PURPOSE: This study was conducted to analyse the activities and status of infection control nurses (ICNs) and the trends of them since the first full-time ICN had been appointed in 1991. METHODS: Questionaries were mailed to 164 general hospitals with more than 300 beds. 85 hospitals were responded (51.8%) from 17June to 11 November 2003. RESULT: Full-time ICN was employed in 37.5%, 88.8% hospitals employed only one ICN regardless full-time or part-time ICN. ICNs spent time on surveillance (40.7%), teaching (29.4%), and meeting et al (30.3%). Surveillance was practice (67.5%), but surgical site surveillance was done in 12.1%. Personal characteristics and IC activities were significantly different between full-time and part-time ICNs. No of ICNs were increased by the national regulation and policy making. ICNs have improved the efficacy of infection control (IC) and abolished many wasteful ICs, The intensity of surveillance and the number of hospitals keep on hospital environmental control guidelines were increased. CONCLUSION: The number of ICNs was lower than 1980s' recommendation. The regulation on the ratio of ICN to beds should be added. The general features and activities of ICNs have been improved since 1991. However, to step up IC, the reward and support systems for ICN should be established.
Cross Infection ; Hospitals, General* ; Humans ; Infection Control* ; Policy Making ; Postal Service ; Reward

PURPOSE: Learning the concepts of pathology can be facilitated by repeated learning situations with illustrative pathology images. Virtual microscopes are digital facsimiles of glass slides that can be viewed on a computer screen. This study was designed to evaluate the possibility of using virtual microscopes as a teaching modality in the pathology laboratory. METHODS: The virtual microscope was produced from high resolution images scanned by an exclusive slide scanner from newly made teaching glass slides. The final teaching material was put up on personal computers in the computer laboratory, classroom, and medical library. RESULTS: This material was easily accessed by exclusive viewers. The students readily adapted to the use of virtual microscopes. The quality of the images in this material was appropriate for viewing. The response from the students displayed highly significant differences between the traditional and virtual microscopes, with the virtual microscope being preferred. CONCLUSION: The virtual microscopes in this study were helpful for medical students studying pathology. The results of this implementation suggest that virtual microscope technology may be extended to other educational venues where traditional microscopes and photomicrographs are currently used.
Education, Medical ; Glass ; Humans ; Learning ; Libraries, Medical ; Microcomputers ; Pathology* ; Students, Medical ; Teaching Materials*

Coronary restenosis is still regarded as Achilles' Hill of interventional cardiology despite relentless efforts of many investigators. Recent experimental and clinical studies have suggested that both gamma and beta radiation can be reduce restenosis after angioplasty. Currently, intracoronary brachytherapy for the prevention of restenosis has become a new evolving treatment modality in interventional cardiology. This report discusses a physical aspect of gamma and beta radiation, initial clinical results and delivery systems used in intracoronary brachytherapy. We shall take a brief overview of methods and their advantages in intracoronary brachytherapy. Future work should provide further insight for the best way of treating restenosis.
Angioplasty ; Beta Particles ; Brachytherapy ; Cardiology ; Coronary Restenosis ; Humans ; Research Personnel

