PURPOSE: This purpose of this study was to identify the level of safe-handling of cytotoxic drugs and use of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) among nurses at a regional cancer center in South Korea. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study. The participants were 131 nurses who care for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Demographic information, safe-handling of cytotoxic drugs and use of PPE were collected using questionnaires from May 7 to 25, 2018. RESULTS: Response rate was 98.4%. The mean age of the nurses was 28.2±4.4 years and their clinical nursing experience was 4.34±3.93 years. The mean scores out of 5 for the participants' safe handling of cytotoxic drugs was 3.73± 0.43. In use of PPE, the mean score of wearing gloves, masks, and gowns were 3.89±.77, 3.06±1.04, and 2.34±0.98, respectively. The main reason for not wearing PPE was ‘too busy’ (62.8%). The level of safe-handling of cytotoxic drugs was not significantly different according to any variables, but the use of PPE was significantly different according to age (p=.021). CONCLUSION: The findings showed that nurses had exposure to cytotoxic drugs in the processes of preparation, administration, cleaning of spills, and handling of patient waste. Education programs and continuous monitoring are needed to improve the use of PPE among nurses and trigger the appropriate motivation for consistent personal protection.
Cancer Care Facilities ; Drug Therapy ; Education ; Humans ; Korea ; Masks ; Motivation ; Nursing ; Personal Protective Equipment*

This study was intended to investigate whether the computer use hours affect physical development, dietary habits, and nutritional status or not. One hundred and ninety elementary school students from Gyeonggi province and Seoul were selected and surveyed during December, 2006. Participants were divided into 2 groups: long-time computer user (> or = 2 hrs./day) and short-time computer user (< 2hrs./day). The survey included the questionnaires and anthropometric measurement. A dietary survey was conducted by using 24-hour recall method. The most of long-time computer user accessed computer more often than those of short-time computer user weekly bases. The purpose of the computer use was for the computer game (p < 0.05). Most participants accessed computer after the school at night and at their home. The longer the computer use, the more the body weight and %RBW (p < 0.05). Dietary habits score of long-time computer user (34.5 points) was lower than that of short-time computer user (38.0 points) (p < 0.001). The long-time computer user consumed more fatty foods, instant foods, and sugary foods. In case of dietary habit changes incurred by computer use, the long-time computer user had inferior dietary habits: skipping meals, meal size, appetite, eating speed, weight, exercise, and sleeping trouble (p < 0.05). The long-time computer user consumed less calories than the short-time computer user (p < 0.05). Also, the long-time computer user tended to have lower intakes of vitamin C, Ca, and dietary fiber without significance. From the findings, the longer use of computer by the elementary school children negatively affects their physical development, dietary habits and nutritional status.
Appetite ; Ascorbic Acid ; Body Weight ; Child ; Dietary Fiber ; Eating ; Food Habits ; Humans ; Meals ; Nutritional Status ; Surveys and Questionnaires

To evaluate the usefulness of MR in the osteomyelitis, we reviewed MR examinations of 14 patients with pyogenic osteomyelitis of the long bone. All 14 patients were confirmed to have osteomyelitis either surgically (13/14) or by aspiration (1/14). MRI was performed with 0.5R (n=8) or 2.0T (n=6) SE technique, and Gd-DTPA enhanced T1WI was obtained in 10 examinations. Anatomic location of lesions were femur (8/14), tibia (5/14),m and fibula (1/14). The marrow cavity and soft tissue were involved in 13/14, 12/14 respectively. The signals of both intraosseous and extraosseous infected area were iso to low signal intensity to muscles on T1WI and high signal intensity on PDWI & T2WI. Rim or diffuse enhancement of the marrow cavity and soft tissue were seen in all (10/10) cases. Sequestra, periosteal reaction. And cortical defect were found in 12/14, 10/14, 9/14. MR provided more accurate and detailed anatomic information including extent of disease and possible activity than bone scintigraphy, CT, or conventional radiography. We conclude that MR might be the choice of modality in the diagnosis of osteomyelitis of the long bone.
Bone Marrow ; Diagnosis ; Femur ; Fibula ; Gadolinium DTPA ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Muscles ; Osteomyelitis* ; Radiography ; Radionuclide Imaging ; Tibia

