• Title/Summary/Keyword: life-and-death problems

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A Ethnographic Field Study for a Model Development of the Chronic Bed-ridden Patient s Home-ward (만성 재가 기동장애자의 가정병실 모델 개발을 위한 현장 연구)

  • 김태연;정연강
    • Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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    • v.24 no.4
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    • pp.597-615
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    • 1994
  • This study is designed to facilitate the creation of home environment conducive to the family taking care of chronic bed-ridden patients with more effective method. The need for this study has emerged against the background of marked changes in the structure of ailments and causes of death, resulting in the number and plights of chronic bed-ridden patients as well as of a rapid increase in demand for medical care and resulting premature discharge. Keeping these in mind, this study focused on home-wards where the majority of chronic bed-ridden patients are being cared for. Despite. their overriding importance, home-words are less than efficient in caring (or chronic bed-ridden patients. These circumstances require the designing of home-wards that can offer greater comfort to patients and at the same time make things easier for caregivers, on the basis of an overall analysis of patients' life and home - ward situation. According1y this study adopted a Participant Observation Method derived cultural anthropology, Toward this end, 3 patients were chosen as subjects of this study for intensive interviewing and participant observation. In the process of this field re-search efforts were made to collect emprical data, that is, to faithfully record the words of the subjects and their caregivers for analysis and interpretation. The findings of these analyses are as follows. Firstly, the chronic bed-ridden patients are mostly being taken care by close family members. Secondly, a room for the exclusive use of the patient, floor, kitchen, bathroom and multipurpose space were found to be necessary for proper caring of the patient. These spaces were respectively used with a view to 1) accomodating the patient as well as caregivers' activities, 2) keeping general and medical supplies and other appliances for patient's care and drying the patient's washing, 3) preparing and keeping the patient's foods and beverages, 4) keeping the supplies necessary for cleaning the patient's body and treating the patient's eliminations, 5) washing the patient's clothes, underwears and bedclothes. The patient's room in turn is subdivided into six portions in terms of uses : specifically the places for accomodating 1) the patient, 2) medical supplies, 3) medicines, 4) linens St clothes, 5) bedclothes and, 6) diapers. Thirdly, the activities of the caregiver are subdivided into seven key areas : hygiene, exercise, diet, elimination, therapeutic nursing, prevention of sore, and other activities. Each area is further classified into several different activities of caring. These activities we mainly carried out in the patient's room. Fourthly, the supplies for caring the chronic bed-ridden patient is divided into two large domains : medical and general supplies. Finally, three main problems areas were found in this study on the part of caregivers, that is, sore prevention, hygiene problem related frequent urination / defecation, the caregiver's physical, psych ological and emotional burden. In consideration of the aforesaid problem areas, a model home-ward was developed in this study. The newly-developed model has been found to have the following six advantages. Firstly, the time and effort required for maintaining the patient's hygiene are reduced, thus relievins the caregiver's physical and psychological bur-den. Secondly, the patient's hygiene can be maintained in satisfactory conditions, because the patient's eliminations are more easily removed. Thirdly, skin irritations caused by the patient's eliminations were remarkably reduced and so were the patient's sores due to moisture and bacteria. Fourthly, the home-ward have a tilt-table ef-fect thanks to the inclining room floor. This improves the patient's cardiovascular function as well as constantly changes pressed skin areas and thus prevents sores. Fifthly, improved shelf arrangements help make the best use of patient's supplies. Sixthly, the trouble of continuously changing clothes, underwears, diapers & bedclothes is remarkably reduced simply by covering the patient with cotton sheets when laid in bed. This is espected to cut down expenses by reducing the comsumptions of diapers and other disposable supplies.

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A Case of Citrullinemia Type 1 in ASS 1 Mutation (ASS 1 유전자 돌연변이로 확진된 시트룰린혈증 1형 1례)

  • Yim, Dae kyoon;Huh, Rimm;Kwun, Younghee;Lee, Jieun;Cho, Sung Yoon;Park, Hyung Doo;Jin, Dong-Kyu
    • Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
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    • v.15 no.1
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    • pp.29-34
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    • 2015
  • Citrullinemia type1 is an autosomal recessive disorder of the urea cycle characterized by neonatal or late onset of hyperammonemia caused by a deficiency of the enzyme argininosuccinate synthetase (ASS). An ASS1 deficiency demonstrates fatal clinical manifestations that are characterized by the neonatal metabolic coma and early death when untreated. It causes a broad spectrum of effects, ranging from a mild disorder to a severe mental retardation, epilepsy, neurologic deficits. An acute neonatal form is the most common. Infants are normal at birth followed by an acute illness characterized by vomiting, lethargy, seizures and coma. These medical problems are life-threatening in many cases. A later onset form is less frequent and may be milder than the neonatal form. This later-onset form is associated with severe headaches, visual dysfunction, motor dysfunction, and lack of energy. Citrullinemia type1 is caused by mutations in the ASS1 gene located on chromosome 9q34.1 that encodes argininosuccinate synthetase, the third enzyme of the urea cycle catalyzing the formation of argininosuccinic acid from citrulline and aspartic acid. The enzyme is distributed in tissues including liver and fibroblasts. This mutation leads to hyperammonemia, arginine deficiency and elevated citrulline level. In the urea cycle, argininosuccinate synthetase catalyses the conversion of citrulline and aspartate to argininosuccinate.. Here, we describe a female newborn patient with lethargy, rigidity and hyperammonemia who was diagnosed as citrullinemia type1 with a c.[421-2A>G], c.[1128-6_1188dup] mutation.

