BACKGROUND: This study researched the relationship between shift work and one of its relevant health problems, functional gastrointestinal disorders. The study targeted nurses working at a university hospital, and compared the differences in gastrointestinal disorders of shift workers and non-shift workers and identified causes that significantly influence these symptoms. METHODS: In August 2013, a self-report survey was conducted on nurses working at a university hospital. Among those sent out, 1,201 responded and 851 were used for the final analysis. RESULTS: It was shown that the frequency of gastrointestinal disorders in shift workers was 1.881 times higher than that of non-shift workers. Factors that influenced gastrointestinal disorders included age, marital status, work duration, type of employment, job satisfaction, and perceived health status. Gastrointestinal disorders were seen more often with older age, being married, longer duration of employment, non-regular worker, low job satisfaction, bad perceived health status, and shift works. CONCLUSIONS: To prevent gastrointestinal disorders in nurses who work shifts, a health checkup system should be in place for clinical nurses who are of older age and have longer employment records. To decrease the causes of gastrointestinal disorders, campaigns suggesting regular diet and quitting alcohol use should be held consistently. Also, a category related to gastrointestinal disorders should be added to the employee health checkup for nurses with long work experience.
Diet ; Employment ; Gastrointestinal Diseases ; Job Satisfaction ; Marital Status ; Occupational Health

PURPOSE: This study is performed to help manage the metabolic syndrome in work place by identifying the effect on metabolic syndrome with subjects of Korean adult workers. METHODS: Using part of data of "The Fourth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination survey 2nd year (2008)" which center for disease control is investigating. The general characteristics include age, educational level, occupation and marital status as factors affecting the metabolic syndrome of workers in this study. RESULTS: Work-related factors are the working environment in which they are working while they are pressed for time due to work status and overload. If the work status of worker is unpaid family member, the risk is increased by more than twice compared to paid workers. The risk for metabolic syndrome in work environment to work while fighting the clock is decreased compared to the work environment without time pressure. CONCLUSION: In order to manage the metabolic syndrome of workers, health promotion program to change management of both working condition and working environment can contribute to prevent the metabolic syndrome and ultimately prevent the cerebrocardiovascular diseases.
Adult ; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.) ; Female ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Male ; Marital Status ; Nutrition Surveys* ; Occupations ; Workplace

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to understand the present status of the work performance of the construction industry health managers and the developmental direction for the construction industry health management. METHODS: The subjects of this study were 149 health managers working in the construction industry. Data of a total of 130 participants were analyzed by excluding the missing data among field workers. The contents of the survey were the characteristics of the workplace, the difficulties and requirements of health management, and the level of job performance. RESULTS: The factors affecting measuring work environment task were age, number of workers, number of safety managers, and lack of support from the headquarters. The factors affecting managing work environment and physicochemical harmful factors were age, type of contract and conflicting business opinions. The factors affecting implementing health examination were age, type of contract, and number of safety managers. The factors affecting healthcare were age, type of contract, number of safety manager, presence of healthcare room, and conflicting business opinions. CONCLUSION: It is necessary to provide practical guidance and practical resources, and education for strengthening capacity. The support for business owners and managers support is needed.
Commerce ; Construction Industry ; Delivery of Health Care ; Education ; Health Personnel ; Humans ; Work Performance

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to understand the present status of the work performance of the construction industry health managers and the developmental direction for the construction industry health management. METHODS: The subjects of this study were 149 health managers working in the construction industry. Data of a total of 130 participants were analyzed by excluding the missing data among field workers. The contents of the survey were the characteristics of the workplace, the difficulties and requirements of health management, and the level of job performance. RESULTS: The factors affecting measuring work environment task were age, number of workers, number of safety managers, and lack of support from the headquarters. The factors affecting managing work environment and physicochemical harmful factors were age, type of contract and conflicting business opinions. The factors affecting implementing health examination were age, type of contract, and number of safety managers. The factors affecting healthcare were age, type of contract, number of safety manager, presence of healthcare room, and conflicting business opinions. CONCLUSION It is necessary to provide practical guidance and practical resources, and education for strengthening capacity. The support for business owners and managers support is needed.

