A Systematic Review of Breast Care for Postpartum Mothers

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify nursing interventions for the postpartum breast care of mothers and determine the effectiveness of interventions for breast pain and engorgement by systematic review. METHODS: Eight national and international databases were reviewed to retrieve and collect randomized controlled trial and controlled clinical trial literature published up to March 2015. Two reviewers independently selected the studies and performed data abstraction and validation. The risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane criteria. A meta-analysis of the studies was performed to analyze the data. RESULTS: The meta-analysis showed that breast massage, along with routine breast care, resulted in a 3.52-point reduction in pain on a 10-point visual analogue scale. Meta-analysis of therapy with cold cabbage leaves and routine breast care showed a pain reduction of 0.54 points. Meta-analysis of cold cabbage leaf application in the experimental group versus cold compress therapy in the comparison group showed a pain reduction of 0.44 points. Meta-analysis of cold cabbage leaf application and routine breast care showed an engorgement reduction of 0.67 points. CONCLUSION: The results of the analysis of 12 articles showed that hot and cold compresses, breast massage, and cabbage application were effective for postpartum breast pain and engorgement

Sleep Quality, Fatigue, and Postpartum Depression of Mother at Six Months after Delivery

PURPOSE: This study was correlation study to identify the factors influencing sleep quality, fatigue, and postnatal depression in mothers who have given birth during the past 6 months. METHODS: The study was conducted using a survey with questionnaires to 329 mothers who visited E University Medical Center, or three local clinics located in D city, between August and October 2013. Collected data were analyzed using the SPSS/WIN 20.0 program. RESULTS: Out of 329 subjects, 18.2% showed that they had mild postnatal depression whereas 24.3% had severe postnatal depression. Accordingly, 42.5% reported having postnatal depression. Postnatal depression had a significant correlation with sleep hours after childbirth (r=-.16, p=.003), spousal support (r=-.28, p<.001), sleep quality (r=-.35, p<.001), physical fatigue (r=.66, p<.001), psychological fatigue (r=.69, p<.001), and neurosensory fatigue (r=.56, p<.001). Factors influencing postnatal depression include psychological fatigue, sleep quality, number of child births, and neurosensory fatigue, and these accounted for 53% of postnatal depression. CONCLUSION: Results indicate that factors influencing postnatal depression involve psychological fatigue, sleep quality, number of child births, and neurosensory fatigue. Therefore for nursing intervention for postpartum mothers, it is necessary to assess the level of depression, fatigue, and sleep quality, and to provide interventions to relieve depression

Aromatherapy Massage on the Abdomen for Alleviating Menstrual Pain in High School Girls: A Preliminary Controlled Clinical Study

This study investigated the alleviating effects of aromatherapy massage and acetaminophen on menstrual pain in Korean high school girls. Subjects were divided into two groups: the aromatherapy massage (treatment) group (n = 32) and the acetaminophen (control) group (n = 23). Aromatherapy massage was performed on subjects in the treatment group. The abdomen was massaged once using clary sage, marjoram, cinnamon, ginger, and geranium in a base of almond oil. The level of menstrual pain was assessed using a visual analogue scale at baseline and twenty-four hours afterward. The reduction of menstrual pain was significantly higher in the aromatherapy group than in the acetaminophen group. Using multiple regression, aromatherapy massage was found to be more highly associated with reduction in the level of menstrual pain than acetaminophen. These finding suggest that aromatherapy massage may be an effective treatment for menstrual pain in high school girls. However, it could not be verified whether the positive effects derived from the aromatherapy, the massage, or both. Further rigorous studies should be conducted using more objective measures

Effect of Emotional Labor and Stress on Premenstrual Syndrome among Hospital Nurses

PURPOSE: This study is an explorative survey to examine emotional labor, stress, and premenstrual syndrome among hospital nurses and to examine relationships among them. METHODS: Data were collected from 228 nurses working at hospitals using structured questionnaires from September to October, 2014. Data were analyzed using SPSS 21.0 by frequency, descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson's correlation coefficient. RESULTS: Score of emotional labor was different by work time per week (F=4.03, p=.019), and menstrual amount (F=5.18, p=.006). Level of stress was different by marital status (t=2.29, p=.023), pattern of work (t=-3.63, p<.001), work time per week (F=3.39, p=.035), regularity of menstrual cycle (t=-4.20, p<.001), and exercise frequency (F=4.28, p=.015). Scores of premenstrual syndrome were different by regularity of menstrual cycle (t=-3.18, p=.002), and menstrual amount (F=5.88, p=.003). Emotional labor was related with perceived stress (r=.40, p<.001) and premenstrual syndrome (r=.23, p<.001). Also, perceived stress was related with premenstrual syndrome (r=.33, p<.001). CONCLUSION: Nurses' emotional labor, stress, and premenstrual syndrome were higher than the average. Emotional labor was correlated with stress and premenstrual syndrome, premenstrual syndrome with stress. This study shows that it is necessary to understand these relationships and to search for nursing intervention to ease emotional labor, stress, and premenstrual syndrome

Effects of Aroma Massage on Home Blood Pressure, Ambulatory Blood Pressure, and Sleep Quality in Middle-Aged Women with Hypertension

