• The Journal of the Korean dental association
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• v.52 no.12
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• pp.744-752
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• 2014

There are many causes of oral mucosal diseases, so accordingly, there are various treatments available. The most commonly used agents include adrenocortical hormones, antifungals, antivirals, antibacterials, and immunosuppressants. However, it must also be noted that improving oral hygiene and nutrition, and reducing stress are effective in symptom relief. Furthermore, patients with existing diseases of the oral mucosa should avoid behavior that may cause an increase in pain. Unfortunately, many patients are unaware of the activities that may lead to increased pain and therefore do not avoid these activities. The aim of this study was to investigate and analyze the behavior of patients with oral mucosal disease with regard to activities that led to increase pain. This cross-sectional study was performed on a sample of patients with oral mucosal disease selected from the Oral Medicine Clinic of the Pusan National Hospital during March to August 2013. These patients were randomly selected. From a total of 479 patients, 116 patients with mucosal disease were selected and 73 fully completed questionnaires were included in the analysis. Data were collected by using self-completed questionnaires. The results were as follows: Mean score of Question 13 (Not smoking) is $2.47{\pm}1.11$. Mean score of Question 11 (Not drinking alcohol or not using mouthwash containing alcohol) is $2.22{\pm}1.15$. The other questions resulted in scores lower than 1.5. The answers to the questions were scored according to the following assigned numerical values: not keeping = score of 0; little keeping = score of 1; often keeping = score of 2; always keeping = score of 3. In conclusion, patients with oral mucosal diseases unknowingly engage in activities that result in an increase in pain. Therefore, they need to be educated about how to behave to protect oral mucosal lesion.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.332-336
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• 2012

Purpose: The third molar extraction is one of the mostly performed procedures in the department of oral and maxillofacial surgery. In most of dental clinic or hospital, the third molar extraction used to be frequently performed in an office-based surgery, and most patients did not have specific medical history with young ages. Medical history taking are dependent on the only way by asking to the patients about their individual conditions. Therefore, as the specialists of the oral and maxillofacial surgery in the field of dentistry, we suggest a new policy that the preoperative lab must be performed routinely before extraction of the third molar. Methods: This study is based on 1,096 patients who have been managed with third molar extractions, from March 2008 to September 2011 by a single surgeon. The preoperative lab, including complete blood count, coagulation panel, chemistry and serology, was performed before any surgical procedures. The results were informed to the patients regardless of their abnormalities, and any abnormalities related to the surgical procedures, such as platelet count and coagulation factors, were checked and corrected safely. Results: Through the preoperative blood test, systemic diseases that the patients had not recognized before, such as anemia, leukopenia, fatty liver and chronic renal disease, were identified. Patients with acute or chronic leukemia, Hepatitis B, and HIV positive, were also detected as a small number. Also, the possibilities of the cross-infection between dentists and patients or between patients and patients, and any other emergency situations can be prevented; as well as the public health condition can be improved, too. The patients were satisfied with low cost preventive blood test and high quality of medical services. Conclusion: Therefore, routine medical lab testing, including history taking are needed before an office-based minor surgery, such as third molar extractions, and these results were suggested as a new policy in the field of dentistry.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.256-270
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• 2000

Invasive hemodynamic monitoring has become a valuable assessment parameters in critical care nursing in patients undergoing open heart surgery patients. During cardiac surgery, the Swan Ganz catheter is placed in the pulmonary artery. Critical care nurses routinely obtain cardiac output, cardiac index, and pulmonary arterial pressure in these patients. Traditionally, patients are positioned flat and supine for cardiac output measurement. Numerous studies have dealt with the effects of changing position on the hemodynamic variables. However, there are a few studies dealing with patients who undergo cardiac surgery in Korea. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the effects of changing position on cardiac output, PAP, CVP, BP, HR and discomfort in patients after cardiac surgery. A sample of 21 adults who had CABG and/or valve replacement with Swan Ganz catheters in place was studied. The data were collected in the cardiac ICU of a university hospital in Seoul during the period from July 28, 1999 to August 30. 1999. In this study, the independent variable is patient position in the supine, 30 degree, and 45 degree angles. Dependent variables are C.O., C.I., CVP, PAP, MAP, HR and patients' perceived discomforts. Subject discomfort was measured subjectively by visual analogue scale. Other hemodynamic data where collected by the thermodilution method and by direct measurement. The data were analyzed by percentile, t-test, ANOVA, Linear regression analysis using SPSS-/WIN program. The results are as follows : 1) Changes in cardiac output were absent in different angle positions, 0, 30. 45 degrees(F=.070, P=.932). Changes in cardiac index were absent in different angle positions, 0. 30, 45 degrees(P>.05). 2) Changes in central venous pressure were absent in different angle positions, 0, 30, 45 degree(P>.05). 3) PAP had no change in different angle 0, 30, 45 degree positions; systolic PAP(P>.05), diastolic PAP(P>.05). 4) Changes in systolic blood pressure were absent in different angle positions, 0, 30, 45 degree(P>.05). 5) Changes in heart rates were absent in different angle positions, 0, 30, 45 degree(P>.05). 6) Patients' perceived discomfort was absent in different angle positions, 0, 30, 45 degree(p<.05). In conclusion, critical care nurses can measure C.O., C.I., PAP, BP, & CVP in cardiac surgery patients at 30 degree or 45 degree positions. This can improve the patients' comfort.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.5-13
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• 2009

