A 24-year-old female who have had pseudoxanthoma elasticum for 14 years, showed brownish, umbilicated papules forming serpiginous pattern on the anterior neck, A skin biopsy specimen from the neck lesion revealed epidermal hyperplasia and perforating canal containing basophilic, necrotic materials and degenerated elastic fibers, also showed short, swollen and irregularly clumped elastic fibers in the lower dermis.
Basophils ; Biopsy ; Dermis ; Elastic Tissue ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Neck ; Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum* ; Skin ; Young Adult

The prevalence of dermographism in the general population of Korea was studied using a dermographic tester on 1, 074 persons(M: 489, F: 585, M/F= 1/l. 2). The result was summarized as follows: 1. The prevalence of dermographism from the pressure of 4, 800 Gm/sq. cm (pressure 2) was 6. 7%. 2. There were no significant difference in the prevalence between male(6.3%) and female(7%) (p>0. 1). 3, The peak age group of dermographism was third(9.4%), fourth and second decades in decreasing order.
Humans ; Korea ; Prevalence*

PURPOSE: This study was to identify the relationship among self-management, economic stability, self-esteem, self-achievement and predictor of the self-achievements in elders. METHODS: A total of 294 subjects aged between 60 and 92 were selected through convenient sampling. Data were collected by self-reported questionnaire from May to June, 2008. Collected data were analysed by the SPSS/WIN 15.0 program. RESULTS: Self-management, economic stability, self-esteem, self-achievement were positively correlated. The most significant predictor of self-achievement in elders were self-management and self-esteem. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that self-achievement is influenced by self-management and self-esteem and needed for aged well.
Self Care ; Surveys and Questionnaires

No abstract available.
Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second*

BACKGROUND: The use of single donor platelets (SDPs) has been increased substantially worldwide. But in korea, SDPs are supplied only 11.5% of total platelets transfused and most of them collected in hospital blood center. Korean Red Cross blood center decided to supply and started collection of SDPs from registered and random repeat donors since January, 2000. METHODS: The utilization of platelets including SDPs was analyzed by mail survey from 33 hospitals and by statistical yearbooks of KRC, 2000. The necessity of SDPs and supplementary amounts of SDP in case of need was estimated. RESULTS: Total 483,611 units of platelets (692-80,414 units) and 12,150 units of SDP(0-3364 units) were utilized by 33 hospitals participated mail survey. The mean discard rate of platelets in the 33 hospitals was 1.5% (0%-15%). The total amounts of SDP collection in 19 hospitals among them were 10,031 units. About one third of 29 hospitals investigated, call for to use 100% of SDPs for patients. And most of the hospitals were cooperative using SDPs supplied from KRC. The amounts of SDP used in Big 5 hospitals, which is located in Seoul was 76.1% of total SDPs used in Korea. CONCLUSION: The relevant amount of supplied SDPs would be 80.000 unit/year, which is 50% of total supplied platelets by KRC. Efficient utilization of SDPs needs well organized collection, SDP stock control and supply system by regional groups of KRC blood center. In additionally, donor recruitment and maintenance for substantial supply of SDPs, and the supplementary support from the government is important.
Humans ; Korea ; Postal Service ; Red Cross* ; Seoul ; Tissue Donors*

Osteopetrosis is an uncommon hereditary bone disorder whose prominent radiologic feature characterized by increased bone density. The authors reported a 7-year-old male patient who referred from local dental clinic for dental problems such as early exfoliation of deciduous teeth(#54,73,83) and delayed eruption of permanent teeth(#31,41,36,46). The patient appeared as a poorly developed. Dental X-ray films showed early exfoliation of deciduous teeth, delayed eruption of permanent teeth, and rampant caries. Lateral view of skull demonstrated increased opacity of calvarium, facial bones, and skull base. Generally the skeletal density is greatly increased throughout all bones. Facial CT showed poor development of paranasal sinuses and mastoid air cells. No hematopoietic and neurologic complications such as anemia, thrombocytopenia, blindness and deafness were found. Also mental retardation was not found. The final diagnosis of this case was a osteopetrosis tarda. Sometimes patient with osteopetrosis tarda may be developed dental problems prior to severe systemic symptoms. The dentist can be the first clinician to see the patient. It is very important for the dentist to have the knowledge of the osteopetrosis and to care the patient's dental problems to prevent complication such as osteomyelitis of jaws.
Anemia ; Blindness ; Bone Density ; Child ; Deafness ; Dental Clinics ; Dentists ; Diagnosis ; Facial Bones ; Growth Disorders ; Humans ; Intellectual Disability ; Jaw ; Male ; Mastoid ; Osteomyelitis ; Osteopetrosis* ; Paranasal Sinuses ; Skull ; Skull Base ; Thrombocytopenia ; Tooth ; Tooth Eruption ; Tooth, Deciduous ; X-Ray Film

