We report a case of acantholytic dyskeratotic epidermal nevus in a 28-year-old female. The patient showed unilateral, asymptomatic, grouped, 2 mm sized, brownish, follicular ant non-follicular, keratotic papules disposed along Blaschko´s lines on the right side of th back, flank and abdomen. She had had this condition for 4 years. The biopsy specimen obtaine, from the abdomen showed hyperkeratosis, parakeratosis, acanthosis, acantholytic suprabasal clefts, corps ronds, and grains. Although cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen was per formed on half of the lesions, the whole skin lesions healed with focal hypertrophic scars 4 weeks later. There was no recurrence after a 12 months follow-up period. To our knowledge this is the first reported case of acantholytic dyskeratotic epidermal nevus in Korean dermatologi, literature.
Abdomen ; Adult ; Ants ; Biopsy ; Cicatrix, Hypertrophic ; Cryotherapy ; Darier Disease* ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Nitrogen ; Parakeratosis ; Recurrence ; Skin

No Abstract available.
Infection Control* ; Staphylococcus aureus* ; Staphylococcus*

BACKGROUND: Direct observation of healthcare workers is commonly used in hospitals to investigate hand hygiene compliance. However, the hand hygiene compliance rate may increase due to the Hawthorne effect, which is the modification of behavior simply because subjects become aware that they are being observed. The objective of this study was to investigate the occurrence of the Hawthorne effect when directly observing hand hygiene compliance in intensive care unit (ICU) healthcare personnel. METHODS: A total of 87 staff members from the coronary care unit and cardiac surgery ICU of a general hospital in Seoul were included in this study: 24 residents and interns, 55 nurses, and 8 nursing assistants. Both covert and overt observations, where subjects were either unaware or aware of any direct observation, were performed on separate occasions. RESULTS: A total of 1,052 covert and 1,336 overt observations were documented over 30 and 34 occasions, respectively. Overall hand hygiene compliance was significantly higher with overt observation than with covert observation (1,041/1,336, 77.9% vs. 659/1,052, 62.6%, P<0.001). The Hawthorne effect was present in all professions and behaviors, with the exception of nursing assistants, and prior to touching a patient. CONCLUSION: Direct observation of hand hygiene compliance was associated with the Hawthorne effect when observations were made overtly and this was likely to contribute to an overestimation of compliance rate.
Compliance ; Coronary Care Units* ; Delivery of Health Care* ; Effect Modifier, Epidemiologic* ; Hand Hygiene* ; Health Personnel ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units* ; Nursing ; Seoul ; Thoracic Surgery*

Urine discoloration occurs in the intensive care unit (ICU) due to many causes such as medications, metabolic disorders, and infections. Propofol is advocated as one of the first line sedatives in the ICU, but it is not well known to the intensivists that propofol can induce urine color change. We experienced two cases of green urine after propofol infusion. Propofol should be warranted as the cause of urine discoloration during ICU stay.
Hypnotics and Sedatives ; Intensive Care Units* ; Propofol*

BACKGROUND: Glutaraldehyde is used most commonly as a high-level disinfectant for semicritical patient-care equipments. However, its potential toxicity to healthcare workers and a long exposure time needed to kill mycobacteria can be problematic. Recently, Perasafe(R) (Antec International, UK) has been introduced in the market as a safe and very effective disinfectant. This study was to evaluate the efficacy of Perasafe(R) against not only bacteria and yeast but also mycobacteria and bacterial spores and compare it with glutaraldehyde. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Bacillus subtilis were used for the test. Perasafe(R) and Cidex(R) were used at the final concentration of 1.62% and 2.25%, respectively; the disinfectants were neutralized by Tween 80 (0.5%) in the mycobacterial test and by lecithin (0.75%) in all other tests. Bacterial suspensions were made in phosphate buffer with or without fetal bovine serum (1%) to simulate dirty or clean conditions, respectively. The disinfectants were tested at 0, 24 and 48 hr of preparation to check stability. An effective disinfectant activity was defined as a 5 log10 reduction in viable counts. RESULTS: E. coli, S. aureus, P. aeruginosa and C albicans were effectively disinfected in less than 5 min by both Perasafe(R) and Cidex(R) and the both disinfectants remained equally effective under the dirty conditions or at 48 hr of preparation. Perasafe(R) was effective in 1 min against B. subtilis spores compared to Cidex(R) which took 30 min for the same activity. M. tuberculosis was effectively disinfected in 10 min by Perasafe(R) and 20 min by Cidex(R). CONCLUSIONS: Perasafe(R) showed greater tuberculocidal and sporicidal activities than Cidex(R), although both disinfectants were equally effective against common bacterial and yeast pathogens. Perasafe(R) may be an outstanding high-level disinfectant for endoscopes and other semicritical medical equipment.
Bacillus subtilis ; Bacteria* ; Candida albicans ; Delivery of Health Care ; Disinfectants ; Endoscopes ; Escherichia coli ; Glutaral ; Lecithins ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Polysorbates ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; Spores ; Spores, Bacterial* ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Suspensions ; Tuberculosis ; Yeasts*