Purpose: : This study aimed to identify the effects of a multifaceted pediatric delirium education program for pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) nurses on their delirium knowledge, confidence in delirium nursing, and delirium evaluation accuracy. Methods: : This study used a one-group pretest-posttest design. The participants were 50 nurses in two units of the PICU at S General Hospital in Seoul. All participants took a 1-hour lecture with case-based practice for the first two weeks, and received feedback as they applied the program to clinical practice over the next two weeks. Test measures were completed before and after the four week intervention period for all participants. The delirium evaluation accuracy was measured using the Korean version of the Cornell Assessment of Pediatric Delirium. Data were analyzed using the chi-square and paired t-tests. Results: : After the Pediatric Delirium Education Program, nurses’ delirium knowledge (x2 =11.65, p =.001), confidence in delirium nursing (t=9.71, p＜.001), and delirium evaluation accuracy (t=6.07, p＜.001) improved significantly. Conclusions : Pediatric delirium education programs for PICU nurses were effective. For active application of the program in clinical practice in the future, various cases of childhood delirium and specific strategies for each subject must be developed. To achieve this, long-term intervention and research for multiple organizations are required.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to describe the experiences of do-not-resuscitate (DNR) among nurses. METHODS: Data were collected by in-depth interviews with 8 nurses in 8 different hospitals. Conventional qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Eight major themes emerged from the analysis: DNR decision-making bypassing the patient, inefficiency in the decision-making process of DNR, negative connotation of DNR, predominance of verbal DNR over written DNR, doubts and confusion about DNR, least amount of intervention in the decision for DNR change of focus in the care of the patient after a DNR order, and care burden of patients with DNR. Decision-making of DNR occurred between physicians and family members, not the patients themselves. Often high medical expenses were involved in choosing DNR, thus if choosing DNR it was implied the family members and health professionals as well did not try their best to help the patient. Verbal DNR permission was more popular in clinical settings. Most nurses felt guilty and depressed about the dying/death of patients with DNR. CONCLUSION: Clearer guidelines on DNR, which reflect a family-oriented culture, need to be established to reduce confusion and to promote involvement in the decision-making process of DNR among nurses.
Adult ; Attitude to Death ; Critical Care ; Decision Making ; Family/psychology ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Korea ; Nursing Staff, Hospital/*psychology ; Professional-Family Relations ; *Resuscitation Orders/psychology ; Social Support ; Tape Recording

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to understand and describe the hospital workers' experience related to the hospital evaluation program implemented in Korea between 2004 and 2009. METHODS: During 2010, data were collected using focus group interviews. Four focus group interviews were held with a total of 28 hospital workers participating. All interviews were recorded and transcribed as they were spoken, and data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: Nine themes emerged from the analysis: 1) Positive change in the necessity of the evaluation; 2) Improvement in the hospital system, facilities, and human resources; 3) Unity through cooperation among departments; 4) Nursing work overload; 5) Lack of physicians' awareness and responsibilities; 6) Unfair and unrealistic evaluation items; 7) Lack of credibility of the outcome; 8) Shifting responsibility for negative outcomes to the workers; 9) Lack of pragmatic utility. CONCLUSION: The results of the study demonstrate that the hospital evaluation program played a key role in improving some work environments and communication among departments. At the same time, they show various negative themes resulting from the context of very authoritarian hospital systems and a connection-oriented society in Korea.
Adult ; Attitude of Health Personnel ; Female ; Focus Groups ; Hospitals/*standards/*statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nursing Staff, Hospital/*statistics & numerical data ; Qualitative Research ; Tape Recording

Bronchogenic cyst is an uncommon congenital anomaly that arises from maldevelopment of the primitive foregut, and is usually found in the lung and mediastinum. Cutaneous or subcutaneous bronchogenic cysts are rare, and occur especially in the shoulder region. We report here on a 40-year-old woman with a soft, nontender, cystic mass on the upper posterior aspect of the right acromioclavicular joint; this had been recognized about 20 years before. She underwent incision and drainage of the lesion at a local clinic about 1 year ago, but the wound was not healed. MRI showed an irregular-shaped dark signal intensity lesion that measured 2 x 1.5 cm in the subcutaneous fat layer. Microscopically, the cyst was lined by pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium that displayed squamous metaplasia. The cyst wall revealed frequent smooth muscle bundles, occasional seromucous glands and multifocal lymphocytic infiltration. This is the first reported case of subcutaneous bronchogenic cyst of the shoulder in a Korean adult.
Acromioclavicular Joint ; Adipose Tissue ; Adult ; Bronchogenic Cyst* ; Drainage ; Epithelium ; Female ; Humans ; Lung ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Mediastinum ; Metaplasia ; Muscle, Smooth ; Shoulder* ; Subcutaneous Fat ; Wounds and Injuries

