BACKGROUND: Currently in Korea, the blood supply for transfusion is almost covered by whole blood donation. But, because the number of participants of the plasmapheresis is limited, the supply of plasma for the production of plasma fractionations depends on a considerable amount of plasma imported. For this reason, a facilitation of plasmapheresis is in an urgent need via stable donors' participation. This survey research was conducted to improve services for donors based on their sound understandings on plasmapheresis. METHOD: The subjects were 1,132 donors who participated plasmapheresis between August and September of 1996 and agreed on the research purposes. RESULTS: Students and employees under 30 years old composed the major part of those who participated in plasmapheresis in major metropolitan areas including Seoul. The gender distribution was about 6:4. Most of the donors had a voluntary motivation to help others, but 47% of them did not know that blood donation is not related to HIV infection. Subjects responded that the environment for plasmapheresis was satisfacftory (92%). Factors that were related to unsatisfactory experience included boredom while pheresis (30%), scared feeling for the pain at the site of injection (28%), and uncomfortable feeling of blood flow (18%). 76% of the donors responded that they will participate in the plasmapheresis again, and the correlation between the level of satisfaction and intention of repeated participation was significant (p<0.01). Reasons for the refusal of repeated participation included the length of pheresis time (52%) and the pain at the site of injection (19%). 82% of the subjects thought the nurses were kind and 18% thought they were moderately kind. While 62% of the subjects who thought nurses were kind expressed their intention to participate in apheresis, while 59% of the subjects who thought the kindness was moderate said that they will not participate in apheresis. The correlation between the kindness of nurses and the level of understandig about plasmapheresis, and the level of uncomfortableness, and intention for repetitive participation were all significant (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Based on our survey we could concluded that the followings are of great importance for the facilitation of plasmapheresis: continual promotion for the lack of relationship between blood donation and HIV infection, kindly explanation of palsmapheresis by nurses, nurses' skillful operation of plasmapheresis, improvement of audio-visual environment in order not to make donors boring during aphresis.
Adult ; Blood Component Removal ; Blood Donors ; Boredom ; Disulfiram ; HIV Infections ; Humans ; Intention ; Korea ; Motivation ; Plasma ; Plasmapheresis* ; Seoul ; Tissue Donors* ; Volunteers*

BACKGROUND: The peripheral blood hemoglobin and serum ferritin were analyzed in 30 consecutive repeat blood donors (28 men, 2 women; mean +/- SD age: 28.0 +/- 8.6 years: median number of donation 12.9 +/- 9.5) to evaluate the influence of the whole blood donation. 16 beginners in the blood donation were used for normal control (12 men, 4 women; 27.5 +/- 7.5years). METHOD: The repeat donors were grouped into the interval and frequency of donation. At the time of donation, blood samples were collected from all for research. Hemograms were performed using an automatic cell counter and enzyme immunoassay were used for the serum ferritin determination. Total protein and albumin were determined with an autoanalyzer. RESLUTS: The levels of the peripheral blood hemoglobin of the repeat donors were within normal limits and the median level was not significantly differentiated between the tested groups and normal control group. The median level of serum ferritin of the repeat donors was 32.19 +/- 22.82ng/mL, which was significantly low compared to the level of the normal control (62.10 +/- 25.67ng/mL, n=16)and was correlated with the interval and frequency of donation. The donors having short intervals less than 4 month reveal low ferritin level compared to other tested groups even though it was not significant. However the frequency of donation influenced significantly the level of serum ferritin. The median level of serum ferritin of the W/B donors having frequency of donation more often than 5 times was 30.64 +/- 16.22ng/mL, significantly lower than that of other tested groups and normal control (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The Interval and frequency of blood donation seem to be very important factors that act upon nutiritional status of consecutive repeat donors. Especially consecutive, frequent donation of W/B must be deplet the storage iron in the body. Therefore the interval and frequency of donation must be adjustified and must be permitted in proper manner for korean blood donors. Test items such as hemoglobin and serum ferritin seem to be essential for repeat donors at the time of donation. Also if we can, oral iron supplement could be recommended for the repeat donors in proper time to prevent iron depletion.
Blood Donors* ; Cell Count ; Female ; Ferritins* ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Iron ; Male ; Tissue Donors

Sparganosis is caused by tapeworm larva of the genus Spirometra, which commonly invades the subcutaneous tissue, and less frequently invades the abdominal wall, intestine, muscle, thorax, breast, eye, brain, spinal cord etc. We experienced a rare case of living sparganosis, which was found in the flexor muscle of the distal forearm. Ultrasonography was helpful in the diagnosis of sparganosis
Abdominal Wall ; Brain ; Breast ; Cestoda ; Diagnosis ; Forearm* ; Intestines ; Larva ; Sparganosis* ; Spinal Cord ; Spirometra ; Subcutaneous Tissue ; Thorax ; Ultrasonography

