• Women's Health Nursing
• /
• v.6 no.2
• /
• pp.234-257
• /
• 2000

At present in the medical care, the study and effort for producing health service to consider efficiency, effectiveness, and quality are urgently called for because of the difficulty in the keen competition according to the inter- nationalization and opening, the operation in the medical institution service testing system, the change in the medical policy of KDRGs, and the lack of the health care cost increasing rate. As an alternative, the case management for the new management system is introduced in the U.S., and the Critical Pathway that is the method designing the contents of activity and its result has been developed and applied in order to anticipate and manage the patient-outcome for the realization of the cost-effective case-management. Thus, this study intended to analyze the effectiveness to obtain by developing the Critical Pathway presented as the method to improve the quality-betterment and cost effectiveness through the continuous and consistent patient management for the hysterectomy patient and applying it to the real practice. As a study method, this author formed a conceptual framework through considering five Critical Pathway used in the current U.S. and three Critical Pathway presented in the literature to develop the Critical Pathway for the hysterectomy patient, and made out the preliminary Critical Pathway through reviewing the old chart. This author made the verified the validity of the expert group about the developed Critical Pathway, and to confirm the possibility of practice application, completed and settled the final Critical Pathway after using the Critical Pathway to the hysterectomy patient from March 1st to 15th, 1997. Finally, to analyze the application-effect of the developed Critical Pathway, this author offered health care service applying the Critical Pathway to the hysterectomy patient from April 15th to August 31th, 1997. The guide for the Critical Pathway was carried out in advance by outpatient setting nurse for outpatient setting visit before the operation, and after hospitalization the primary nurse monitored the execution degree on the every duty. After discharge this author surveyed the complication through phone visiting, and one month after discharge surveyed the patient's reaction about the offered service when outpatient setting visit and analyzed the result. The source for health care cost was obtained by the statistics about the hospital charge which was offered by the General Business Department. The results were as follows. 1. It was decided that the vertical line of the Critical Pathway was made up of eight items such as monitoring/assessment, treatment, line/drains, activity, medication, lab test, diet, patient teaching, and the horizontal line of the Critical Pathway was made up of from hospitalization to discharge. 2. After the analysis of service contents through reviewing the old chart, it was decided that the horizontal line of the preliminary Critical Pathway was made up of from hopitalization to fourth postoperative day, and the vertical line of it was divided into eight items which were the contents to occur with the time frame of the horizontal line. 3. After the verifying the validity of the expert group about the preliminary Critical Pathway, the horizontal line was amended from hopitalization to third postoperative day, and taking their consensus, some contents of the horizontal line was amended and deleted. 4. From March 1st to 15th, 1997, to confirm the clinical suitability, this author offered eight hysterectomy patients the medical service through the Critical Pathway. The result was that three of them could be discharged at the expected discharge day, and the others later than that day. Supplementing the preliminary Critical Pathway through analyzing the cause of that delay- case, this author developed the final Critical Pathway. 5. There were no significant differences between the experimental and the control group in the incidence of complication(P > 0.05). 6. The 92.4% of experimental group was satisfied with the Critical Pathway service. 7. The length of hospital stay of the experimental group offered with the Critical Pathway service was 4.6 days and there was a significant difference that it was 1.3 days shorter than that of the control group(t=-29.514, P=0.000). 8. There wsa a significant difference that the mean medical charge per one patient of the experimental group offered the Critical Pathway service was cheaper \124,150 than that of the control group(t=-9.826, P=0.000). 9. The result that the author assumed and analyzed hospital income with the rate of turning bed was assumed that the increase of hospital income was \63,245,072 for that study, and the income increase was expected with \68,704,864 for a year. The result that this author applied the Critical Pathway to the hysterectomy patient have no differences in the incidence of complication, high satisfaction with that service, and the length of hospital stay decreased in the experimental group, and the mean hospital charge per one patient decreased, but hospital income increased. Suggestions for further study and nursing practice are as follows. 1. The study to apply the Critical Pathway for a year, verify the validity, and measure the effect repeatedly is needed. 2. To apply and manage the Critical Pathway effectively, the study to computerize it is needed. 3. The study to develop hospital-based Critical Pathway about other diseases or procedure, and measure the effect is needed.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.15
• /
• pp.6627-6632
• /
• 2015

