Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related disorder. Both the prevalence and the incidence of AD double approximately every 5 years after the age of 60. This is a particularly serious problem considering that the Korean elderly population is rapidly growing. We present three illustrative cases of AD in mild, moderate, and advanced stages, respectively. Their initial symptoms were memory impairment which was followed by language disturbance and visuospatial dysfunction. Abnormal behaviors such as delusion and aggression occurred in moderate and severe cases. The presence and severity of dementia in these cases were established by history taking, neurological examination, standardized mental status assessment, and neuropsychological test. Laboratory investigations showed no abnormalities that could account for the cognitive deficits. Brain CT or MRI findings of the patients wee not remarkable except for a diffuse atrophy demonstrated by increased ventricular volume, narrowed gyri, and widened sulci, As an addendum, risk factors, clinical symptoms, clinical diagnosis, and natural history of AD were reviewed.
Aged ; Aggression ; Alzheimer Disease* ; Atrophy ; Brain ; Cognition Disorders ; Delusions ; Dementia ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Memory ; Natural History ; Neurologic Examination ; Neuropsychological Tests ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors

Promoting women's health lifestyles are important due to their connection to family health. The purpose of this study was to analyse women's health lifestyles(HLP) and their effects on women's life-cycle, so in order to develop a program in a women's health care center. The subjects included were 1080 women over 18 years old living in Wonju city, and were selected by stratified and purposive sampling. The data were collected through a questionnaire and interview. The Cronbach alpha, %, mean, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation, and regression in SPSS PC Win. package was used to analyze the data. The sample was sepernted into three groups premarital group 20.2%(premarital women between 18 and 40 years old), delivery and children rearing group 49.9%(marital women between 18 and 40 years old), over middle agedelderly group 29.9%(women over 41 years old). Significant difference were found in the HPL according to group. Also, relating variables, such as self-efficacy, family functions, health locus of control and gender role perception that were considered relating variables to HPL significantly differed among the tree groups. HLP significantly correlated with self-efficacy, family functions, HLOC and gender role perception in all participants and at all groups. The regression analysis of HPL was interpreted 40.6% with relating variables, self-efficacy, health attention, family functions, and internal locus of control, health perception, power other locus of control and chance locus of control in all participant. Self-efficacy, family functions, health attention were considered important variables in premarital group, self-efficacy, family functions, internal locus of control, health attention, health perception and power of control were important in delivery-rearing group. Self-efficacy, health attention, internal locus of control, family functions and health perception were important in middle aged-elderly group. As a result, we found the differences HPL scores and relating variables according to life-cycle groups. Therefore, we should prepare health promoting education programs for women according to women's life cycles. Also we suggest that women's health care centers based on communities was needed for proper management of women's health.
Adolescent ; Child ; Education ; Family Health ; Female ; Gangwon-do ; Gender Identity ; Humans ; Internal-External Control ; Life Cycle Stages ; Life Style* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Women's Health

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to identify factors related to turnover intention among Korean visiting nurses. METHODS: The data from 192 of 208 nurses working in southern part of Korea were collected for analysis during in-service education in May 19~20, 2011. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, ANOVA, and logistic regression analysis were performed using SPSS 19.0 program. RESULTS: Among the general characteristic factors, young, married, university graduation, lower satisfaction with income and longer work experience as a nurse were associated with higher odds of turnover intention. Organizational commitment was associated with low turnover intention. Way of coping was not statistically significantly associated with turnover intension. CONCLUSION: Stress from the organizational system was found to be the most important variable that explains the turnover intention in this study. Use of sensible communication methods and introduction of effective conflict resolution system is suggested to reduce turnover intention. Further research is recommended to identify the job demands and organizational systems of visiting nurses.
Community Health Nursing ; Intention ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Negotiating

BACKGROUND: Various molecular methods such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA hybridization have been introduced to diagnose the hepatitis B more accurately. Recently, Hybrid Capture Assay (HCA) was developed, which uses the signal amplification solution hybridization capture assay with chemiluminescent detector. So we evaluated the sensitivity and clinical utility of the HCA and PCRs for the detection of hepatitis B virus DNA (HBV DNA) and compared these results with serologic markers. METHODS: We analysed the 50 samples from the hepatitis B patients using enzyme immunoassay, HCA and nested PCRs with two different primer sets. The primers of PCR I and PCR II were targeted to pol and core region respectively. RESULTS: In 18 cases, HBV DNA were detected by HCA in which the positive rates by PCR I and PCR II were 55.6%, and 88.9%, respectively. And in 32 cases in which HBV DNA by HCA was negative, the positive rates by PCR I and PCR II were 6.2% and 31.3%, respectively. In 44 cases which were positive for HBsAg, the positive rates for HBV DNA were 38.6% by HCA, 27.3% by PCR I, and 56.8% by PCR II. In cases positive for HBeAg, the positive rates were 93.3% by HCA, 60.0% by PCR I and 80.0% by PCR II. In cases positive for anti-HBe and negative for HBeAg, the positive rates were 10.3% by HCA, 10.3% by PCR I, and 44.8% by PCR II. CONCLUSIONS: Both HCA and PCR compensated each other yet as to the accurate investigation of the viral replication in patients with hepatitis B and the sensitivity was better in HBV PCR with primers to core region than to pol region.
DNA ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B virus* ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Polymerase Chain Reaction*

