Updates on Therapeutic Alternatives for Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause: Hormonal and Non-Hormonal Managements

Postmenopausal atrophic vaginitis, along with vasomotor symptoms and sleep disorders, is one of the most troublesome symptoms of menopause. However, many women do not manage this symptom properly due to insufficient knowledge of the symptoms or sexual embarrassment. With appropriate treatment, many postmenopausal women can experience relief from discomforts, including burning sensation or dryness of the vagina and dyspareunia. Topical lubricants and moisturizers, systemic and local estrogens, testosterones, intravaginal dehydroepiandrosterones (DHEAs), selective estrogen receptor modulators, and energy-based therapies are possible treatment modalities. Systemic and local estrogen therapies effectively treat genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM), but they are contraindicated in patients with breast cancer, for whom lubricants and moisturizers must be considered as the primary treatment. Intravaginal DHEA and ospemifene can be recommended for moderate to severe GSM; however, there is insufficient data on the use of intravaginal DHEA or ospemifene in patients with breast cancer, and further studies are needed. Energy-based devices such as vaginal laser therapy reportedly alleviate GSM symptoms; however, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warning has recently been issued because of complications such as chronic pain and burning sensations of the vagina. To summarize, clinicians should provide appropriate individualized treatment options depending on women’s past history, symptom severity, and chief complaints.

Updates on Therapeutic Alternatives for Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause: Hormonal and Non-Hormonal Managements

Postmenopausal atrophic vaginitis, along with vasomotor symptoms and sleep disorders, is one of the most troublesome symptoms of menopause. However, many women do not manage this symptom properly due to insufficient knowledge of the symptoms or sexual embarrassment. With appropriate treatment, many postmenopausal women can experience relief from discomforts, including burning sensation or dryness of the vagina and dyspareunia. Topical lubricants and moisturizers, systemic and local estrogens, testosterones, intravaginal dehydroepiandrosterones (DHEAs), selective estrogen receptor modulators, and energy-based therapies are possible treatment modalities. Systemic and local estrogen therapies effectively treat genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM), but they are contraindicated in patients with breast cancer, for whom lubricants and moisturizers must be considered as the primary treatment. Intravaginal DHEA and ospemifene can be recommended for moderate to severe GSM; however, there is insufficient data on the use of intravaginal DHEA or ospemifene in patients with breast cancer, and further studies are needed. Energy-based devices such as vaginal laser therapy reportedly alleviate GSM symptoms; however, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warning has recently been issued because of complications such as chronic pain and burning sensations of the vagina. To summarize, clinicians should provide appropriate individualized treatment options depending on women’s past history, symptom severity, and chief complaints.

The Relationships among the Suicidal Risk, Self-Esteem, and Spiritual Well-being of High School Students

PURPOSE: This study was carried out to investigate the relationships among suicidal risk, self-esteem, and spiritual well-being of high school students, and to provide basic data for developing suicide prevention programs. METHOD: The subjects of this study were 1.176 high school students from six academic high schools and two technical high schools in Daegu City. Data were collected from the 13th to the 25th of September 2004. The research tools were the Suicide Probability Scale developed by Go. Kim and Lee (2000), the Self-Esteem Inventory modified by Choi and Jeon (1993), and the tool of Spiritual Well-Being modified by Yoo (2002). Data were analyzed with SPSS Windows 11.0. RESULT: Variables that showed statistically significant difference in suicidal risk were school type, whether to have the best friends, the number of close friends, current relationship with close friends, experience of school violation, respect for the teacher, grades, financial condition, parents marital status, father's education level, mother's education level, home atmosphere, conversation with father, conversation with mother, smoking, drinking, experience of counseling for problems, whether to have physical illnesses, experience of thinking about suicide, experience of attempting suicide. Suicidal risk was in a significantly negative correlation with self-esteem and spiritual well-being. CONCLUSION: The researcher identified many different variables that affect the suicidal risk of high school students. Self-esteem and spiritual well-being were found to be in a significant correlation with suicidal risk. Therefore, the results of this study can be used as basic data and information for suicidal prevention programs.

