PURPOSE: This study investigated various factors relatied to wandering behavior of Korean elders with dementia (KED). METHODS: A sample of 160 ambulatory residents with dementia from 14 long term care facilities was used to examine demographic, individual, cognitive, physical health, and environmental characteristics by comparing wanderers (N=108) to nonwanders (N=52). Subjects were evaluated by Korean versions of the Mini-mental State Exam (K-MMSE), the Physical and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (K-PIADL), and the Revised Algase Wandering Scale Nursing Home version (KRAWS-NH) along its six dimensions. Demographic and environmental data were also obtained. Independent sample ttests, Chi-square test, Fisher's Exact tests, and ANCOVAs were used to examine differences between wanderers and nonwanders. RESULTS: Wanderers were significantly (p<.05) older and had more limitations in K-PADL and K-IADL. The degree of overall wandering and certain features of wandering were significantly different (p<.05) by total number of residents in the facility, type of bedroom (i.e., "Ondol"), and color of bedroom and living-room walls (i.e., sky blue). CONCLUSIONS: Findings of this study may be useful in understanding wandering behavior of KEDs and thus developing more culturally specific management strategies.
Activities of Daily Living ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Dementia/*psychology ; Demography ; Female ; Homes for the Aged ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nursing Homes ; *Wandering Behavior

Mid-arm circumference and mid-arm circumference/head circumference ratio(MAC/HC) were measured in 207 AGA(appropriate for gestational age) infants delivered at 26 to 42 weeks of gestation from January 1990 to December 1993 in Yeungnam University Hospital, Taegu, Korea. There were linear relationships between MACs and MAC/HC ratios and gestational age(MAC : y=03181x -2.2069, r=0.81, p<0.001 ; MAC/HC ratio : y=0.049x+0.1128, r=0.62, ; < 0.001). Using standard curves of MAC and MAC/HC ratio according to the gestational age, measurement of MAC or MAC/HC ratio can be a noninvasive, simple method to evaluate the intrauterine growth of newborn infants and the nutritional status of growing premature infants.
Daegu ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn* ; Infant, Premature ; Korea ; Methods ; Nutritional Status* ; Pregnancy

OBJECTIVE: NiTi closed coil springs were reported to have relatively constant unloading forces. However, the characteristics of NiTi closed coil springs from various manufacturers have not been elucidated. The purpose of this study was to compare load-deflection characteristics of various NiTi closed coil springs and to find out the optimal range of extension. METHODS: Seven kinds of NiTi closed coil springs from five manufacturers were tested. Load deflection curves were obtained at extension ranges from 2 mm to 30 mm. Also, springs were kept extended during a 4 week period, and then load deflection curves were obtained again. RESULTS: Sentalloy (Tomy) and Jinsung blue (Jinsung) showed superelasticity in every extension ranges tested and showed plastic deformation of less than 1 mm. Ni-Ti (Ormco) showed superelasticity only after the springs were extended at or more than 10 mm, thereby meaning that clinicians should extend these springs at or more than 10 mm to utilize the superelasticity. Orthonol (RMO) and Nitanium (Ortho Organizers) did not show superelasticity. After 4 weeks of extension, all springs showed plastic deformation less than 1 mm when the extension was at or under 25 mm. CONCLUSIONS: The superelastic behavior of NiTi closed springs were different among various NiTi spring products, and some NiTi closed springs failed to show superelasticity.
Nickel ; Plastics ; Titanium

PURPOSE: Leptin is a highly hydrophilic 16-kDa protein which is produced in the adipose tissue and participates in the regulation of food intake and energy expenditure. The aim of the present study was to examine the relation between umbilical cord blood leptin concentration and intrauterine growth. METHODS: Ninety-seven full-term newborn infants who were born in Yeungnam University Hospital from July to August 1998 were included in the study. They were divided into 3 groups related to birth weight : appropriate for gestational age(AGA) group(n=73), large for gestational age(LGA) group(n=17), small for gestational age(SGA) group(n=7). Birth weight, head circumference, mid-arm circumference, mid-arm circumference to head circumference ratio, Ponderal index, and BMI were measured at birth. Maternal body weight and placental weight were measured. Leptin concentrations of cord blood and maternal serum were measured by a RIA method, and testosterone, estradiol, insulin, c-peptide, glucose, white blood cell, hemoglobin, platelet count of cord blood were also measured. RESULTS: Leptin concentration in cord blood was positively correlated to birth weight and body length. Leptin concentrations(microgram/L) in cord blood were significantly different among groups(10.1+/-1.1 in LGA group, 8.7+/-0.9 in AGA group, 1.7+/-0.1 in SGA group). There was a statistically significant difference in leptin concentration of cord blood between female and male infants(11.6+/-1.9, versus 6.7+/-0.9). There was no significant correlations between leptin concentration of cord blood and placental weights or maternal leptin concentration. Therefore leptin concentration of cord blood can not inflect maternal leptin concentration but intrauterine fetal growth. CONCLUSION: Leptin in cord blood might originate mainly from fetal adipose tissue rather than the placenta, and may be related to fetal growth.
Adipose Tissue ; Birth Weight ; Body Weight ; C-Peptide ; Eating ; Energy Metabolism ; Estradiol ; Female ; Fetal Blood* ; Fetal Development* ; Glucose ; Head ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Insulin ; Leptin* ; Leukocytes ; Male ; Parturition ; Placenta ; Platelet Count ; Testosterone ; Weights and Measures

