The Effects of Logotherapy on Meaning of Life of Early Adolescents with Cancer

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of a logotherapy program entitled 'Finding treasures in my mind' for early adolescents with cancer. METHODS: A nonequivalent control group, non-synchronized design was conducted with a convenience sample of 22 early adolescents with cancer. The experimental group (n=12) participated in the 'Finding treasures in my mind' program which consisted of five-day sessions for one week. The control group (n=10) received the usual nursing care. The effects were measured using meaning of life (MOL) for early adolescents. The collected data were analyzed using Fisher's exact test, t-test, and content analysis. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in MOL for early adolescents (t=3.20, p=.005) between the experimental and control groups. The main results of content analysis were having goals and hope, recovering health, returning to school life, and loving relationships with family. CONCLUSION: Logotherapy is effective in improving the meaning of life of early adolescents with cancer. This education program based on logotherapy can be used as an important nursing intervention in a cancer nursing care setting.

Effect of Rilmenidine and Clonidine Premedication on the Cardiovascular Action of Phenylephrine and Nitroprusside in Rats / 대한마취과학회지

BACKGROUND: Patients premedicated with clonidine often present with hypotension and bradycardia. The hypotensive patient premedicated with clonidine should be given a vasopressor to treat hypotension. In these patients, an augmented vasopressor response would be shown. Rilmenidine as an allied drug of clonidine is an antihypertensive agent with selectivity for the imidazoline receptor that acts centrally by reducing sympathetic overactivity. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of clonidine and rilmenidine on changes in mean blood pressure and baroreflex sensitivity following phenylephrine and nitroprusside administration. METHODS: Sixty Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned randomly into one of three groups, control group (n = 20), clonidine group (n = 20) or rilmenidine group (n = 20). Saline (control group), clonidine 30ng/kg (clonidine group) or rilmenidine 300ng/kg (rilmenidine group) were intraperitoneally injected respectively. Following the injection, a phenylephrine and nitroprusside test were performed. RESULTS: The percent change in mean blood perssure from the baseline values in the control group, clonidine group and rilmenidine group were 35 +/- 18%, 54 +/- 17% and 62 +/- 38%, respectively. There was no difference between the baroreflex sensitivity in the pressure (phenylephrine) test (0.94 +/- 0.43, vs 1.05 +/- 0.62, vs 1.13 +/- 0.59 msec/mmHg). In contrast, the slopes of the depressor (nitroprusside) test were decreased in rats receiving clonidine and rilmenidine (0.51 +/- 0.34, vs 0.12 +/- 0.08, vs 0.18 +/- 0.09 msec/mmHg, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that the rilmenidine and clonidine groups showed a more augmented pressure response to vasopressors than the control group. Therefore, the decreased dosage of vasopressors is recommended to treat hypotension in rilmenidine premedicated patients.