Background: We conducted a study exploring the clinical safety and efficacy of decitabine in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), combined with a complex karyotype. Materials and Methods: From April 2009 to September 2013, a total of 35 patients with AML/MDS combined with a complex karyotype diagnosed in the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University were included for retrospective analysis. All patients were treated with decitabine alone ($20mg/m^2$ daily for 5 days) or combination AAG chemotherapy (Acla 20mg qod*4d, Ara-C $10mg/m^2$ q12h*7d, G-CSF $300{\mu}g$ qd, the dose of G-CSF adjusted to the amount in blood routinely). Results: In 35 patients, 15 exhibited a complete response (CR), and 6 a partial response (PR), the overall response rate (CR+PR) being 60% (21 of 35). Median disease-free survival was 18 months and overall survival was 14 months. In the 15 MDS patients with a complex karyotype, the CR rate was 53.3% (8 of 15); in 20 AML patients with complex karyotype, the overall response rate was 65% (13 of 20). The response rate of decitabine alone (22 cases) was 56.5% (13 of 22), while in the combination chemotherapy group (13 cases), the effective rate was 61.5% (8 of 13)(P>0.05). There are 15 patients with chromosome 7 aberration, after treatment with decitabine, 7 CR, 3 PR, overall response rate was 66.7% (10 of 15). Of 18 patients with 3 to 5 kinds of chromosomal abnormalities, 66.7% demonstrated a response; of 17 with more than 5 chromosomal abnormalities, 52.9% had a response. In the total of 35 patients, with one course (23 patients) and ${\geq}$two courses (12 patients), the overall response rate was 40.9% and 92.3% (P<0.05). Grade III to IV hematological toxicity was observed in 27 cases (75%). Grade III to IV infections were clinically documented in 7 (20%). Grades I to II non-hematological toxicity were infections (18 patients), haematuria (2 patients), and bleeding (3 patients). With follow-up until September 2013, 7 patients were surviving, 18 had died and 10 were lost to follow-up. In the 6 cases who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) all were still relapse-free survivors. Conclusions: Decitabine alone or combination with AAG can improve outcome of AML/MDS with a complex karyotype, there being no significant difference decitabine in inducing remission rates in patients with different karyotype. Increasing the number of courses can improve efficiency. This approach with fewer treatment side effects in patients with a better tolerance should be employed in order to create an improved subsequent chance for HSCT.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.1811-1815
• /
• 2014

Background: In clinical trials with no upper age limit, the proportion of older patients is usually small, probably reflecting the more conservative approach adopted by clinicians when treating the elderly. An exploratory analysis of elderly patients in the RECORD-1 Trial showed that patients ${\geq}$ 65 y.o. had superior median PFS than overall RECORD-1 population (5.4 months and 4.9 months, respectively). We investigated the efficacy, relative benefit and safety of Everolimus (EVE) as sequential therapy after failure of VEGFr-TKI therapy for older patients with metastatic renal cell cancer (mRCC), in daily practice. Materials and Methods: 172 consecutive IRB approved patients with mRCC (median age 65, M:F 135/37, 78% clear cell) who received salvage EVE at 39 tertiary institutions between October 2009 and August 2011 were included in this analysis. Some 31% had progressed on sunitinib, 22% on sorafenib, 1% on axitinib, 41% on sequential therapy, and 5% had received other therapy. Patients with brain metastases were not included and 95% of the patients had a ECOG (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group) performance status (PS) of 0 or 1. Previous radiotherapy was an exclusion criterion, but prior chemotherapy was permitted. Adequate organ function and hematologic parameters were mandatory. EVE administration was approved by the institutional review board at each participating institution and signed informed consent was obtained from all patients. Results: Median time of the whole cohort to last follow-up was 3.5 months (range 0.4-15.2 months). Forty four percent were continuing to take EVE at last followup. There were 86 (50%) patients ${\geq}$ 65 y.o. and 86 (50%) <65 y.o. The percentage of patients who showed PR/SD was higher in the older group than in the younger one (5.9%/61.2% vs 1.2%/46.5%, respectively). Median survival of older patients was also significantly longer (3.5 +/- 0.31 vs 3.1 +/- 0.34, hazard ratio=0.45, CI; 0.255-0.802). Analysis using Cox regression model adjusted for gender, PS, number of metastases, site of metastases, histology, smoking history and age detected an association between age and PFS (p=0.011). The frequency of adverse events in elderly patients treated with EVE was no greater than that in younger patients, although such toxicity may have had a greater impact on their quality of life. Conclusions: Older patients should not generally be excluded from accepted therapies (mTOR inhibitors after failure of VEGFr-TKI therapy) for mRCC.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
• /
• v.6 no.2
• /
• pp.178-187
• /
• 2002