BACKGROUND: This study was performed to develop a dietary self-efficacy questionnaire and to determine how dietary self-efficacy is related to selected biochemical markers and health-related quality of life in hemodialysis patients. METHODS: Participants included 172 patients who had been participating in a dialysis program for at least 6 months at two teaching hospitals. A questionnaire was used to assess socio-demographic factors, dialysis-related factors, dietary self-efficacy, and kidney disease quality of life (KDQOL). Serum levels of potassium and phosphorus and interdialytic weight gain were also measured. RESULTS: The internal reliability of dietary self-efficacy was 0.944 (Cronbach's alpha). Principal component analysis resulted in two factors, situational self-efficacy of compliance with dietary guidelines and self-efficacy of food choice. The correlation analysis showed a significant association between situational self-efficacy of compliance with dietary guidelines and serum potassium and KIDQOL. The average scores of situational self-efficacy of compliance with dietary guidelines and self-efficacy of food choice in the participants were 3.52+/-0.72 and 3.61+/-0.71 respectively. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the situational self-efficacy of compliance with dietary guidelines was significantly associated with serum potassium level and KDQOL and self-efficacy of food choice was significantly associated with KDQOL. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our results, the developed dietary self-efficacy questionnaire may be a suitable survey tool for hemodialysis patients, which can play a role in predicting clinical indicators of patient and health-related quality of life. We recommend further research into clarifying whether the positive effects of increased dietary self-efficacy is maintained in long-term dialysis patients.
Biomarkers ; Compliance ; Dialysis ; Diet ; Hospitals, Teaching ; Humans ; Kidney Diseases ; Linear Models ; Phosphorus ; Potassium ; Principal Component Analysis ; Quality of Life ; Renal Dialysis ; Self Efficacy ; Weight Gain

This study was alone to identify the meaning and the essence of the menopause experience by means of the Colaizzi's phenomenological method. The participants were eight women, 48-60 years old, who were experiencing perimenopause or postmenopause. They were selected using a theoretical sampling technique. Data were collected through in-depth interviews from April 6 to May 20, 1999. The interviews took from 40 to 90 minutes. Interviews were tape- recorded and analyzed using the constant comparative method. Significant statements from data were extracted. From these formulated meanings, 18 themes, 8 clusters of themes and 3 catagories were constructed. Final descriptions were found to be valid through the interviewee validation process. Essential themes of the menopausal experience which emerged were "coming of change", "inclined to deny the in mind", and "adapted life". Menopause, as coming of change was the turning point in the women's life cycle acompaning changes, in body and mind and marital life changes. Especially, the unpredictable menopausal changes were an opportunity to hide the fact of menopause and not to talk with anybody. Such a phenomenon reflected on the psychological attributes of menopausal woman such as an inclination to deny in the mind. Their experiences of menopause as adapted life were generally regarded as signalling the end of fertility and were interpreted as a natural developmental process that indicates a life transition. In conclusion, participants depicted the menopause as a natural stage in the life cycle. In order to help women have a positive life change and self accomplishment, nurses need to understand the essential themes of the menopausal experience. Thus, the importance of an open approach in eliciting the phenomena of menopause cannot be overemphasized. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that exercise program is one of the effective interventions to improve the self-efficacy and also to lower the fatigue in the sample of female college students.
Climacteric ; Fatigue ; Female ; Fertility ; Humans ; Life Cycle Stages ; Menopause ; Perimenopause ; Postmenopause

BACKGROUND: The potential adverse effects of ketamine in neurosurgical anesthesia have been well established. However, the effects of ketamine on intracranial pressure (ICP) and hemodynamics during general anesthesia remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of ketamine on hemodynamics and ICP in anesthetized, ventilated rabbits. METHODS: Thirty rabbits were divided into three groups: Group 1 (n=10) received 1 ml/kg normal saline iv; Group 2 (n=10) received 0.5 mg/kg ketamine iv; Group 3 (n=10) received 1.0 mg/kg ketamine iv. After induction with thiopental, anesthesia was maintained with isoflurane and nitrous oxide in oxygen. During controlled ventilation, ICP, mean arterial pressure (MAP), cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) and heart rate (HR) were measured. The ICP was measured using Ladd ICP monitoring system. All variables were evaluated at baseline and for 30 min following ketamine. RESULTS: In group 1, ICP, MAP, CPP and HR were unchanged over the course of the study. In group 2, ICP, MAP and CPP were unchanged. HR increased at 1, 3 and 5 min (p<0.01), 10 and 20 min (p<0.05) after injection. In group 3, ICP, MAP and CPP increased at 1 and 3 min (p<0.01) after injection. HR increased at 1, 3 and 10 min (p<0.01), 5 min (p<0.05) after injection. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that 0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg of ketamine don't significantly affect the hemodynamics and ICP in anesthetized, mechanically ventilated rabbits.
Anesthesia* ; Anesthesia, General ; Arterial Pressure ; Heart Rate ; Hemodynamics* ; Intracranial Pressure* ; Isoflurane ; Ketamine* ; Nitrous Oxide ; Oxygen ; Perfusion ; Rabbits* ; Thiopental ; Ventilation

