PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship among nursing organizational culture, work performance, and workplace bullying of nurses, and to identify the factors that affect workplace bullying.METHODS: The design of this study was descriptive research, and the data were collected from October 26 to November 5, 2018. The research participants were 210 nurses in six general hospitals in G province. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, a t-test, one-way ANOVA, Scheffé post-hoc test, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and a stepwise multiple regression using SPSS 22.0.RESULTS: The workplace bullying type showed negative correlations with innovation-oriented culture, relation-oriented culture, and work performance. The workplace bullying consequence showed negative correlations with the innovation-oriented culture, relation-oriented culture, and work performance, and showed positive correlations with the workplace bullying type. The factors influencing the results of the workplace bullying consequence were workplace bullying type followed by relation-oriented culture, and unmarried status.CONCLUSION: Workplace bullying among nurses was related to the nursing organizational culture and work performance. Therefore, in order to reduce the turnover rate of nurses and to help them adapt well to the nursing organizational culture, a bullying prevention and intervention program is necessary.
Bullying ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Nursing ; Organizational Culture ; Single Person ; Work Performance

Laryngeal involvement is a rare complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and can range from mild mucosal inflammation, vocal cord paralysis, and edema to necrotizing vasculitis with airway obstruction. Cricoarytenoid arthropathy is rare cause of severe airway obstruction in laryngeal involvement of SLE. In contrast to patients with rheumatoid arthritis, patients with SLE typically present with acute arthritis of cricoarytenoid joints and respond to corticosteroid therapy alone. We describe here a 13-year-old girl with SLE who presented with intermittent fever, swallowing difficulty, vocal cord paralysis and acute dyspnea required emergent tracheostomy as the sole manifestation of active SLE. She was diagnosed as having SLE based on the findings of positive anti-nuclear antibody and anti-ds DNA antibody with high titers, hypocomplementemia, leukocytopenia, and transient polyarthritis and proteinuria. No other clinical symptoms were found. Endoscopic findings showed edema of aryepiglottic fold, bilateral fixation of the vocal cords and edematous supraglottic structure with engorged vessels. Computered tomography scan of the neck showed diffuse soft tissue edema around the arytenoid and cricoid cartilages and enhancement of the aryepiglottic fold.
Adolescent ; Airway Obstruction ; Arthritis ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Cricoid Cartilage ; Deglutition ; DNA ; Dyspnea ; Edema ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Joints ; Larynx ; Leukopenia ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic* ; Neck ; Proteinuria ; Tracheostomy ; Vasculitis ; Vocal Cord Paralysis ; Vocal Cords

Doxycycline is frequently prescribed to treat urogenital infections or acne vulgaris. A 39-year-old man was prescribed doxycycline as a treatment for his skin infection. He took each tablet on an empty stomach in the morning, and just before going to bed with insufficient water. After taking the prescribed medication for approximately 3 weeks, he was diagnosed with esophageal ulcer. He had not experienced these symptoms before, and the drug label says that doxycycline rarely causes esophageal ulcer. After discontinuing the medication, the symptoms disappeared. Using the World Health Organization-Uppsala Monitoring Center criteria, the causality for doxycycline-induced esophageal ulcer was evaluated as “possible.” Additionally, using the Naranjo scale and Korean causality assessment algorithm (Ver. 2), the causality was evaluated as “probable.” Previous reports have stated that most patients who took doxycycline with insufficient water just before going to bed or in the supine position developed esophageal ulcer. Therefore, all patients taking doxycycline must be provided with detailed instructions about the appropriate administration methods.
Acne Vulgaris ; Adult ; Doxycycline ; Global Health ; Humans ; Skin ; Stomach ; Supine Position ; Ulcer ; Water