Purpose : The detection of hydronephrosis(HN) with antenatal ultrasonography was first reported in the 1970s. Prenatal HN is diagnosed with an incidence of 1:100 to 1:500 on antenatal screening. Recently, the purpose of antenatal screening has changed from simple detection to selection for specific diagnosis-based management. this study is to evaluate the usefulness of antenatal sonography for HN and to investigate the differential causes of HN and their clinical outcomes. Patients and methods : 11,783 live neonates with prenatal ultrasonographic examination at Ajou University School of Medicine, from Sep. 1994 to Aug. 2001 were analyzed. Results and conclusion : Hydronephrosis (>10 mm) was detected in 119 (1.0%) cases antenatally and among these, 91 were proved to have HN postnatally Males were three times more affected than females. Additional imaging studies revealed that ureteropelvic junction obstruction was the most common postnatal diagnosis (47%), followed by multicystic dysplastic kidney, vesicoureteral junction obstruction and vesicoureteral reflux. During 20 months' follow-up(3 to 72 months), 58(48%) renal units showed spontaneous resolution and surgical interventions were necessary in 10 (7.4%) of postnatally confirmed hydronephrotic renal units.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
• /
• v.1 no.1
• /
• pp.17-23
• /
• 1997

After the first description of IgA nephropathy by Berger in 1968, the prognosis of this disease was considered favourable. However recent studies have revealed that IgA nephropathy result in end stage renal desease in 25-30% by 20 years. Heavy proteinuria, hypertension, histological high class are regarded as poor prognostic factors. In 1996, Yagame et al reported the new histopathologic grading with a strong correlation between the grading, heavy proteinuria, high s-Cr level and renal survival. The aims of this study are to determine whether the pathological grading and other clinical parameters could contribute to predicting the outcome of this disease eventhough pediatric patients. Seventy nine patients (59 males, 20 females) with IgA nephropathy were examined. Patients were 2.08-15.17 years of age ($9.85{\pm}2.83$). The mean follow-up duration were $27{\pm}28$ months. Six of seventy nine patients progressed to chronic renal failure during the follow-up periods. High 24h urinary protein excretion at diagnosis were significantly higher in chronic renal failure patients (p<0.05). Hypertension at diagnosis were the significant associated factors in progression of chronic renal failure (p<0.05). Histological changes of IgA nephropathy in light microscopy were classified into five classes by WHO classification, four grades in Yagame's gradings. Among the seventy nine patients, 24 were as class 1, 30 as class 2, 23 as class 3; 4 as class 4, 0 as class 5 by WHO classification. 23 were classified grade 1, 31 as grade 2, 24 as grade 3, 1 as grade 4 by Yagame's grading. Among six patients who progressed to chronic renal failure, 1 clssified as class 1, 1 as class 2, 3 as class 3, 1 as class 4, 0 as class 5 by WHO Classification. 1 patients were classified as grade 1, 1 as grade 2, 3 as grade 3, 1 as grade 4 by Yagame's grading. (p>0.05) In conclusion, hypertension and heavy proteinuria at initial presentation were significantly associated with progression of chronic renal failure. The classification of WHO & Yagame's grading has no significant association with the progression of chronic renal failure in pediatric patients.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.213-221
• /
• 2005

