PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to characterize the patterns of antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes in samples of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) isolated from periodontitis patients. METHODS: From July 2015 to August 2015, oral saliva was collected from a total of 112 patients diagnosed with periodontitis, including 80 outpatients in dental hospitals and 32 patients in dental clinics located in Seoul and Cheonan. The samples were subjected to a susceptibility test to evaluate the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance, and the pathogenic factors and antimicrobial resistance factors in the DNA of S. aureus were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: A susceptibility test against 15 antimicrobial agents showed that 88% of cultures were resistant to ampicillin, 88% to penicillin, and 2% to oxacillin. Resistance to at least two drugs was observed in 90% of cultures, and the most common pattern of multidrug resistance was to ampicillin and penicillin. Enterotoxins were detected in 65.9% of samples. The cell hemolysin gene hld was detected in 100% of cultures and hla was detected in 97.6% of samples. All strains resistant to penicillin and ampicillin had the blaZ gene. The aph(3')IIIa gene, which encodes an aminoglycoside modifying enzyme, was detected in 46.3% of samples. CONCLUSIONS: In the treatment of oral S. aureus infections, it is important to identify the pathogenic genes and the extent of antimicrobial resistance. Furthermore, it is necessary to study patterns of antimicrobial resistance and cross-infection in the context of periodontological specialties in which antimicrobials are frequently used, such as maxillofacial surgery, where the frequency of antimicrobial use for minor procedures such as implant placement is increasing.
Ampicillin ; Anti-Infective Agents ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Dental Clinics ; DNA ; Drug Resistance, Multiple ; Enterotoxins ; Humans ; Mouth* ; Outpatients ; Oxacillin ; Penicillins ; Periodontitis* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence ; R Factors ; Saliva ; Seoul ; Staphylococcus aureus* ; Staphylococcus* ; Surgery, Oral ; Virulence

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify factors affecting communication ability of nursing students.METHODS: The participants were 140 students in nursing college at the G city. The data were collected using online-questionnaires from July 4 to July 10 2018 and analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, Pearson correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis with SPSS 20.0 program.RESULTS: The results show that communication ability was statistically significant according to self-awareness, other-awareness, empathy. Multiple regression analysis found that the factors influencing communication ability of nursing students were empathy(β=.540), self-awareness(β=.429), other-awareness(β=.375). These variable factors explained community ability as 46.3%.CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that empathy, self-awareness, other-awareness are significant factors of communication ability of nursing students. Therefore, strategies to improve communication ability of nursing students should be developed with consideration for empathy, self-awareness, other-awareness.
Communication ; Empathy ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Nursing ; Residence Characteristics ; Students, Nursing

Acute autonomic and sensory neuropathy (AASN) is very rare immune mediated neuropathy characterized by prominent dysautonomia and sensory involvement without motor weakness. Most of AASN patients have a rapid onset reaching its worst within four weeks like Guillain-Barré syndrome. The treatment response is variable. Recently, we experienced a patient diagnosed as AASN with progressive autonomic and sensory symptoms more than 1 year, and showed good response in immunotherapy.

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

Candida spp. is an invasive infectious fungus, a major risk factor that can increase morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients. In this study, 2,508 Candida spp. were isolated from various clinical specimens collected from university hospitals from July 2011 to October 2014. They were identified in order to determine isolation frequencies and characteristics by specimen, gender, age group, year, season, and month. The strain-specific isolation rate of Candida spp. is in the order of Candida albicans (1,218 strains, 48.56%), Candida glabrata (416 strains, 16.59%), Candida utilis (305 strains, 12.16%), Candida tropicalis (304 strains, 12.12%), and Candida parapsilosis (116 strains, 4.63%) and these five species accounted for more than 94% of the total strains. Of the specimens, Candida spp. were most frequently isolated from urine-catheter, followed by urine-voided, blood, sputum, other, open pus, vaginal discharge, Tip, ear discharge, bronchial aspiration and bile, in that order. Looking at the age distribution, the detection rate of patients in their 60s and older was significantly higher at 75.8% (1,900/2,508). The detection rate of patients in their 20s and younger was shown to be very low at 2.55% (64/2,508). By year, the detection rate of non-albicans Candida spp. showed a tendency to gradually increase each year compared with C. albicans. As isolation of Candida spp. from clinical samples at the specie level can vary depending on characteristics of the patient, sample, season, etc., continual studies are required.
Age Distribution ; Bile ; Candida albicans ; Candida glabrata ; Candida tropicalis ; Candida* ; Ear ; Fungi ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Mortality ; Risk Factors ; Seasons ; Sputum ; Suppuration ; Vaginal Discharge