BACKGROUND: The analytical performance of the Vitros ECi(R) Immunodiagnostic System on the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4) and estradiol (E2) assays, which are based on electrochemical luminescence to replace the radioimmunoassay was evaluated. METHODS: The precision as measured by the NCCLS protocol and a comparison of the method were done for each TSH, FT3, FT4, and E2 assay. The functional sensitivity and linearity tests were performed for both TSH and E2. The free hormone validity test was performed for both the FT3 and FT4. RESULTS: All four analytes showed an acceptable precision. The functional sensitivities of TSH and E2 were 0.007 mIU/L, and 87 pmol/L, respectively. TSH and E2 showed excellent linearity up to 78 mIU/mL, and up to 7,700 pmol/L, respectively. The free hormone validity test showed acceptable results demonstrating accurate free hormone determination. The E2 showed a significant proportion-al bias requiring an adjustment of the reference range, However, the other analytes showed good agreement with a slight proportional bias. CONCLUSIONS: The TSH, FT3, FT4, and E2 assay by Vitros ECi(R) exhibited excellent performance overcoming the drawbacks of a conventional radioimmunoassay.
Bias (Epidemiology) ; Estradiol* ; Luminescence ; Radioimmunoassay ; Reference Values ; Thyrotropin ; Thyroxine* ; Triiodothyronine*

The Prototheca species is achlorophyllic algae and rarely causes human infection. Human protothecosis presents clinically as a cutaneous infection, olecranon bursitis, and disseminated systemic disease. We report a case of human cutaneous protothecosis involving the left wrist. A 68-year-old man presented with an ill-defined erythematous lesion with crust at the dorsal aspect of his left wrist. A punch biopsy was performed to reveal the histologic features of granulomatous inflammation with necrosis at the upper dermis, containing Prototheca organisms, of which, the characteristic features were highlighted by special staining. Through a molecular study, the Prototheca zopfii species was identified.
Aged ; Biopsy ; Bursitis ; Dermis ; Humans* ; Inflammation ; Necrosis ; Olecranon Process ; Prototheca ; Wrist

BACKGROUND: Flood is the most common natural disaster in our country. Lots of victims occurred during the period of flood in the northern territory of Kyoungkido on August 5, 1998. We tried to describe the characteristics of the flood-related injury and illness, management and medical requirements. METHODS: We interviewed the patients admitted to 8 hospitals in Ujungbu and reviewed medical records from aug 5 to Aug 14, 1998. RESULTS: There were total 102 patients, male were 52%and women were 48% Most of patients were between 30's and 60's. Most of them were minor, and less than 3%of them needed critical care. The diagnosis were laceration(39.2%, contusion(22.5%, fracture(13.7%, infectious disease(7.8%, ligament rupture(7.8%, aggravation of chronic illness(5.9%, dermatitis(2.0% and traumatic hyphema(1.0%. The laceration occurred in the foot(37.9%, lower leg(27.0%, thigh(16.2%, hand(10.8% and head(8.1%. The location of ligament injury were achilless tendon(62.5%, hand(25% and knee(12.5%. The 67.5%of flood-related laceration patients progressed cellulitis, especially in sutured wound and a typical tetanic patient was developed. Of hospitalized patients, 2 patients showed evidence of post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD). CONCLUSION: During flood, civils have better to be educated about prevention of injury, such as wearing of shoes and clothes. Although laceration was minor, lacerated wounds should be thoroughly irrigated, debrided the margin and considered delayed closure, tetanus immunization. Reportedly, there is an increased prevalance of PTSD and depression after disasters. Therefore mental health care will be required in the future.
Cellulitis ; Critical Care ; Depression ; Diagnosis ; Disasters ; Female ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Immunization ; Lacerations ; Ligaments ; Male ; Medical Records ; Mental Health ; Northern Territory ; Shoes ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic ; Tetanus ; Wounds and Injuries