Spatial Distribution of Aging District in Taejeon Metropolitan City (대전광역시 노령화 지구의 공간적 분포 패턴)

  • Jeong, Hwan-Yeong;Ko, Sang-Im
    • Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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    • v.6 no.2
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    • pp.1-19
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    • 2000
  • This study is to investigate and analyze regional patterns of aging in Taejeon Metropolitan city-the overpopulated area of Choong-Cheong Province-by cohort analysis method. According to the population structure transition caused by rapid social and economic changes, Korea has made a rapid progress in population aging since 1970. This trend is so rapid that we should prepare for and cope with aging society. It is not only slow to cope with it in our society, but also there are few studies on population aging of the geographical field in Korea. The data of this study are the reports of Population and Housing Censuses in 1975 and 1985 and General Population and Housing Censuses with 10% sample survey in 1995 taken by National Statistical Office. The research method is to sample as the aging district the area with high aged population rate where the populations over 60 reside among total population during the years of 1975, 1985, 1995 and to sample the special districts of decreasing population where the population decreases very much and the special districts of increasing population in which the population increases greatly, presuming that the reason why aged population rate increases is that non-elderly population high in mobility moves out. It is then verified and ascertained whether it is true or not with cohort analysis method by age. Finally regional patterns in the city are found through the classification and modeling by type based on the aging district, the special districts of decreasing population, and the special districts of increasing population. The characteristics of the regional patterns show that there is social population transition and that non-elderly population moves out. The aging district with the high aged population rate is divided into high-level keeping-up type, relative falling type below the average of Taejeon city in aging progress, and relative rising type above the average of the city. This district can be found at both the central area of the city and the suburbs because Taejeon city has the characteristic of over-bounded city. But it cannot be found at the new built-up area with the in-migration of large population. The special districts of decreasing population where the population continues to decrease can be said to be the population doughnuts found at the CBD and its neighboring inner area. On the other hand, the special districts of increasing population where the population continues to increase are located at the new built-up area of the northern part in Taejeon city. The special districts of decreasing population are overlapping with the aging district and higher in aged population rate by the out-migration of non-elderly population. The special districts of increasing population are not overlapping with the aging district and lower in aged population rate by the in-migration of non-elderly population. To clarify the distribution map of the aging district, the special districts of decreasing and increasing population and the aging district are divided into four groups such as the special districts of decreasing population group-the same one as the aging district, the special districts of decreasing population group, the special districts of increasing population group, and the other district. With the cohort analysis method by age used to investigate the definite increase and decrease of aging population through population transition of each group, it is found that the progress of population aging is closely related to the social population fluctuation, especially that aged population rate is higher with the out-migration of non-elderly population. This is to explain each model of CBD, inner area, and the suburbs after modeling the aging district, the special districts of decreasing population, and the special districts of increasing population in Taejeon city. On the assumption that the city area is a concentric circle, it is possible to divide it into three areas such as CBD(A), the inner area(B), and the suburbs(C). The special districts of increasing and decreasing population in the city are divided into three districts-the special districts of decreasing population(a), the special districts of increasing population(b), and the others(c). The aging district of this city is divided into the aging district($\alpha$) and the others($\beta$). And then modeling these districts, it is probable to find regional patterns in the city. $Aa{\alpha}$ and $Ac{\beta}$ patterns are found in the CBD, in which $Aa{\alpha}$ is the special district of decreasing population and is higher in aged population rate because of aged population low in mobility staying behind and out-migration of non-elderly population. $Ba{\alpha}$, $Ba{\beta}$, $Bb{\beta}$, and $Bc{\beta}$ patterns are found in the inner area, in which neighboring area $Ba{\alpha}$ pattern is located. $Bb{\beta}$ pattern is located at the new developing area of newly built apartment complex. $Cb{\beta}$, $Cc{\alpha}$, and $Cc{\beta}$ patterns are found in the suburbs, among which $Cc{\alpha}$ pattern is highest in population aging. It is likely that the $Cc{\beta}$ under housing land readjustment on a large scale will be the $Cb{\beta}$ pattern. As analyzed above, marriage and out-migration of new family, non-elderly population, with house purchase are main factors in accelerating population aging in the central area of the city. Population aging is responsible for the great increase of aged population with longer life expectancy by the low death rate, the out-migration of non-elderly population, and the age group of new aged population in the suburbs. It is necessary to investigate and analyze the regional patterns of population aging at the time when population problems caused by aging as well as longer life expectancy are now on the increase. I hope that this will help the future study on population aging of the geographical field in Korea. As in the future population aging will be a major problem in our society, local autonomy should make a plan for the problem to the extent that population aging progresses by regional groups and inevitably prepare for it.

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