No abstract available.
Anemia, Aplastic* ; Child* ; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor* ; Granulocytes* ; Humans ; Sweet Syndrome*

No abstract available.
Cicatrix* ; Hepatitis C, Chronic* ; Hepatitis, Chronic* ; Humans ; Interferons ; Ribavirin*

The authors present a case of macular dystrophy of the cornea which is inherited as a recessive trait. The patient was 43 years old female housewife who had suffered from photophobia, frequent tearing, foreign body sensation and gradually increasing visual dimness since early childhood. Partial penetrating keratoplasty was performed. We had a study of the histopathologic findings for a case of macular dystrophy of the cornea with a brief review of relating literatures.
Adult ; Cornea* ; Female ; Foreign Bodies ; Humans ; Keratoplasty, Penetrating ; Macular Degeneration* ; Photophobia ; Sensation ; Tears

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to examine the effects of an intervention program for human tissue donation with nurses, modified from the Korea Foundation for Human Tissue Donation, to promote human tissue donation via nurses' knowledge and attitudes toward human tissue donation, and self-efficacy for teaching tissue donation. METHODS: A non-equivalent control group quasi-experimental design was adopted, and data were collected from 82 nurses (41 of each group: experimental and comparison) working at a general hospital in Inchon, South Korea. RESULTS: In a multivariate analysis (MANOVA), the integrative effect on outcome variables from the intervention program was statistically significant (p<.001). Accordingly, an ANOVA was performed to determine which individual outcome variable showed a significant effect with intervention, and it was found that the effects of intervention on all the outcome variables (knowledge and attitude, and self-efficacy for teaching human tissue donation) were significant (p<.001). CONCLUSION: The results of the study showed that the intervention had positive effects on knowledge and attitudes toward tissue donation, and self-efficacy for teaching tissue donation among nurses. These outcome variables derived from the intervention might be essential for eliciting positive behavior toward human tissue donation.
Education ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Incheon ; Korea ; Multivariate Analysis ; Tissue and Organ Procurement

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the current status of diabetes management and the predictors for poor glycemic control in an urban area. METHODS: This study included 1,138 community-dwelling adults (> or =50 years) with diabetes, of which 584 participated in the diabetes care survey. Logistic regression was used to identify the factors predicting poor glycemic control (hemoglobin A1c[HbA1c]> or =7%) in the total sample and to evaluate the relationship between the history of diabetes management checkup and poor glycemic control in the diabetes care survey sample. RESULTS: Of the 1,138 patients, 53.2% had blood pressure less than 130/80 mmHg, 41.7% had fasting glucose between 70 and 130 mg/dL, 48.6% had HbA1c below 7.0%, 60.1% had triglycerides below 150 mg/dL, 41.4% had low density lipoprotein cholesterol below 100 mg/dL, and 59.1% had normoalbuminuria (urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio <30 mg/g creatinine). Of the 584 patients completing the diabetes care survey, 63.9% had one or more lipid tests, 32.0% had one or more HbA1c tests, 43.8% had one or more microalbuminuria tests, and 42.5% had one or more fundoscopic examinations annually. Female gender (odds ratio [OR], 1.71; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.23-2.36), duration of diabetes (OR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.06-1.09), and alcohol use (OR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.06-1.85) were associated with an increased risk for poor glycemic control while age (OR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.96-0.99) and antihypertensive medication (OR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.50-0.83) were associated with a decreased risk. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that glycemic control is likely to be poor in urban areas. We need to develop appropriate community-based strategies to achieve optimal glycemic control and prevent diabetes complications.
Adult ; Blood Pressure ; Cholesterol ; Cholesterol, LDL ; Diabetes Complications ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Fasting ; Female ; Glucose ; Hemoglobin A, Glycosylated ; Humans ; Lipoproteins ; Logistic Models ; Triglycerides