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the evidence for the effectiveness of different isolation policies in reducing the incidence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection in hospital in-patients. METHODS: We prospectively evaluated the effectiveness of an isolation policy on transmission of MRSA in the 745-beds hospital. First period, all patients with MRSA (March - July 2000) were not isolated Second period, strict isolation policies were performed (August 2000 - January 2002). All patients with MRSA were isolated in separated room, hand hygiene using alcohol handrub, gowning and g1oving, apply of MRSA notice sticker, criteria in isolation remove, separated disinfection and wastement. Third period, semi strict isolation policies were performed (February 2002 - August 2005). Some patients with MRSA were isolated in separated room and others were admitted in general ward for bed shortage. Only some practices were performed in hand washing and separated disinfection in general ward. RESULTS: The rates of MRSA nosocomial infection per patients during 1st, 2nd, and 3rd surveillance were reported 0.56, 0.23, and 0.42 (P<0.05). Patient-days rate of MRSA nosocomial infection during 1st, 2nd, and 3rd surveillance were reported 0.62, 0.27, and 0.38 (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: With many different isolation policies, it was possible to reduce nosocomial infection of MRSA. In this study, strict isolation policies (2nd period) were the most effective practices in reducing MRSA infection.
Cross Infection ; Disinfection ; Hand Disinfection ; Hand Hygiene ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infection Control ; Methicillin Resistance* ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus* ; Patients' Rooms ; Prospective Studies

The observation of eosinophilic ascites is uncommon. They can be noted in parasitic disease, malignant condition, vasculitis, idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome or allergic disorders including eosinophilic gastroenteritis, which is a rare disease of unknown etiology characterized by massive tissue infiltration of eosinophils in the layers of any area of gastrointestinal[GI] tract. Clinical manifestations are related to the level of the histologic infiltration in the wall, and the segment of the GI tract involved. Mucosal involvement may result in abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and weight loss. Muscle layer involvements have obstructive symptoms. Subserosal eosinophilic infiltration may result in the development of eosinophilic ascites. We experienced a case of eosinophilic ascites as manifestation of eosinophilic gastroenteritis in a 43-year old man who also had jejunal obstruction. High proportion of eosinophil count was noted in the ascites, however peripheral blood eosinophilia was not noted. Parasitologic studies were negative. Histologic examination of segment of jejunum showed heavy transmural infiltration of eosinophils which were extended to subserosal layer. Eosinophilic ascites noted in eosinophilic gastroenteritis, though not a common disease entity, had not been described in the laboratory medicine related papers in Korea. Therefore we report this case as an example of eosinophilic ascites.
Abdominal Pain ; Adult ; Ascites* ; Diarrhea ; Eosinophilia ; Eosinophils* ; Gastroenteritis* ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Hypereosinophilic Syndrome ; Jejunum ; Korea ; Nausea ; Parasitic Diseases ; Rare Diseases ; Vasculitis ; Vomiting ; Weight Loss

The purpose of this study was to develop and test the validity of standardized Korean nomenclature of the Home Health Care Classification(HHCC), developed by Saba at the University of Georgetown. The four phases of the study were : (1) Two professors and 15 graduate students, who were taking a nursing intervention course, translated the HHCC into Korean. (2)12 nurses with various clinical backgrounds reviewed each nomenclature taking into consideration of the definition and activities, and the Delphi method was used to determine the best appropriate nomenclature for each term; (3)20 academic and clinical experts in nursing were given a questionnaire to rate the validity of each Korean nomenclature using a 5 point Likert scale ranging from very inappropriate to very appropriate; (4) Five members of the Korean Nurses Association Research Committee reviewed the survey results and determined the most appropriate Korean nomenclature for each term of the HHCC. Most of the nomenclatures had a score of more than 4.0, but several terms had a score lower than 4.0. They are Ambulation therapy(3.1.1), Anticipatory grieving(3.11), Sexual patterns alteration(3.17), Nursing care coordination(3. 22), Physical therapist service(3.22), Regular diet(3.33), and Instrumental activities of daily living(3.44). These research results will be included in the nursing vocabulary dictionary to be published by the Korean Nurses Association.
Classification* ; Delivery of Health Care* ; Humans ; Nursing ; Nursing Care ; Physical Therapists ; Vocabulary ; Walking ; Surveys and Questionnaires