BACKGROUND: This study aimed to develop feasible and detailed infection control guidelines (ICG) and audit protocols for health care workers and auditors in postpartum care centers (PCC). METHODS: PCC ICG and audit protocols were developed in several steps: 1) review of previous ICG for PCCs; 2) establishment of frameworks for updating guidelines and audit protocols; 3) review of new ICG, regulations, etc.; 4) drafting of PCC ICG and audit protocols and revision based on feedback from the research committee; 5) Delphi survey to solicit opinions from infection control, infant care, and maternal care professionals as well as PCC health care workers; 6) re-revision after discussion with the research committee; and 7) finalization of PCC ICG and audit protocols. RESULTS: We developed ICG with 4 categories and 26 sub-categories, and internal and external audit protocols with 163 and 85 items, respectively. CONCLUSION: The ICG and audit protocols are valid and feasible; we recommend their utilization as auditing tools, baseline data for the development of national infection control policies, and as educational materials for PCC healthcare workers.
Checklist ; Delivery of Health Care ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant Care ; Infection Control* ; Postnatal Care* ; Postpartum Period* ; Social Control, Formal

Purpose: To provide foundational data for developing death anxiety intervention programs for nurses by identifying the factors influencing their death anxiety in COVID-19 wards. Methods: This descriptive survey study involved 123 nurses who had worked for more than six months in the COVID-19 wards of a tertiary hospital in Metropolitan B City. Data were collected using a structured self-report questionnaire from March 22 to April 9, 2022. Results: Death anxiety differed significantly by gender (t=-3.32, p=.001). It showed a significant positive correlation with the perceived risk of respiratory infectious disease (r=.29, p=.001) but significant negative correlations with death attitude (r=-.69, p<.001) and self-esteem (r=-.18, p=.049). Factors influencing death anxiety included death attitude (β=-.67, p<.001) and gender (β=.23, p<.001), accounting for 52.4% of the variance. Conclusion This study found that death attitude and gender significantly influenced death anxiety among nurses in COVID-19 wards. Therefore, it is neccessary to develop and apply gender-sensitive death anxiety intervention programs that could positively and effectively influence death attitudes to reduce death anxiety of nurses in covid-19 wards.

Purpose: To provide foundational data for developing death anxiety intervention programs for nurses by identifying the factors influencing their death anxiety in COVID-19 wards. Methods: This descriptive survey study involved 123 nurses who had worked for more than six months in the COVID-19 wards of a tertiary hospital in Metropolitan B City. Data were collected using a structured self-report questionnaire from March 22 to April 9, 2022. Results: Death anxiety differed significantly by gender (t=-3.32, p=.001). It showed a significant positive correlation with the perceived risk of respiratory infectious disease (r=.29, p=.001) but significant negative correlations with death attitude (r=-.69, p<.001) and self-esteem (r=-.18, p=.049). Factors influencing death anxiety included death attitude (β=-.67, p<.001) and gender (β=.23, p<.001), accounting for 52.4% of the variance. Conclusion This study found that death attitude and gender significantly influenced death anxiety among nurses in COVID-19 wards. Therefore, it is neccessary to develop and apply gender-sensitive death anxiety intervention programs that could positively and effectively influence death attitudes to reduce death anxiety of nurses in covid-19 wards.

Purpose: To provide foundational data for developing death anxiety intervention programs for nurses by identifying the factors influencing their death anxiety in COVID-19 wards. Methods: This descriptive survey study involved 123 nurses who had worked for more than six months in the COVID-19 wards of a tertiary hospital in Metropolitan B City. Data were collected using a structured self-report questionnaire from March 22 to April 9, 2022. Results: Death anxiety differed significantly by gender (t=-3.32, p=.001). It showed a significant positive correlation with the perceived risk of respiratory infectious disease (r=.29, p=.001) but significant negative correlations with death attitude (r=-.69, p<.001) and self-esteem (r=-.18, p=.049). Factors influencing death anxiety included death attitude (β=-.67, p<.001) and gender (β=.23, p<.001), accounting for 52.4% of the variance. Conclusion This study found that death attitude and gender significantly influenced death anxiety among nurses in COVID-19 wards. Therefore, it is neccessary to develop and apply gender-sensitive death anxiety intervention programs that could positively and effectively influence death attitudes to reduce death anxiety of nurses in covid-19 wards.