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to evaluate Korean version of the beliefs about Papanicolau (Pap) test and cervical cancer [CPC-28] in unmarried university students. METHODS: The Korean version of CPC-28 (K-CPC-28) was developed through forward-backward translation techniques. A reliability, confirmatory factor analysis and correlations coefficients were evaluated. Data were collected from 303 unmarried female students attending university using a questionnaire that included28 items of CPC, 5 items of susceptibility of cervicalcancer and 8 items of HPV knowledge. RESULTS: K-CPC-28 had reliable internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha=.74 of six subscales ranged from .66 to .80. Factor loadings of the 28 items of subscales ranged from .31 to .86. Six factors in this study explained 55% of the total variance. In convergent validity of the K-CPC-28, the subscales of K-CPC-28 were significantly correlated with susceptibility scale of cervical cancer and HPV knowledge scale. CONCLUSION: K-CPC-28has satisfactory construct validity and reliability. It seems to be an acceptable tool to assess the attitudes toward cervical cancer prevention and Pap smear in unmarried women. This tool would be also applicable to screen the risk group in cervical cancer prevention and to identify its association with actual Pap test or cervical cancer prevention behaviors.
Dinucleoside Phosphates ; Female ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Psychometrics ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Reproducibility of Results ; Single Person ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; Vaginal Smears

Background: Fresh frozen plasma (FFP) has been inappropriately using in spite of limited transfusion indications. Our institution applied the transfusion indication data-entry to a computerized order system in February 2018. Physicians should select the indication during transfusion order. In January 2019, the warning pop-up additionally applied for informing whether or not the coagulation test results correspond to FFP transfusion indications. We investigated the effects of a new applied program on the appropriateness of FFP transfusion. Methods: By comparing the appropriateness of transfusion before applying the transfusion indication data-entry, we investigated whether there were improvements of appropriateness after applying the transfusion indication data-entry and after applying the warning pop-up. We compared the percentages of performing pre-transfusion coagulation tests and transfusion among FFP requests before and after applying the warning pop-up. Results: After applying the transfusion indication data-entry, the appropriateness improved from 54.5% to 66.7%. The appropriateness of the surgery department was the lowest compared with that of the medical departments and emergency departments. The warning pop-up would be effective to induce pre-transfusion coagulation tests from surgery departments and emergency department. However, there was no further improvement in the appropriateness. Many requests from the surgery departments did not lead to transfusion. As the results of the analysis conducted by dividing each department that belonged to surgery departments, we could determine the wrong transfusion practice specific to each department. Conclusion The transfusion indication data-entry contributed to improving the appropriateness of FFP transfusion. Department-specific education and real-time auditing are needed for further improvement.

Background: Oral acitretin (ACT) has been approved for the treatment of psoriasis (PSO), whereas alitretinoin (ALI) has been prescribed off-label. Few studies have compared the efficacy of these two therapeutics. Objective: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of oral ACT versus ALI for treating PSO. Methods: Sixty-five patients diagnosed with PSO and treated with ACT or ALI were reviewed. Patient demographics, clinical efficacy, and adverse effects were evaluated. Treatment efficacy was assessed using physician’s global assessment (PGA) and psoriasis area and severity index (PASI). Results: A total of 38 cases in the ACT group and 27 cases in the ALI group in PSO were retrospectively reviewed. No significant intergroup differences were noted in the proportion of patients achieving PGA score of “clear” or “almost clear” (18.42% vs. 22.22%; p=0.71). The reduction rate of PASI from baseline was higher in the ALI group (24.30% vs. 22.74%; p=0.68), while the rate of achieving 75% improvement in PASI was higher in the ACT group (18.42% vs. 14.81%; p=0.75); no significantly differences were noted. The ALI group had fewer adverse effects (6/27 [22.22%]) than the ACT group (10/38 [26.32%]), and no severe events occurred in either group. Conclusion ALI can be considered an off-label treatment option for a limited patient population.