No abstract available.
Antigens, Surface* ; Oncogenes*

PURPOSE: We compared the efficacy of two shock wave energy sources; the newer electromagnetic lithotriptor(EML, Dornier Compact Delta(R)) and electroconductive lithotriptor(ECL, EDAP-Sonolith Praktis) that were used for treatment of the urinary calculi. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 2004 to October 2006, 614 patients were treated with EML. From January 2000 to October 2006, 936 patients were treated with ECL. Following lithotripsy, a plain abdominal film was taken 1 week after each session to determine if there were residual stones and assessed the need for retreatment. Success was defined as no residual stones. We analyzed the site and size of stones, success rate, mean session, mean treatment time, causes of failure and complications. RESULTS: The success rate was 95.9% for EML compared to 93.6% for ECL (p=0.048). The success rate was decreased for 20mm or larger stones. The treatment mean session wasn't different but the total treatment time was significantly longed for EML(58.5+/-27.1 min) compared for ECL(39.7+/-21.7 min)(p<0.05). No statistically significant difference were found in complications and failure between both groups. Insufficient fragment was most common cause of failure in both groups(1.8% for EML versus 2.4% for ECL). Gross hematuria were noted 26.4% of patient treated with EML and 26.6% of those treated with ECL. CONCLUSIONS: The EML has a little advantages over the ECL in terms of total success rate, but ECL has its advantage in mean and total treatment time. Ultimately, these two contemporary energy sources are acceptable. They are equally efficacious, judging from single center treatment and follow-up criteria.
Electromagnetic Phenomena ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Lithotripsy ; Magnets* ; Retreatment ; Shock* ; Urinary Calculi

BACKGROUND: More attention is given to oxidative hypothesis which causes atherosclerosis to be recognized as inflammatory response. The relationship between serum ferritin which catalyzes lipid peroxidation and high sensitivity C-reactive protein which reflects vascular inflammation was investigated among adults in a health promotion center. METHODS: The study group consisted of 297 men and women (men 86, women 211) who visited the health promotion center of a hospital in Seoul to have a health checkup from October 1, 2004 to April 1, 2005. These subjects answered the questionnares and were measured in the following; blood tests, brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity and several anthropometric measurements. Statistical analysis was performed on 111 subjects after exclusion of those subjects who were taking antihypertensive agents or antidiabetic agents, and who had acute inflammatory diseases, acute liver diseases, anemia, and who had a WBC > or =11,000x10(3)/mm3 or a serum ferritin > or =200 ug/L or a ABI (Ankle Brachial Index) <0.9. RESULTS: The average serum ferritin concentration of men against women was 132.57+/-43.12 ng/ml to 78.23+/-38.10 ng/ml which means that men have about 1.7 times as high concentration than women (P<0.001). Serum ferritin was significantly correlated with high sensitivity C-reactive protein (r=0.332). Even in multiple stepwise regression analysis, there was a independent relationship between serum ferritin and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (beta=0.138, P=0.010). When we analyzed with distinction of sex, this relationship in women was constant (beta=0.131, P=0.031), but serum ferritin in men just showed the trend of correlation with BMI (beta=9.510, P=0.059). CONCLUSION: There is a significant relationship between the increase of serum ferritin and high sensitivity C-reactive protein in healthy women; furthermore, studies in men need to be confirmed.
Acute Disease ; Adult ; Anemia ; Antihypertensive Agents ; Atherosclerosis ; C-Reactive Protein ; Female ; Ferritins ; Health Promotion ; Hematologic Tests ; Humans ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; Inflammation ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Liver Diseases ; Male ; Oxidative Stress ; Pulse Wave Analysis

No abstract available.
Female ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Ectopic*

This study was conducted to explore the status of nursing information systems implementation in Korean hospitals. Structured questionnaires were mailed to the 411 hospitals with more than 80 beds. Data were tabulated using descriptive procedure. Out of 411 hospitals, 116 hospitals replied. Out of 116 replied hospitals 114 hospitals indicated that they have some kind of hospital information system implemented. 86 hospitals have computerized their outpatient care management system and 84 hospitals have computerized their inpatient care management system. And 70 hospitals replied that they have some form of nursing information systems. Most components in the nursing information system are the ones related to other department with only a few nursing specific tasks being computerized. Order communication system was ranked the first as a task to be computerized with nursing history. nursing record. nursing care plan, daily report following. Nursing department of the sixty hospitals reflect their input in nursing information system development by participating a hospital wide adhoc committee. And 32 hospitals have their own committee to discuss issues related to nursing information system development. Eleven hospitals reported that they have nurse information and 17 hospitals have dispatched nurses to the information department. And 25 hospitals said that they are not involved at all in nursing information system development. Sixty-two hospitals indicated that the N have some form of computer education programs for nurses: 28 have regular in-service education programs 34 have irregular in-service education programs: and 29 have education programs for the newly employed.
Ambulatory Care ; Education ; History of Nursing ; Hospital Information Systems ; Humans ; Information Systems* ; Inpatients ; Nursing Informatics ; Nursing Records ; Nursing* ; Patient Care Planning ; Postal Service ; Surveys and Questionnaires