No abstract available.
Female* ; Humans ; Prune Belly Syndrome*

PURPOSE: It is well known that use of intranenous methylprednisolone(IVMP)for the patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura(ITP) is not only as effective as use of intravenous gammaglobulin to mincrease platelets quickly, but also the former is less expensive than the latter. As the adequate dosage of IVMP has not been fully elucidated, we have tried to determine it. METHODS: The subjects were 35 childhood patients below 15 years of age, who were diagnosed with ITP for the first time and whose platelet count was less than 20,000/mm(3) at diagnosis. We divided them into three groups : Group A included 8 cases with IVMP dosage of 5mg/kg/day, Group B included 9 patients with IVMP dosage of 10mg/kg/day, and group C included 18 patients with IVMP dosage of 20mg/kg/day. We checked the platelet count every day after IVMP administration daily for 5 days and also observed for side effects if any. RESULTS: After IVMP administration, we obseved increasing tendency of platelets in all three groups, of which group C was more rapid and higher in increasing platelets than the other groups(p<0.05). After IVMP therapy for 5 days, cases with platelets>20,000/mm(3) were 6(75%) in group A, 7(78%) in group B, and 18(100%) in group C. Cases with platelets >50,000/mm(3) were 5(63%), 6(67%), 17(94%) in groups A, B, C, respectively, and cases with platelets> 100,000/mm(3) were 3(38%), 5(56%), 14(78%), in group A, B, C, respectively. And there were no remarkable side effects except a case of transient hypertensive headache in group C. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that the effectiveness of IVMP therapy for increasing platelets was more rapid and higher in group C than in group A or B, and side effect was minimal.
Child* ; Diagnosis ; Headache ; Humans ; Methylprednisolone* ; Platelet Count ; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic*

BACKGROUND: The interest of medicine was moved from disease treatment to disease prevention and health promotion. Especially, there has been marked increased interest in health promotion recently. Perception and health behaviors held or acquired during medical training can influence the acceptance and prevention strategies. This exploratory study surveyed medical and non-medical student to assess both preventive health behaviors and perception, to find relations of personal behaviors and corresponding perception. METHODS: This survey were conducted 140 medical students and 131 non-medical students in one big city. Data were obtained by self-reported questionnaire. Weschler survey was adapted to assess perception toward preventive behavior, and Fantastic lifestyle was adapt,ed to assess health behavior. RESULTS: Among the questionnaire of perception of preventive behavior, quitting cigarette smoking ranked highest frequency as very important in medical student. In non-medical student, use seat-belt is ranked highest frequency. Mean score of FANTASTIC lifestyle is 29.98 in medical student, 28.86 in non-medical. The result show significant relationship between st,udent-reported behavior and corresponding perception in 6 qestionnaire that is eat breakfast, moderate or no alcohol use, eliminate smoking, use seat belt, limit coffee, get seven hours sleep. CONCLUSIONS: In comparing medical and non-medical students, health perception and health behavior were no significant difference. Overall, the result indicated that the preponderance of respondents that is engaging in health behaviors are high in health perception.
Breakfast ; Coffee ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Health Behavior* ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Life Style ; Seat Belts ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Students, Medical

PURPOSE: There has been a number of reports on elution of bisphenol-A, an endocrine disrupting chemical, from milk bottles, all concerning the potential health effect of the substance. In this study, we measured the elution of bisphenol-A from milk bottles during boiling-water sterilization, to suggest a safe sterilization method. METHOD: Through the survey of 200 mothers, 78.5% of them expressed their concern on the possible harmful effect of bisphenol-A, which might be eluted from the bottles. And it was found that most mothers use boiling-water to sterilize bottles; duration of boiling bottles could be divided into three groups of 3, 5, and 10 minutes. We measured the elution of bisphenol- A from three different brands of bottles, subject to various mode of sterilization found in the survey. RESULT: In all the measurements, the concentration of the eluted bisphenol-A was in the range of 0.3 - 0.7 ppb, far below 2.5ppm, the level set up by Korea Food & Drug Administration(KFDA) for a potential harmful effect. CONCLUSION: Although trace amount of bisphenol -A can be eluted from polycarbonate milk bottles during sterilization, and bottle feeding, the amount is found to be too small to cause any health related impact for infants.
Bottle Feeding ; Disinfection* ; Humans ; Infant ; Korea ; Milk ; Mothers ; Sterilization ; Child Health

No abstract available.
Cranial Nerve Diseases ; Granuloma, Plasma Cell* ; Polychondritis, Relapsing*

