Fukuoka igaku zasshi = Hukuoka acta medica
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Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis tends to be complicated with spine and ribcage deformities. In addition to the coronal curvature, among the features of right thoracic scoliosis, flat chest, ribcage rotation, cardiac compression and an aortic left shift are also observed. Aorta is known to shift in a leftward direction, especially at the mid-thoracic level. The cause of aortic left shift in scoliosis is not known. To clarify the features of a scoliosis deformity, especially the relationship of the aortic left shift and the flat chest in scoliosis, we investigated the CT scan images of scoliosis patients. ⋯ In right thoracic scoliosis, an aortic left shift correlated with both flat chest and the ribcage rotation.
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Fukuoka Igaku Zasshi · Aug 2008
Awareness of ethical issues by nursing professionals at a general local hospital in Japan.
In recent years, various ethical issues have arisen in the field of medical practice because of the dramatic changes in medical technology and diversity among the different population. It is generally believed that nurses often find themselves in ethical dilemmas because of their closeness to their patients. In this study, we examined nursing professionals' awareness about ethical issues and examined their responses to them at a general hospital performing important roles in the Chugoku district in Japan. ⋯ However, approximately 45% of the nurses reported that no official investigation such as one conducted by an ethics committee, had been conducted regarding such issues, which thus left the problem unsolved. These results suggested that the "subjectivity of nurses" and the "worries and dilemmas of nurses themselves" impacted the nurses' awareness of ethical issues. It appears that further inquiry into ethical issues is needed, with consideration by an ethics committee to better deal with many of the ethical issues.