors influencing health-related quality of life in elders. METHODS: The research design was a descriptive survey design using a convenience sampling. Data were collected by self-report questionnaires from 196 elders. Data analysis was done using SPSS 18.0 pc+ program for descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients and stepwise multiple regression. RESULTS: The average score for health related quality of life was 3.33 (SD=0.86). Differences in health-related quality of life were statistically significant according to age, gender, occupation, presence of spouse, monthly income, source of income, economic status, medicine, and existence of chronic disease. Health-related quality of life was significantly correlated with malnutrition and social network. Major factors affecting health related quality of life for elders were malnutrition, occupation, age, social network, and economic status which explained 52.0% of the variance in health related quality of life. CONCLUSION: Findings provide a basis for developing nursing interventions to improve health-related quality of life. Future studies are needed a wide variety of variables that might influence health-related quality of life in elders.
Aged ; Chronic Disease ; Humans ; Malnutrition ; Occupations ; Quality of Life ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Research Design ; Spouses ; Statistics as Topic

OBJECTIVE: Hematologic abnormalities in toxemia mothers and their babies have been documented. The purpose of this study was to explore the hematologic findings in mothers with toxemia and postnatal hematologic findings in their babies. The relationship of hematologic findings between toxemia mothers before delivery and their babies immediately after birth was also examined. METHODS: Forty-six pairs of singleton toxemia mothers and their babies born by C-section with 28 to 35 weeks of gestation from Jan. 1995 to Dec. 1999 were enrolled. Fifty pairs of singleton normotensive mothers and their babies with the same gestational period and delivery method were matched for control group. Blood samples of mothers were performed before delivery, and those of their babies, were done immediately after birth, day 3 and 7 of life. Hemoglobin(Hb) concentration, total white blood cell(WBC) count, absolute neutrophil count(ANC), and platelet count were examined. RESULTS: Toxemia mothers have significantly lower platelet count compared with controls(191,000+/-83,200/mm3 vs. 252,000+/-92,700/mm3, p<0.05). There were no difference between both groups in Hb, WBC and ANC. On the first day of life, Hb was significantly higher(16.97+/-2.36g/dL vs 14.32+/-1.5g/dL, p<0.05), but WBC, ANC and platelet count were significantly lower in babies born to toxemia mothers than those of control group(p<0.05 for all). In babies born to toxemia mothers, Hb was significantly decreased until the seventh day of life(16.97g/dL, 15.48g/dL, 14.61g/dL, p<0.05), however, WBC and platelet count were significantly decreased until the third day of life and then incresed until the seventh day of life(11,832/mm3, 8,334/mm3, 10,104/mm3 for WBC, p<0.05, and 152,220/mm3, 144,720/mm3, 214,090/mm3 for platelet, p<0.05, respectively). CONCLUSION: Hemoglobin concentration was significantly higher, whereas WBC, ANC and platelet were significantly lower in babies of toxemia mothers than those of control group. In babies born to toxemia mothers, Hb was significantly decreased until the seventh day of life, however, WBC and platelet count were significantly decresed until the third day and then increased until the seventh day of life. There was no relationship between hematologic findings of toxemia mothers and their babies.
Blood Platelets ; Humans ; Mothers* ; Neutrophils ; Parturition ; Platelet Count ; Pregnancy ; Toxemia*

Streptococcus Gallolyticus subspecies pasteurianus is a biotype II/2 of Streptococcus bovis. Although there is a clear correlation between Streptococcus bovis bacteremia and the risk of developing colon cancer, the relationship between Streptococcus gallolyticus subspecies pasteurianus bacteremia and colon cancer is not clear. We report a 53-year-old female who initially presented with fever and low back pain. Streptococcus gallolyticus subspecies pasteurianus was isolated in blood cultures, so we performed a colonoscopy and discovered colon cancer.
Bacteremia* ; Colon* ; Colonic Neoplasms* ; Colonoscopy ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Low Back Pain ; Middle Aged ; Streptococcus bovis ; Streptococcus*

PURPOSE: Acute bronchiolitis is a lower respiratory tract disease, resulting from inflammatory obstruction of the small airway. The main treatment of acute bronchiolitis is supportive but, numerous investigators have examined the efficacy of beta agonist as bronchodilators. In acute bronchiolitis, mucosal edema in the bronchioles may be an important cause of airway obstruction therefore, an alpha and beta agonist might be useful in the treatment of this disease. So we examined the efficacy and safety of repeated nebulized epinephrine compared to fenoterol. METHODS: This randomized double blind study involved 106 hospitalized infants with wheezing, under one year age and acute onset of respiratory distress. They were randomly separated into two groups, and treated with either nebulized 0.1% epinephrine 0.5 mg in 3.5 mL of 0.9% saline solution (group 1; n=50) or nebulized fenoterol 0.5 mg in 2 mL of 0.9% saline solution(group 2; n=50). This therapy was repeated at six hour intervals after hospital admission. Observations were made at admission and just before, 30 minutes after nebulization. The primary outcome measures used were the degree of change in clinical scores. The secondary outcome measures used were the length of the hospital stay. RESULTS: A significant improvement in the clinical score was noted during 72 hours of hospitalization in both groups(P<0.001). But, there were no significant differences between the groups in clinical score improvement. There were no significant differences between the groups in the length of the hospital stay(P=0.055). No adverse effects were associated with nebulized therapy. CONCLUSION: There were no group differences in the effectiveness of therapy for infants hospitalized with acute bronchiolitis.
Infant ; Male ; Female ; Humans