Anisakiasis refers to the infestation of humans by species of marine nematode larvae belonging to the subfamily Anisakiae. An acute abdominal symptom may occur after ingestion of raw marine fish containing nematode larvae of the genus Anisakis. Migration of the parasite into the wall of gtomach, small intestine or, less commomly, the colon elicits a striking eosinophilic granulomatous tissue response. A 39 year old man was visited St. Vincent Hospital because of abdominal distension and tenderness. The plain abdominal X-ray showed ileus pattern suggesting intestinal obstruction. Hence we presented a case of intestinal Anisakiasis combined with intstinal obstruction.
Adult ; Anisakiasis* ; Anisakis ; Colon ; Eating ; Eosinophils ; Humans ; Ileus ; Intestinal Obstruction ; Intestine, Small ; Larva ; Parasites ; Strikes, Employee

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to examine the clinical nurses' resilience, occupational stress, and occupational satisfaction and to identify the correlations among them. METHODS: Structured questionnaires were administered with total 75 questions for 433 nurses working at a university hospital in Jin-ju from July 19 to 30, 2010. Data from the completed questionnaires were analyzed with the SPSS/WIN program. RESULTS: The resilience had a significant difference according to the age, marital status, religion, education level, annual income, motive of choosing the nursing science, clinical career, position, and workplace. Resilience had a negative correlation with occupational stress (r=-.405), and had a positive correlation with occupational satisfaction (r=.380). Occupational stress had a negative correlation with occupational satisfaction (r=-.637). CONCLUSION: The higher their resilience was, the lower their occupational stress and the higher the occupational satisfaction. It is recommended that intervention program be developed that can enhance personal resilience in nurse.
Humans ; Marital Status ; Surveys and Questionnaires

We performed treat the 41 eyes of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment to scleral encircling.The causes of retinal detachment were unidentifiable breaks (10 eyes), high myopia (8 eyes), pseudophakia or aphakia (8 eyes), giant tear (8 eyes)and multiple holes (7 eyes). Overall the reattachment ratewas 80.5% (33/41 eyes). The anatomic success rate was relatively high (85.7%)in eyes with giant tear, high myopia and multiple hole but relatively low in eyes with breaks unidentified (60%) or pseudophakic and aphakic retinal detachment (75%). Among those 33 eyes, functional success was achived in 27 eyes (81.8%). We achieved higher functional success rate in pseudophakia or aphakia, multiple hole and high myopia (over 83.3%) but low functional success rate in unidentifiable breaks (66.7%)and giant tear (71.4%). Our results suggest other treatments such as pars plana vitrectomy should be considered to treat eyes with retinal detachment of breaks unidentified, although scleral encircling has been used conventially.
Aphakia ; Myopia ; Pseudophakia ; Retinal Detachment* ; Retinaldehyde* ; Vitrectomy

Childhood onset nemaline myopathy, first described in 1963 by Shy, et al and Conen, et al, is rare congenital myopathy, characterized by nonprogressive or slowly progressive muscle weakness associated with rod-like structures in muscle fibers, often with dysmorphic features. This myopathy was confirmed by muscle biopsy. The light microscopic features noted generally small round fibers that showed variation in size and occasional internal nuclei and characteristic rod bodies that could be demonstrated in the longitudinal sections stained with modified Gomori trichrome stain. Electromicroscopically there were accumulations of numerous irregular electron dense materials scattered between the myofibrils, particularly under the sarcolemma and enlargement and streamimg of the Z disk. We report a case of childhood onset nemaline myopathy in Korea in a 7 year- old boy who had nonprogressive muscle weakness of the limbs with a waddling gait.
Biopsy ; Extremities ; Gait ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Muscle Weakness ; Muscular Diseases ; Myofibrils ; Myopathies, Nemaline* ; Sarcolemma

