No abstract available.
Interleukin-6* ; Kidney Transplantation* ; Kidney*

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore patients’ awareness and treatment experiences with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) through in-depth interviews. The objective was to develop data to support patients in the successful management of their illness. Methods: Purposeful sampling was used to collect information- rich cases and participants were recruited at a university hospital in Daegu, South Korea. Data collection was done through face to face in-depth individual interviews with 10 patients with COPD from November 2016 to December 2018. Interview began with open-ended questions and each interview lasted on average one hour. All interviews were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim and transcripts were analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis. The findings were verified by the participants. Results: Four themes emerged from data analysis: ‘Feeling like the disease is not my disease,’ ‘Terminology spills like a flood,’ ‘Negligent daily disease-management with relief,’ and ‘Relying on health professionals and family members hoping for healing’. Conclusion Participants do not have a clear understanding of their illness nor feel that they are principal agents of their health and illness for treatment and disease management; instead, they depend mainly on their family members and doctors. The findings elucidated the need for increasing patients’ awareness of the illness. Nurses should develop educational support programs to help COPD patients improve their awareness of their illness and successfully manage their treatment.

No abstract available.
Hyponatremia* ; Hypopituitarism*

Secondary amyloidosis is a severe complication of refractory rheumatoid arthritis for which no effective treatment exists. Although the benefits of tumor necrosis factor alpha inhibitors in rheumatoid arthritis treatment are well known, their role in renal amyloidosis secondary to rheumatoid arthritis is unclear and their safety in patients with chronic kidney disease is not well reported. We present an unusual case of a 65-year-old female with moderate renal failure and severe proteinuria, who was diagnosed with secondary amyloidosis associated with refractory rheumatoid arthritis subsequent to treatment with corticosteroids, methotrexate, hydroxychlorquine, and leflunomide. She was treated with etanercept 25 mg, administered as a subcutaneous injection twice weekly for 8 months. The patient had no complications following the treatment. Treatment with etanercept led to a decrease in proteinuria and stabilization of renal function over time.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Aged ; Amyloidosis* ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Female ; Humans ; Injections, Subcutaneous ; Methotrexate ; Proteinuria ; Renal Insufficiency ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Etanercept

OBJECTIVES: Refugees from North Korea are at risk of a range of mental health problems, posing urgent problems to their care. A review of research on mental health prevalence and services can indicate directions for further study. METHODS: The authors administered a Delphi survey to 16 professionals who are working for North Korean refugees, including professors and field workers. The collected data was analyzed by descriptive statistics including mean and standard deviation and verified with content validity ratio. RESULTS: The results are as follows: 1) The most serious problem in the research area is the importance of quantitative research rather than qualitative for North Korean refugees, who are often very negative and uncooperative with questionnaires. 2) There is a great need to develop competence of mental health professionals who are working for North Korean refugees. 3) Most participants agreed to the necessity of longitudinal study to define the factors facilitating successful adaptation among North Korean refugees. CONCLUSION: The following are our recommendations: 1) Appropriate measurements for North Korean refugees need to be developed reflecting their uniqueness. 2) Research of North Koreans has inherent selection bias. 3) It is essential to provide primary education on mental health to North Korean refugees.
Delphi Technique* ; Democratic People's Republic of Korea ; Education ; Health Personnel ; Humans ; Longitudinal Studies ; Mental Competency ; Mental Health* ; Prevalence ; Refugees* ; Selection Bias

For the physical characterization of neutron beam, dosimetric measurements had been performed to obtain physical data of KCCH cyclotron-produced neutrons for clinical use. The results are presented and compared with the data of other institutions from the literatures. The central aixs percent depth dose, build-up curves and open and wedge isodose curve values are intermediate between that of a 4 and 6 MV X-ray. The build-up level of maximum dose was at 1.35 cm and entrance dose was approximately 40%. Flatness of the beam was 9% at Dmax and less than+/-3% at the depth of 80% isodose line. Penumbra begond the 20% line is wider than corresponding photon beam. The output factors ranged 0.894 for 6 x 6 cm field to 1.187 for 30 x 30 cm field. gamma contamination of neutron beam was 4.9% at 2 cm depth in 10 x10 cm field.
Cyclotrons ; Neutrons*

