• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.65 no.4
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• pp.292-300
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• 2008

Background: Respiratory failure is a common condition that requires intensive care, and has a high mortality rate despite the recent improvements in respiratory care. Previous reports of patients with respiratory failure focused on the specific disease or included a large proportion of surgical patients. This study evaluated the clinical characteristics, outcomes and prognostic factors of adult patients receiving mechanical ventilation in a medical intensive care unit. Methods: Retrospective chart review was performed on 479 adult patients, who received mechanical ventilation for more than 48 hours in the medical ICU of one tertiary referral hospital. Results: The mean age of the patients was $60.3{\pm}15.6$ years and 34.0% were female. The initial mean APACHE III score was $72.3{\pm}25$. The cause of MV included acute respiratory failure (71.8%), acute exacerbation of chronic pulmonary disease (20.9%), coma (5.6%), and neuromuscular disorders (1.7%). Pressure controlled ventilation was used as the initial ventilator mode in 67.8% of patients, and pressure support ventilation was used as the initial weaning mode in 83.6% of the patients. The overall mortality rate in the ICU and hospital was 49.3% and 55.4%, respectively. The main cause of death in hospital was septic shock (32.5%), respiratory failure (11.7%), and multiorgan failure (10.2%). Males, an APACHE III score >70, the cause of respiratory failure (interstitial lung disease, coma, aspiration, pneumonia, sepsis and hemoptysis), the total ventilation time, and length of stay in hospital were independently associated with mortality. Conclusion: The cause of respiratory failure, severity of the patients, and gender appears to be significantly associated with the outcome of mechanical ventilatory support in patients with respiratory failure.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.944-955
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• 2000

Background : In patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD), several factors have been associated with a poor prognosis. These include old age, low $FEV_1$ low diffusing capacity, high alveolar-arterial oxygen pressure difference, and finally cor pulmonale. This study was done to investigate if the ECG signs suggesting cor pulmonale were independent prognostic factors in patients with COPD. Method : We analyzed ECG, pulmonary function data and arterial blood gas values in 61 patients who were admitted through the emergency department with an acute exacerbation of COPD. The ECG signs reflecting cor pulmonale were right strial overloading(RAO), right bundle branch block, right ventricular hypertrophy and low-voltage QRS. The 61 patients were divided into 2 groups ; group I with no ECG signs(n=36) and group II with one or more ECG signs(n=25) suggesting cor, pulmonale. Results : Poor, prognostic factors by univariate analysis were low $FEV_1$, $FEV_1$ % pred., VC % pred., DLco, DLco % pred., $PaO_2$ and $SaO_2$ high $PaCO_2$ presence of ECG signs reflecting cor pulmonale, presence of mental status change, use of mechanical ventilator, and long term use of glucocorticoid. A multivariate analysis indicated that age(risk ratio=1.13, 95% confidence interval 1.05-1.23), DLco % pred. (risk ratio=0,97. 95% confidence interval 0.94-0.99), $PaO_2$ (risk ratio=0.95, 95% confidence interval 0.90-0.99) and RAO(risk ratio=5.27, 95% confidence interval 1.40-19.85) were independent prognostic factors of survival. There was a significant difference in survival between the patients with and without RAO(p=0.038). The survival rates at 1, 2, and 5 years were 94.5%. 81.4%, and 50.0% in patients without RAO and 82.4%, 70.6%, and 27.5% in patients with RAO, respectively. Conclusion : These results suggest that the presence of ECG signs reflecting cor pulmonale is a predictor of survival and that RAO of these ECG signs is a significant independent predictor of survival in patients with COPD.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.1-30
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• 1994