BACKGROUND: Many molecular diagnostic methods have been developed to detect sexually transmitted infections (STI). The STDetect Chip (LabGenomics, Korea) which is a DNA microarray-based tool, newly developed for STI diagnosis in vitro, and the real-time PCR-based Anyplex STI-7 (Seegene, Korea) in clinical use were evaluated using ATCC DNA and clinical samples to determine the clinical usefulness of the STDetect Chip. METHODS: The two methods were compared for consistency, sensitivity, and specificity for 6 pathogens in 300 prospectively selected clinical samples. Analytical sensitivity for ATCC Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma hominis and Trichomonas vaginalis DNA and the effect of mixing bacterial DNA were studied. RESULTS: The consistency of the two methods for clinical samples was superior at more than 0.92 kappa value. The sensitivity and specificity of the STDetect Chip compared with Anyplex STI-7 were 90.5-98.8%, and 95.6-99.6%, respectively. With similar analytical performance for ATCC DNA, the STDetect Chip detected 10(-5) ng/µL of N. gonorrhoeae, 10(-4) ng/µL of C. trachomatis, 10(-6) ng/µL of M. hominis, and 10(-3) ng/µL of T. vaginalis. For the mixture of three bacterial DNAs, less sensitive detection level was observed for T. vaginalis. CONCLUSIONS: The STDetect Chip showed good agreement with the Anyplex STI-7 test and it is considered clinically useful for detecting sexually transmitted pathogens.
Chlamydia trachomatis ; Diagnosis* ; DNA* ; DNA, Bacterial ; In Vitro Techniques ; Mycoplasma hominis ; Neisseria gonorrhoeae ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Pathology, Molecular ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases* ; Trichomonas vaginalis

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify nurse's role through job analysis of nursing duties for nurses working on East Asia traditional medicine wards. METHODS: Major steps in the study included a literature review, description of job activities of nurses on oriental medicine wards, comparative description of the literature, expert tests of validity of derived duties and tasks, and investigation of importance, difficulty and frequency of duties on job list. RESULTS: The job of nurses on oriental medicine wards was classified into 12 duties, 59 tasks, and 295 task elements. The 12 duties were nursing assessment, nursing diagnosis, nursing planning, nursing implementation, nursing evaluation, supplies management, management of human resources, management of environment, management of documents, formation of cooperative relationships, self-development, and nursing activity in oriental medicine. 'Formation of cooperative relationships' was the duty ranked highest for importance (4.34), 'self-development' was ranked highest for difficulty (3.47), and 'Formation of cooperative relationships' was ranked highest for frequency (4.21). CONCLUSION: Basic education for nurses on an oriental medicine unit is necessary for the performance of oriental nursing to be considered as a specialized field. This study contributes to human resource management in the oriental medical hospital.
Education ; Equipment and Supplies ; Far East ; Humans ; Job Description ; Medicine, East Asian Traditional* ; Medicine, Traditional ; Nurse's Role ; Nursing ; Nursing Assessment ; Nursing Diagnosis ; Task Performance and Analysis

Background: This study examined the distribution of stress-cortisol responses and risk factors affecting perceived stress and cortisol responses among 187 university students in South Korea. Methods: Perceived stress, depressive symptoms, and health-promoting lifestyle were assessed using structured questionnaires. Blood analyses and anthropometrics were used to determine cortisol and cardiometabolic risks. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to examine the factors affecting stress-cortisol responses. Results: Four groups of stress-cortisol responses were found, including normal (39.0%), high stress (34.8%), high stress-cortisol (13.9%), and high cortisol group (12.3%). Age, systolic blood pressure, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, depressive symptoms, and physical activity were associated with stress-cortisol responses. Conclusions Multidimensional interventions are needed to reduce stress levels and promote normal stress-cortisol responses.

PURPOSE: The 1p36 deletion syndrome is a microdeletion syndrome characterized by developmental delays/intellectual disability, craniofacial dysmorphism, and other congenital anomalies. To date, many cases of this syndrome have been reported worldwide. However, cases with this syndrome have not been reported in Korean populations anywhere. This study was performed to report the clinical and molecular characteristics of five Korean patients with the 1p36 deletion syndrome. METHODS: The clinical characteristics of the 5 patients were reviewed. Karyotyping and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) analyses were performed for genetic diagnoses. RESULTS: All 5 patients had typical dysmorphic features including frontal bossing, flat right parietal bone, low-set ears, straight eyebrows, down-slanting palpebral fissure, hypotelorism, flat nasal roots, midface hypoplasia, pointed chins, small lips, and variable degrees of developmental delay. Each patient had multiple and variable anomalies such as a congenital heart defect including ventricular septal defect, atrial septal defect, and patent duct arteriosus, ventriculomegaly, cryptorchism, or hearing loss. Karyotyping revealed the 1p36 deletion in only 1 patient, although it was confirmed in all 5 patients by MLPA analyses. CONCLUSION: All the patients had the typical features of 1p36 deletion. These hallmarks can be used to identify other patients with this condition in their early years in order to provide more appropriate care.
Chin ; Cryptorchidism ; Developmental Disabilities ; Diagnosis ; Ear ; Eyebrows ; Hearing Loss ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Heart Septal Defects, Atrial ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular ; Humans ; Karyotyping ; Lip ; Male ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Parietal Bone