Purpose: To provide foundational data for developing death anxiety intervention programs for nurses by identifying the factors influencing their death anxiety in COVID-19 wards. Methods: This descriptive survey study involved 123 nurses who had worked for more than six months in the COVID-19 wards of a tertiary hospital in Metropolitan B City. Data were collected using a structured self-report questionnaire from March 22 to April 9, 2022. Results: Death anxiety differed significantly by gender (t=-3.32, p=.001). It showed a significant positive correlation with the perceived risk of respiratory infectious disease (r=.29, p=.001) but significant negative correlations with death attitude (r=-.69, p<.001) and self-esteem (r=-.18, p=.049). Factors influencing death anxiety included death attitude (β=-.67, p<.001) and gender (β=.23, p<.001), accounting for 52.4% of the variance. Conclusion This study found that death attitude and gender significantly influenced death anxiety among nurses in COVID-19 wards. Therefore, it is neccessary to develop and apply gender-sensitive death anxiety intervention programs that could positively and effectively influence death attitudes to reduce death anxiety of nurses in covid-19 wards.

Spinal alpha-2 adrenoceptors and cholinergic receptors are involved in the regulation of acute nociception and the facilitated processing. The aim of this study was to examine the pharmacological effect of an intrathecal alpha-2 agonist and a cholinesterase inhibitor on the facilitated pain model induced by formalin injection and to determine the nature of drug interaction using an isobolographic analysis. Both intrathecal clonidine and neostigmine dose-dependently suppressed the flinching during phase 1 and phase 2. Intrathecal pretreatment with atropine reversed the antinociceptive effects of clonidine and neostigmine in both phases. Pretreatment with intrathecal yohimbine attenuated the effect of clonidine. The antinociception of clonidine and neostigmine was not reversed by mecamylamine. Isobolographic analysis showed that intrathecal clonidine and neostigmine acted synergistically in both phase 1 and 2. Intrathecal pretreatment with atropine and yohimbine antagonized the effect of the mixture of clonidine and neostigmine in both phases, but no antagonism was observed with mecamylamine pretreatment. These data indicate that spinal clonidine and neostigmine are effective to counteract the facilitated state evoked formalin stimulus, and these two drugs interact in a synergistic fashion. In addition, the analgesic action of intrathecal clonidine is mediated by spinal muscarinic receptors as well as alpha-2 adrenoceptors.
Adrenergic alpha-Agonists/*pharmacology ; Analgesics, Non-Narcotic/*pharmacology ; Animal ; Cholinesterase Inhibitors/*pharmacology ; Clonidine/administration & dosage/*pharmacology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drug Synergism ; Formaldehyde ; Injections, Spinal ; Male ; Neostigmine/administration & dosage/*pharmacology ; Pain/drug therapy ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute* ; Typhlitis*

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to develop an evaluation framework for QI activity in medical institutions and to analyze QI activity cases by applying the developed evaluation framework. METHOD: A four-phase process was employed to develop the evaluation framework, and a descriptive survey was used for the QI case study. Data were collected in April, 2010 by examining 157 QI activity cases presented at conferences and published in Journal of Korean Society of Quality Assurance in Health Care over the past three years. Developed QI activity evaluation instruments were used for data collection. Data were analyzed using the SPSS 18.0 for Windows program. RESULT: A QI Activity Evaluation Framework was developed. This framework consisted of 45 items. The department with the highest level of QI participation was the nursing department. The most frequent QI activity theme was patient safety. QI activity levels in Korean medical institutions are relatively equalized without significant differences according to institution characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: From the quality aspect of QI activity, more systematic and scientific approaches are required to upgrade QI activity. This study could provide methodological guidelines for QI activity and be useful in setting goals and directions for QI activity in medical institutions in Korea.
Congresses as Topic ; Data Collection ; Delivery of Health Care ; Korea ; Patient Safety ; Qi ; Quality Improvement