No abstract available.
Humans ; Hysterectomy* ; Lymph Node Excision* ; Lymph Nodes* ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*

Background: Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is the most essential cause of antimicrobial-related diarrhea in hospitalized patients. It is also considered as an important hospital-acquired infection. Adequately performing the laboratory diagnostic tests for CDI is critical for the control and treatment of CDI in healthcare facilities. This study focused on the management of the extra-analytical phase to secure quality assurance of the diagnostic tests for CDI. Methods: We analyzed the volume and pattern of requested C. difficile - related tests from patients in 2018. The culture-positive rate was compared with the stool quality. Finally, the clinical characteristics of antibiotic-related diarrhea were compared based on whether toxigenic C. difficile was isolated. Results: Culture plus toxin enzyme immunoassay was the most common pattern; however, it showed low positive rates for toxigenic C. difficile . The culture-positive rates were not different according to the Bristol stool form scale. The significant risk factors for the detection of toxigenic C. difficile in patients with antibiotic-associated diarrhea were inhibitor-combined penicillin or cephalosporin (odds ratio [OR], 5.060; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.317–19.447; P =0.0183) and extended-spectrum cephalosporin (OR, 16.224; 95% CI, 3.166–83.134; P =0.0008). Conclusions The pre-pre-analytical errors are easy to overlook in routine laboratory procedures. Our findings could provide a good example of the management of the extra-analytical phase to secure quality assurance of the diagnostic tests for CDI.

PURPOSE: To evaluate and compare the performance of shear-wave elastography (SWE) for breast masses using the local shear wave speed (m/sec) vs. Young modulus (kPa). METHODS: A total of 130 breast lesions in 123 women who underwent SWE before ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy or surgical excision were included. With the region-of-interest placed over the stiffest areas of the lesion on SWE, the quantitative mean, maximum, and standard deviation (SD) of the elasticity values were measured in kPa and m/sec for each lesion. The SD was also measured with the region-of-interest including the whole breast lesion (wSD). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity of each elasticity value measured in kPa and m/sec were compared. RESULTS: Of the 130 lesions, 49 (37.7%) were malignant and 81 (62.3%) were benign. The AUCs for the mean, maximum, and SD of the elasticity values using kPa and m/sec did not differ significantly: mean, 0.974 vs. 0.974; maximum, 0.960 vs. 0.976; SD, 0.916 vs. 0.916. However, the AUC for wSD showed a significant difference: 0.964 (kPa) vs. 0.960 (m/sec) (P=0.036). There was no significant difference in the sensitivity and specificity of the mean, maximum, and wSD of the elasticity values. However, the specificity of the SD was significantly different between the two different measurements: 95.1% (kPa) vs. 87.7% (m/sec) (P=0.031). CONCLUSION: The quantitative elasticity values measured in kPa and m/sec on SWE showed good diagnostic performance. The specificity of the SD and AUC of the wSD measured in kPa were significantly higher than those measured in m/sec.
Area Under Curve ; Biopsy, Large-Core Needle ; Breast* ; Elastic Modulus* ; Elasticity ; Elasticity Imaging Techniques* ; Female ; Humans ; ROC Curve ; Ultrasonography, Mammary

