• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.995-1005
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• 2000

This study was performed to identify the physiological and psychological variables related to successful weaning from a mechanical ventilator. The subjects of this study were 22 patients who received mechanical ventilation therapy for more than 3 days in intensive care units. Before the weaning trial, baseline data for following physiologic variables were obtained: spontaneous respiration rate, blood pressure, pulse rate, PaO2, PaCO2, PEEP, static compliance, minute ventilation, tidal volume, rapid shallow breathing index(f/VT), SaO2, PaO2/FiO2 and mean arterial pressure. During spontaneous breathing, physiologic and psychologic variables such as vital signs, ABG, perspiration, chest retraction, paradoxical respiration, dyspnea, anxiety, confidence and efficacy were measured. Successful weaning was defined as sustaining spontaneous respiration over 24 hours after extubation. Weaning failure was defined as the development of more than one of following signs: (1) hypoxemia, (2) CO2 retention or (3) perspiration, tachypnea, chest retraction, tachycardia, arrhythmia, hypotension or hypertension. Subjects (N=18) who successfully weaned from mechanical ventilator were compared with subjects (N=4) who failed. The results are as follows; Eighteen percents of the subjects failed during the weaning trial. Most subjects in the failed group were mechanically ventilated for long-time. This result shows that the success of weaning is more difficult in long-term ventilation patients. In the baseline data that was measured before weaning trial, the mean score of PaO2 in the successfully weaned group was 121mmHg. This is significantly higher than the mean score of PaO2 in the failed group(95mmHg). However, the scores of pH, tidal volume, f/VT, pulse rates, blood pressure, mean airway pressure, SaO2, and PaCO2 were similar between the two groups. Specially the scores of f/VT index as a predominant predictor for successful weaning were not significant (f/VT=44.4) and (f/VT=47). During spontaneous breathing, the scores of dyspnea and anxiety level in the successfully weaned group were less than those of the failed group. On the contrary, the scores of confidence and efficacy in the successful group were greater than those of the failed group. In conclusion, the baseline data that were measured before weaning trial were similar between the both groups, therefore future studies are needed to focus on searching other variables besides physiological parameters related to weaning outcome.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.317-332
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• 2003

This study attempts to investigate the relations between the types of communication, the job satisfaction. and the nursing performance of the staff nurses. The subjects of this study were the 114 nurses working in general wards, intensive care units, and the emergency rooms of the general hospital in Kyongbuk province. They were asked to answer the questionnaires as regards the types of communication and job satisfaction, and their performance of nursing, and these were evaluated by the head nurses, and their direct seniors. The data were collected for 10 days from the September 17 to 26, 2002. According to the purpose of the study, descriptive analysis, ANOVA. Pearson correlation coefficient, and stepwise multiple regression were applied for the data analysis using SPSS 10.0. The results are as follows : 1. The types of communication of staff nurses showed that the upward communication was $3.12\pm0.56$. the downward communication was $3.56\pm0.42$. the horizontal communication was $2.98\pm0.44$. and the informal communication was $2.59\pm0.49$. It showed that the most frequent communication was the downward communication. 2. In terms of the job satisfaction, there was significant difference according to the length of the period working for one ward (F=5.95, p=0.003), 3. The performance of nursing was significantly different according to the age (F=23.52, p=0.000), the working duration as a nurses (F=21.9, p=0.000), the types of nursing unit (F=5.33, p=0.002), and the working duration in present nursing unit (F=15.87, p=0.000). 4. In terms of communication type, the job satisfaction was associated with quality of the upward communication (F=6.23, p=0.003), the downward communication (F=5.78, p=0.004), and the horizontal communication (F=11.73, p=0.000) There were no association between the types of communication and the performance of nursing. 5. There was a positive correlation between the communication and the job satisfaction. And the downward communication (r=0.398) showed the greatest correlation with the job satisfaction. There was no statistically significant correlation between the communication and the performance of nursing. And the upward communication (r=-0.058) showed a negative, though not significant correlation with performance of nursing. 5. There was a positive correlation between the communication and the job satisfaction. And the downward communication (r=0.398) showed the greatest correlation with the job satisfaction. There was no statistically significant correlation between the communication and the performance of nursing. And the upward communication (r=-0.058) showed a negative. though not significant correlation with performance of nursing. 6. The stepwise multiple regression result showed that the downward communication accounts for $15.8\%$ (p=0,000) of the job satisfaction.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.146-151
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• 2008