Effects of Music Therapy on Pain, Discomfort, and Depression for Patients with Leg Fractures / 간호학회지

PURPOSE: To determine the effects of music therapy on pain, discomfort, and depression for patients with leg fractures. METHODS: Data were collected from 40 patients admitted in an orthopedic surgery care unit. The subjects included 20 intervention group members and 20 control group members. Music therapy was offered to intervention group members once a day for 3 days for 30-60 minutes per day. Pain was measured with a numeric rating scale and by measuring vital signs. Discomfort and depression were measured with self-administered questionnaires. RESULTS: Patients who received music therapy had a lower degree of pain than patients who did not receive music therapy as measured by the numeric pain score (p<0.001), systolic blood pressure (p<0.01), diastolic blood pressure (p<0.001), pulse rate (p<0.001) and respiration (p<0.001). Patients who were provided with music therapy also had a lower degree of discomfort than patients who were not provided with this therapy (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that music therapy is an effective method for decreasing pain and dis-comfort for patients with leg fractures.

A Study for a Curriculum for the Oriental Clinical Nurse Specialist Program / 간호학회지

The purpose of this study was to develop a curriculum for the oriental clinical nurse specialist program based on the understanding of Korean human beings so as to develop nursing as a profession and promote the client's health. The design of this study was based on literature review and nominal group study. The research was managed by East-West Nursing Research Institute of nursing science college at Kyung Hee University. The research team was composed of 17 professors of nursing departments of oriental medical colleges. We obtained opinions from Oriental Nurses Association, Oriental Nursing Research Association, and professors in oriental medical college. We reviewed articles, curriculums of other clinical nurse specialist programs, medical laws and the curriculum development plan for the oriental clinical nurse specialist program from Korean Nurses Association. We discussed a curriculum thoroughly in numerous meetings. We developed a following curriculum: 1. Educational philosophy was founded on the oriental human view which was based on Chun-In union theory. It was founded on the oriental health view which recognized health being in harmony with nature and the balance of body function with the harmony of Yin-Yang in the five elements. In addition, it was founded on oriental nursing view to promote these health states. 2. Educational goals were to train oriental clinical nurse specialists, oriental nursing educators and oriental nursing researchers who developed knowledge of oriental nursing theory, nursing practice and created a leadership. 3. Curriculum consisted of 48 credits, of which 36 credits are based on lectures and laboratory classes and 12 credits are based on clinical practice. 36 credits consisted of 5 general subject credits and 31 core subject credits. General subjects consisted of nursing theory, nursing research, law and ethics. Students who had earned master's degrees are not required to take the general subjects. Core subjects consisted of 11 subjects such as advanced physical examination and laboratory, oriental nursing theory, original text of oriental nursing, oriental medical nursing, oriental pediatric nursing, oriental gynecologic nursing, oriental gerontologic nursing, oriental pharmacology, oriental constitutional nursing, advanced nursing of channels and acupuncture points and laboratory and oriental rehabilitation nursing and laboratory. In addition, clinical practice in a hospital ward, out patient department, herb prepation room, department of physical therapy and health promotion center in oriental medical hospitals for 12 weeks. To admit this program, students should complete prerequisites of introduction to oriental nursing and nursing of channels and acupuncture points. 4. Course contents of each subjects were developed to include the course's goal and objectives and specific items. 5. Evaluation involved lecture, laboratory and in field practice. We applied various evaluation systems and methods that were based on both knowledge and skills of the students to ensure full credibility and validity.

Deducing Coronary Artery Disease Anxiety through Musical Therapy and Providing Information / 간호학회지

This study was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of music therapy as one of the psychiatric nursing intervention tools, with addtional information in relieving anxiety during the procedure. Data were collected through nonequivalent pre-and post tests from July 1, 1998 to September 30 1998 in 90 patients (test group A: 28 patients, test group B: 27 patients, control group: 33 patients) who were hospitalized in DongSan Medical Center in order to have cardiac catheterization. The Subjects were informed by educational videos, which were modified according to the sensory information of the 10 study patients. They were based on the informative booklet by Kim keum-soon (1989). The procedural information was also modified according to the hospital`s customs. Provided the music for patients suitable to their tastes, and measured their blood pressure, heart rate, the degree of anxiety using the Spielberger`s measurement device of anxiety, and behavioral response of Finesilver`s. The statistical significance was analyzed using chi-square test and ANOVA. The results of this study were as follows : Hypothesis 1 : There are significant differences in the degree of anxiety among test group A, Test group A was provided only information, Test group B was provided information and the control group was provided neither. Hypothesis 2 : There are significant differences in systolic blood pressure among test group A, test group B, and control group.: non-significant. Hypothesis 3 : There are significant differences in diastolic blood pressure among test group A, test group B, and control group.: significant(F=1.31, p=.27, interaction; F=3.80, p=.00). Hypothesis 4 : There are significant differences in heart rate among test group A, test group B, and control group.: non-significant. Hypothesis 5 : There are significant differences in behavioral responses among test group A, test group B, and control group.: significant(F=10.05, p=.00). Further validation study is required with other subjects and other settings.