BACKGROUND: The control of multidrug-resistant microorganisms (MDROs) is important in preventing healthcare-associated infections. We performed a survey to evaluate the current system for control of MDROs in general hospitals in Korea. METHODS: A questionnaire consisted of queries about infection control systems, personnel, antibiotic use monitoring systems, isolation and barrier precautions, and obstacles to and opinions about MDROs. The questionnaire was mailed to 145 hospitals with more than 300 beds in November 2005. RESULTS: One hundred and two of the 145 (70.3%) hospitals responded; 65.3% of the responded hospitals had antibiotics control programs and 96.0% of those had control programs for MDROs. Surveillance cultures for vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) were taken in 21.6% and 16.7% of the hospitals, respectively. Over 90% of the hospitals had guidelines with respect to wearing gloves, collecting infectious wastes, and cleaning the environment for MRSA and VRE, but less than a half of the hospitals had the same standard for extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing gram-negative bacteria and carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacteria. Most hospitals recommended gowning when contamination or invasive procedures were anticipated, but for VRE patients, gowns were used more strictly whenever there was contact with MDROs. Major obstacles related to isolation of patients infected or colonized with MDROs were the cost for isolation rooms (37.3%), and proposed solutions were reimbursement from the medical insurance company (86.3%), construction of a nationwide management system (61.8%), and effort by individual hospitals (58.8%) for MDROs infection control. CONCLUSION: Most of the hospitals have adopted control programs, but more needs to be done. Further efforts, including periodic reporting of antibiotic resistance, sufficient cost reimbursement, and providing education and increased awareness are urgently needed.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Colon ; Drug Resistance, Microbial ; Education ; Enterococcus ; Gram-Negative Bacteria ; Hospitals, General* ; Humans ; Infection Control* ; Insurance ; Korea* ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; Postal Service ; Surveys and Questionnaires

FISH is suggested as a possible method to detect the numerical and structural abnormalities of chromosomes in interphase nucleus. We performed this study to discuss the clinical usefulness of FISH in uncultured amniocytes and to set up the cut-off value for further study. We collected amniotic fluid samples from patients whose chromosome studies were recommended due to screen positive for Down and Edword syndrome in triple marker test using maternal serum. The centromeric probe for chromosome 18 and the locus-specific probe for chromosome 21 were used and the results were compared to their karyotypes. We could find 2 cases of trisony 21 and 2 cases of trisony 18 and the other cases represented normal karyotypes. The accuracies were 91% for disomy 18, 89% for trisomy 18, 92% for disomy 21 and 88% for trisomy 21. Therefore FISH technique is a possible method to detect the chromosomal abnormalities in uncultured amniocytes and the use of locus-specific probe for chromosome 21 would be more useful for detecting the aneuploidy of chromosome 21 than 13/21 centromeric probe.
Amniotic Fluid ; Aneuploidy ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 18 ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 21 ; Down Syndrome* ; Female ; Fluorescence* ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization* ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence ; Interphase ; Karyotype ; Trisomy

The incidence of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is known to be affected by sex hormone. Patients with Klinefelter's syndrome were reported to have abnormal sex hormonal metabolism and their chronic estrogenic stimulation seems to affect the pathogenesis of SLE. Therefore, association of SLE and Klinefelter's syndrome has been considered as a clue of the effect of sex hormone on SLE. We report the first case of Klinefelter's syndrome in a patient with SLE in Korea and discuss the association of SLE with Klinefelter's syndrome.
Estrogens ; Humans ; Incidence ; Klinefelter Syndrome* ; Korea ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic* ; Metabolism

Suicide is a leading cause of death among adolescents globally, and body weight is also a recognized reason for adolescent suicide. Therefore, we investigated the association between weight control behaviors (WCB) and suicide ideation and attempt, focusing on inappropriate weight control measures. We used data from the 2014 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey, representing a total of 35,224 boys and 34,361 girls aged 12 to 18 years. Adolescents were classified into groups based on WCB: appropriate WCB, inappropriate WCB, and no WCB. We performed logistic regression models to examine associations between WCB and suicide ideation and attempt, controlling for covariates. Both boys and girls with inappropriate WCB were more likely to report suicide ideation and attempt. Underweight and normal weight boys with inappropriate WCB were more likely to think or attempt suicide, and underweight girls with inappropriate WCB were also more likely to attempt suicide. Among five common WCB combinations, the combination of "regular exercise, fasting, eating less" was highly associated with suicide ideation and attempt. We confirmed that inappropriate WCB is associated with suicide ideation and attempt among Korean adolescents. Given the high incidence rate of suicide among adolescents and the adverse effect of inappropriate WCB, encouraging adolescents to control their weight in healthy ways is imperative.
Adolescent* ; Body Weight ; Body Weight Changes ; Cause of Death ; Eating ; Fasting ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Risk-Taking ; Suicide* ; Thinness ; Weight Perception

OBJECTIVE: The cytogenetic analysis for earlier detection of fetal chromosome aneuploidies is performed from chorionic villus using either long-term culture or direct chromosome preparation. To analyze the cause of pregnancy loss, we also attempt the cytogenetic study in product of conception(POC) using chorionic villi or fetal tissue. But the failure of analysis often occurs in direct preparation of villus cells and product of conception(POC). We studied to evaluate the clinical usefulness of FISH in uncultured chorionic villus cells of culture-failed cases. METHODS: According to the patient's indication, we performed FISH for chromosome 18, 21, X and Y in chorionic villi as well as POC and compared FISH results with their chromosomal studies. RESULTS: We found one trisomy 18 and one trisomy 21 in Chorionic Villus Sampling and one trisomy 18 and one monosomy X(45, X) in POC. The averages for accuracy of FISH were 83-91% and all cases are represented consistent results with their chromosomal studies. Among them, we could analyze using FISH only in 5 cases of culture failure including one case of monosomy X in POC. CONCLUSION: We could detect aneuploidy with uncultured chorionic villus cells in case of culture failure, using FISH, it may be the potential method to assist the cytogenetic study.
Aneuploidy ; Chorion* ; Chorionic Villi Sampling ; Chorionic Villi* ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 18 ; Cytogenetic Analysis ; Cytogenetics ; Down Syndrome ; Female ; Fetus ; Monosomy ; Pregnancy ; Trisomy ; Turner Syndrome