• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.27-33
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• 2014

Purpose: Although vitamin D deficiency is more commonly found in cancer patient than in non-cancer patients, there have been little data regarding the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in cancer patients at the very end of life. We examined vitamin D deficiency in terminally ill cancer patients and related factors. Methods: This study was based on a retrospective chart review of 133 patients in a hospice ward. We collected data regarding age, sex, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level, cancer type, physical performance, current medications and various laboratory findings. We investigated factors related to serum vitamin D levels after multivariate adjustment for potential confounders. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D<20 ng/mL was considered deficient and <10 ng/mL severely deficient. Results: Ninety-five percent of the patients were serum vitamin D deficient. Severe vitamin D deficiency was more common in male patients, non-lung cancer patients, $H_2$ blocker users and non-anticonvulsant users. Elevated levels of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were also associated with low serum vitamin D levels. Multiple regression analysis showed that severe vitamin D deficiency was associated with male gender (aOR 3.82, 95% CI: 1.50~9.72, P=0.005), $H_2$ blocker users (aOR 3.94, 95% CI: 1.61~9.65, P=0.003) and elevated serum ALT levels (aOR 4.52, 95% CI: 1.35~15.19, P=0.015). Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency was highly prevalent among terminally ill cancer patients. Severe vitamin D deficiency was more common in male patients, $H_2$ blocker users, and patients with elevated ALT levels.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.28-34
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• 2010

Purpose: According to increment of thyroid cancer recently, patients of high dose radioiodine therapy were accumulated. Taking into consideration the acceptance capability in the current facility, this study is to calculate the maximum value of high dose radioiodine therapy in patients for treatment. Materials and Methods: The amount and radioactivity of waste water discharged from high dose radioiodine therapy in patients admitted at present hospital as well as the radiation density of the air released into the atmosphere from the high dose radioiodine therapy ward were measured. When the calculated waste water's radiation and its density in the released air satisfies the standard (management standard for discharge into water supply 30 Bq/L, management standard for release into air 3 $Bq/m^3$) set by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, the maximum value of treatable high dose radioiodine therapy in patients was calculated. Results: When we calculated in a conservative view, the average density of radiation of waste water discharged from treating high dose radioiodine therapy one patient was 8 MBq/L and after 117 days of diminution in the water-purifier tank, it was 29.5 Bq/L. Also, the average density of radiation of waste water discharged from treating high dose radioiodine therapy two patients was 16 MBq/L and after 70 days of diminution in the water-purifier tank, it was 29.7 Bq/L. Under the same conditions, the density of radiation released into air through RI Ventilation Filter from the radioiodine therapy ward was 0.38 $Bq/m^3$. Conclusion: The maximum value of high dose radioiodine therapy in patients that can be treated within the acceptance capability was calculated and applied to the current facility, and if double rooms are managed by improving the ward structure, it would be possible to reduce the accumulated treatment waiting period for radioiodine therapy in patients.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.31-34
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• 2015

Vascular injury caused by a central venous catheter (CVC) has been reported to be a rare complication, especially delayed vascular injury due to CVC has a few cases and it can be fatal because of delayed recognition and more serious complications. A 59-year-old woman with no available medical history was admitted for treatment of ovarian cancer. For the surgery, a triple-lumen CVC was placed through the left subclavian vein. Parenteral nutrition through the CVC was used for postoperative nutritional management in the first postoperative day. On the sixth postoperative day (POD), the patient suddenly complained of dyspnea. The CT revealed bilateral pleural effusion and irregular soft tissue density and air bubble in anterior mediastinum suggesting migration of the distal portion of the CVC into the anterior mediastium. In the intensive care unit (ICU) bilateral thoracentesis and percutaneous drainage were performed. She was discharged from the ICU in 3 days later and transferred to the general ward. This case emphasizes the possibility of the delayed vascular injury related to CVC and some strategies for prevention of vascular injury.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.926-932
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• 2020

This report presents examples of the use of Korean medicine to treat diarrhea after colon hemicolectomy. The patient was a male in his 80s who had undergone hemicolectomy 3 years previously for colon cancer. He complained of diarrhea and fecal incontinence and had attempted suicide. He was admitted to the internal medicine ward through the emergency room. Treatment did not improve his diarrhea, even with the use of antidiarrheal drugs, so he was transferred to the Korean Medicine Hospital, where he received daily acupuncture and medicine treatment. After Korean medicine treatment, his symptoms improved rapidly and his fecal incontinence stopped after one week of hospitalization. Two weeks after hospitalization, his stool had improved to normal stool, his hypotonia had also improved, and he was discharged. This report shows that Korean medicine treatment can be effective in treating patients with diarrhea. In the future, related cases will need to be accumulated.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.229-233
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• 1992

