BACKGROUND: To identify the prevalence and related factors for vitamin D deficiency in the patients who admitted to the medical intensive care unit (ICU) of a Korean tertiary care hospital. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the data from ICU patients requiring mechanical ventilation (MV) for a period of > 48 h to identify the prevalence and associated factors for vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] level < 20 ng/mL. RESULTS: Among 570 patients admitted to the ICU, 221 were enrolled in the study, 194 in the vitamin D deficient group and 27 in the non-deficient group. Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in critically ill patients was 87.8%. The patient age was lower in the vitamin D deficient group compared with the non-deficient group (64.4 ± 15.4 vs. 71.0 ± 9.6 years, p = 0.049). A higher acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) score (odds ratio [OR] 1.23, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.10-1.37) and chronic illness (OR 3.12, 95% CI 1.08-9.01) were associated with vitamin D deficiency after adjusting for age and body mass index. Clinical outcomes of duration of MV, ICU stay, and 28- and 90-day mortality rates were not significantly different between the vitamin D deficient and nondeficient groups. CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D deficiency was common in critically ill patients, particularly among younger patients. Higher APACHE II score and chronic illness were associated with vitamin D deficiency.
APACHE ; Body Mass Index ; Calcitriol ; Chronic Disease ; Critical Care ; Critical Illness* ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Mortality ; Prevalence* ; Respiration, Artificial ; Retrospective Studies ; Tertiary Healthcare ; Vitamin D Deficiency* ; Vitamin D* ; Vitamins*

This study was conducted to investigate food and meal preference of workers (435 male and 212 female) in the Chonnam Yeosu industrial area. The results of the survey were analyzed by principal components analysis. The results were obtained as follows: 19.3% of the subjects were twenties, 28.3% were thirties, 28.8% were forties and 23.7% were fifties. Females liked rice rolled in dried laver, rice cakes, janchi-noodle and breads, on the other hand males liked thick beef soup, loach soup, an eel stew and soju. The young liked instant noodles, fried chicken, sweet and sour pork, pork cutlet, pizza, hamburger, ham, sausage and fruit beverage, on the other hand the old liked a fish pot stew, loach soup, eel stew, fish boiled in soy with spices, panfried fish, sea slug, ascidian, bunder, green laver and boiled burdock-lotus root in soy. Females who are young liked hamburger and sweet and sour pork whereas males who are young liked instant noodles, pork cutlet, ham, sausage and fruit beverage. Aged females liked fish boiled in soy with spices, panfried fish, bunder, green laver, boiled burdock-lotus root in soy whereas aged males liked a fish pot stew, loach soup, eel stew, sea mussel and oysters. Boiled rice was located within the middle irrespective of age and sex, but noodles, wheat flour meal, fast foods and fruits were situated at the young female side. Aged males liked soup and pot stew. Young males liked meats and eggs whereas fish and shellfish and kimch were located at the aged people side. Aged females liked sea weeds and most people disliked vegetables but females liked some vegetables irrespective of age. Processed foods, salted foods, and alcohol were generally disliked foods by subjects but males liked those foods. Soybean curd was liked more males than females, and teas, except coffee, was liked by males.
Aged ; Beverages ; Bivalvia ; Bread ; Chickens ; Coffee ; Eels ; Eggs ; Fast Foods ; Female ; Flour ; Fruit ; Gastropoda ; Hand ; Humans ; Male ; Meals ; Meat ; Ostreidae ; Ovum ; Shellfish ; Soybeans ; Spices ; Tea ; Triticum ; Urochordata ; Vegetables

A 6-year-old girl visited us with a 4-week history of inflammatory, pustular, tender patches and plaques on the scalp, and a 3-day history of multiple, erythematous, indurated, tender, subcutaneous nodules on both pretibial areas. A swab was taken from the scalp lesion and colonies of Tiichophyton mentagrophytes grew on culture. The histopathological findings of the leg nodule were consistent with erythema nodosum. The patient was treated with oral itraconazole and deflazacort, combined with topical potassium permanganate solution. Erythema nodosum regressed two weeks later and the kerion of the scalp regressed six weeks after starting the treatment, leaving residual scarring alopecia. The patient was diagnosed as erythema nodosum probably induced by kerion celsi, that has not been reported in the Korean literature.
Alopecia ; Child ; Cicatrix ; Erythema Nodosum* ; Erythema* ; Female ; Humans ; Itraconazole ; Leg ; Potassium Permanganate ; Scalp ; Tinea Capitis*

A 12-year-old girl presented with a 1-week duration of hair loss associated with splitting of the hair ends and whitish dots on the occipital hairs. On microscopic examination, a longitudinal splitting of the hair shaft with reconstitution of the normal hair distal to the fracture, nodular swellings, with the appearance of broomsticks pushed into one another, at the site of whitish swellings, and the flattening and twisting of the hair shaft around the long axis were demonstrated. Minor trauma to injury-prone hair is a common cause of hair shaft defects, however the reports with the combined conditions are insufficient in the literature. We describe a patient with central trichoptilosis associated with localized trichorrhexis nodosa and pili torti.
Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Child ; Female ; Hair ; Humans