Purpose: Hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS) is characterized by persistent high fever, hepatosplenomegaly, cytopenias, hypertriglyceridemia, and/or hypofibrinogenemia. Hepatic manifestations including overt hepatic failure and fulminant hepatitis are common in HPS. Liver transplantation (LT) should be considered in a case of fulminant hepatitis by other than HPS, but LT is contraindicated and complete cure is possible by chemotherapy in HPS. Therefore, we conducted this study to define the characteristics of HPS presenting as severe acute hepatitis. Methods: Among the total of 23 patients diagnosed as HPS by bone marrow examination between 1994 and 2005 in Asan Medical Center, 11 cases presented as severe acute hepatitis were enrolled in this study. We analyzed the clinical features, laboratory findings and outcome retrospectively. Results: Seven (64%) of the 11 children with HPS and hepatitis were referred to pediatric gastroenterologist at first. The mean age of onset was 50 months. There was no case with family history of primary HPS. Epstein-Barr virus was positive in 4, and herpes Simplex virus was positive simultaneously in 1 case. As the presenting symptoms and signs, fever was present in 10, hepatosplenomagaly was noted in all and jaundice in 10. Anemia was observed in 10, thrombocytopenia in 10, leukopenia in 8, hypertriglyceridemia in 9, hypofibrinogenemia in 8 and hyperferritinemia in 7 cases, respectively. Nine children received chemotherapy including etopside. The overall mortality rate was 72% (8/11). Conclusion: HPS, which needs chemotherapy, should be considered as a cause of severe acute hepatitis especially when accompanied with prolonged high fever and cytopenias.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.38 no.5 s.250
• /
• pp.357-365
• /
• 2005

Background: Patients with mitral regurgitation (MR) in the setting of coronary artery disease have a dismal long-term prognosis whether treated medically or surgically. Moreover, the optimal management of moderate ischemic MR at the time of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) remains the subjects of controversy. Thus, the present retrospective study was undertaken to determine whether mitral valve surgery for moderate ischemic MR at the time of CABG would be preferable to CABG alone in terms of clinical outcome. Material and Method: Between January 1997 and December 2003, 34 patients with moderate (Gr 3/4) ischemic MR underwent CABG alone (Group I, n=23) or CABG plus mitral valve surgery (Group II, n=11). Operative mortality, long-term survival and echocardiographic parameters were used to evaluate the efficacy of mitral valve surgery in patients with moderate ischemic MR. The mean follow-up durations of each group were $69.3\pm4.3$ months and $53.1\pm4.9$ months respectively. Result: There was no hospital mortality in both groups. There was one case of late mortality in Group I. The mean number of bypass graft was similar ($3.8\pm1.2\;vs\;3.7\pm1.3$ respectively). Cardiopulmonary bypass time was longer in group II (p=0.014). In group II, all of the patients received mitral annuloplasty using ring. On immediate postoperative echo-cardiogram, mitral regurgitation was reduced more in group II (p=0.002). Echocardiogram performed at last follow-up state showed no difference except the grade of MR between the two groups. Actuarial survival of both groups at 5 years was similar ($95.5\%\;vs\;100\%$, p=0.48). Conclusion: This study shows that in selected patients with moderate ischemic MR, CABG without mitral valve surgery might be sufficient. However, patients with low EF and NYHA functional class pre-operatively had tendency of significant residual MR, so mitral valve surgery should be necessary in these patients, and moreover, MR severity and left ventricle volume decreased more in mitral valve surgery group. Therefore, more large-scale studies are necessary to determine these effects on the ventricular function and long-term survival.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.41 no.4
• /
• pp.469-475
• /
• 2008

