• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
• /
• v.69 no.1
• /
• pp.199-222
• /
• 2017

This study examined the parental experiences of the fathers who reared their children with brain lesions. Since a brain lesion is considered a lifelong disability, children with brain lesions need the medical and social management through their entire life. Due to the lack of specialized caring services and organizations in Korea for such children, their families are forced to take care of them. For this reason, it is necessary to study about the fathers who are rearing the children with brain lesions. For this purpose, four fathers had participated in this study and data were collected through one to one in-depth interviews. Using Giorgi(2004)'s phenomenological research method, the study results were as follows. The substantial themes were "charred heart", "surviving the hardships", "the ruins of life", "attitude against reality", "the unique composition of family life", "children as fate", "father's love." Based on the these analysis results, the implications were suggested to cure the psychological and institutional difficulties and to provide supportive services for the fathers and families who care the children with brain lesions.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.90-94
• /
• 2013

Purpose: In the PET/CT images, various artifacts cause degradation of the quantitative assessment. Most hotspot generated by radiopharmaceutical injection errors cause an artifact and degrade the quality of the images as well as the accuracy of the quantitative evaluation. The purpose of this study is to assess effectiveness of the elimination of the hotspot at the injection sites using shifting the center of DFOV (Display Field of View, DFOV) method and evaluate the quantitative evaluation of result. Materials and Methods: GE Discovery STE 16 (GE Healthcare, Milwaukee, USA) and 1994 NEMA phantom were used for imaging acquisition. Phantom was filled with 0.005 MBq/mL of $^{18}F-FDG$. A hotspot was artificially placed on the outside of the phantom. The ratio of hotspot area activity to background area activity was regulated as 200:1. After image acquisition with routine protocol, all of the images were reconstructed using the shifting the center of DFOV method that wasn't overlapped with hotspot. Those images obtained before and after applying the shifting reconstruction method were compared. ROIs (Region Of Interests) were set in the hotspot areas, meanSUVs and standard deviations were calculated. Percentage differences were calculated with those meanSUVs and standard deviations. The evaluation on the effects of the shifting reconstruction method was done by comparison of the meanSUVs and the standard deviations, which were calculated for background areas unaffected by hotspot. Results: In the areas of unaffected by hotspot, meanSUVs before and after applying the shifting of center of DFOV method were $0.67{\pm}0.06g/mL$ and $0.65{\pm}0.06g/mL$, respectively. In the artifact areas affected by hotspot, meanSUVs before and after applying the shifting of center of DFOV method were $0.32{\pm}0.08g/mL$ and $0.56{\pm}0.12g/mL$, respectively. The percentage differences of the area adjacent to the hotspot and the area distant from the hotspot were 65.3% and 97.4%, respectively. Conclusion: In the PET/CT images, meanSUV was improved by 32.1% when the effect of artifact was removed with application of the shifting the center of DFOV methode. In other areas unaffected by artifacts, meanSUVs were not significantly different after applying DFOV center shift method. As shown in the result, adverse effects of hotspot made by swelling in the injection site can be reduced by applying DFOV center shift method. Therefore, DFOV center shift method can be applied for the more precise quantitative evaluation, and contribute to the increase of the diagnostic value of the images.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.62-69
• /
• 2012

Purpose: The present study has an objective of effectively separating and making observations on a portion of radiopharmaceutical excreted via digestive organ to remain in the organ and invade a heart shadow. Materials and methods: When heart shadow is blocked by the organ in tests during a resting phase and a loaded phase, additional images were obtained using immobilization device. The immobilization devices were used to tilt the upper body forward from supine position. Results: In the reconstructed image for the separated case, as compared with the case where a part of organ is overlapped with heart, in terms of an overall mean value for each parameter, the end-diastolic volume increased by 2.75 mL, the end-systolic volume decreased by 3.16 mL, the left ventricle cardiac coefficient increased by 3.58%, and the area of defect region decreased by 3.58 and 3.92 cm for loading and resting phase, respectively. Conclusions: In the present study with myocardial perfusion SPECT, overlapped areas of heart and other organs could be effectively separated and visualization by the use of an immobilization device.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.37 no.1
• /
• pp.35-42
• /
• 2004

Background: For the treatment of isolated left main coronary artery disease, twelve arterial revascularizations with Y-composite grafts using left internal thoracic artery and radial artery or right gastroepiploic artery were peformed. This study was performed to investigate whether V-composite graft can satisfy the blood flow required to make myocardium act properly or not. Borderline stenotic lesions on the left main coronary artery, which are very prone to remodel the bypassed vessels due to competitive flows, were also considered. Material and Method: Among 247 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting from March 2000 to April 2003, 12 patients (4.7%) who had received total arterial revascularizations for the isolated left main coronary artery disease were studied retrospectively. Result: left anterior descending arteries were bypassed with left internal thoracic artery by off-pump technique in all patients, however, 2 cases of left obtuse marginal branches were bypassed under on-pump beating heart. Except for one patient, who did not have an obtuse marginal branch more than 1 mm in diameter, 11 patients had gone through complete arterial revascularizations by use of the Y shape arterial graft. Among five patients who had less than 75% stenosis, one patient showed string sign on left internal thoracic artery grafted to left anterior descending artery. However, two grafts to obtuse marginal blanches were completely obstructed and one showed slender sign. There were no graft-dominant flow in patients with stenotic lesion less than 75%. On the contrary to the result of patients with stenotic lesions less than 75%, all the patients with stenotic lesions more than 90% showed graft-dominant blood flow. Conclusion: In conclusion, it is assumed that, when stenotic lesions are over 90%, coronary artery bypass grafting with an Y shape arterial graft could possibly give enough help to the obstructed coronary arteries in blood supplying to myocardium, which needs massive quantity of blood to act well. However, when patients have borderline stenoses, through scrupulous examinations, more prudent and flexible decisions are required in choosing the treatment methods, such as, direct anastomosis of vein or artery to aorta, or adding supplementary treatment methods like percutaneous coronary intervention, rather than choosing a fixed treatment methods.