BACKGROUND: Hospital-wide surveillance showed an up to 9% increase in the incidence rate of the nasal transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) among health care workers (HCWs) in a tertiary care hospital where MRSA is endemic. The purpose of this study was to investigate the knowledge of and attitude towards nasal transmission of MRSA and hand-washing practice among HCWs and determine the behavioral factors associated with the nasal transmission of MRSA. METHODS: In a 750-bed tertiary care hospital, nasal swabs from HCWs were obtained, and questionnaires with 25 questions were distributed to HCWs who were divided into 2 different groups: MRSA carriers and non-carriers. The questionnaires focused on the HCWs' knowledge about the mode of MRSA transmission and precautions against MRSA infection and their self-reported compliance for hand hygiene. RESULTS: The total number of respondents for the surveillance culture and survey were 253 (51 MRSA carriers and 202 non-carriers). There was significant difference between the 2 groups on the knowledge of precautionary measures used for the MRSA patients in the hospital (P=0.026). Compared to the MRSA carriers, the non-carriers washed their hands significantly more frequently after ventilator care (P=0.004) and used more alcohol sanitizers (P=0.023). However, no significant difference was observed in hand-washing practices of both the groups before the medical procedures, their knowledge about the mode of transmission of MRSA, and the duration of hand washing. CONCLUSION: Non-carriers replied more accurately to the questions on knowledge about the management and treatment of MRSA, and they considered interventions such as surveillance cultures and questionnaires to be an effective method in lowering the incidence of nosocomial infections. Compared to the MRSA carriers, the non-carriers showed higher hand-washing compliance.
Compliance ; Cross Infection ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Delivery of Health Care ; Drug Resistance ; Hand ; Hand Disinfection ; Humans ; Incidence ; Methicillin Resistance ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; Tertiary Healthcare ; Ventilators, Mechanical

Localized fibrous tumor is an uncommon submesothelial origin tumor found in pleura most commonly. Sixty five-year-old man with right lower quadrant pain was admitted. He was treated with resection of tumor and was diagnosed as localized fibrous tumor of pelvic cavity. He is now being followed up without any evidence of recurrence for 34 months. This case is presented with reviewing references.
Pleura ; Recurrence

We present a case of metastatic mailgnant melanoma developed in the 40 year- old male patient. Six month prior to visit to our department of dermatology, the patient found an egg sized mass covered with normal skin on his right inguinal area, which showed typical findings of the metastatic malignant melanoma histopathologically. The primary malignant melanoma on the right shin was removed by wide surgical excision at 18 months prior to visit to our department of dermatology.
Dermatology ; Humans ; Male ; Melanoma* ; Ovum ; Skin

A accidental spills of phenol(100%) to the river Nakdong with subsequent contamination of the tap water for about two million consumers in Taegu city of Korea were occurred in March 1991. A historical cohort study of 6,913 individuals was undertaken to determine the associated with illness. Population subjects were divided into two groups of exposed and unexposed. Exposed subjects were reported to be phenol associated symptoms significantly higher than those in a nearby unexposed area(39.6% vs 9.4%, p<0.01). Especially, in the related symptoms, highly significant differences were noted in the number of subjects reporting gastrointestinal illness such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or abdominal pain. During the accident, study subjects who experienced peculiar taste or odor in the tap water were significantly higher in the exposed areas(92% vs 34.3%). Chlorophenols formed from chlorination of water may have aggravated the problem.
Abdominal Pain ; Chlorophenols ; Cohort Studies ; Daegu ; Diarrhea ; Drinking Water* ; Drinking* ; Equipment and Supplies* ; Halogenation ; Korea ; Nausea ; Odors ; Phenol* ; Rivers ; Vomiting ; Water

PURPOSE: Recently, paranasal sinus(PNS) CT has increasingly been used because of the wide applications of a functional endoscopic sinonasal surgery(FESS) as one of the therapeutic modalities of the chronic sinonasal inflammatory disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed PNS CT findings in 76 patients with chronic sinonasal inflammatory disease who had undergone the PNS CT from April 1991 to July 1992. RESULTS: There were 5 sinonasal patterns of inflammation ;4 cases of infundibular type(5.3%), 14 cases of ostiomeatal unit(OMU) type(18%), one case of sphenoethmoidal(SER) type(1%), 56 cases of sinonasal polyposis type(74%), and one case of sporadic type(1%). The mucosal abnormality was seen in 74 OMU cases, 71 maxillary sinus cases, 69 ethmoidal sinus cases, 55 frontal sinus cases, 49 SER, and 46 sphenoidal sinus cases. The normal bony variant included ethmoid bulla(25 cases, 335), concha bullosa (20 cases 25%), Hailer cells(10 cases, 13%), paradoxical curvature of middle turbinate (4 cases, 5%), lateral deviation of uncinate process(3 cases, 4%), and deviation of nasal septurn(31 cases, 41%). CONCLUSION: The PNS CT is an excelleht imaging method providing detailed informations about the mucosal abnormality, pathological pattern, the anatomical structure and landmark, and bony variants prior to an operation.
Frontal Sinus ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Maxillary Sinus ; Retrospective Studies ; Turbinates