Purpose: : This study sought to explore intensive care unit (ICU) nurses’ perceptions regarding the disclosure of patient safety incidents (DPSI) and identify the relationship between the perception of DPSI and communication barriers. Methods: : This study used a descriptive research design. A total of 110 ICU nurses from a tertiary hospital were surveyed online between September 14 and October 5, 2022. The mean DPSI score ranged between 1.0 and 4.0, with a higher score indicating a higher perception of DPSI. Results: : The mean score for ICU nurses’ perceptions of DPSI was 2.92 (SD=0.37). Among the characteristics of ICU nurses, differences were observed in perceptions of DPSI according to gender, age, total work experience, and ICU work experience. Communication barriers among ICU nurses were negatively correlated with negative results as a sub-factor of perceptions of DPSI. Ambiguity in the nurse’s position, lack of confidence, differences in perspectives with patients, and inadequate nurse-patient relationships as sub-factors of communication barriers exhibited a negative correlation with negative results as a sub-factor of perceptions of DPSI. Conclusions : ICU nurses’ perceptions of DPSI and the sub-factors related to communication barriers are negatively related to DPSI. To improve ICU nurses’ perceptions, open and non-punitive circumstances, staff education, practical guidelines, and support systems are required.

Myotonic dystrophy is the most common systemic disease causing myotonia. We report the case of respiratory failure in a patient with myotonic dystrophy after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. We carried out neurologic testing, electromyography and DNA testing in this patient and electromyography in the family of the patient. Through electromyography and DNA testing, this patient was diagnosed with myotonic dystrophy type I. Myotonic dystrophy is characterized by gradual decline of muscle tone and myotonia. It is important that this disease be excluded through preoperative history taking, physical examination and family history taking.
Cholecystectomy ; Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic ; DNA ; Electromyography ; Humans ; Muscles ; Myotonia ; Myotonic Dystrophy ; Physical Examination ; Respiratory Insufficiency

No abstract available.
Leukemia*

No abstract available.
Cervix Uteri* ; Female

PURPOSE: To compare results between in femtosecond laser and microkeratome LASIK correction of myopia METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the result of 94 eyes of 47 patients in the femtosecond group (F) and 103 eyes of 52 patients in the microkeratome group (M). All patients had undergone LASIK using either a femtosecond laser or a microkeratome for making of flap. Patients were divided into groups I (6D< or =) and II (> or =6D) according to preoperative myopia. Each patient was followed up for over 6 months with measurements of uncorrected visual acuity and manifest refraction at 1 week and 1, 3, and 6 months after operation. Complications during and after the operation were reviewed retrospectively in two groups 6month after the operation. RESULTS: In groups F-I, F-II, M-I, and M-II, postoperative 6-month uncorrected visual acuity was 0.98+/-0.08, 0.96+/-0.09, 0.97+/-0.03, 0.98+/-0.09. At the 6-month follow-up, there were no significant differences between the two groups in uncorrected visual acuity and mean spherical equivalent. Corneal opacity was found in 3 eyes in group M and complication related with flap was found 1 eye in group F and 4 eyes in group M. CONCLUSIONS: During a 6-month follow up, LASIK using either a femtosecond laser or a microkeratome has an similar effect in uncorrected visual acuity and mean spherical equivalent. Thus LASIK for using femtosecond laser can be used as an alternative procedure to correct myopia.
Corneal Opacity ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ* ; Myopia* ; Retrospective Studies ; Visual Acuity

PURPOSE: This study was done to test structural equation modeling of health-related quality of life (QOL) of men with obstructive sleep apnea in order to identify parameters affecting QOL and provide guidelines for interventions and strategies to improve QOL in these patients. METHODS: Model construction was based on 'The conceptual model of patient outcome in health-related QOL' by Wilson and Cleary, using the variables; age, physiological factors, social support, cognitive appraisal, symptoms and QOL. Participants were 201 adult male patients recruited at a tertiary university hospital in Seoul. Data were collected via questionnaires, polysomnography, and clinical records. RESULTS: Age and symptoms directly influenced QOL. Social support and cognitive appraisal about sleep did not have a direct influence on QOL, but indirectly affected it via symptoms. QOL was lower in patients who were younger and had more severe symptoms. Symptoms were more severe for patients with lower social support and more dysfunctional cognitive appraisal. When social support was lower, cognitive appraisal was more dysfunctional. CONCLUSION: These results suggest it is necessary to not only manage symptoms, but also apply interventions to increase social support and cognitive appraisal about sleep in order to increase QOL in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Depression/etiology ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Models, Theoretical ; Polysomnography ; *Quality of Life ; Questionnaires ; Severity of Illness Index ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive/complications/*psychology ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/etiology ; Social Support ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Young Adult