Recently a non-electronic, disposable and portable infusor, Baxter $Infusor^{(R)}$, has developed for delivering not only a continuous drug infusion but also extradoses of medication on a demand basis. The present study examined the impact of two methods of pain management on recovery in 20 patients undergoing upper abdominal surgery for stomach cancer. One group, 10 patients, received IV meperidine in the recovery room and IM meperidine on the ward on a PRN basis(PRN group). In the other group, 10 patients, a loading dose of nalbuphine 0.1mg/kg was given when the patient first complained of pain in the recovery room and patient controlled analgesia with IV nalbuphine, 0.5mg/kg day for continuous infusion, was initiated and continued for 72 hours(PCA group). The devices for PCA group was Baxter Infusor with patient control module which had flow rate 0.5ml/hr and lockout time was 15 min. As results of this study, the patients of PCA group get less pain than PRN group on operation day, the first and second days after surgery. VAPS values are $6.47{\pm}1.64$ vs $4.44{\pm}1.38$, $5.02{\pm}1.22$ vs $2.62{\pm}0.93$ and $3.22{\pm}1.47$ vs $2.02{\pm}0.71$ respectively pertaining to PRN and PCA groups(p<0.05). In conclusion, PCA group with IV nalbuphine provided more effective postoperative analgesia than PRN group with conventional meperidine IM.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.319-334
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• 2015

Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyze various nursing services of delivery room nurses by hospital level, and identify importance and frequency to provide baseline data to establish delivery room nurses' roles. Methods: Through DACUM analysis technique, service descriptions, duties, and tasks were derived from the literature. A survey was done of 242 nurses from delivery rooms of hospitals, general hospitals, superior general hospitals, and special hospitals. Importance and frequency of each service were measured using a 4point scale, and results were analyzed using SPSS. Results: Nursing services for delivery room nurses consisted of 18 duties and 86 tasks. Duties with the highest importance were 'labor support' and 'infection management', and those with lowest importance were 'collaborative care' and 'communication'. The duty with the highest frequency was 'labor support', and lowest frequency was 'communication'. There were differences between importance and frequency depending on the size of hospitals. Conclusion: Results of this first study on nursing services of delivery room nurses. delivery room nurses are performing a wide range of nursing services and the various types are clarified including importance and frequency.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.180-191
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• 1997

When women are removed with their matrix which is a emotionally significant organ of symbol in psychologically adapting themselves to mother and woman, that is threatened and injured with woman role decisively. The nursing for women with hysterectomy is limited to medical treatment and the nursing related to troubles in psychology, emotion they experience in general situation due to operations is hardly realized. New basis for nursing can be realized when we both have relation with lived human experience related th health and become to be a part of it. We need to catch their experience due to the loss of matrix to understand women with hysterectomy. The subjects of the study were nine patients who were admitted to a gynecological ward of a hospital in Seoul, suffering from vaginal bleeding, back pain, abdominal pain and so on and diagnosing as non-cancer. The data were collected from April to May 1997 by listening to the subjects' expression of their experience and by participant observation of the subjects' reactions. A tape-recorder was used under the permission of the subjects, to prevent the loss of spoken information. The result of the study was as follows : The data on burden content from the interview were categorized as psych-emotional, physical, personal interaction, financial burden and maternal role burden. The factors which have influence on the burden of the subjects are an offer of information, support system, age, occupation, economic situation, family history, character, season, the existence of ovary and religion. In conclusion, since we ascertained that the nursing in the process of recovery decide the quality of life, though women with hysterectomy undergo various burden experience and adapt to it in the end, it is necessary to give them enough information and educate husband, having on important effect on the burden experience, to be a good supporter. And technically skilled nurses of consultant are thought to be able to contrive better qualitative life of women with hysterectomy as an important bridge between the subjects and their required information, since the nurses have their well-formed position of relationship of confidence through continuous contact with patients and their family.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.198-206
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• 2019