Purpose: This exploratory study was undertaken to analyze the information needs of family members of terminal cancer patients, collected through the telephone counselling service by National Cancer Information Center. Methods: The study included 113 family members of terminal cancer patients who had enrolled at the National Cancer Information Center for the period from June, 2007 through March, 2008 and had agreed to the survey. Results: The subjects (n=113) consisted of grown-up children (n=82) and spouses (n=8) of patients'. Those in their 40's (n=40) and 30's (n=36) accounted for the majority of the sample. The questions raised most were about the information on treatment methods (n=117), management of terminal cancer patients (n=46), terminal cancer patients' life (n=27), deathbed and prediction of remaining life (n=18), hospitalization (n=16), and financial support (n=15). Most of the subjects were satisfied with the telephone counseling services, and 69% of the subjects had come to know about the telephone counseling service via Internet, and 10.6% of them stated that the PR for the service was poor. Conclusion: It is deemed essential for the government to use the mass media for PR of the hospice services, since family members of terminal cancer patients' are less aware of the hospice conducive to enhancement of patients' remaining quality of life, being involued too deeply in their treatment.

• Journal of Clinical Nutrition
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.38-44
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• 2018

Purpose: Parenteral nutrition (PN) is known to provide therapeutic beneficial improvements in malnourished patients for whom enteral nutrition is not feasible. The objective of this study was to investigate the current clinical characteristics and utilization of PN in Korea. Methods: We analyzed the Health Insurance Review Agency National Inpatients Sample database from 2014 to 2016, which included 13% of all hospitalized patients in Korea. Adult patients aged 20 years or older and receiving premixed multi-chamber bag containing PN were included for this study. Patient characteristics, admission type, primary diagnosis, and hospital demographics were evaluated. SAS version 9.4 was used for data analysis. Results: From 2014 to 2016, 149,504 patients received premixed PN, with 226,281 PN prescriptions being written. The mean patient age was 65.0 years, and 81,876 patients (54.8%) were male. Premixed 3-chamber bag and 2-chamber bag PN solutions were utilized in 131,808 (88.2%) and 32,033 (21.4%) patients, respectively. The number of patients hospitalized through the emergency department were 70,693 (47.3%), whereas 43,125 patients (28.8%) were administered PN in intensive care units. In the adult PN patients, the highest primary diagnosis was malignant neoplasm of the stomach (8,911, 6.0%), followed by organism unspecified pneumonia (7,008, 4.7%), and gastroenteritis and colitis of unspecified origin (6,381, 4.3%). Overall, 34% of adult PN patients were diagnosed with malignancies, the most common being neoplasm of the stomach (17.7%), neoplasm of bronchus/lung (11.2%), neoplasm of colon (11.1%), and neoplasm of liver/intrahepatic bile ducts (10.0%). PN solutions were most frequently administered in the metropolitan area (55.0%) and in hospitals with more than 1,000 beds (23.6%). Conclusion: PN was commonly administered in older patients, with primary diagnosis of malignancy in a significant number of cases. This study is the first large-scale description of PN-prescribing patterns in real-world clinical practice in South Korea.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.454-463
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• 2013

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of exercise program on chronic low back pain, daily living disability and depression in chronic low back pain patients treated with epidural injections. Methods: The design of this study was a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest experiment. The sample was recruited among low back pain patients treated with epidural injections from an orthopedic specialty hospital. Participants were randomly assigned to a treatment group (n=25) or a comparison group (n=27). The treatment was a six week exercise program for low back pain. Data were collected from September to November 2011, and were analyzed using descriptive statistics, $x^2$-test, one-tailed t-test for independent samples, and Mann-Whitney U test using the SPSS/WIN 12.0 program. Results: Patients in the treatment group reported statistically significantly lower levels of back pain on flexion and extension, less daily living disability, and less depression than those in the comparison group. Conclusion: The back pain relief exercise program could be an effective adjunct nursing intervention for low back pain patients treated with epidural injections.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.35-46
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• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to test the effect of 12-week Tai Chi exercise on glucose control, peripheral nerve modulation, and perceived health for Type 2 diabetic patients with neuropathy. Methods: A pretest posttest design with a nonequivalent control group, 44 diabetic patients with neuropathy were recruited from an outpatient clinic of a university hospital and assigned into Tai Chi or Control groups. The Tai Chi exercise was based on Tai Chi for Diabetes program developed by Lam (2006) and performed one hour for each session twice a week for 12 weeks. Outcome variables were HbA1c, Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument scores and perceived health. A total of 25 patients completed both measures of pretest and posttest. Results: The study participants were 67 years old in average, diagnosed by DM for more than 15 years. Those who participated in 12-week Tai Chi exercise (n=13) significantly improved in HbA1c (t=2.23, p=.035) and perceived health (t=-2.28, p=.032) than the control group (n=12). Conclusion: Tai Chi exercise may improve glucose control and health status in patients with Type II diabetes. Further study with larger sample size would be necessary to confirm the effect of Tai Chi on peripheral nerve modulation.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.58 no.9
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• pp.325-329
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• 2015