Purpose : Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) is recognized to be the most difficult pathogen to control and treat in pediatric burn centers. We analyzed the antibiotic susceptibility pattern of A. baumannii in our pediatric burn intensive care unit during the past 7 years. Methods : We retrospectively evaluated 56 patients (105 samples) under the age 15 years and who were infected with A. baumannii between January 1999 and December 2005. Results : Fot the 56 patients, the ratio of males to females was 1.15:1 and the median age was 48.3 months. The sites of 105 isolates were wounds (65%), sputum (20%), blood (6 %), cutdown tips (5%), endo-tip tubes (2%) and urine (2%). A. baumannii presented yearround. The annual antimicrobial resistance rate increased and the multidrug resistant rate for two or more antibiotics was 93.33%. For 3 patients in whom resistance emerged, the interval period between the susceptible and resistant strains after antibiotic use was a mean of 10 days. The A. baumannii isolated from blood were all multi-drug resistant pathogens. Conclusion : Multidrug resistance of A. baumannii is increasing. Strict infection control guidelines and active surveillance are needed for the prevention and treatment of A. baumannii in hospitals.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.287-302
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• 2000

The purpose of the study are to examine the perception of the importance and performance of patient education of the clinical nurse and find out the interfering factors in practicing patient education. The data were collected from convenient sample of 256 clinical nurses working in the nursing units of adult patients except the psychiatric unit, obstetric unit, dental surgical unit and intensive care unit of one University Hospital in Seoul from September 29 to October 2, 1998. Three measurement tools of self-report- questionnaires developed by researcher used. For the content validity of the questionnaires, two sessions of panel discussion and a pilot test were done and finally factor analysis was done with Varimax method. Analysis of data was done with SAS program using frequency, percentage, means, standard deviation, Pearson's Correlation Coefficients, t-test and ANOVA. The obtained results were as follows : 1. The surveyed nurses perceived the importance of patient education at higher level with mean score of 4.08 among 5 point than their perception of practice( mean score : 3.42). 2. There was positive significant correlation(r=.29, p=0.0001)between nurses' perception of the importance of patient education and it's practice 3. Among the teaching contents for patients, 'information of diagnostic procedure and operation' and 'orientation of hospitalization' were perceived most important. And 'preparation for discharge' and 'understanding of disease and health promotion' were perceived least important 4. Among the teaching contents for patients, 'orientation of hospitalization' and 'information of diagnostic procedure and operation' were perceived highly performable. And 'understanding of disease and health promotion' and 'preparation for discharge' were perceived least performable. 5. Three types of interfering factors were identified as patient-factor, situational factor, nurse-factor. The mean degree of impediment with the interfering factors was at average level(3.09 among 5). The patient and situational factors of impediments were more interfering than nurse- factor for teaching patients. 6. In older age(p<.05), married state (p<.05), higher educational status (p<.01), higher clinical experience (p<.01) and higher position(p<.01), the score of perceived importance of patients education was more high. 7. In older age(p<.01), higher clinical experience(p<.001) and surgical unit (p<.01), the score of perceived performance of patients education was more high. In conclusion, in order to activate patient education practice in the clinical setting, the continuing education for patients education should be more emphasized and the effective teaching methods and materials should be developed to help patient teaching. And an organizational support such as budgeting for patient education and reimbursement system should be administrated.

• Neonatal Medicine
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.14-22
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• 2011

Neonatal bleeding is a common problem encountered in nursery rooms or neonatal intensive care units, especially among premature infants. Furthermore, owing to recent remarkable improvement of neonatology, survival rates of preterm neonates have increased; hence, neonatal bleeding cannot be emphasized enough. Since the total blood volume of neonates is small, bleeding can be one of the causes of morbidities and mortalities. Therefore, rapid diagnosis and immediate therapy is urgently needed. The patient's medical history including a familial history of a bleeding disorder or of a previously affected infant who suffered from bleeding along with maternal and neonatal drugs can provide important diagnostic clues. Presence of bleeding with or without petechiae and ecchymoses in a healthy term or late preterm infant with thrombocytopenia but normal prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time strongly suggests a congenital bleeding disorder. For a sick infant who is bleeding from multiple sites, an acquired disorder such as disseminated intravascular coagulation is suspected. Intracranial hemorrhage in term or late preterm infants without a history of birth trauma is highly suggestive of coagulation disorders. The purpose of this review is to summarize recent advances in diagnostic methods is as well as basic concepts of neonatal hemostatic disorders. First, an outline of background information will be presented followed by a discussion of primary and secondary hemostatic disorders as well as inherited and acquired disorders.