Purpose: The Act on Hospice and Palliative Care and Decisions on Life-sustaining Treatment for Patients at the End of Life was enacted in 2016 and has taken effect since 2018 February. The content of this act was based on Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) in the United States and we modified it for terminal cancer patients registering hospice. The object of this study is to investigate preference and implementation rate for modified Korean POLST (MMK-POLST) items in hospice ward. Methods: From February 1, 2017 to April 30, 2019, medical records regarding MMK-POLST were retrospectively analyzed for all patients hospitalized in the hospice ward of Gyeongsang National University Hospital. Results: Of the eligible 387 total cohorts, 295 patients filled out MK-POLST. MK-POLST has been completed in 133 cases (44.1%) by the patient themselves, 84 cases (28.5%) by the spouse, and 75 cases (25.4%) by their children, respectively. While only 13 (4.4%) out of 295 MK-POLST completed patients refused the parenteral nutrition and 5 patients (1.7%) for palliative sedation, the absolute majority of 288 (97.6%) patients did not want cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and ventilators and 226 people (76.9%) for pressor medications. Kappa values for the matched strength of MK-POLST implementation were poor for all items except CPR, ventilators and palliative sedation. Conclusion: Hospice patients refused to conduct cardiopulmonary resuscitation, ventilators and pressor agents. In contrast, antibiotics, parenteral nutrition and palliative sedation were favored in the majority of patients.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.2315-2317
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• 2012

Background: Use of smoke-less tobacco (SLT) is very common in South and South-East Asian countries. It is significantly associated with various types of cancers. The objectives of this study were to assess the proportion of hospital staff that use SLT, and to identify the factors associated with its use and their practices. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 560 staff of two tertiary care hospitals were interviewed in the year 2009. Nurses, ward boys and technicians were counted as a paramedic staff while drivers, peons, security guards and housekeeping staff were labeled as non-paramedic staff. SLT use was considered as usage of any of the following: betel quid (paan) with or without tobacco, betel nuts with or without tobacco (gutkha) and snuff (naswar). Results: About half (48.6%) of the hospital staff were using at least one type of SLT. Factors found to be statistically significant with SLT were being a male (OR=2.5; 95% CI=1.8-3.7); having no/fewer years of education (OR=1.7; 95% CI=1.2-2.4) and working as non-paramedic staff (OR=2.6; 95% CI=1.8-3.8). Majority of SLT users were using it on regular basis, for > 5 years and keeping the tobacco products in the oral cavity for >30 minutes. About half of the users started due to peer pressure and had tried to quit this habit but failed. Conclusion: In this study, about half of the study participants were using SLT in different forms. We suggest educational and behavioral interventions for control of SLT usage.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.720-730
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• 2000

Malnutrition is a common problem in cancer patients. In addition anticancer drugs used in chemotherapy as a major therapeutic mode are famous as the side effect like nausea, vomiting, which lead the patients to malnourished state. This study was to determine the relationship of anorexia, nausea, vomiting and oral intake and identify the influence these side effects on the nutritional status in patients receiving chemotherapy. To assess the nutritional status, anthropometry such as weight, height, body mass index(BMI), body fat proportion, and triceps skinfold thickness, and biochemistry test such as hemoglobin and lymphocyte were measured at the pre- and post- chemotherapy and the readmission time, all three times. During chemotherapy, anorexia, nausea, and vomiting using a VAS or 5-point scale and 24 hour oral intake using a food record were measured daily. Forty-nine patients knowing their diagnosis and receiving chemotherapy were recruited from an oncological ward in a general hospital for 5 months and they were reduced 31 at readmission time for a next chemotherapy. The results were as follows. Most subjects (93.6%) were in the 4th stage of cancer and 57.1% of subjects were in the first or the second chemotherapy. In most subjects(82.6%), their weight was decreased 10.7% than as usual. The degree of anorexia, nausea, and vomiting was significantly higher and the amount of oral intake was significantly less during the chemotherapy than at the pre-chemotherapy. Weight, BMI, triceps skinfold were reduced more at the post- chemotherapy than the pre-chemotherapy and were recovered the nearly same but less level at the readmission time. Body fat proportion was increased at the post chemotherapy and then decreased at the readmission phase. Hemoglobin and the number of lymphocyte were below normal at the pre-chemotherapy and more reduced at the readmission time. Anorexia, nausea, and vomiting were related positively and oral intake was negatively related with nausea and vomiting. The nutritional status at the post- chemotherapy and the readmission time was explained 20% over by the side effect like anorexia, nausea, vomiting and oral intake during the chemotherapy. The significant nutrition predictors at the post- chemotherapy were vomiting and the significant predictors at the readmission time were anorexia, vomiting, and oral intake. These results indicated the patients receiving chemotherapy were continued to deteriorate the nutritional status. Therefore nurse should have knowledge how much the nutritional status can be affected and assess the nutritional status periodically and try to find out the intervention for side effects from the series of chemotherapies.