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of aroma massage applied to middle-aged women with hypertension. The research study had a nonequivalent control group, nonsynchronized design to investigate the effect on home blood pressure (BP), ambulatory BP, and sleep. The hypertensive patients were allocated into the aroma massage group (n=28), the placebo group (n=28), and the no-treatment control group (n=27). To evaluate the effects of aroma massage, the experimental group received a massage with essential oils prescribed by an aromatherapist once a week and body cream once a day. The placebo group received a massage using artificial fragrance oil once a week and body cream once a day. BP, pulse rate, sleep conditions, and 24-hour ambulatory BP were monitored before and after the experiment. There was a significant difference in home systolic blood pressure (SBP) (F=6.71, P=0.002) between groups after intervention. There was also a significant difference in SBP (F=13.34, P=0.001) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (F=8.46, P=0.005) in the laboratory between aroma massage and placebo groups. In sleep quality, there was a significant difference between groups (F=6.75, P=0.002). In conclusion, aroma massage may help improve patient quality of life and maintain health as a nursing intervention in daily life

Aromatherapy Massage Affects Menopausal Symptoms in Korean Climacteric Women: A Pilot-Controlled Clinical Trial

This study investigated the effects of aromatherapy massage on menopausal symptoms in Korean climacteric women. Kupperman's menopausal index was used to compare an experimental group of 25 climacteric women with a wait-listed control group of 27 climacteric women. Aromatherapy was applied topically to subjects in the experimental group in the form of massage on the abdomen, back and arms using lavender, rose geranium, rose and jasmine in almond and primrose oils once a week for 8 weeks (eight times in total). The experimental group reported a significantly lower total menopausal index than wait-listed controls (P < 0.05). There were also significant intergroup differences in subcategories such as vasomotor, melancholia, arthralgia and myalgia (all P < 0.05). These findings suggest that aromatherapy massage may be an effective treatment of menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, depression and pain in climacteric women. However, it could not be verified whether the positive effects were from the aromatherapy, the massage or both. Further rigorous studies should be done with more objective measures

Effect of pectoralis major myofascial release massage for breastfeeding mothers on breast pain, engorgement, and newborns’ breast milk intake and sleeping patterns in Korea: a randomized controlled trial

Purpose Supportive interventions to improve breastfeeding practice are needed in nursing. This study investigated the effects of pectoralis major myofascial release massage (MRM) on breast pain and engorgement among breastfeeding mothers and on breast milk intake and sleep patterns among newborns. Methods Breastfeeding mothers who had delivered between 37 and 43 weeks and had 7- to 14-day-old newborns were recruited from a postpartum care center in Gunpo, Korea. Participants were randomized to the MRM or control group. The outcome variables were breast pain and breast engorgement among breastfeeding mothers and breast milk intake and sleep time among newborns. The experimental treatment involved applying MRM to separate the pectoralis major muscle and the underlying breast tissue in the chest. After delivery, the first MRM session (MRM I) was provided by a breast specialist nurse, and the second (MRM II) was administered 48 hours after MRM I. Results Following MRM, breast pain (MRM I: t=−5.38, p<.001; MRM II: t=−10.05, p<.001), breast engorgement (MRM I: right, t=−1.68, p=.100; left, t=−2.13, p=.037 and MRM II: right, t=−4.50, p<.001; left, t=−3.74, p<.001), and newborn breast milk intake (MRM I: t=3.10, p=.003; MRM II: t=3.09, p=.003) differed significantly between the groups. Conclusion MRM effectively reduced breast engorgement and breast pain in breastfeeding mothers, reducing the need for formula supplementation, and increasing newborns’ breast milk intake. Therefore, MRM can be utilized as an effective nursing intervention to alleviate discomfort during breastfeeding and to improve the rate of breastfeeding practice (clinical trial number: KCT0002436)

Corrosion Control of Alloy 690 by Shot Peening and Electropolishing under Simulated Primary Water Condition of PWRs

This work clarifies the effect of surface modifications on the corrosion rate of Alloy 690, a nickel-based alloy for steam generator tubes, under the simulated test conditions of the primary water chemistry in nuclear power plants. The surface stress was modified by the shot peening and electropolishing methods. The shot peening treatment was applied using ceramic beads with different intensities by varying the air pressure and projection angle. The corrosion rate was evaluated by gravimetric analysis and the surface was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The corrosion rate of Alloy 690 was evaluated from the influence of the stress state on the metal surface. Based on the observation of the surface after the corrosion test, the oxide composition and its structure were affected by the surface modifications. The corrosion behavior of Alloy 690 was distinguished by the shot peening intensity on the surface, and additional electropolishing was effective at reducing the dissolution of nickel ions from the metal surface

THE GEOMETRY OF STEAM GENERATOR TUBE AND ITS RELEVANCE TO THE OCCURRENCE OF STRESS CORROSION CRACKING IN OPERATING NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS

INTRODUCTION Occurrences of a stress corrosion cracking in the steam generator tubes of operating nuclear power plants are closely related to the residual stress existing in the local region of a geometric change, that is, expansion transition, u-bend, ding, dent, bulge, etc. Therefore, information on the location, type and quantitative size of a geometric anomaly existing in a tube is a prerequisite to the activity of a non destructive inspection for an alert detection of an earlier crack and the prediction of a further crack evolution In order to verify the performance of the D-probe including the accuracy of the profile measurement and a applicability of the probe to the plant inspection, the quantitatively measured profile data are compared with those from the laser profilometry (measurement resolution of 0.013mm) for the steam generator tube samples of geometric anomalies with various types and sizes, and the relationship between the tube geometry and the evolution of ID and OD side stress corrosion cracking at various tube locations of a steam generator is discussed with the results from the inservice inspections of operating nuclear power plants using a D-probe