Nerve injury associated with cardiac surgery and anesthesia is a well-recognized complication with a predilection for the upper half of the body. We report four cases of common peroneal nerve palsy following cardiac surgery that were not subject to external compression to fibular head. The diagnosis of nerve palsy was delayed because of a complicated postoperative course and intensive care, which prevented our determining the causes. The mechanisms of nerve injury are reviewed. We postulate that the etiology is multifactorial, including, old age, subnormal body habitus, prolonged knee flexion and rotation, coexisting disease, postoperative cardiovascular complications, and cardiopulmonary bypass.
Anesthesia ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Diagnosis ; Head ; Critical Care ; Knee ; Paralysis* ; Peroneal Nerve* ; Thoracic Surgery*

No abstract available.
Humans ; Biomarkers, Tumor*

No abstract available.
Acrosome Reaction* ; Acrosome* ; Male ; Semen*

PURPOSE: Adrenocortical tumors are uncommon in children and comprise only a small proportion of primary adrenal neoplasms. The biologic behavior of these tumors may be very difficult to predict, and their rarity has hindered identification of clinical characteristics. Patients with functioning tumors have excessive steroid hormone production, and the clinical manifestation depends on the predominant hormone produced. The detection of nonfunctioning tumors is not easy and the diagnosis may be delayed. Benign tumors can be cured by complete surgical excision, but malignant cases have poor response to treatment and worse prognosis. Early diagnosis and proper management are very important because of the large proportion of functioning malignant tumors in children. We report clinical features of adrenocortical tumors in children that may be of help in the early detection, proper management, and assessment of prognosis of patients. METHODS: We reviewed the clinical characteristics of 14 cases of adrenocortical tumors, among 85 children diagnosed with adrenal tumors, who visited the Severance Hospital, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, from January 1970 to July 1996. RESULTS: 85 Patients were diagnosed with adrenal tumors. Among them, 71 cases 83.5%) were tumors of the adrenal medulla, neuroblastoma and pheochromocytoma, and 14 cases (16.5%) were adrenocortical tumors, consisting of 5 cases of adenoma, 7 cases of carcinoma, and 2 cases unspecified. The age distribution ranged from 16 months to 14 years of age, and the mean was 5 years & 11 months (median 4 years & 2 months). Sex distribution revealed a male to female ratio of 1:1.33. The left to right ratio was 3.7:1, showing a left side predominance. 13 Cases (92.9%) were functioning tumors: 12 cases (92.3%) had clinical evidence of androgen excess, among which 6 cases (46.2%) were associated with Cushing's syndrome, and 1 case was compatible with primary aldosteronism. Serum cortisol, urinary 17-ketosteroids and 17-hydroxycorticosteroids concentrations were measured in 11 cases and urinary concentrations of 17-ketosteroids were elevated in all 11 cases (100%), while 17-hydroxycorticosteroids were elevated in 4 cases (36.4%). Abnormalities of serum cortisol were found in all cases except 1: serum cortisol concentrations were abnormally elevated in 5 cases (45.5%), and the remainder (5 cases, 45.5%) showed loss of diurnal variation. Dexamethasone suppression test was performed in 9 cases, and all (100%) showed no suppression. Preoperative radiologic studies included abdominal sonograms, CT or MRI scans, and angiography. Histology showed carcinomas to be bigger and heavier than adenomas, and microscopically carcinomas had necrosis, calcifications, and invasions of vessels. Distant metastases were found in 4 cases (12.7%). Adrenalectomy with complete surgical excision was performed in 12 cases. Long-term follow-up was possible in 10 patients after operation: 3 patients initially diagnosed with adenoma survived without tumor recurrence over a year, and among 6 carcinoma patients, 4 expired within a year, and 2 survived, with one patient currently undergoing postoperative chemotherapy. Of the 10 patients currently under going follow-up, one patient was initially diagnosed with a histologically unspecified tumor, and has survived 4 years after operation. CONCLUSIONS: When adrenocortical neoplasms are suspected by clinical symptoms and laboratory findings, abdominal ultrasonogram, CT or MRI scans must be performed immediately. Early detection and proper management are important for better prognosis, but are often delayed in the majority of cases. Ultimately, pediatricians need to be familiar with clinical characteristics and laboratory findings of adrenocortical tumors, bearing in mind the possibility of diagnosis in children.
17-Hydroxycorticosteroids ; 17-Ketosteroids ; Adenoma ; Adrenal Gland Neoplasms ; Adrenal Medulla ; Adrenalectomy ; Age Distribution ; Angiography ; Child ; Cushing Syndrome ; Dexamethasone ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Hyperaldosteronism ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Necrosis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neuroblastoma ; Pheochromocytoma ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Sex Distribution ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: Diabetic children should be classified into type 1 or 2 for adequate diabetic control. However, there is a shortage of information of the appropriate criteria in Korea. This study is desinged to discover the clinical types and characteristics of diabetes mellitus(DM) in Korean children. METHODS: We studied the clinical characteristics and laboratory findings of 177 diabetic children. Classification was based on the serum C-peptide levels, presence of ketoacidosis, autoantibodies, and insulin dependence. RESULTS: Among 177 diabetic children, 147(83.1%) were classified as type 1 and 21(11.9%) as type 2, and 12(57.1%) children in type 2 were obese. All patients with age of onset before 9 were type 1. In cases of type 1, initial serum C-peptide levels were < 0.6(50%), 0.6-1.0(44%) and > 1.0ng/mL (6%). All patients with initial serum C-peptide level above 1.5ng/mL were type 2. Four patients initially diagnosed as type 2 DM changed to type 1 during follow-up, and 2 patients of type 1 DM changed to type 2. Only 55.4% of type 1 DM patients had insulin autoantibody, islet cell cytoplasmic antibody or anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies. CONCLUSION: Most diabetic children in Korea were classified as type 1. Our results suggest that insulin requiring lean patients with positive autoantibody should be classified as type 1 even if their serum C-peptide levels are within normal range, and the clinical types could be changed during follow-up in a small proportion of diabetic children.
Age of Onset ; Antibodies ; Autoantibodies ; C-Peptide ; Child* ; Classification ; Cytoplasm ; Diabetes Mellitus* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Insulin ; Islets of Langerhans ; Ketosis ; Korea ; Reference Values

