• Herbal Formula Science
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.161-169
• /
• 2007

We applied Chunggangunbi-tang-gamibang to a 64 year-old male patient who had alcoholic liver cirrhosis with ascites. Chunggangunbi-tang-gamibang has been used to treat alcoholic liver disease and because of its beneficial effects. The patient with the disease expected several symptoms induced by Alcoholic liver cirrhosis, and we diagnosised differentiation of symptoms, using Chunggangunbi-tang-gamibang while removing dampness through diuresis and invigorating the spleen. After medication we could find remarkable effects on clinical symptoms, blood test results and abdomen ultrasonographic images. From this case, it is thought that using Chunggangunbi-tang-gamibang is very effective to improve the symptom of alcoholic liver cirrhosis with ascites.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.36 no.6
• /
• pp.577-588
• /
• 2003

Severe protein-calorie malnutrition, common in patients with advanced liver disease, can seriously undermine the capacity for regeneration and functional restoration of liver. Nutritional supplementation for these patients can improve biochemical and hormonal abnormalities. However, these effects were not identified in patient with nonalcoholic liver cirrhosis. To determine effects of nutritional supplementation in patients with nonalcoholic liver cirrhosis, 77 subjects aged 29 to 69 years participated in this study for 12 weeks and were subdivided into three groups; normal diet group (Control group, n ＝ 16), branched-chain amino acid supplementation group (BCAA group, n ＝ 31), nutritional supplementation group (NS group, n ＝ 30). Anthropometric parameters, hemoglobin, hematocrit, blood cell counts, serum levels of lipids, vitamins, minerals and fatty acid composition, and plasma amino acids were examined. The mean values of age and height, and the initial values of weight and body mass index (BMI) were not different among all groups. After 12 weeks, there were no significant changes in these values in Control group. Only NS group showed significant increases in weight, lean body mass, midarm circumference, triceps skinfold thickness. Serum transferrins were increased both in BCAA and NS groups. Plasma levels of branched-chain amino acids, urea amino acids and glutamic acid were also significantly increased in these groups, but plasma levels of ammonia, serum LDL cholesterol and atherogenic index were decreased. However, there were no significant changes in serum levels of vitamin and mineral and composition of fatty acids in phospholipids in these groups. These results showed that the nutritional supplementation for patients with nonalcoholic liver cirrhosis can more improve nutritional status in these people together with increases of weight, body fat and lean body mass, compared to only BCAA supplementation. To ascertain and investigate the appropriate nutritional supplementation for patients with nonalcoholic liver cirrhosis, further studies are necessary.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.39 no.3
• /
• pp.293-301
• /
• 2018

Objective: The purpose of this clinical trial is to examine the efficacy and safety of electroacupuncture on liver cirrhosis patients suffering from muscle cramps. Methods: A total of 14 liver cirrhosis patients with muscle cramps were treated by electroacupuncture three times a week for four weeks (12 times total). The electrical stimulation was a frequency of 100 Hz. Evaluation of the muscle cramps was measured by a questionnaire of subjective symptoms. The patients' condition was evaluated four times over a period of eight weeks. We also assessed the deterioration of liver disease using the Child-Pugh score and blood tests. Results: This study proves that four weeks of electroacupuncture treatment is effective in reducing the frequency of muscle cramps and that the effects of electroacupuncture treatment lasted during another four-week follow-up period after treatment. Conclusions: This study suggests that electroacupuncture treatment is beneficial for improving muscle cramps in liver cirrhosis patients (p=0.000). Electroacupuncture is thought to be a safe treatment for liver cirrhosis patients with muscle cramps without contributing to the worsening of liver function. Further study with a larger sample size is needed to confirm our findings.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.219-227
• /
• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the degree of dietary compliance, nutritional status, and stages of disease in patients with liver cirrhosis and to identify the relationships among those variables. Methods: This study used a cross-sectional design and conducted a survey of 100 patients who were treated at D-university hospital in Busan. For data analysis, descriptive statistics and Pearson's correlation coefficients were performed using SPSS/WINdow 20.0 program. Results: The mean score of dietary compliance was 3.50 in the a 5-point scale. Stage of disease was significantly correlated with dietary compliance (r=.20, p=.048), and protein as one of nutritional status (r=-.44, p<.001). Conclusion: These findings suggest that dietary compliance of patients with liver cirrhosis can have an influence on prognosis of disease. Therefore, patients should be encouraged to improve dietary compliance from the early stage of liver cirrhosis.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
• /
• v.23 no.3
• /
• pp.179-186
• /
• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify factors that influence dietary compliance in patients with liver cirrhosis. Methods: This study used a cross-sectional design and was conducted with a survey of 141 patients in liver cirrhosis who were treated at D-university hospital in Busan. For data analysis, descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and a multiple regression were performed using SPSS/WIN 20.0 Program for windows. Results: The mean score was 3.47 in dietary compliance. Dietary compliance had a positive correlation with self-efficacy, perceived-benefit medical staff support, age, drink or not but had a negative correlation with perceived barrier. As a result of multiple regression analysis, self-efficacy and perceived-benefits explained 30.1% (F=7.69, p<.001) of the variance of dietary compliance. Conclusion: Dietary compliance was suggested to consider self-efficacy and perceived-benefits when developing a nutritional education programs for patients with liver cirrhosis.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.165-175
• /
• 2018