BACKGROUND: Bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) is a severe sequela caused by bisphosphonates (BPs), which are widely used to treat osteoporosis or other malignancies. However, the mechanism underlying BRONJ remains unclear. Recently, human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) have been studied for treatment of diverse diseases and injuries. This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of hUC-MSCs in BRONJ. METHODS: The therapeutic effects of hUC-MSCs were examined in rat bone marrow (rBM)-derived cells using cell viability, colony-forming, and real-time PCR assays and FACS for analyzing essential proinflammatory and bone regeneration markers in vitro. To demonstrate the in vivo therapeutic and adverse effects of transfused hUC-MSCs, microCT, H&E staining, IHC (Angiogenesis marker gene expression) staining, and parathyroid hormone (PTH)/calcium assay were conducted in a BRONJ-induced animal model. RESULTS: BP-induced cytotoxicity and inflammation in rBM-derived cells decreased, after co-culture with hUC-MSCs. The expression levels of bone regeneration markers (RUNX2, OSX, and BMP-2) significantly increased in BP-treated rBM-derived cells, after co-culture with hUC-MSCs. The BP-induced abnormal shift in RANKL/OPG expression ratio in rBM-derived cells was normalized by hUC-MSCs. Consistent with these in vitro results, transfused hUC-MSCs markedly decreased BRONJ and significantly healed injured mucosa in the BRONJ-induced animal model. The animals exhibited serious destruction of the kidney structure and increases in serum PTH and calcium levels, which were significantly normalized by hUC-MSC transfusion. CONCLUSION hUC-MSCs exerted therapeutic effects on BRONJ in vitro and in vivo through their anti-cytotoxicity, anti-inflammatory activity and ability to recover bone regeneration.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the combination of cataract surgery and intravitreal bevacizumab injection in patients with cataract and diabetic macular edema. METHODS: Patients received an intravitreal injection of bevacizumab(1.25 mg) combined with phacoemulsification and implantation of a posterior chamber intraocular lens. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA, LogMAR) and, central macular thickness (CMT) were measured using OCT at baseline and at one week, one, three, and six months after surgery, and adverse events were recorded. RESULTS: The mean baseline LogMAR BCVA was 0.84+/-0.50 and mean CMT was 337.1+/-57.50 micrometer. At one week, one, three, and six months after surgery, the mean BCVAs were 0.52+/-0.40, 0.51+/-0.42, 0.52+/-0.34, and 0.46+/-0.37, and the mean CMTs were 356.4+/-86.44 micrometer, 338.8+/-138.4 micrometer, 349.0+/-122.9 micrometer, and 334.2+/-100.4 micrometer, respectively. No adverse events associated with cataract surgery or intravitreal bevacizumab injection were observed. CONCLUSIONS: The short-term results from the present study suggest the combination of cataract surgery and intravitreal bevacizumab injection are safe and effective for the prevention of macular edema aggravation for one month, but has little effect on prevention of macular edema aggravation three months after surgery for diabetic macular edema patients.
Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized ; Cataract ; Humans ; Intravitreal Injections ; Lenses, Intraocular ; Macular Edema ; Phacoemulsification ; Visual Acuity ; Bevacizumab

PURPOSE: According to the staging system for breast cancer by the 2003 revised American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC), the patients with 10 or more positive axillary nodes are classified as N3 and also as a new stage, i.e., stage IIIC. The aim of this study was to investigate the prognosis of patients with 10 or more positive nodes. METHODS: The database of 125 patients with 10 or more positive axillary nodes who underwent surgery at Korea Cancer Center Hospital between 1997 and 2001 were reviewed. The age of the patients, the T stage, the number and site of the positive nodes, the hormone receptor status, the HER-2 over-expression, and the treatment modalities were examined in reference to the disease-free survival (DFS). RESULTS: At the median follow-up time of 40 months, 16 cases (13%) of locoregonal recurrence and 57 cases (46%) of systemic relapse had developed in 67 patients (54%). The DFS and overall survival rates at 5 years were 46% and 55%, respectively. On univariate analysis, the T stage (p<0.001), hormone receptor status (p=0.001), and neoadjuvant chemotherapy (p=0.014) were predictive factors of recurrence. On multivariate analysis, the T stage (p=0.002) and hormone receptor status (p=0.02) were independent predictors of recurrence. The patients with hormone receptor positive tumor had a 58%, 5-year DFS rate. On the contrary, in 9 of 10 patients with T4 tumor, recurrence developed within 2 years after the initial treatment. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that stage IIIC according to the revised AJCC staging system was not a prognostically homogeneous group. Some notably high survival rates were observed in a subgroup of patients, and especially for those patients with hormone receptor positive tumor. In contrast, the prognosis of patients with T4 tumor was significantly worse than that of the patients with the other stage IIIC disease. Thus, we suggest that the stage IIIC group in the new AJCC staging system needs to be refined to provide more reliable prognostic information for the patients with advanced breast cancer.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Joints ; Korea ; Lymph Nodes* ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prognosis* ; Recurrence ; Survival Rate