PURPOSE: Recently, vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) have become one of the major nosocomial pathogens in Korea. However, there have been few studies on the epidemiology of VRE colonization among neonates. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of VRE colonization, risk factors for VRE, and how to control the spread of VRE infection in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Pusan National University Hospital (PNUH). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 192 neonates who were admitted to the NICU of PNUH from March 2006 to March 2007. Surveillance cultures from rectal swabs for detecting VRE were obtained weekly during the study period. We analyzed the prevalence of VRE and various risk factors. RESULTS: The rate of VRE colonization among NICU patients was 25% (48/192). Thirty five of these VRE colonized patients were transferred to the NICU from other local hospitals. Compared with the non-VRE group, the risk factors associated with VRE colonization were lower birth weight, congenital heart disease, applied mechanical ventilation, use of a central venous catheter, chest tubing, a history of surgery, and use of antibiotics. CONCLUSION: VRE colonization among patients admitted to the NICU is rapidly increasing. Monitoring and managing premature neonates from the beginning of the birth process, avoiding many invasive procedures, avoiding antibiotics such as vancomycin and third generation cephalosporin are important for preventing the emergence and spread of VRE colonization in the NICU.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Birth Weight ; Central Venous Catheters ; Colon ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Korea ; Medical Records ; Parturition ; Prevalence ; Respiration, Artificial ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Thorax ; Vancomycin ; Vancomycin Resistance

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the transition experiences of the elderly from long-term care hospitals to their homes. Methods: The participants were eight elderly medicaid beneficiaries, who had been the subjects from the community care project in Korea. The data were collected with one-on-one interviews from April to November in 2020, and analyzed by phenomenological steps. Results: The seven themes derived in this study were ‘Space to escape’, ‘Reliable supporter opened the way to discharge’, ‘Comfortable life at home’,‘Obstacles to independent life’, ‘Struggling to live alone’, ‘Fence for community life’, and ‘Energizing in daily life’ Conclusion The results revealed the positive aspects of Community Care program in Korea. However, it is suggested that active communication between hospitals and community care institutions, and improvement of home environment to live in the community before discharge should be required. And system revision is needed to adjust activity in their home and support health problems of the elderly in the early stage of discharge. The results of this study can be referred to as the foundation of transitional care for the elderly.

The purposes of this study were to measure the resting metabolic rate(RMR) of 30-40 year old women and to compare it with values predicted using published equations. Body weight, height and body fat of subjects were measured. RMR was measured by two indirect calorimeter(method 1 and method 2). RMR was predicted using various equations. Average height, weight and body fat(%) of subjects were 158.6cm, 59.1kg and 30.9%, respectively. The RMR(1621.2+/-301.5 kcal/day) measured by portable indirect calorimeter(method 2) was significantly higher than RMR(1447.4+/-223.6 kcal/day) measured by typical indirect calorimeter(method 1). Comparison of measured RMR with predicted RMRs suggested that there was a least difference in RMR predicted by equation of Cunningham. According to RMSPEs(Root Mean Squared Prediction Errors), equations of Cunningham and body surface area were found to predict measured RMR(by method 1) most accurately (within 239.1kcal/day and 232.9kcal/day, respectively). The fat free mass and fat mass - adjusted correlation showed that measured RMR(by method 1) had negative relationships with muscle mass(r = -0.873) and fat free mass(r = -0.866). The equations of Cunningham and body surface area provide relatively accurate estimates of RMR when determining energy needs of 30-40 aged women. There are needs for development of RMR predicted equations that are derived from large samples of Korean.
Adipose Tissue ; Body Surface Area ; Body Weight ; Female ; Humans

No abstract available.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Tamoxifen*

No abstract available.
Nevus, Blue*

No abstract available.
Nevus, Blue*

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to examine socio-demographic and psychological variables and the correlation of their factors with quality of life (QOL) in urban-dwelling single mothers. METHODS: Participants were 195 single mothers living in an urban community in South Korea. Participants completed self-report questionnaires examining socio-demographic characteristics and including the following self-rating scales : the global assessment of recent stress, the center for epidemiologic studies depression scale, the scale for suicidal ideation, the Korean version of the alcohol use disorder identification test, and the World Health Organization QOL assessment instrument. RESULTS: Regarding socio-demographic variables, high educational level (p=0.009), high monthly income (p<0.001), living in own house (p<0.001), and divorced or separated on economic grounds (p<0.001) showed significantly high QOL in single mothers. Age (r=0.208, p=0.004) showed significant positive correlation with QOL ; stress (r=-0.254, p<0.001), depressive symptoms (r=-0.314, p<0.001), suicidal ideation (r=-0.217, p<0.001), and alcohol-related problems (r=-0.363, p<0.001) showed significant negative correlation with QOL. In multiple regression analysis, alcohol-related problems, financial cause of single motherhood, depressive symptoms, and income explained 37.7% of variance in total QOL. CONCLUSION: Interventions to promote QOL of single mothers should reduce the social burden and psychological problems on single mothers. Specifically, interventions providing psychological support should target new single mothers in order to reduce distress in single-mother families.
Alcoholism ; Depression ; Divorce ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Humans ; Korea ; Mothers* ; Psychology* ; Quality of Life* ; Single-Parent Family ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Suicidal Ideation ; Weights and Measures ; World Health Organization