Purpose: In addition to regulating calcium and phosphorus homeostasis and bone metabolism, vitamin D is known as an immune modulator. Recently, there has been increased worldwide interest in the association between low levels of vitamin D and allergic diseases. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between serum vitamin D levels and allergic/vasomotor rhinitis (AR/VR) in children. Methods: This study included 164 patients. The sample included 59 patients with AR, 42 patients with VR, and 63 controls. Their ages ranged from 0 to 16 years. We examined the levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, Immunoglobulin E, specific IgE, and eosinophil cationic protein; peripheral blood eosinophil count; and the results of a skin prick test. Results: Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were $19.0{\pm}8.5ng/mL$ in the AR group, $25.5{\pm}10.9ng/mL$ in the VR group, and $26.9{\pm}10.7ng/mL$ in the control group. After adjustment for body mass index and season at the time of blood sampling, vitamin D levels in the AR group were lower than those of the VR group (P=0.003) and control group (P<0.001). Vitamin D levels were inversely correlated with Immunoglobulin E levels (r=-0.317, P<0.001). AR patients with food allergy or atopic dermatitis did not have lower levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D than AR patients without these diseases. Conclusion: This study demonstrates a possible relationship between vitamin D levels and allergic rhinitis in Korean children.

• Korean Journal of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
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• v.60 no.9
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• pp.454-462
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• 2017

Background and Objectives The present study aimed to investigate the effects of penetration/aspiration (P/A) on voice acoustic parameters. Subjects and Method Twenty-seven patients were analyzed with the videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) and then divided into two groups based on the modified Penetration and Aspiration Scale results. Ten patients (5 males and 5 females) were included in the Non-P/A group, and 17 patients (12 males and 5 females) in the P/A group. Stroke was the major cause of swallowing disorders. Three sustained /a/ vowels recorded in pre- and post-VFSS were analyzed. Mann-Whitney U-test was used to compare acoustic values before and after VFSS, and the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve with combination of significant parameters was also conducted. Results Among acoustic parameters, the length of analyzed sample (p=0.010), number of segments computed (p=0.018), total number detected pitch periods (p=0.017), and second formant (p=0.013) in pre- and post-VFSS were significantly different between Non-P/A and P/A groups. In the P/A group after VFSS, the means of these significant parameters decreased. According to ROC combined with four significant parameters, the probability of predicting P/A condition was 84% (p=0.005), the sensitivity was 80%, and the specificity was 80%. Conclusion Voice acoustic analysis can reflect voice changes by penetration/aspiration and the combination of significant parameters can also detect swallowing disorders. Therefore, voice analysis can be a reliable screening tool for patients with swallowing disorders.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.683-694
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• 2020

Background and objective: Cancer is the number one cause of death in Korea, and it affects any part of the body regardless of gender and age. Forest healing is a treatment that maximizes the effect of treatment and improves the quality of life. This study aims to provide basic data for the development and implementation of differentiated forest healing programs for cancer patients based on the survey on their interest and needs for the programs. Methods: The subjects were those diagnosed with cancer from October 2018 to April 2019, and this study used 144 copies of the questionnaire retrieved. The sample size of this study (n = 144) was the appropriate size required by G-Power, and the collected responses were analyzed using SPSS 25.0. Results: In the frequency analysis on the interest in forest healing, 79.2% of the subjects had no experience participating in forest healing, but 87% were aware of it, and 82.6% showed the intention to participate in forest healing programs. This indicates that even though not many of them have experience participating in forest healing, they showed high interest and needs for participation. They preferred to participate in spring (29.9%) and fall (27.8%), in programs carried out for 1.5-2 hours in the morning on weekdays. Conclusion: This study has implications for the analysis on forest healing needs of cancer patients, and it is necessary to plan, develop, and implement differentiated forest healing programs that meet the needs of the cancer patients depending on their characteristics. There is also a need to plan forest healing program that can promote both psychological stability and physical health of cancer patients and verify and evaluate their effects based on specialized training of forest healing instructors.