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to examine symptom experiences, perceived health status, disease status, and self-care compliance of patients with liver cirrhosis and to identify the factors that affect their self-care compliance. Methods: The study design was a cross-sectional design and 148 patients who were being treated at D-university hospital in Busan participated in the survey. The data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, Bonferroni test, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple linear regression analysis. Results: The factors affecting self-care compliance were symptom experiences, disease status, age, and gender. These factors explained 21.6% of the variance in self-care compliance of patients with liver cirrhosis. Conclusion: The findings indicate that nursing interventions that prevent patients' symptoms are needed to promote self-care compliance in patients with liver cirrhosis. The patient should also be helped to recognize the need for self-care compliance from an early stage.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
• /
• v.5 no.2
• /
• pp.7-18
• /
• 1971

The liver function test was performed by means of two radioisotope tracer techniques in 20 normal subjects and in 63 patients with hepatobiliary diseases. The blood disappearance rates of $^{131}I$-rose bengal and of $^{198}Au$ colloid were determined by external counting method. The hepatocellular function and the hepatic blood flow were estimated from the observed data and the results were compared with those of the conventional liver function tests. The results obtained were as follows: 1. The mean blood disappearance half time of $^{131}I$-rose bengal was $6.6{\pm}0.63$ minutes in normal control, $17.7{\pm}6.93$ in cirrhosis of the liver, $16.6{\pm}4.80$ in acute hepatitis, and $14.7{\pm}3.46$ in obstructive jaundice. It was markedly prolonged in the hepatobiliary diseases as compared with the normal control, but there was no significant difference among the hepatobiliary diseases. 2. The mean blood disappearance half time of $^{198}Au$ colloid was $4.0{\pm}0.66$ minutes in normal control, $9.8{\pm}3.42$ in cirrhosis of the liver, $4.4{\pm}0.82$ in acute hepatitis, and $5.0{\pm}1.42$ in obstructive jaundice. The difference between cirrhosis of the liver and normal control Was statistically significant. However, there was no definite difference among acute hepatitis, obstructive jaundice, and normal control. The mean blood disappearance rate constant (K value) was $0.177{\pm}0.028/minute$ in normal control. In cirrhosis of the liver, it was markedly decreased which was suggestive of the reduced hepatic blood flow. 3. The ratio of $^{131}I$-rose bengal blood disappearance half time to $^{198}Au$ colloid disappearance half time was $1.68{\pm}0.20$ in normal control, $1.82{\pm}0.31$ in cirrhosis of the liver, $3.80{\pm}0.82$ in acute hepatitis, and $3.01{\pm}0.54$ in obstructive jaundice. The ratios in acute hepatitis and obstructive jaundice were remarkably higher than those in normal control and cirrhosis of the liver. 4. There was a significant correlation between the blood disappearance half time of $^{131}I$-rose bengal and that of $^{198}Au$ colloid in cirrhosis of the liver. 5. In cirrhosis of the liver, the blood disappearance half times of $^{131}I$-rose bengal and of $^{198}Au$ colloid were inversely correlated to the serum albumin level. In acute hepatitis, there was a good positive correlation between the blood disappearance half time of $^{131}I$-rose bengal and the serum transaminase activities. In obstructive jaundice, the blood disappearance half time of $^{131}I$-rose bengal was correlated to the serum bilirubin level.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.41 no.3
• /
• pp.515-522
• /
• 2020

Objectives: This study aimed to describe whether Saenggangunbi-tang supports clinical management of a patient with decompensated liver cirrhosis without unfavorable side effects. Methods: A 78-year-old woman diagnosed with unspecified liver cirrhosis in 2014, who had undergone abdominal paracentesis twice until 2014 and variceal ligation twice until 2017, took Saenggangunbi-tang from July 25, 2019 to March 23, 2020. We observed clinical changes, such as fatigue, leg edema, and gingival bleeding, as well as laboratory findings. Results: After taking Saenggangunbi-tang for about eight months, the patient's symptoms and serum levels of liver enzymes were improved in comparison to her symptoms and serum levels at the first visit. Moreover, there was no occurrence of any complications, such as ascites and gastroesophageal variceal bleeding by portal hypertension. Conclusions: This study suggests that Saenggangunbi-tang might be effective in the treatment of decompensated liver cirrhosis.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.459-466
• /
• 2005

Ascites is the retention of body fluids in abdominal cavity, which is induced by salt increase, and disorders in such things as water retention and albumin synthesis. Ascites are especially common in cases of progressed liver cirrhosis and metastatic cancer. One patient was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis and Metastatic cancer at Rt. liver from Lt. ovarian tumor by abdominal CT. To measure the response to treatment of ascites, these clinical symptoms were observed: weight, abdominal circumference, and lab findings. Clinical symptoms and ascites were improved after oriental medical treatment. Abdominal circumference decreased. Results suggest oriental medical treatment was effective for this patient for this disease, but more extensive research is needed.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
• /
• v.13 no.4
• /
• pp.271-281
• /
• 2015

The purpose of this study was to explore convergence on the theory of unpleasant symptom, and factors affecting quality of life of liver cirrhosis patients. A total of 198 liver cirrhosis patients were recruited symptom experiences, physiologic factors, psychological factors, situational factors, and quality of life. Data were collected from March, to May, 2014 and analyzed using one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlations, multiple regressions analysis with PASW (SPSS) 21.0. Variables such as duration of liver cirrhosis(${\beta}=.19$, p<.001), symptom experiences(${\beta}=.19$, p=.032), physical(${\beta}=.15$, p=.008), psychological(${\beta}=.39$, p<.001) and situational factors(${\beta}=.32$, p<.001) explained 51.8% of variance in quality of life(F=15.57, p<.001). The symptom experiences, physiological, psychological and situational factors should be considered for caring liver cirrhosis patients. Symptoms of postmyocardial infarction (post-MI) patients at risk for progression to heart.