Purpose: This meta-analysis was conducted to determine the effect size of anxiety and psychological outcomes of virtual reality interventions in patients with anxiety disorders. Methods: A total of 835 studies were initially identified, of which six were found to be suitable according to the PICO (P: Patients with social phobia, I: VR technology, C: non VR technology, O: Variables related to mental health). criteria. Results: An analysis of the effect size of these studies confirmed that virtual reality interventions were not statistically significantly effective for generalized anxiety disorder (standardized mean difference [SMD]=0.16, 95% confidence interval [CI]=-0.84 to 1.15), but exhibited statistically significant effects for social anxiety (SMD=-0.56, 95% CI=-0.87 to -0.25) disorder and relational anxiety disorder (SMD -0.83, 95% CI=-1.49 to -0.16). Although these interventions were not statistically significantly effective for depression (SMD=-0.40, 95% CI=-0.84 to 0.04), they were effective in reducing negative emotions (SMD=-0.75, 95% CI=-1.20 to -0.31). Conclusion Virtual reality interventions based on the desensitization effect may be considered a viable option for reducing anxiety disorders.

Purpose: This meta-analysis was conducted to determine the effect size of anxiety and psychological outcomes of virtual reality interventions in patients with anxiety disorders. Methods: A total of 835 studies were initially identified, of which six were found to be suitable according to the PICO (P: Patients with social phobia, I: VR technology, C: non VR technology, O: Variables related to mental health). criteria. Results: An analysis of the effect size of these studies confirmed that virtual reality interventions were not statistically significantly effective for generalized anxiety disorder (standardized mean difference [SMD]=0.16, 95% confidence interval [CI]=-0.84 to 1.15), but exhibited statistically significant effects for social anxiety (SMD=-0.56, 95% CI=-0.87 to -0.25) disorder and relational anxiety disorder (SMD -0.83, 95% CI=-1.49 to -0.16). Although these interventions were not statistically significantly effective for depression (SMD=-0.40, 95% CI=-0.84 to 0.04), they were effective in reducing negative emotions (SMD=-0.75, 95% CI=-1.20 to -0.31). Conclusion Virtual reality interventions based on the desensitization effect may be considered a viable option for reducing anxiety disorders.

Purpose: This meta-analysis was conducted to determine the effect size of anxiety and psychological outcomes of virtual reality interventions in patients with anxiety disorders. Methods: A total of 835 studies were initially identified, of which six were found to be suitable according to the PICO (P: Patients with social phobia, I: VR technology, C: non VR technology, O: Variables related to mental health). criteria. Results: An analysis of the effect size of these studies confirmed that virtual reality interventions were not statistically significantly effective for generalized anxiety disorder (standardized mean difference [SMD]=0.16, 95% confidence interval [CI]=-0.84 to 1.15), but exhibited statistically significant effects for social anxiety (SMD=-0.56, 95% CI=-0.87 to -0.25) disorder and relational anxiety disorder (SMD -0.83, 95% CI=-1.49 to -0.16). Although these interventions were not statistically significantly effective for depression (SMD=-0.40, 95% CI=-0.84 to 0.04), they were effective in reducing negative emotions (SMD=-0.75, 95% CI=-1.20 to -0.31). Conclusion Virtual reality interventions based on the desensitization effect may be considered a viable option for reducing anxiety disorders.

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the effect of eating habits and dietary attitudes on dessert consumption among university students in Gwangju Province, South Korea. Methods: A survey was conducted from May to June 2022. Out of 300 distributed questionnaires, 261 valid responses were included in the analysis. The survey assessed dessert selection, satisfaction, consumer attitudes and behaviors, as well as factors influencing satisfaction. Results: Both genders reported purchasing desserts 2 to 3 times per week, primarily after lunch, due to the convenience of dessert accessibility. Males favored ice cream, bakery items, and fruits, while females preferred bakery items, ice cream, and fruits in that sequence. ‘Having fun’ was identified as the most common motivation for dessert consumption post-meal. Notable gender disparities emerged regarding perceptions of dessert consumption, including its role in stress relief, potential for nutritional imbalance, positive effects, and preferences for seasonal menus. Significant gender-based differences also manifested in intentions to purchase dessert, responsiveness to price changes, and inclination to recommend desserts to others. Conclusions This study offers foundational data on university students’ dessert purchasing behaviors, perceptions, and satisfaction levels, intending to inform strategies promoting healthier dietary habits.

Background: This study was conducted to evaluate the potential of using ChatGPT in dental morphology education. Dentalmorphology is a fundamental subject in dental education that enables students to understand the structure and function of teeth, which is necessary for accurate diagnosis and treatment planning. Recently, artificial intelligence (AI) technology has gained attention as an educational support tool, and large language models like ChatGPT hold great potential to facilitate learners’ understanding through real-time interaction. Methods: This study involved asking GPT-4 questions from the national dental hygiene exam’s dental morphology section from 2021 to 2023, followed by an analysis of its response accuracy. Results: The results showed that GPT-4 demonstrated high accuracy in some questions but lacked consistency depending on thedifficulty and content of the questions. Specifically, GPT-4 was found to struggle with understanding complex tooth morphology and detailed academic concepts. Conclusion These findings suggest that ChatGPT could be a useful educational tool in dental morphology education, althoughsupplementary educational adjustments are necessary. Future research should explore developing a learning environment where AI and educators collaborate to address AI limitations and enhance students’ learning motivation and comprehension.