PURPOSE: To investigate the usefulness of the serum Creatine kinase(CK), especially brain typical creatine kinase(CK-BB) as an indicator of brain damage extent, mortality and long term nurologic sequelae, the study was done. METHODS: CK and CK isoenzyme activites were measured at 6-10 hours after birth in 160 asphyxiated newborn infants who admitted in Eulji General Hospital from August 1990 to July 1994. Infants were followed up for 1 years after birth to evaluate survival and neurologic outcome. RESULTS: 1) There was low correlation between CK-BB and 5 minute Apgar score(r=0.245, p=0.0026). 2) There was intermediate correlation between CK-BB and Lactic dehydrogenase (LDH)(r=0.470, p<0.0001). 3) Infants who died within 24 hours after birth had significantly higher CK-BB activity(144.9+/-98.5U/L) than survivors(82.2+/-159U/L), (p=0.0160). Infants who died within 72 hours after birth had significantly higher CK-BB activity(130.2+/-108.4U/L) than survivors(80.5+/-161.1U/L), (p=0.0209) 4) Infants who died within 24 hours after birth had significantly higher CK-BB%(23.4+/-17.4%) than survivors(9.6+/-11.9%), (p=0.0042). Infants who died within 72 hours after birth had significantly higher CK-BB%(20.0+/-15.4%) than survivors(9.3+/-11.8%), (p= 0.0027). Infants who died within 28 days after birth had significantly higher CK-BB% (12.7+/-13.4%) than survivors(9.7+/-12.3%), (p=0.0500). 5) In the cases of neonatal seizure in 24-48 hours after birth, CK-BB was higher than in the cases of no seizure or seizure in 48 hours after birth. 6) CK-BB was well correlated to the grade of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. 7) CK-BB, CK-BB% and 5 minute Apgar score showed similar positive and negative predictive values for survival rate, abnormal findings of imaging studies and neurologic outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: CK-BB is a good predictive value for the death within 24 and 72 hours after birth and the neonatal seizure in 24-48 hours after birth. CK-BB% is a good predictive value of the death within 24, 72 hours and 28 days after birth. CK-BB, CK-BB% and 5 minute Apgar score showed similar predictivity for neurologic outcomes during 1 years after birth.
Apgar Score ; Asphyxia* ; Brain ; Creatine Kinase* ; Creatine* ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Isoenzymes* ; Mortality ; Oxidoreductases ; Parturition ; Seizures ; Survival Rate