No abstract available.
Chorionic Gonadotropin* ; Female ; Humans ; Humans* ; Hypertension* ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second* ; Pregnancy*

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the risk factors for cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED)-related infections within the first post-procedural year after CIED insertion. Methods: This study included 509 adult patients undergoing CIED implantation procedures between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2015. The data were analyzed by t-test, chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, and logistic regression analysis using SPSS/WIN 23.0. Results: Fifteen infections and 494 non-infections were examined. The CIED-related infection rate was 2.9%; patients with 14 pocket infections and one bacteremia were included in the CIED-related infection. The risk factors of CIED-related infections were the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of ≤ 45 mL/min/1.73 m2 (Odds ratio [OR] = 4.03, 95% confidence interval [CI],1.15-14.10) and taking a new oral anticoagulant (NOAC) (OR = 4.50, 95% CI 1.09-18.55). Conclusion These results identified the CIED infection rate and risk factors of CIED-related infection. It is necessary to consider these risk factors before the CIED implantation procedure and to establish the relevant nursing interventions.

Acrodynia is caused by chronic mercury poisoning and/or mercury, hypersensitivity occuring in infants and children only. Ingestion or inhalation of mercury contained in some house paints, calomel ingestion, the use of mercury ointments and other mercurial preparations can be the causes of acrodynia. We herein report a 3-year-old boy with typical acrodynia after expoaure to house paints and lacquer for 2 months. His hands and feet were erythematous and edematous vesiculo-bullous lesion with acral dark bluish discoloration. Mercury levels of blood and urine were significantly incresed by 61. 2ug/dl and 264ug/L (normal; below 30ug/dl and 100ug/L).
Acrodynia* ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Eating ; Foot ; Hand ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Infant ; Inhalation ; Lacquer ; Male ; Mercury Poisoning ; Ointments ; Paint

Eccrine poroma, first described in 1956 by Pinkus, is a fairy common benign skin appendage tumor arising from the poral epitheliurr of the eccrine sweat gland in most regions of the body surface, hairy or nonhairy. generally in persons past the age of 40. The tumor is almost always single, but cases of eccrine poromatosis have been described and is a firm, sometimes lobulated nodule which may be sessile or slight pedunculated. There is often a vascular appearance, and the clinical appearance may suggest pyogenic granuloma. Microscopically, the tumor mass extends from the epidermis downward into the dermis as broad, anastomosing bands. Tumor cells are small, uniform, cuboidal appearance containing round, deeply basophilic nucleus and are connected by intercellular bridges. PAS stain-positive glycogen which diisappears with diastase are irregularly scattered in the tumor cells. A caee of unusual variant of eccrine poroma is reported. 25-year-old male patient has a finger tip sized crusting pedunculated lesion for approximated 12 months on the right postauricular area. The diagnosis was confirmed by clinical and histopathological findings as eccrine poroma and surgical excision was done.
Adult ; Amylases ; Basophils ; Dermis ; Diagnosis ; Epidermis ; Fingers ; Glycogen ; Granuloma, Pyogenic ; Humans ; Male ; Poroma* ; Skin ; Sweat Glands

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of ERK and PPAR gamma on the TGF-beta1 induced human endometrial stromal cell decidualization in vitro. METHOD: Endometrial stromal cells are cultured under the following condition: DMEM/F12 (10% FBS, 1 nM E2 and 100 nM P4). TGF-beta1 (5 ng/ml), Rosiglitazone (50 nM), and PD98059 (20 microgram) were added according to experimental purposes. Trypan-Blue and hematocytometer were utilized to count cell number. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and western blotting were utilized to detect proteins. RESULT: TGF-beta1 inhibited proliferation of cultured human endometrial stromal cells and induced expression of PGE2 and prolactin. This effect was mediated by Smad and ERK activation. Administration of rosiglitazone, PPAR gamma agonist, prevented TGF-beta1 effect on cell proliferation. Furthermore, Rosiglitazone inhibited TGF-beta1 induced activation of ERK, consequently reduced PGE2 and prolactin production. CONCLUSION: TGF-beta1 induced decidualization of endometrial stromal cell through Smad and ERK phosphorylation. PPAR gamma acts as a negative regulator of human endometrial cell decidualization in vitro.
Blotting, Western ; Cell Count ; Cell Proliferation ; Dinoprostone ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans* ; Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors* ; Phosphorylation ; PPAR gamma ; Prolactin ; Stromal Cells* ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1*

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed at assessing the quality of dental services, as perceived by the disabled, and analyzing the factors identified to be of both high importance and low performance, as identified by IPA. METHODS: The data were collected from June 8 to November 2, 2016, after approval by the institutional review board. Questionnaires were distributed to 1466 disabled dental service consumers, of which 349 cases were included. The data were analyzed by frequency analysis, multi-regression analysis for implicit importance, and IPA matrix for marketing strategy. RESULTS: The performance results revealed that cost level, reduction of the fee, and waiting time for treatments were the sources of greatest dissatisfaction. The IPA matrix results categorized the next appointment, explanation of the fee, waiting time for treatment, professionalism of the staff, and convenient facilities as high-importance, low-performance factors. Meanwhile, the results of the IPA matrix for consumer segmentation, according to recently used dental institutions were different. The dental clinic users evaluated professionalism of the staff, convenience of the facility, explanation of the fee, and cost level as high-importance, low-performance attributes. The dental hospital users indicated that waiting time for treatment and next appointment were high-importance, low-performance attributes. Finally, the public health center users indicated that convenience of booking, waiting time for treatment, convenience of facilities, reduction of the fee, and next appointment as high-importance, low-performance attributes. CONCLUSIONS: To improve the quality of dental service, we need to understand the needs of the dental patients with disability. All attributes that were categorized as high-importance, low-performance must be improved first and should accordingly be used as strategic factors to increase satisfaction with oral medical institutions.
Dental Clinics ; Ethics Committees, Research ; Fees and Charges ; Humans ; Marketing ; Professionalism ; Public Health