We aimed; 1) to determine the validity of the EuroQol 5D (EQ-5D) for the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of Korean patients with type 2 diabetes, and 2) to identify associated factors of the HRQOL of these patients. Follow-up surveys were conducted for consecutive patients with type 2 diabetes. HRQOL was assessed using the EQ-5D and the Short Form-36 (SF-36). The validity of EQ-5D was assessed with the perspectives of known group, convergent and discriminant validity. Additionally, a linear mixed model using a backward elimination was used for identify associated factors. Of the 1,072 patients included in the first survey, 858 (80.0%) completed the questionnaires in the follow-up. In the known group validity, the problem rates in each EQ-5D dimension were highest among women, elderly people, and less-educated subjects. The Spearman's rho between the EQ-5D and the SF-36 scales were larger in the comparable dimensions than those in the less comparable dimensions. In the final model, we found that sex, age, education, body mass index, atrial fibrillation, stroke, and retinopathy were statistically significant. Our data suggest that the EQ-5D is a valid tool for Korean patients with type 2 diabetes and that various factors could affect their HRQOL.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/complications/*physiopathology/psychology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Quality of Life ; Quality-Adjusted Life Years ; *Questionnaires ; Republic of Korea ; Young Adult

The Schedule of Fatigue and Anergy/General Physician (SOFA/GP) was developed to screen for prolonged fatigue in the primary care setting. We aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the SOFA/GP (SOFA/GP-K), which is adapted from the original English version. We performed translation and back translation, and after conducting a pilot study, we tested the final version of the questionnaire for its reliability and validity in a Korean primary care setting. Two hundred participants that visited a health examination center in a university hospital completed the survey between September and November 2012. A second survey was performed within 2 weeks of the primary survey to test for reliability. We evaluated concurrent validity between the SOFA/GP-K score, the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), and Brief Fatigue Index (BFI) scores. The Spearman correlation coefficient between SOFA/GP-K and FSS was 0.71 and 0.61 between SOFA/GP-K and BFI. Internal consistency of SOFA/GP-K was observed (Cronbach's alpha = 0.82) and construct validity was confirmed by factor analysis. The Kappa scores for test-retest reliability for each survey item were between 0.28 and 0.64. The SOFA/GP-K is a valid and reliable questionnaire for screening fatigue in a primary care setting.
Adult ; Aged ; Fatigue/metabolism/*pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pilot Projects ; Practice Guidelines as Topic/*standards ; Republic of Korea ; Severity of Illness Index ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Translating ; Young Adult

The Schedule of Fatigue and Anergy/General Physician (SOFA/GP) was developed to screen for prolonged fatigue in the primary care setting. We aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the SOFA/GP (SOFA/GP-K), which is adapted from the original English version. We performed translation and back translation, and after conducting a pilot study, we tested the final version of the questionnaire for its reliability and validity in a Korean primary care setting. Two hundred participants that visited a health examination center in a university hospital completed the survey between September and November 2012. A second survey was performed within 2 weeks of the primary survey to test for reliability. We evaluated concurrent validity between the SOFA/GP-K score, the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), and Brief Fatigue Index (BFI) scores. The Spearman correlation coefficient between SOFA/GP-K and FSS was 0.71 and 0.61 between SOFA/GP-K and BFI. Internal consistency of SOFA/GP-K was observed (Cronbach's alpha = 0.82) and construct validity was confirmed by factor analysis. The Kappa scores for test-retest reliability for each survey item were between 0.28 and 0.64. The SOFA/GP-K is a valid and reliable questionnaire for screening fatigue in a primary care setting.
Adult ; Aged ; Fatigue/metabolism/*pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pilot Projects ; Practice Guidelines as Topic/*standards ; Republic of Korea ; Severity of Illness Index ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Translating ; Young Adult

Atrophying pityriasis versicolor is a rare variant of pityriasis versicolor. Clinically, atrophying pityriasis versicolor is characterized by well defined, slightly scaly, depressed macules and patches with minimal symptoms. The etiology of the atrophy is unknown, though several hypotheses have been suggested, including immune reaction to antigens of Malassezia species. A 23-year-old male was presented with multiple, slightly brown colored macules and patches on the chest and back. In the potassium hydroxide preparation, lots of yeasts and hyphae were found. A histopathologic study showed multiple yeasts and hyphae on the stratum corneum, focal epidermal thinning, and perivascular lymphocytic infiltration on the upper dermis. The patient was treated with 100 mg itraconazole a day with topical antifungal agents. After 3 weeks of treatment, clinical improvement and mycological improvement were achieved. We present an additional case of atrophying piryriasis versicolor developed on the chest and back with the review of the relevant literature.
Antifungal Agents ; Atrophy ; Dermis ; Humans ; Hydroxides ; Hyphae ; Itraconazole ; Malassezia ; Male ; Pityriasis ; Potassium ; Potassium Compounds ; Thorax ; Tinea Versicolor ; Yeasts ; Young Adult