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic systematic disease with unpredictable course of exacerbation and remission, characterized by pain, joint deformity and reduced activity by joint limitation. The growing public awareness of the need for health management of chronic illnesses, provides impetus for nursing to demonstrate social effectiveness by active nursing intervention in this vast area in general, and with rheumatoid condition in particular. However, nursing interventions to date have not demonstrated its active participation in the management of chronic conditions. Nursing intervention for the patients having rheumatoid arthritis is one such area that needs to be studied intensively and to demonstrate their effectiveness empirically. The purposes of this study were two fold : first, to develop a comprehensive program that was intensified with therapeutic joint exercises in water, self-help group activities and utilization of self-efficacy promoting strategies : and secondly, to determine the effect of aquatic exercise program on pain, physiological changes and quality of life in the rheumatoid arthritis patients. Thirty five female subjects participating in this study were selected from outpatients in the Rheumatism Center, Hanyang University hospital. The period of data collection was from December, 1992 to March, 1993 in seoul and Taejeon. Subjects in Taejeon were assigned to the experimental group. The comprehensive aquatic exercise program for the experimental group was carried out three times a week for 6 weeks in regular swimming pool. Subjects in Seoul did not participated in the program, and treated as the control group. Data were analyzed with repeated measure MANCOVA, t-test, ANCOVA, percentage of change, Kruskal-Wallis 1-Way ANOVA using SPSS $PC^+$ program. Results were obtained as follows : 1) Scores on Korean pain scale, Numeric pain score, and RAI score of the experimental group were significantly lower than those of the control group (t=2.11, p=0.022 ; F=4.40, p=0.044 : t=3.10, p=0.002). 2) There was significant improvement in the physiological parameters (higher joint movement parameters, F=15.64, p=0.024 ; higher lean body mass, percentage of change=+12.2, lower body weight, t=1.01, p=0.026 : lower ESR, t=1.69, p=0.001) in the experimental group compaired with subjects In the control group. 3) There was significant improvement in the specific self-efficacy score through the comprehensive aquatic exercise program(t=2.73, p=0.011), but not in the general self- efficacy score(t=0.62, p=0.113). 4) The quality of life failed to show significant improvement in the experimental group as compaired with the control group (F=3.69, p=0.064). 5) In the experimental group, findings from additional analysis showed no significant difference in the specific self-efficacy between those who continued to aquatic exercise after completing 6 week program and those who stopped (X2=0.086, p=0.690). Therefore, adherence to aquatic exercise program for 6 weeks seem to be affected mainly by self-help group activities. An indepth study to delve into articulation of mechanisms affecting the effect of aquatic exercise program be recommended. A further study is necessary to determine the difference in the effect of group and individual aquatic exercise program, to assess factors affecting adherence to exercise for an extended length of time.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.530-539
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• 2001

Background : Bronchial asthma is an inflammatory disease of the airways that is associated with airway remodeling. The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a potent, multifunctional cytokine that contributes to angiogenesis and inflammation. Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is a major proteolytic enzyme that in duces bronchial remodeling in asthma. However, there is no data available on the possible role of the VEGF or on the potential relationship between the VEGF and MMP-9 in acute asthma. Therefore, the VEGF was studied to determine whether or not it participates in airway inflammation during acute asthma. An additional aim of this study was to determine whether or not the VEGF levels correlated with the MMP-9 levels in the sputum of acute asthma patients. Methods: Both the VEGF and MMP-9 levels were measured by an enzyme immunoassay and zymographic analysis in the sputum of patients with either stable asthma or with acute asthma. The VEGF and MMP-9 levels were also evaluated during a spontaneous asthma attack. Results : The VEGF levels were significantly higher in the sputum of acute asthmatic patients than in either the stable patients the control subjects. The VEGF levels in the sputum during asthma exacerbation were significantly higher than those on the remission days, and those levels decreased after asthma therapy. In acute asthmatic patients, the VEGF levels in the sputum correlated with the number of neutrophils and eosinophils. In addition, a significant correlation was established between the VEGF and MMP-9 levels in the sputum. Conclusion : These results suggest that VEGF overproduction is associated with airway inflammation during acute asthma and is related to the MMP-9 function.