BACKGROUND: Endotoxin is a complex lipopolysaccharide molecule situated within the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. Sepsis and acute respiratory failure (ARDS) can be induced by endotoxin. In order to introduce and develop the experimental model of ARDS in sepsis, we induced sepsis with the endotoxin and investigated the change of respiratory pathophysiology during sepsis using a multiple inert gas elimination technique (MIGET). METHODS: Ten New Zealand white rabbits were anesthetized and ventilated with a Harvard apparatus. In 5 rabbits, 2 mg/kg of lipopolysaccaride from E. coli was infused intravenously for 30 min (Toxin group). At 1, 2, 3, and 4 hours after endotoxin infusion, arterial blood gas, and hemodynamic profiles were checked. To perform the MIGET, six inert gases (SF6, krypton, desflurane, enflurane, diethyl ether, acetone) of widely varying solubility were infused peripherally and the excretion and retention data was determined from measurements of inert gas tensions in pulmonary arterial, systemic arterial blood samples and mixd expiratory gas sampling of pre and post septicemia using gas chromatography. We transformed and analysed the data into a V/Q distribution curve to find out the change of V/Q distribution curve. After the experiments, the animals were dissected and the lungs were extracted for wet/dry weight ratio (WW/DW) and microscopic examination. RESULTS: In the Toxin group, the pulmonary arterial pressures were increased and arterial oxygen tensions were decreased after the endotoxin infusion. The lung WW/DW were increased and inflammatory findings were seen in microscopic examination. In the MIGET, shunt, deadspace and log SDQ were increased in the toxin group, though there were wide V/Q distributions in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: We developed a successful endotoxin induced septic animal model, V/Q distribution curve and data using MIGET. The accomplishment of the experiment will not only allow us to better understand pulmonary pathophysiology of endotoxin induced sepsis using MIGET, but it will also contribute to other pulmonary physiology experiments associated with sepsis.
Animals ; Arterial Pressure ; Chromatography, Gas ; Enflurane ; Ether ; Gram-Negative Bacteria ; Hemodynamics ; Krypton ; Lung ; Membranes ; Models, Animal ; Models, Theoretical ; Noble Gases ; Oxygen ; Physiology ; Rabbits ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Sepsis ; Solubility ; Ventilation-Perfusion Ratio*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate working condition in way of measuring working posture and muscle tension using the desktop personal computer and notebook personal computer having different screen height. METHOD: Seventeen healthy men performed wordprocessing task in three workstation: desktop PC on the conventional computer table (DPC (on)); desktop PC under the 'inside' type computer table (DPC (under)); notebook PC on the table (NPC). The viewing distance and angle, head and neck angle, thoracic bending and trunk inclination were measured. Muscle tension of right posterior neck muscle, upper trapezius, sternocleidomastoid (SCM), and upper back muscle was also measured by integrated electromyogram (IEMG). RESULTS: 1) The viewing distance was the longest in DPC (under). 2) The lower the screen height, the more downward viewing angle and more flexed position in upper neck. 3) The posterior neck muscle tension was the lowest in DPC (on). 4) Stooped position was most frequently seen in NPC and the highest tension of posterior neck muscle and upper back muscle was shown in NPC. 5) In relation between postural analysis and muscle tension, muscle tension decreased with increasing backward reclining position, and the neck and thorax became more erect with increasing in viewing distance. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the stooped posture was worst and most frequently seen in NPC. If neck flexion is avoided, DPC (under) position could lessen the visual and musculoskeletal problem. More Ergonomical study would be needed about working posture using computer.
Back Muscles ; Head ; Humans ; Male ; Microcomputers ; Muscle Tonus* ; Neck ; Neck Muscles ; Posture* ; Superficial Back Muscles ; Thorax