Background: Video-assisted thoracic sympathicotomy is a definitive minimally invasive treatment for axillary hyperhidrosis. Different techniques exist for controlling axillary hyperhidrosis, but they are temporary and expensive. We compared the results after using two different levels of sympathicotomy for treating axillary hyperhidrosis: T3-T4 and T4. Material and Method: Between June 2002 and May 2007, 30 patients with isolated axillary hyperhidrosis underwent either T3-T4 or T4 thoracoscopic sympathicotomy in the Department of Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery at Wonkwang University Hospital. The patients were divided into two groups. Group I (n=15) was composed of patients who underwent T3-T4 sympathicotomy (thermal ablation), and Group II (n=15) was composed of patients who underwent T4 sympathicotomy (thermal ablation). The procedures were bilateral and simultaneous, involving the use of two 2-mm trocars and a 0-degree 2-mm thoracoscope under general anesthesia with single endotracheal intubation. Outcome parameters included satisfaction rate of treatment, degree of compensatory sweating, and postoperative complications. Patients were interviewed by telephone regarding satisfaction and compensatory hyperhidrosis. Result: There were no differences in age between group I and group II. The mean follow-up for the T3-T4 group was $38.7{\pm}2.3$ months, and the mean follow-up for the T4 group was $18.7{\pm}3.6$ months. The immediate therapeutic success rate (within 2 weeks postoperative) was 100% in both groups, and there were no recurrences in either group during the long-term follow-up period. The satisfaction rate was higher (93.3%) in the T4 group than in the T3-T4 group (53.3%), and the incidence of compensatory hyperhidrosis was lower in the T4 group (6.7%) than in the T3-T4 group (46.7%). Postoperative complications included one mild pneumothorax and two instances of intercostal neuralgia. Digital infrared thermographic imaging (DITI) correlated well with postoperative satisfaction. Conclusion: Both techniques proved effective for controlling isolated axillary hyperhidrosis. The T4 group had a higher satisfaction rate and lower severity of compensatory hyperhidrosis. Hence, thermal ablation of the lower interganglionic fibers of the third thoracic sympathetic ganglion on the fourth rib is a more practical and minimally invasive treatment than is the T3-T4 surgical method, according to the degree of compensatory sweating in isolated axillary hyperhidrosis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.41 no.4
• /
• pp.430-438
• /
• 2008

Background: All the patients with mechanical valves require warfarin therapy in order to prevent them from developing thromboembolic complications. According to the ACC/AHA practice guidelines, after AVR with bileaflet mechanical prostheses in patients with no risk factors, warfarin is indicated to achieve an INR of 2.0 to 3.0. After MVR with any mechanical valve, warfarin is indicated to achieve an INR of 2.5 to 3.5. But in our clinical experience, bleeding complications (epistaxis, hematuria, uterine bleeding, intracerebral hemorrhage etc.) frequently developed in patients who maintained their INR within this value. So, we retrospectively reviewed the patients with bileaflet mechanical heart valve prosthesis and we determined the optimal anticoagulation value. Material and Method: From January 1984 to February 2007, 311 patients have been followed up at a national medical center. We classified the AVR patients (n=60) into three groups as follows: an INR from 1.5 to 2.0 in Group I, an INR from 2.0 to 2.5 in Group II and an INR from 2.5 to 3.0 in Group III. We classified the MVR (n=171) and DVR (n=80) patients into four groups as follows: an INR from 1.5 to 2.0 in Group I, an INR from 2.0 to 2.5 in Group II, an INR from 2.5 to 3.0 in Group III and an INR from 3.0 to 3.5 in Group III. We compared the groups for their thromboembolic and bleeding complications by means of the Kaplan Meier method. Result: In the AVR patients, 2 thromboembolic complications and 4 bleeding complications occurred and the log rank test failed to identify any statistical significance between the groups for thethromboembolic complication rate, but groups I and II had lower bleeding complication rates than did group III. Thirteen thromboembolic complication and 15 bleeding complication occurred in the MVR and DVR patients, and the log rank test also failed to identify statistical significance between the groups for the thromboembolic complication rate, but groups I and II had lower bleeding complication rates that did groups III and IV. Conclusion: The thromboembolic complication rate was not statistically different between groups I and II and groups III and IV, but the bleeding complication rates of groups I and II were lower than those of groups III and IV. So this outcome encouraged us to continue using our low intensive anticoagulation regime, that is, an INR of 1.5 to 2.5.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.72-81
• /
• 1994

Total 55 patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer treated with radiation therapy at Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Yeungnam University Hospital, between May-1 1986 and April-30 1993 were retrospectively analyzed by clinical characteristics, failure patterns, follow up duration and survival ratio according to prognostic factors. Obtained results were as follows : 1. Male to female ratio was 17.3 2. Sixth and seventh decades were predominant age group. 3. The patients were 8 in stage I-II, 34 in stage IIIA, 13 in stage IIIb, respectively. 4. Forty five patients out of 55 were squamous cell carcinoma. 5. Primary tumor were originated from upper lobe bronchi predominantly. 6. The size of the primary tumor, lymph node involvement and the degree of differentiation were important in evaluation of prognosis. 7. In conclusion, for patients with poor prognostic factors systemic chemotherapy and multidisciplinary approach were recommended for better treatment outcome and improvement of survival.