A nationwide survey was conducted to investigate the annual occurrence rate of neonatal sepsis, maternal risk factor in neonatal sepsis, localized infection in neonate, causative organism in nosocomial infection and the most common causative organism in neonatal sepsis in Korea. Clinical and bacteriological data were collected from thirty seven neonatal units through retrospective review of the medical records of the newborn infants who were confirmed as neonatal sepsis by isolating organisms from blood culture during one year study period from January to December in 1997. 78,463 neonates were born at 37 hospital in 1997 and 20,869 neonates were admitted to the neonatal units. During this period, 772 episodes of neonatal sepsis were recorded in 517 neonates. The occurrence rate of neonatal sepsis was 0.73%(0~2.95%). Male to female ratio was 1.15:1 and 303 cases(42.1%) were born prematurely. The main pathogens of early onset sepsis were S. aureus(20%), S. epidermidis(14.4%) and coagulase negative Staphylococcus( 14.4%). Gram negative bacilli including Enterobacter spp (7.2%), E.coli(5.1%), Klepsiella(4.5%), Pseudomonas(3.7%) Enterobacter faecium(3.6%) constitute 24.1%. Only two cases of group B beta-hemolytic Streptococcus were isolated. Common obstetric factors were PROM(21.1%), difficulty delivery(18.7%), fetal tachycardia(5.3%), chorioamnionitis(4.9%), maternal fever(4.7%). The main pathogens of late-onset sepsis were S. aureus(22.3%), S. epidermidis(20.4%) and CONS(9.9%). There were 6 cases (1.0%) of Candida sepsis. Frequent focal infections accompanying sepsis were pneumonia(26.1%), urinary tract infection(10.5%), meningitis(8.2%), and arthritis(3.6%). S. epidermidis(22.0%) and S. aureus(21.7%) were also the most common pathogens in 373 nosocomial infection.
Candida ; Coagulase ; Cross Infection ; Enterobacter ; Female ; Focal Infection ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Korea ; Male ; Medical Records ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Sepsis* ; Streptococcus ; Urinary Tract

PURPOSE: In this study we tried to look at the spreading, duration of colonization, and acquisition of new streptococci which were obtained in one geographical area, as well as the bacteriologic and molecular epidemiology of normal school children carrying group A streptococci and their clonal relationship through the combined application of the serotype of T antigen and Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis(PFGE). METHODS: A total of 88 strains of group A streptococci were isolated from 396 normal school children. All isolates were classified in groups by Streptex and serotyped by T. agglutination. Restriction enzyme digestion of DNA was taken using Sma I. DNA fragments were separated by PFGE. RESULTS: A total of 33 strains were allocated their epidemiologic characteristics. Four out of 33 strains were not restricted by enzyme(Sma I). Twenty nine strains out of 33 strains showed 12 subtypes with 8-12 fragments between 40kbp and 500kbp of DNA fragments on PFGE. Eight strains of NT and T6 war same fragment patterns on PFGE, respectively. Three strains out of 4 strains of T8/25 were not restricted and the other one showed different, unique patterns. One strain out of 8 stains of T12 was not restricted, and the others were classified as 5 different subtypes. Two strains of Tl were different patterns from each other, and 2 strains of T4 showed the samefragment pattern CONCLUSION: T serotypes with PFGE will be useful as a screening and molecular epidemiologic method in a country where anti-M antisera is not available, after recognizing the advantages and disadvantages of M and T serotyping.
Agglutination ; Antigens, Viral, Tumor ; Child* ; Colon ; Coloring Agents ; Digestion ; DNA ; Epidemiologic Methods ; Epidemiologic Studies* ; Humans ; Immune Sera ; Mass Screening ; Molecular Epidemiology ; Serotyping* ; Streptococcus pyogenes* ; Streptococcus*

Background: Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile is an important pathogen that causes diarrhea in people who take antibiotics. The recent status of C. difficile infection is not wellknown in Korea. Methods: The long-term trend of C. difficile infection in Korean hospitals was analyzed using a nationwide sample cohort. The data also included sociodemographic characteristics, disease severity, and healthcare facilities. C. difficile infection was defined by the prescription of oral vancomycin or all metronidazole prescriptions under C. difficile infectious disease code (A047). Results: The rate of C. difficile infection has steadily increased from 0.030% in 2006 to 0.317% in 2015. The increased rate correlated to age (0.033% for <50 years, 0.421% for 70-79 years, and 0.758% for >80 years of age) and the Charlson comorbidity index score (0.048% for zero versus 0.378% for three or more points). It differed by the type of medical institution (0.270 % at referral hospitals versus 0.056 % at general hospitals and mental hospitals). Conclusion The rate of C. difficile infection in Korea is significant in patients with advanced age and disease severity. The results show that C. difficile infection trend has been increasing steadily in Korea.