Background: This study aimed to analyze the prehospital process and reperfusion therapy process of acute ischemic stroke in Busan metropolitan area and examine the impact of living arrangement on the early management and functional outcomes of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Methods: The patients who diagnosed with AIS and received reperfusion therapy at the Busan Regional Cardiovascular Center between September 2020 and May 2023 were selected. We investigated the patients’ hospital arrival time (onset to door time) and utilization of 119 emergency ambulance services. Additionally, various time matrices related to reperfusion therapy after hospital were examined, along with the functional outcome at the 90-day after treatment. Results: Among the 753 AIS patients who underwent reperfusion therapy, 166 individuals (22.1%) were living alone. AIS patients living alone experienced significant delays in symptom detection (p<0.05) and hospital arrival compared to AIS patients with cohabitants (370.1 minutes vs. 210.2 minutes, p<0.001). There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of 119 ambulance utilization and time metrics related with the reperfusion therapy. Independent predictors of prognosis in AIS patients were found to be age above 70, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score at admission, tissue plasminogen activator, living alone (odds ratio [OR], 1.785; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.155–2.760) and interhospital transfer (OR, 1.898; 95% CI, 1.152–3.127). Delay in identification of AIS was shown significant correlation (OR, 2.440; 95% CI, 1.070–5.561) at living alone patients. Conclusion This study revealed that AIS patients living alone in the Busan metropolitan region, requiring endovascular treatment, face challenges in the pre-hospital phase, which significantly impact their prognosis.

The publication of this article unfortunately contained several mistakes.
Humans ; Orthognathic Surgery ; Publications ; Snoring

We performed both peripheral and coronary angiographies in 52 patients with an arteriosclerosis in lower extremities. The severity of arteriosclerotic narrowing of the coronany and peripheral anteries were compared on angiographies. An angiographic vascular score(AVS, 0-5) reflecting the number and the degree of stenosis in 12 lower extremity arteries and three major coronary arteries was assigned to each angiogram and the sum of scores in the lower extremity arteries was compared with the incidence of significant coronary artery disease(more than grade 3) and coronary score. Relation of incidence and severity of vascular stenosis and four risk factors(diabetes mellitus, hypertension, smoking, and hypercholesterolemia) was also analyzed. Thirty-four of 52 patients(65%) had an angiographically significant coronary artery disease. Thirteen of these 34 patients (38%) had no clinical symptom and sign of the ischemic heart disease. There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence and severity of coronary artery disease between high (more than 30) and low AVS group in lower extremity(P>0.14). All patients had at least one risk factor and 49 of 52 patients(94%) had multiple risk factors. Coronary angiography was normal in three patients with only one risk factors, and angiographically significant coronary artery disease existed in nine of 16 cases(56.3%) with two risk factors. 13 of 17 cases(76.5%) with three risk factors, and 12 of 16 cases(75.0%) with all four risk factors. There were no significant correlations between individual risk factors and incidence, severity of arteriosclerosis in coronary and lower extremity arteries. In conclusion, angiographic evaluation of the coronary artery disease in patients with lower extremity arteriosclerosis is necessary because of the high chance of coronary artery disease and difficulty in the prediction of coronary artery disease with a severity of the peripheral arteriosclerosis, presence of various risk factors, and clinical symptoms.
Angiography ; Arteries ; Arteriosclerosis* ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Vessels ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Lower Extremity* ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify errors in statistical descriptions in articles published in the journal of Korean Radiological Society and to suggest guidelines for the reduction of such errors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In order to investigate statistical errors, 139 of the 514 original articles published between July 1994 were analysed. To assess the validity of statistical descriptions, five items were evaluated. The five items included descriptions of basic data, statistical tests and their results, tables, articles which had presented two or more statistical methods or results, and the Chi-square test. RESULTS: The percentages of correct descriptions of basic data, statistical tests and their results, tables, articles which had presented two or more statistical methods or results, and the Chi-square test were 86.3%, 74.8%, 24.4%, 76.7% and 79.4%, respectively. In 50 of 139 articles (36.0%), statistical descriptions were correct. CONCLUSION: More than half of the articles assessed contained statistical errors; inaccuracies of this kind might raise doubts about the objective validity of an article and the authors should there fore be careful when performing a study which needs statistical descriptions.