With the advances in technology and medical knowledge, new diseases are being identified and investigated. Esophageal motility disorders have been re-defined using high-resolution manometry and their pathogenesis are being better understood. The use of opioid analgesics is increasing worldwide, particularly in the United States, but their chronic use can cause opioid-induced esophageal dysfunction, which mimics spastic motor disorders, including achalasia type 3 or 2 and esophagogastric junction outflow obstruction. Eosinophilic esophagitis is identified by eosinophilic infiltration confirmed on a pathological examination. The condition is often associated with esophageal motility abnormalities. On the other hand, recent studies have suggested that muscle-predominant eosinophilic infiltration, eosinophilic esophageal myositis, might manifest as spastic motor disorders, including achalasia or jackhammer esophagus. Lymphocytic esophagitis is an unusual esophageal condition, which is confirmed by the increased number of lymphocytes in the esophageal epithelium. Although several reports have supported the existence of lymphocytic esophagitis, it is still unclear whether lymphocytic esophagitis is a distinct disease entity or another spectrum of other esophageal diseases, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease or eosinophilic esophagitis. This review presents evidence and reports on the emerging issues in esophageal motility disorders, including opioid-induced esophageal dysfunction, eosinophilic esophagitis with eosinophilic esophageal myositis, and lymphocytic esophagitis.
Analgesics, Opioid ; Eosinophilic Esophagitis ; Eosinophils ; Epithelium ; Esophageal Achalasia ; Esophageal Diseases ; Esophageal Motility Disorders ; Esophagitis ; Esophagogastric Junction ; Esophagus ; Gastroesophageal Reflux ; Hand ; Lymphocytes ; Manometry ; Motor Disorders ; Muscle Spasticity ; Myositis ; United States

With the advances in technology and medical knowledge, new diseases are being identified and investigated. Esophageal motility disorders have been re-defined using high-resolution manometry and their pathogenesis are being better understood. The use of opioid analgesics is increasing worldwide, particularly in the United States, but their chronic use can cause opioid-induced esophageal dysfunction, which mimics spastic motor disorders, including achalasia type 3 or 2 and esophagogastric junction outflow obstruction. Eosinophilic esophagitis is identified by eosinophilic infiltration confirmed on a pathological examination. The condition is often associated with esophageal motility abnormalities. On the other hand, recent studies have suggested that muscle-predominant eosinophilic infiltration, eosinophilic esophageal myositis, might manifest as spastic motor disorders, including achalasia or jackhammer esophagus. Lymphocytic esophagitis is an unusual esophageal condition, which is confirmed by the increased number of lymphocytes in the esophageal epithelium. Although several reports have supported the existence of lymphocytic esophagitis, it is still unclear whether lymphocytic esophagitis is a distinct disease entity or another spectrum of other esophageal diseases, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease or eosinophilic esophagitis. This review presents evidence and reports on the emerging issues in esophageal motility disorders, including opioid-induced esophageal dysfunction, eosinophilic esophagitis with eosinophilic esophageal myositis, and lymphocytic esophagitis.
Analgesics, Opioid ; Eosinophilic Esophagitis ; Eosinophils ; Epithelium ; Esophageal Achalasia ; Esophageal Diseases ; Esophageal Motility Disorders ; Esophagitis ; Esophagogastric Junction ; Esophagus ; Gastroesophageal Reflux ; Hand ; Lymphocytes ; Manometry ; Motor Disorders ; Muscle Spasticity ; Myositis ; United States

Purpose: To determine the prognostic role of muscle area and muscle radiation attenuation in the erector spinae (ES) and multifidus (MF) muscles in patients undergoing gastrectomy. Methods: Patients with stage I-III gastric cancer undergoing gastrectomy were retrospectively enrolled in this study. Clinicopathologic characteristics were collected and analyzed. Both paraspinal muscle index of ES/MF muscles (PMIEM) and paraspinal muscle radiation attenuation in the same muscles (PMRAEM) were analyzed at the 3rd lumbar level using axial computed tomographic images. Cox regression analysis was applied to estimate overall survival (OS) and diseasefree survival (DFS). Results: There was only a weak correlation between PMIEM and PMRAEM (r = 0.28). Multivariate Cox regression revealed that PMRAEM, but not PMIEM, was an important determinant of survival. PMRAEM along with age, tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage, perineural invasion, and serum albumin level were significant determinants of both OS and DFS that constituted Model 1. Harrell’s concordance index and integrated area under receiver operating characteristic curve were greater for Model 1 than for Model 2 (consisting of the same covariates as Model 1 except PMRAEM) or Model 3 (consisting of only TNM stage). Conclusion PMRAEM, but not PMIEM, was an important determinant of survival. Because there was only a weak correlation between PMIEM and PMRAEM in this study, it was presumed that they were mutually exclusive. Model 1 consisting of age, TNM stage, perineural invasion, serum albumin level, and PMRAEM was greater than nested models (i.e., Model 2 or Model 3) in predicting survival outcomes.