The aim of this study was to clarify the effects of two types of hot compresses to the lumbar region on relieving constipation. This research design was the quasi-experimental research. The bowel movements, subjective constipation symptoms and taking laxatives were compared before and after being treated with compresses for four weeks. The subjects were 55 healthy women who had constipation. Twenty seven subjects with a mean age of 31.9 received heat and steam-generating sheets of 60℃ for ten minutes a day, and 28 subjects with a mean age of 33.5 received the same sheets of 40℃ for five hours a day. It was confirmed that 60℃ compresses significantly increased the total number of bowel movements from 18.9 to 22.1 and the number of days laxatives were taken was reduced significantly from 3.9 days to 2.0 day. 40℃ compresses significantly reduced the number of weeks of subjective constipation symptoms from 3.1 weeks to 1.7 weeks. 40℃ compresses significantly reduced the number of days of no defecation from13.1 days to 11.1days. The results were achieved with both 60℃ and 40℃ hot compresses to the lumbar region to ease constipation. But there were some different points of effects, and the reaction for the stimulation of the heat was discussed.

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　The purpose of this study was to clarify the effect of hand cones or “hand rolls” on the contamination control and deodorization of contracted hands of bedridden patients. Twenty inpatients with hand contracture aged 65 and over were examined. After their hands were carefully washed, their contamination and odor were measured regularly by an ATP bioluminescence device and a metal oxide odor sensor, respectively. The test was done under four conditions, three using different types of hand cones and one with no use of hand cones. The three types of hand cones tested were those with and without finger separators, and those with green tea leaves inside. The results showed that, three days after the hand wash the hand cones with and without finger separators significantly improved the odor of the contracted hands, compared with when no hand cones were used. In addition to this odor improvement, those with finger separators significantly reduced the skin contamination of the hands. In contrast, those with green tea leaves showed no clear effects on contamination or odor. This can be due to a limitation of the metal oxide odor sensor, which cannot discriminate between pleasant and unpleasant odors.

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　This study investigated the correlations between subjective sleep assessed by the Oguri Shirakawa-Azumi (OSA) sleep inventory and objective indices based on electrocardiogram data obtained during sleep. Twenty-one sets of data were collected from 10 healthy women. As objective indices, total sleep time, sleep period time, sleep latency, and waking after sleep onset were assessed from polysomnogram data, and the averages of the power spectral indices of heart rate variability (HRV) -low frequency ［LF］, high frequency ［HF］ , ratio of LF to HF ［LF/HF］, and ratio of HF to the sum of LF and HF ［HF/ (LF＋HF) ］-were calculated. HF/ (LF＋HF) showed positive correlations with four OSA factors : factor I (sleepiness), factor II (sleep maintenance), factor III (worries), and factor IV (integrated sleep feeling). Negative correlations were found between LF/HF and factors II, III, and IV. Although factor V (sleep initiation) had a negative correlation with length of sleep latency, no power spectral indices were correlated with this factor. The results suggest that some aspects of subjective sleep can be assessed by means of HRV power spectral indices.

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　Aim: This study assessed that characteristic of relaxation outpatients and the effects of relaxation techniques.
　Method: Subjects were 113 patients (age ; 49.0±13.5) who consulted the outpatients during the periods between April 2006 and February 2009.This study analyzed the consultation reasons and characteristic of patients. Subjects were monitored blood pressure, pulse rate, and tested for relax score before and after relaxation techniques.
　Results and Conclusion: The most common consultation reason was “I want to relax for my body and mind.” ” I want to be healthy in body and mind. “ The stress score (MHP-1) revealed that subjects were under high stressful conditions. There were significantly decreased in blood pressure and pulse rate (p＜ 0.001 and p＜0.001). The relax score significantly increased after the relaxation techniques (p＜0.001). The findings suggest the relaxation techniques training for outpatients were produced relax responses for psychological and physical, and the effects of relaxation techniques as nursing care.

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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[in Japanese]

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