Deducing Coronary Artery Disease Anxiety through Musical Therapy and Providing Information / 간호학회지

This study was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of music therapy as one of the psychiatric nursing intervention tools, with addtional information in relieving anxiety during the procedure. Data were collected through nonequivalent pre-and post tests from July 1, 1998 to September 30 1998 in 90 patients (test group A: 28 patients, test group B: 27 patients, control group: 33 patients) who were hospitalized in DongSan Medical Center in order to have cardiac catheterization. The Subjects were informed by educational videos, which were modified according to the sensory information of the 10 study patients. They were based on the informative booklet by Kim keum-soon (1989). The procedural information was also modified according to the hospital`s customs. Provided the music for patients suitable to their tastes, and measured their blood pressure, heart rate, the degree of anxiety using the Spielberger`s measurement device of anxiety, and behavioral response of Finesilver`s. The statistical significance was analyzed using chi-square test and ANOVA. The results of this study were as follows : Hypothesis 1 : There are significant differences in the degree of anxiety among test group A, Test group A was provided only information, Test group B was provided information and the control group was provided neither. Hypothesis 2 : There are significant differences in systolic blood pressure among test group A, test group B, and control group.: non-significant. Hypothesis 3 : There are significant differences in diastolic blood pressure among test group A, test group B, and control group.: significant(F=1.31, p=.27, interaction; F=3.80, p=.00). Hypothesis 4 : There are significant differences in heart rate among test group A, test group B, and control group.: non-significant. Hypothesis 5 : There are significant differences in behavioral responses among test group A, test group B, and control group.: significant(F=10.05, p=.00). Further validation study is required with other subjects and other settings.

Difference of Pain Description According to Gender in the Elderly / 간호학회지

Despite acknowledgment that pain is likely to be a major problem for many older adults, it is difficult to estimate the frequency of pain problems for this population. The main purpose of this study was to identify the various characteristics of chronic pain in the elderly by gender. It examines by gender, pain frequency, pain intensity, number of chronic pain sites, localization of pain, impact on activities, methods of pain management, and effects of chronic pain management. The subjects were 189 elderly people(65 years and older) living in an urban area. They were surveyed at their homes. They were surveyed by interview using a closed-ended questionnaire. The survey was done from Nov. 6th. to Dec. 6th. 1997. Descriptive statistics were used to determine all of the reported pain variables. Chi-square tests were used to determine crude differences between pain intensity and gender. T-test was used to determine differences in number of pain sites between men and women. The findings are as follows ; Of the 189 subjects, 83.6% reported experiencing pain, and men reported a lower prevalence(69.5%) than women(89.2%). Women had significantly more severe pain than did men(p=.001). Lower back pain(20.2%) and leg pain(20.2%) were the most prevalent, followed by knee pain(17.4%), arm pain(13.3%), neck and shoulder pain(11.6%), and headache(9.9%). Women experienced more multiple localizations of pain(p=.0001). The greatest impact was on movement(83.5%), followed by usual activities(60.8%), sleep(49.4%), visiting(29.1%), and hobbies and recreations(50.0%). No differences were observed between men and women in the proportion of subjects reporting a negative impact on each of these activities. The methods of pain management were hospital visit(70.9%), drug store medication(46.7%), oriental medicine clinic(32.9%), endurance(13.3%), self-management(6.3%). Drug therapy was the most effective pain management strategy(94%), followed by physical therapy(63%) and accupuncture byssocausis(55%). The conclusion: Pain is a symptom of great clinical importance that is often associated with disability, loss of independence, and reduced quality of life. In this study chronic pain symptoms were common but unevenly distributed in men and women. The results further advance understanding of the experience and impact of pain by gender. Future studies should incorporate questions that gather systemic and more detailed information on the characteristics of pain, expecially by gender and by age.