An oral environment is constantly exposed to environmental factors and microorganisms. The periodontal ligament (PDL) fibroblasts within this environment are subject to bacterial infection and allergic reaction. However, how these condition affect PDL fibroblasts has yet to be elucidated. PDL fibroblasts were isolated from healthy donors. We examined using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and measuring the intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i). This study investigated the receptors activated by exogenous bacterial pathogens (Lipopolysaccharide and peptidoglycan) and allergens (German cockroach extract and house dust mite) as well as these pathogenic mediators-induced effects on the intracellular Ca2+ signaling in human PDL fibroblasts. Moreover, we evaluated the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-6, and IL-8) and bone remodeling mediators (receptor activator of NF-kappaB ligand and osteoprotegerin) and intracellular Ca2+-involved effect. Bacterial pathogens and allergic mediators induced increased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and these results are dependent on intracellular Ca2+. However, bacterial pathogens and allergic mediators did not lead to increased expression of bone remodeling mediators, except lipopolysaccharide-induced effect on receptor activator of NF-kappaB ligand expression. These experiments provide evidence that a pathogens and allergens-induced increase in [Ca2+]i affects the inflammatory response in human PDL fibroblasts.
Allergens* ; Bacterial Infections ; Bone Remodeling ; Calcium Signaling ; Cockroaches ; Cytokines ; Dust ; Fibroblasts* ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-6 ; Interleukins ; NF-kappa B ; Periodontal Ligament ; Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor-kappa B ; Tissue Donors

Amebic liver abscess (ALA) has been diagnosed in travelers to endemic areas or in patients with immunosuppression secondary to human immunodeficiency virus infection since the late 1990s. Further, it is a rare disease in Korea. ALA should be considered in patients present with fever and right upper quadrant pain along with a risk of exposure to amebiasis. We report an 82-year-old man with symptoms of fever, gross hematuria and severe renal impairment as having amebic liver abscess complicated with the obstruction of the inferior vena cava. Amebic liver abscess was successfully treated with antibiotics alone. Also, hematuria disappeared and renal dysfunction improved after treatment.
Aged, 80 and over ; Amebiasis ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Fever ; Hematuria ; HIV ; Humans ; Immunosuppression ; Korea ; Liver Abscess, Amebic* ; Rare Diseases ; Renal Insufficiency ; Vena Cava, Inferior*

Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is a good treatment option for the patients ineligible for cardiac transplantation. Several studies have demonstrated that a ventricular assist device improves the quality of life and prognosis of the patients with end-stage heart failure. A 75-yr-old man debilitated with New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class III-IV due to severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction received LVAD implantation as a destination therapy. The patient was discharged with improved functional status (NYHA functional class II) after appropriate cardiac rehabilitation and education about how to manage the device and potential emergency situations. This is the first case of successful continuous-flow LVAD implantation as a destination therapy in Korea.
Aged ; Dyspnea ; Echocardiography ; Heart Failure/*surgery ; *Heart-Assist Devices ; Humans ; Male ; Prosthesis Implantation ; Quality of Life ; Republic of Korea ; Treatment Outcome ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left/*surgery

Fixed drug eruption (FDE) is a well-defined hyperpigmented patch that recurs in a fixed location each time a particular drug is taken. Common causative agents of FDE are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, non-narcotic analgesics, sedatives, anticonvulsants, sulfonamides, and tetracycline. We report a 33-year-old male who presented with a recurrent, localized, brownish-to-erythematous macule and papules on the peri-philtrum area two hours after taking valacyclovir. Three episodes of valacyclovir ingestion for treatment of Herpes simplex virus infection provoked a similar skin rash at the same site. Histopathology results showed vacuolar degeneration in the basal layer of the epidermis, pigmentary incontinence, and perivascular inflammatory cell infiltration in the papillary dermis. Although patch test and skin prick test showed negative responses to acyclovir and valacyclovir, an intradermal test showed a positive reaction only to valacyclovir. The oral provocation test to acyclovir and valacyclovir showed a positive reaction only to valacyclovir. Through drug history, histopathological examination, patch test, intradermal test, and oral provocation test, we established a final diagnosis of FDE due to valacyclovir without cross-reactivity to acyclovir. To find alternative therapeutic drugs, we suggest diagnostic tests with not only the suspected drugs, but also other drugs in the same class.

Despite the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination roll-out, variant-related outbreaks have occurred repeatedly in Korea. Although public hospitals played a major role in COVID-19 patients’ care, difficulty incorporating evolving COVID-19 treatment guidelines called for a clinical pathway (CP). Eighteen public hospitals volunteered, and a professional review board was created. CPs were formulated containing inclusion/exclusion criteria, application flow charts, and standardized order sets. After CP roll-out, key parameters improved, such as increased patient/staff five-point satisfaction scores (0.41/0.57) and decreased hospital stays (1.78 days)/medical expenses (17.5%). The CPs were updated consistently after roll-out as new therapeutics drugs were introduced and quarantine policies changed.