Clear cell hidradenoma (HA) is a rare tumor of sweat glands. Although this tumor is benign, local recurrence often occurs when the resection margin is insufficiently obtained. The common imaging finding of HA is a mixed solid and cystic mass with or without increased vascularity in the solid portion. Malignant transformation of the tumor is also recognized. Hidradenocarcinoma (HAC), which is a malignant counterpart of benign HA, can develop de novo or arise from benign HA. However, imaging findings of HAC are not well established because these tumors are rare and they are commonly excised without imaging study. We present two cases of benign HA and HAC arising from benign HA with characteristic ultrasonography and computed tomography imaging features.

BACKGROUND: The retrospective severity scoring system of NIHSS for acute stroke patients was found to be valid and reliable by using patients' medical records in studies abroad. However, in Korea, medical records are often summarized and contain missing information which makes it difficult to conduct a restropective outcome study. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the validity and reliability of the retrospective NIHSS scoring system according to patients' medical records with written clinical histories and physical admission notes. METHODS: An algorithm for the retrospective NIHSS scoring system was developed and applied to 75 patients with acute ischemic stroke. Missing data on physical examination results were scored as normal. One neurologist who was blinded to this study measured the NIHSS score prospectively on the initial patient examination. After the patient's discharge, two other neurologists, blinded to the patient's clinical condition, evaluated the NIHSS score independently based on the information collected from the patient's physical admission notes. The criterion-related validity was evaluated by the Pearson Correlation Coefficient, and the measure of agreement between two raters was evaluated by the Kappa Statistic. RESULTS: The criterion-related validities of the retrospective NIHSS scoring system were high in the total and each itemized scores, except for the items of LOC command, limb ataxia, dysarthria, and neglect. The interrater reliabilities were also high except for the items of LOC command, limb ataxia, and dysarthria. CONCLUSIONS: The retrospective NIHSS scoring algorithm was found to be a reliable and unbiased tool even when some physical examination elements are missing from the written medical records.
Ataxia ; Dysarthria ; Humans ; Korea ; Medical Records ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Physical Examination ; Prospective Studies ; Reproducibility of Results* ; Retrospective Studies* ; Stroke*

PURPOSE: To describe a case of acute retinal necrosis (ARN) in childhood. CASE SUMMARY: A 6-year-old child visited our clinic complaining of conjunctival injection and decreased visual acuity in the left eye. Slit-lamp examination showed conjunctival injection, inflammatory cells (4+) in the anterior chamber, and keratic precipitates. Fundus examination showed disc swelling. The patient was treated with 30 mg of oral prednisolone and 1% prednisolone acetate with the suspicion of uveitis. After 2 days, retinal examination showed a peripheral multifocal yellowish patch and retinal hemorrhage. Herpes simplex virus-2 was detected using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of the aqueous humor, which was obtained by anterior chamber paracentesis. In the present case, ARN in childhood was successfully treated with intravenous acyclovir. CONCLUSIONS: We report a case of ARN in childhood diagnosed using PCR. Intravenous acyclovir may be an effective therapy in children with ARN. Ophthalmologists should promptly perform PCR analysis in patients diagnosed with ARN.
Acyclovir ; Anterior Chamber ; Aqueous Humor ; Child ; Herpes Simplex ; Humans ; Paracentesis ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prednisolone ; Retinal Hemorrhage ; Retinal Necrosis Syndrome, Acute* ; Retinaldehyde ; Simplexvirus ; Uveitis ; Visual Acuity