• Perspectives in Nursing Science
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.12-23
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• 2013

Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate ICU nurses' perceptions of communication difficulties, the importance of and satisfaction with communication with doctors, other nurses, patients, and family, as well as to explore communication barrier with patient families. Methods: Investigators developed a 15-item communication perception questionnaire and 58-item communication barrier questionnaire. Communication barrier included 4 domains: nurses, family, environment, and patient condition. A total of 151 ICU nurses with a minimum of one year of ICU experience participated. Results: ICU patients ($3.38{\pm}0.73$) were the most difficult group to communicate with, followed by family ($3.32{\pm}0.72$), senior nurses ($3.25{\pm}0.74$), doctors ($3.21{\pm}0.68$), and nurse colleagues ($2.64{\pm}0.73$). Doctors ($4.61{\pm}0.53$) were the most important group to communicate with, followed by nurse colleagues ($4.52{\pm}0.54$), patients ($4.49{\pm}0.58$), senior nurses ($4.44{\pm}0.55$), and family ($4.43{\pm}0.61$). Satisfaction with communication was the highest with colleague nurses ($3.60{\pm}0.68$), then senior nurses ($3.37{\pm}0.74$), family ($3.18{\pm}0.71$), patients ($3.09{\pm}0.75$), and doctors ($3.06{\pm}0.83$).The total score of the communication barrier was $2.83{\pm}0.52$, where each domain was scored as follows: patient condition $3.13{\pm}0.74$, nurses $2.83{\pm}0.60$, environment $2.81{\pm}0.66$, and family $2.76{\pm}0.57$. The ICU nurses reported that communication was difficult due to 'sudden deterioration in the patient's condition', 'being too busy', 'a noisy environment', and 'information not being shared between family members.' Significant differences were noted by age, clinical experience, and marital status of nurse respondents. Conclusion: The findings indicated that development of a protocol on communication between nurses and doctors as well as development of an educational program on communication skills are necessary.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.80-86
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• 2011

Background: A dry-type electrode is an alternative to the conventional wet-type electrode, because it can be applied without any skin preparation, such as a conductive electrolyte. However, because a dry-type electrode without electrolyte has high electrode-to-skin impedance, an impedance-converting amplifier is typically used to minimize the distortion of the bioelectric signal. In this study, we developed an active dry electroencephalography (EEG) electrode using an impedance converter, and compared its performance with a conventional Ag/AgCl EEG electrode. Methods: We developed an active dry electrode with an impedance converter using a chopper-stabilized operational amplifier. Two electrodes, a conventional Ag/AgCl electrode and our active electrode, were used to acquire EEG signals simultaneously, and the performance was tested in terms of (1) the electrode impedance, (2) raw data quality, and (3) the robustness of any artifacts. Results: The contact impedance of the developed electrode was lower than that of the Ag/AgCl electrode ($0.3{\pm}0.1$ vs. $2.7{\pm}0.7\;k{\Omega}$, respectively). The EEG signal and power spectrum were similar for both electrodes. Additionally, our electrode had a lower 60-Hz component than the Ag/AgCl electrode (16.64 vs. 24.33 dB, respectively). The change in potential of the developed electrode with a physical stimulus was lower than for the Ag/AgCl electrode ($58.7{\pm}30.6$ vs. $81.0{\pm}19.1\;{\mu}V$, respectively), and the difference was close to statistical significance (P=0.07). Conclusions: Our electrode can be used to replace Ag/AgCl electrodes, when EEG recording is emergently required, such as in emergency rooms or in intensive care units.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2015