To evaluate the value of HRCT imaging in middle ear cholesteatoma, we prospectively analysed the CT images in 28 surgically proven cases with cholesteatomas regarding main site of lesion, ossicular change, facial nerve exposure and fistula formation . The most common main site of lesion was the epitympanum (92.8%). The results of sensitivity, positive predictability, and accuracy by CT imagings were as follows: for ossicular involvement, 94.1%, 88.8%, and 86.2% in malleus, 96.0%, 88.8%, and 85.7% in incus, 81.2%, 81.2%, and 78.5% in stapes; for facial verve exposure, 66.6%, 57.1%, and 81.2%; for fistula formation, 100%, 75.0%, and 96.4%, respectively. In conclusion, the temporal bone HRCT imaging is an accurate preoperative method in detecting main lesion site, ossicular involvement, fistula formation. Because of the low sensitivity and positive predictability in detecting facial nerve exposure, it is necessary to correlate the HRCT images with the clinical status.
Cholesteatoma ; Cholesteatoma, Middle Ear* ; Ear, Middle* ; Facial Nerve ; Fistula ; Incus ; Malleus ; Methods ; Prospective Studies ; Stapes ; Temporal Bone* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed*

PURPOSE: To report the effectiveness of Minocin sclerotherapy in the treatment of renal cysts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed minocin sclerotherapy to 19 patients with 21 renal cysts composed of 17 cases of solitary renal cyst and three cases of multiple renal cyst and one case of polycystic kidney comfirmed by ultrasound and CT. After aspiration of cyst fluid, if the amount was less than 50ml, 500mg of minocin was mixed with 3ml of normal saline,if more than 50ml, 1000mg of minocin mixed with 5ml of normal saline were injected, and each case was followed-up over 3 months by ultrasound. RESULTS: Of all 21 renal cysts, 14 cases were followed-up three months after minocin sclerotherapy. In 12 of 14 cases, the size of the cysts decreased by 10% or collapsed completely. Of the remaining two cases, one collapsed after 6 months while the other recurred after 6months. Three cases were followed up after 20 months and only one of them recurred. 19 of all 21 cases(91%) were cured, and two of 21 cases(9%) were recurred. Pain was the only complaint. and four of 10'cases needed analgesics. CONCLUSION: Sclerotherapy with minocin has low recurrence-rate and low complication, and relatively early high cure-rate.
Analgesics ; Cyst Fluid ; Humans ; Minocycline* ; Polycystic Kidney Diseases ; Sclerotherapy* ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence of hypertension, rates of awareness, treatment modalities, and control of hypertension, and also to identify factors in rural Korea that are related to these aspects of hypertension. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey, including blood pressure(BP) measurements and interviews, investigating the variables in the health belief model was performed from August to November, 1999 on 1,426 (79.4%) study subjects out of 1,797 registered residents over 30 years old in Ibansong-Myun, Chinju City. A second survey was performed from January to March, 2000 on 376 (80.0%) subjects out of 470 hypertensive (or suspected hypertensive) subjects found in the first survey. Two BP readings were taken in each survey using a standard mercury sphygmomanometer. Hypertension was defined as either a BP reading < 140/90 mmHg in both surveys, or as subjects on oral hypertensive medication. RESULTS: Estimated hypertension prevalence was 24.9% for men, and 30.4% for women. Rates of hypertension awareness, treatment (the regular use of oral hypertensives), and control (reduction of BP to <140/90 mmHg) were 52.5%, 34.4%, and 12.9%, respectively. The factors related to lower hypertension awareness in the logistic regression analysis were male gender, farming occupation, and higher perceived barrier to medical treatment (those for whom visiting health professionals is a burden). CONCLUSIONS: To improve the low awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension, a more active and out-reaching hypertension control program, including routine BP measurements for every visitor to primary care facilities, is needed in rural Korea.
Adult ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Gyeongsangnam-do ; Health Occupations ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Korea* ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Occupations ; Prevalence* ; Primary Health Care ; Reading ; Sphygmomanometers

No abstract available.
Stents* ; Ureter*

No abstract available.
Holoprosencephaly*