• Korean Journal of Hospice Care
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.34-54
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• 2003

Every one experiences death one day, however no one can knows exactly what it is because people can not experience death until it comes, it is therefore impossible to judge correctly on the phenomenon of the death. On the whole, man experiences indirect death through the mass communications such as TV drama, fiction, magazine etc because those methods can easily access by every one. In addition to this, people usually acquire the negative awareness of death through the dramatic change of story like dying of cancer for dramatic effect by giving scare and fear to the cancers. The purpose of this study is to provide basic information on the spiritual care that enables the facing death patients to accept death as a part of life and divert hope from scare about after death by comparing and analyzing of two aspects of death meaning I.e, Korean fiction and the end stage cancer patients. Additionally, for medical staff to understand the facing death cancer patients by making to aware patients correctly and provide the better quality of care. The study was performed from September 28, 2002 to February, 28 2003. The materials of this study were collected by direct data obtained from observation, interviews, note and diary of end stage of cancer patients and written materials acquired from Korean contemporary fiction. Participants of this study were 4 end stage cancer patients including 2 lung cancer patients, 1 liver cancer patient and 1 esophagus cancer patient. The methodology used in this study was divided into two types; Huberman & Miles methodology was used for fiction to find and categorize subject, and Colaizzi, one of phenomenological methodology was used for end stage cancer patients to find the major meaning, subject and categorization. 1.The death investigated in the fiction, was found as a progress of negative emotion, acceptance and sublimation, life related subjects in the negative emotion were tenacity for life, anxiety, lingering attachment, responsibility, abandonment and death related subjects were shock, isolation, fear, scare and rejection. Acceptance related subjects were acceptance, destiny, secularism, preparation and arrangement, and sublimation related subjects were sublimation through Christian and Buddhism. 2.The death showed in the participants was negative emotion, acceptance and sublimation, life related subjects were repentance, anxiety, responsibility and hopelessness, and death related subjects were dejection, solitude, anger, fear and scare. The acceptance was a type of religious acceptance that admitted instantly by reaching an understanding with the God, and death was accepted as a progress of preparation, arrangement, acceptance and hope. Sublimation related subjects were Christian sublimation and relief or destiny incurred from self-reflective sublimation through communications and thoughts. 3.The death in view of fiction and participants were positively accepted both death and negative emotion, and the study disclosed the fact that death was sublimated dependent on religion. 4.The progress of negative emotion, acceptance and sublimation was disclosed more complicated and various in the real end stage cancer patients and acceptance only found in the patients on the form of religious acceptance, according to the results compared with fiction and real end stage cancer patients. The death showed in the fiction was standardized, gradated and similar progress with psychological status of Kubler-Ross. However, death in the participants was showed complex and various feelings simultaneously, and sometimes they accepted death positively. The sublimation through religion was found in Buddhism and Christian in the fiction and mostly Christian in the participants due to a number of Hospice patients. It was found that negative emotion various types of death was more found in the participants than fiction. It is therefore necessary to study on the response of death in various types. In the participants death was incurred more systematic and variously, we knew that nursing practice focused on experience of participants is required and reality on death is much profound than we analyzed and presented, lots of situations and reactions should be premised because we can not completely rule out the negligence possibility of care mediation of participants. In caring for the facing death patients, we discovered and confirmed again through this study that the spiritual care should be needed as a mediation method.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.289-294
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• 2009

Purpose : To assess the usefulness of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), karyotyping, brainstem auditory evoked potential (BAEP), electroencephalogram (EEG), tandem mass screening test, and newborn metabolic screening test in children with language delay for diagnosing underlying diseases. Methods : From January 2000 to June 2007, a retrospective chart review was performed for 122 children with language delay who visited the Child Neurology Clinic at Yeungnam University Hospital and who underwent neuropsychologic tests and other diagnostic evaluations for underlying diseases. They were grouped into phenomenological diagnostic categories, and test results were analyzed according to the underlying diseases. Results : Of 122 patients, 47 (38.5%) had mental retardation, 40 (32.8%) had developmental language disorders, 23 (18.9 %) had borderline IQ, and 12 (9.8%) had autism spectrum disorder. In 26 (21.3%) cases, the causes or relevant clinical findings to explain language delay were found. Eight (10.4%) of 77 MRIs, 6 (8.0%) of 75 EEGs, and 4 (5%) of 80 BAEPs showed abnormal results. Results directly attributed to diagnosing underlying diseases were 2 hearing defects in BAEPs and 1 bilateral perisylvian cortical dysplasia in MRIs. No abnormal results were found in karyotyping, tandem mass screening tests, and new-born screening tests. Conclusion : Commonly used tests to diagnose the cause of language delay are not very effective and should only be used selectively, according to patient characteristics. However, despite the low diagnostic yields from these tests, because many patients show abnormal results, these tests are useful when conducted in complete evaluation.