No abstract available.
Gastroschisis*

BACKGROUND: Recently, the incidence of hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection has been increasing in Korea, and an outbreak among healthcare workers (HCWs) has also been reported. This study aims to evaluate the seroepidemiology of hepatitis A among HCWs at an 820-bed teaching hospital in Korea, thereby facilitating HAV vaccination for these HCWs. METHODS: In June 2009, we assessed the total immunoglobulins against the HAV in the serum samples of 907 HCWs by using VIDAS Anti-HAV Total (bioMerieux, France). RESULTS: Seropositivity for HAV significantly increased with age (P<0.001): 0% for < or =25 years, 9.4% for 26-30 years, 39.5% for 31-35 years, 66.7% for 36-40 years, 85.7% for 41-45 years, 96.0% for 46-50 years, 98.3% for 51-55 years, 95.8% for 56-60 years, and 100% for > or =61 years. CONCLUSION: Since HCWs aged 20-40 years show low seropositivity for HAV vaccination against hepatitis A should be considered in all these HCWs.
Aged ; Delivery of Health Care ; Hepatitis ; Hepatitis A ; Hepatitis A Antibodies ; Hepatitis A virus ; Hospitals, Teaching ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; Incidence ; Korea ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Vaccination

PURPOSE: Clostridium difficile colonization and infection are commonly associated with poor outcomes in patients with pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (PIBD). We aimed to investigate the prevalence of C. difficile colonization and infection at the time of diagnosis and to evaluate risk factors associated with the development of C. difficile infection during the course of PIBD treatment. METHODS: We retrospectively enrolled a total of 59 children who were newly diagnosed with PIBD at the tertiary medical center. All patients underwent C. difficile toxin assays and cultures initially and at every follow-up during the disease course. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression test were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Initial cultures for C. difficile were positive in 13 (22.0%) of 59 PIBD patients, whereas initial toxin assays were positive in 3 patients (5.1%). During treatment, C. difficile cultures converted to positive in 28 (47.5%) in addition to 13 patients who were initially culture-positive, and C. difficile toxins converted to positive in 13 (22.0%) in addition to 3 originally toxin-positive patients. Antibiotic usage alone was significantly associated with the development of C. difficile colonization (p=0.011), and the length of hospitalization was associated with the development of C. difficile infection (p=0.032). CONCLUSION: C. difficile colonization and infection occur frequently during the disease course of PIBD. Antibiotic usage and longer hospital stay were significant risks factors for the conversion of C. difficile status in PIBD patients undergoing treatment.
Child ; Clostridium difficile ; Clostridium ; Colon ; Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases ; Length of Stay ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

We report a one-day-old Korean boy with 2-Methylbutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase(2-MBCDase) deficiency detected by urine organic acid and acylglycine analysis, plasma acylcarnitine analysis and confirmed by enzyme assay and Western blot. The patient was born at 35 weeks and three days with oligohydroamnios and premature rupture of membrane for 31 hours, as a second child of healthy non-consanguineous parents. There was no significant family history and spontaneous abortion. He was admitted at NICU under ventilator care due to prematurity, respiratory difficulty, and decreased generalized muscle tone. During the first week of hospitalization, he presented with disseminated intravascular coagulation and sepsis. A grade IV intraventricular hemorrhage on brain sonography was observed on the 7th day after birth with seizure. The clinical course of aggravation and recovery was repeated for one month. In laboratory tests, blood C5-acylcarnitines(isovaleryl/ methylbutyrylcarnitine) and urine 2-methylbutyrylglycine(2-MBG) were markedly elevated; butyrylglycine and isobutyrylglycine were also detected in small amounts in the urine. SBCAD(short branched-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase) enzyme activity was undetectable in cultured skin fibroblasts and Western blot showed no detectable immuno-reactive protein. Molecular analysis of the 2-MBCD gene revealed a polymorphism in the leader peptide region(38G>A; Arg13Lys) and homozygous for a non-coding polymorphism 639T>C. This is the first such case in Korea. This disorder is known to be relatively common in one other oriental ethnic group, the Hmong. The baby has been fed on a maple syrup urine disease(MSUD)-similar diet program, and is still alive and is 26-months-old now. However, he developed significant neurologic complications including communicating hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy, and blindness. Presumably the prematurity and its complications may also attribute to his severe neurologic problems. However, the clinical course was particularly severe, a finding in contrast with the observation from several asymptomatic Hmong cases. The clinical course of 2-MBCDase deficiency could be very variable and careful monitoring and follow up should be considered.
Abortion, Spontaneous ; Acer ; Blindness ; Blotting, Western ; Brain ; Cerebral Palsy ; Child ; Diet ; Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation ; Enzyme Assays ; Ethnic Groups ; Female ; Fibroblasts ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hematologic Tests ; Hemorrhage ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Korea ; Male ; Membranes ; Oxidoreductases* ; Parents ; Parturition ; Plasma ; Pregnancy ; Protein Sorting Signals ; Rupture ; Seizures ; Sepsis ; Skin ; Ventilators, Mechanical