No abstract available.
Korea* ; Nursing Care* ; Nursing* ; Patient Satisfaction

Purpose: Nursing protocols for glucose management are well known for both healthy term newborns and high-risk newborns. However, for less risky newborns who are under only observation surveillance, hypoglycemia could be overlooked unless clinical symptoms develop. Methods: A retrospective study was performed to explore factors influencing variations in glucose levels in 91 newborns who did not require any interventions, but were under nursing surveillance, at a level II neonatal intensive care unit. Data were retrieved from electrical medical records on glucose levels, demographic characteristics, and other clinical characteristics of newborns in their first day of life from January 2016 to May 2019. Results: Glucose levels tended to stabilize within the normal range (60~80 mg/dL) as time passed during the first day of life. Cesarean section, multiple gestation, abnormal growth, and later preterm birth were associated with low glucose levels in the first 2 hours of life. Thirty-one newborns experienced a hypoglycemic episode (< 45 mg/dL) during the first 24 hours of life. Conclusion The findings of this study support the active encouragement of early feeding within 2 hours of birth and urgent adoption of a structural protocol for glucose surveillance in newborns with potential health problems immediately after birth.

Several epidemiological studies have reported an association between environmental pollution and various health conditions in individuals residing in industrial complexes. To evaluate the effects of pollution from industrial complex on human health, we performed a pooled analysis of environmental epidemiologic monitoring data for residents living near national industrial complexes in Korea. The respiratory and allergic symptoms and the prevalence of acute and chronic diseases, including cancer, were used as the outcome variables for health effects. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the relationship between exposure to pollution from industrial complexes and health conditions. After adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, occupational exposure, level of education, and body mass index, the residents near the industrial complexes were found to have more respiratory symptoms, such as cough (odds ratio [OR], 1.18; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06 to 1.31) and sputum production (OR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.24), and symptoms of atopic dermatitis (OR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.20). Among residents of the industrial complexes, the prevalence of acute eye disorders was approximately 40% higher (OR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.84) and the prevalence of lung and uterine cancer was 3.45 times and 1.88 times higher, respectively, than those among residents of the control area. This study showed that residents living in the vicinity of industrial complexes have a high risk of acute and chronic diseases including respiratory and allergic conditions. These results can be used as basic objective data for developing health management measures for individuals residing near industrial complexes.
Body Mass Index ; Chronic Disease ; Cough ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Education ; Employment ; Environmental Pollution* ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Epidemiological Monitoring ; Humans ; Korea* ; Logistic Models ; Lung ; Prevalence ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Sputum ; Uterine Neoplasms

BACKGROUND: Lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), and cadmium (Cd) are well-known environmental pollutants. They are unnecessary in the biological processes of humans. This study was performed to estimate the representative background exposure levels to the metals by measuring concentrations in whole blood of the Korean general population. METHODS: This population-based cross-sectional study included 4,000 subjects (1,886 males and 2,114 females) 0–83 years of age in 2010 and 2011. Adult subjects (≥ 19 years of age) were collected by sex- and age-stratified probability method, and preschool- and school-aged subjects were recruited by a cluster sampling method. Written consent was provided prior to blood sampling. Pb and Cd blood concentrations were determined by a flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry, and blood Hg was analyzed by a direct Hg analyzer. RESULTS: The geometric mean, median and 95th percentile of blood Pb was 1.82 µg/dL, 1.83 µg/dL, and 3.78 µg/dL, respectively. The respective values were 2.92 µg/L, 2.87 µg/L, 9.12 µg/L for Hg, and 0.56 µg/L, 0.59 µg/L, 2.20 µg/L for Cd. Blood Pb and Hg were higher in males than in females, but no sex difference was observed, respectively, in subjects 0–4 years of age for Pb and in subjects less than 20 years for Hg. However, blood Cd was higher in females than in males and no sex difference was observed in subjects < 30 years of age. CONCLUSION: This study provides representative data of human exposure to Pb, Hg, and Cd covering whole age groups of the general population in Korea.
Adult ; Biological Processes ; Cadmium ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Environmental Pollutants ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Metals ; Methods ; Sex Characteristics ; Spectrophotometry, Atomic

Several epidemiological studies have reported an association between environmental pollution and various health conditions in individuals residing in industrial complexes. To evaluate the effects of pollution from industrial complex on human health, we performed a pooled analysis of environmental epidemiologic monitoring data for residents living near national industrial complexes in Korea. The respiratory and allergic symptoms and the prevalence of acute and chronic diseases, including cancer, were used as the outcome variables for health effects. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the relationship between exposure to pollution from industrial complexes and health conditions. After adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, occupational exposure, level of education, and body mass index, the residents near the industrial complexes were found to have more respiratory symptoms, such as cough (odds ratio [OR], 1.18; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06 to 1.31) and sputum production (OR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.24), and symptoms of atopic dermatitis (OR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.20). Among residents of the industrial complexes, the prevalence of acute eye disorders was approximately 40% higher (OR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.84) and the prevalence of lung and uterine cancer was 3.45 times and 1.88 times higher, respectively, than those among residents of the control area. This study showed that residents living in the vicinity of industrial complexes have a high risk of acute and chronic diseases including respiratory and allergic conditions. These results can be used as basic objective data for developing health management measures for individuals residing near industrial complexes.
Body Mass Index ; Chronic Disease ; Cough ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Education ; Employment ; Environmental Pollution ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Epidemiological Monitoring ; Humans ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Lung ; Prevalence ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Sputum ; Uterine Neoplasms

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the occurring characteristics of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) among nurses working at a university hospital in Korea. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using medical records from a university hospital. A total of 351 nurses without any pulmonary disease were enrolled during 2000~2007, and were followed up until October 2010. To compare with the incidence of TB between occupational subgroups, workplaces were divided into high and low TB-exposure risk departments. For statistical analysis, the relative risks for TB incidences between departments were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models and mean incidences were estimated with person-time years. RESULTS: Seven cases of TB were observed during 2001 person-years. Five and two cases were observed in the high and low TB-exposure risk departments, respectively. The relative risk of TB infection in the high TB-exposure risk departments were 6.52 (95% CI, 1.26~33.60) compared to that in the low TB-exposure risk department. The mean incidence of TB in the total nurses was 0.350% per person-year. CONCLUSIONS: According to the concept of occupational and environmental medicine, high TB-exposure risk departments were more likely to be at increased risk of tuberculosis.
Cohort Studies ; Environmental Medicine ; Hospital Departments ; Incidence ; Lung Diseases ; Medical Records ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Retrospective Studies ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary