PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to identify the status of performance on standard precautions among nursing students and to examine the mediating effects of internal health locus of control on the relationship between awareness and performance on standard precautions of hospital-acquired infection control. METHODS: The participants in this study were 134 nursing students. The measurements included a standard precautions awareness and performance scale, and a multidimensional health locus of control scale. Data were analyzed using independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Scheffé test, Pearson correlation coefficient, and simple and multiple regression techniques. Mediation analysis was performed by the Baron and Kenny's method and Sobel test. RESULTS: The mean score of standard awareness, standard performance, and internal health locus of control about standard precaution were 174.30±9.08; 169.48±12.04; and 20.43±2.82; respectively. There was a positive correlation between standard awareness and performance (r=.414, p<.001). Also, standard awareness was significantly correlated with internal health locus of control (r=.413, p=.014). Internal health locus of control showed partial mediating effects in the relationship between awareness and performance. CONCLUSION: The results indicate a need to improve the internal health locus of control of nursing students. Therefore, an internal health locus of control improvement program should improve performance on standard precautions for patients and themselves.
Cross Infection ; Humans ; Infection Control* ; Internal-External Control* ; Methods ; Negotiating* ; Nursing* ; Students, Nursing* ; Universal Precautions

No abstract available.
Bone Marrow* ; Histiocytes* ; Niemann-Pick Diseases*

PURPOSE: This study was to identify behaviors preventing the recurrence of breast cancer and the level of quality of life. METHODS: This descriptive study was conducted using a structured questionnaire from November 1, 2006 to December 25, 2006 . One hundred and twenty two women breast cancer survivors were recruited by convenience sampling. RESULTS: The most frequent behavior for preventing recurrence of the breast cancer was dietary treatment (90.9%) and exercise (86.8%) was the second behavior. In addition, most of them perceived these behaviors as 'very effective' (82.8%). The degree of the quality of life of a breast cancer survivor was 5.34 point indicating a 'medium level'. CONCLUSION: Breast cancer survivors pursued various behaviors for preventing recurrence of breast cancer. Therefore, the nursing interventions should be focused on a systematic educational approach considering healthy behaviors to prevent breast cancer recurrence for breast cancer survivors.
Adaptation, Psychological ; Adult ; Aged ; Breast Neoplasms/prevention & control/*psychology/therapy ; Data Interpretation, Statistical ; Demography ; Dietary Supplements ; Exercise Therapy ; Female ; *Health Behavior ; Humans ; Life Style ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/*prevention & control ; *Quality of Life ; Questionnaires ; Recurrence ; Survivors/*psychology

Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-Acinetobacter baumannii (A. calcoaceticus-A. baumannii) complex, which includes A. calcoaceticus (genospecies 1), A. baumannii (genospecies 2), Acinetobacter genospecies 3 and 13, has been identified as A. baumannii by automated bacteria identification system. The purpose of this study is to develop rapid genospecies classification of A. calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex by molecular techniques. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) were determined for 4 reference strains and 80 isolates of A. calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex from clinical sources. Four and eleven RAPD patterns were observed among the reference strains and the isolates, respectively. RAPD might be useful for genomic typing but not for genospecies classification of Acinetobacter spp. RFLP of 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer gene with three selected restriction enzymes (ApaLI, SwaI, and SalI) showed only four RFLP patterns in the reference and the isolates. Of 80 isolates, 10 of A. calcoaceticus (12.5%), 50 of A. baumannii (62.5%), 11 of A. genospecies 3 (13.75%), and 9 of A. genospecies 13 (11.25%) were classified by RFLP. This result suggests that RFLP of 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer gene of A. calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex might be useful for genospecies classification.
Acinetobacter ; Bacteria ; DNA ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study. OBJECTIVES: We studied the clinical results and prognostic factors for the postoperative caudaequinasyndrome (CES). Summary of Literature Review: The CES is a rare complication, but its aftereffects are serious. And no satisfactory discussion about its accurate treatment guidelines and prognosis has been provided yet. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 10 patients who were diagnosed with a postoperative CES were enrolled from June 2004 to February 2011. Patients were classified into group I with a favorable neurologic prognosis and groupII without neurologic improvement. The medical history, diagnosis, involved segmentand duration till CES was obtained, the duration was performed till second decompression and the clinical symptoms and the outcome of surgical treatment were investigated. RESULTS: Group I contained of 6cases and group 4 of cases.On average were 1.25(0.5-3) hours required for group I and 22(8-38) hours for group II until CES was diagnosed. The time span for the second operation was 7(3-12) hours for group I and 12.25(5-24) hours for group II. Of 6 cases showing motor losswere 4 cases classified as group II at the last follow-up. Of 10 cases with voiding difficulties belonged 4 cases to the group II. Voiding difficulty was continued as clinical symptom in 4 patients of group II after the secondary decompression. CONCLUSION: The less the motor loss and voiding difficulty before the secondary decompression and the faster diagnosis and surgical decompression, the better the prognosis. In particular, as voiding difficulty showed the lowest recovery rate, it is considered to affect prognosis and satisfaction most seriously.
Cauda Equina* ; Decompression ; Decompression, Surgical ; Diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Polyradiculopathy* ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies

Acute subdural hematoma is commonly occurred by severe or minor head injury, which is encountered to neurosurgeons and needed the emergency operation. But the mortality rate of the acute subdural hematoma is still very high(60-90%) in spite of the recently advanced neuroradiology. Neurosurgery and anesthesiology the authors had managed 50 cases of acute subdural hematomas, confirmed surgically, during 24 months from march 1971 to march 1973 and observed clinically. Followings are the results. 1. The male sex was predominantly high in incidence, 6 to 1. the age incidence was high in the 3 rd decade to 5 th decade which is in vigorous social activity. 2. The most common mode of the head injury was the traffic accident in 35 of 50 cases. 15 cases were from other injuries. 3. The level of consciousness of the acute subdural hematoma was various from drowsy consciousness to coma. The lucid interval was developed in 18% of those. 44 cases showed papillary change. 39(88.6%) of these were ipsilateral mydriasis. In 23 of 50 cases had motor disturbance and 78.2% of 23 cases showed contralateral hemiplegia or hemiparesis. The papillary change and hemiplegia were valuable to know the side of hematoma. 4. One of the best diagnostic procedure for the acute subdural hematoma was the angiography. The authors performed the carotid angiography before surgery in all cases. The avascular zone of the angiographic finding was crescentic form in 71.4% of all and the most common site was the parietotemporal region, but rare in the posterior fossa in one case. 5. The mortality rate was 46%. the high mortality was observed in the condition of the old age, persistant coma after surgery, bilateral mydriatic fixed pupil, concomitant profound brain damage and brain swelling. 3 cases of non survival which were in the persistant coma after surgery were died of the complication of severe decubital ulcer, septicemia, pneumonia and cachexia. 6. In 27 survival cases, the hemiplegia, oculomotor palsy, organic dementia and epilepsy were observed as sequelae, which were progressively recovered. 9 of 27 cases were completely recovered to normal social life. But the epilepsy and organic dementia were falt to be the worst sequelae remaining the problem.
Accidents, Traffic ; Anesthesiology ; Angiography ; Brain ; Brain Edema ; Cachexia ; Coma ; Consciousness ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Dementia ; Emergencies ; Epilepsy ; Hematoma ; Hematoma, Subdural, Acute* ; Hemiplegia ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Mortality ; Mydriasis ; Neurosurgery ; Paralysis ; Paresis ; Pneumonia ; Pupil Disorders ; Sepsis ; Ulcer

Metastatic involvement of the central nervous system during the course of leukemia is an increasingly frequent occurrence because of the longer survival time brought about by the efficacious cytotoxic therapy available today. The onset of acute leukemia may be abrupt with a great variety of clinical manifestations. Most commonly, such as vomiting, headache, papilledema, lethargy and vertigo, are referable to increased intracranial pressure caused by infiltration of the cortex and meninges. The acute paraplegia as the initial symptom of acute leukemia is very rare. A case in which acute paraplegia occurred as the initial symptom of acute leukemia in a 15-year-old boy is reported.
Adolescent ; Central Nervous System ; Headache ; Humans ; Intracranial Pressure ; Lethargy ; Leukemia* ; Male ; Meninges ; Papilledema ; Paraplegia* ; Vertigo ; Vomiting

Metastatic involvement of the central nervous system during the course of leukemia is an increasingly frequent occurrence because of the longer survival time brought about by the efficacious cytotoxic therapy available today. The onset of acute leukemia may be abrupt with a great variety of clinical manifestations. Most commonly, such as vomiting, headache, papilledema, lethargy and vertigo, are referable to increased intracranial pressure caused by infiltration of the cortex and meninges. The acute paraplegia as the initial symptom of acute leukemia is very rare. A case in which acute paraplegia occurred as the initial symptom of acute leukemia in a 15-year-old boy is reported.
Adolescent ; Central Nervous System ; Headache ; Humans ; Intracranial Pressure ; Lethargy ; Leukemia* ; Male ; Meninges ; Papilledema ; Paraplegia* ; Vertigo ; Vomiting

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to investigate the factors influencing the competence in intensive and critical care nursing of senior nursing students. METHODS: A descriptive survey was used to examine the factors that influence competence in intensive and critical care nursing. The data were collected using self-administered questionnaires; 237 senior nursing students were asked about general characteristics, critical thinking, communication competence, self-esteem, self-resilience, and self-leadership. RESULTS: Multiple regression analysis indicated that self-leadership, self-esteem, and confidence in intensive care unit practice predicted the competence in intensive and critical care nursing (37.8% of explanatory power). Critical thinking, communication competence, and self-resilience were not shown to be significant predictors of, but were positively correlated with, the competence in intensive and critical care nursing. CONCLUSION: Based on the results, it is suggested that self-leadership, self-esteem, and confidence in intensive care unit practice should be considered in nursing education in order to improve nursing students' level of competence in intensive and critical care nursing.
Clinical Competence ; Critical Care Nursing* ; Critical Care* ; Education, Nursing ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Mental Competency* ; Nursing* ; Students, Nursing* ; Thinking

Popliteal artery entrapment syndrome (PAES) occurs when an abnormal anatomic relationship between the popliteal artery and the surrounding musculotendinous structures causes repeated arterial compression with exercise. The most commonly reported causes of this syndrome have been anomalies of the medial head of the gastrocnemius muscle as it relates to the course of the popliteal artery. PAES can result in calf claudication, aneurysm formation, distal arterial emboli, or popliteal vessel thrombosis. This syndrome is a rare but potentially limb threatening anatomical anomaly occurring predominently in young adults. We experienced two cases who have suffered from a coldness and pain of lower leg. Angiogram and MRI were performed and we diagnosed as a popliteal artery entrapment syndrome. We report two cases of rare anomalous origin of the gastrocnemius muscle in intraoperative findings.
Aneurysm ; Extremities ; Head ; Humans ; Leg ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Muscle, Skeletal* ; Popliteal Artery* ; Thrombosis ; Young Adult