Purpose: This study was conducted to explore relationships of postpartum depression with socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of preterm infants and mothers. Methods: Participants were the mothers of 80 premature infants admitted to neonatal intensive care units. Postpartum depression was measured using the Edinburg Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Clinical characteristics were examined through the medical records. The physiological state for the infants was evaluated using the revised Neurobiologic Risk Score (NBRS). Data were analyzed using the t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficients. Results: Average for EPDS was $9.75{\pm}5.06$, and 30% of the participants were at high risk for postpartum depression. There were significant differences in postpartum depression according to mother's education level (F=3.493, p=.035), economic state (F=5.828, p=.004), multiple pregnancy (t=2.141, p=.037), chorioamnionitis (t=2.349, p=.021), oligohydramnios (t=-2.226, p=.029), broncho-pulmonary dysplasia (t=2.085, p=.040), germinal matrix hemorrhage (t=2.259, p=.027), and revised NBRS (t=-2.772, p=.007). There was a significant positive correlation between postpartum depression and number of health problem of infants (r=.252, p=.024) and revised NBRS (r=.316, p=.004). Conclusion: As 30% of the mothers with preterm infants were at high risk for postpartum depression, they require attention. When providing interventions, socioeconomic status as well as the physiological state of premature infants should be considered.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.143-153
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• 2011

Purpose : It is known that carriage rates of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) are highest in newborns and that the asymptomatic carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is associated with invasive MRSA infection with the colonizing strain. This study was carried out to investigate the carriage rates of MRSA in neonates with neonatal jaundice. Methods : We reviewed the medical records of 545 neonates admitted with neonatal jaundice to neonatal intensive care units between January 2006 and December 2010. Nasal and inguinal swab specimens had been taken from them and cultured for the isolation of S. aureus. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests had been done for such isolates to determine methicillinresistance. Results : Out of 545 neonates, 318 (58.3%) were colonized with S. aureus and 214 (39.3%) were colonized with MRSA. Results of the antibiogram analysis showed that 65.7% of MRSA isolates were likely to be community-associated (CA) MRSA. Conclusion : Based on the MRSA carriage rate of 39.3%, a surveillance program for MRSA colonization is considered necessary in neonates transferred from other clinics or hospitals. Out of MRSA isolates, 65.7% were likely to be CA-MRSA. This suggests that CA-MRSA strains were already present in obstetric clinic environments where the neonates were born. It is thought that MRSA surveillance programs in these environments are also necessary.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.113-120
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• 2013

Nowadays, the medical system towards patients changes into the medical services. As the human rights are improved and the capitalism is enlarged, the rights and needs of patients are gradually increasing. Also, based on this change, several systems in hospitals are revised according to the convenience and needs of patients. Thus, the cases of mobile portable among examinations are getting augmented. Because the number of mobile portable examinations in patient's room, intensive care unit, operating room and recovery room increases, neighboring patients are unnecessarily exposed to radiation so that the examination is legally regulated. Hospitals have to specify that "In case that the examination is taken out of the operating room, emergency room or intensive care units, the portable medical X-ray protective blocks should be set" in accordance with the standards of radiation protective facility in diagnostic radiological system. Some keep this regulation well, but mostly they do not keep. In this study, we shielded around the Collimator where the radiation is detected and then checked the change of dose regarding that of angles in portable tube and collimator before and after shielding. Moreover, we tried to figure out the effects of shielding on dose according to the distance change between patients' beds. As a result, the neighboring areas around the collimator are affected by the shielding. After shielding, the radiation is blocked 20% more than doing nothing. When doing the portable examination, the exposure doses are increased $0^{\circ}C$, $90^{\circ}C$ and $45^{\circ}C$ in order. At the time when the angle is set, the change of doses around the collimator decline after shielding. In addition, the exposure doses related to the distance of beds are less at 1m than 0.5m. In consideration of the shielding effects, putting the beds as far as possible is the best way to block the radiation, which is close to 100%. Next thing is shielding the collimator and its effect is about 20%, and it is more or less 10% by controlling the angles. When taking the portable examination, it is better to keep the patients and guardians far enough away to reduce the exposure doses. However, in case that the bed is fixed and the patient cannot move, it is suggested to shield around the collimator. Furthermore, $90^{\circ}C$ of collimator and tube is recommended. If it is not possible, the examination should be taken at $0^{\circ}C$ and $45^{\circ}C$ is better to be disallowed. The radiation-related workers should be aware of above results, and apply them to themselves in practice. Also, it is recommended to carry out researches and try hard to figure out the ways of reducing the exposure doses and shielding the radiation effectively.