PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the relations among appropriateness of work, competency on student suicide and attitude toward suicide in health teachers. METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional descriptive one. The subjects were 193 health teachers. Self-administered questionnaires were used to measure the variables of this study. Descriptive statistics, independent t-test, one way ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and stepwise multiple regression with SAS 9.3 software were used for the data analysis. RESULTS: The attitude score toward suicide ranged from 1.47 to −1.03. The average score of appropriateness of work and competency related to student suicide were 2.34 and 2.81 respectively. Associated factors with competency related to student suicide among health teacher were appropriateness of work related to student suicide, two items of attitude toward suicide(suicide is an acceptable means to end an incurable illness and people who commit suicide are usually mentally ill), education level, education experience on suicide prevention and management, and the adjusted R2 of the regression model was 34.3%. CONCLUSION: Health teachers were not tolerable to student suicide. However, they evaluated themselves as low in the appropriateness and competency to the work on student suicide, especially in screening and counselling of high risk groups. The results of this study suggest that it is necessary to develop education programs about counseling and intervention on student suicide for health teachers.
Counseling ; Education ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Statistics as Topic ; Suicide*

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to determine the effects of a fall prevention program on falls, physical function, psychological function, and home environmental safety in frail elders living at home in rural communities. METHODS: The design of this study was a nonequivalent control group pre posttest design. The study was conducted from July to November, 2012 with 30 participants in the experimental group and 30 in the control group. Participants were registered at the public health center of E County. The prevention program on falls consisted of laughter therapy, exercise, foot care and education. The program was provided once a week for 8 weeks and each session lasted 80 minutes. RESULTS: The risk score for falls and depression in the experimental group decreased significantly compared with scores for the control group. Compliance with prevention behavior related to falls, knowledge score on falls, safety scores of home environment, physical balance, muscle strength of lower extremities, and self-efficacy for fall prevention significantly increased in the experimental group compared with the control group. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the prevention program on falls is effective for the prevention of falls in frail elders living at home.
Accidental Falls/*prevention & control ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Depression ; Exercise ; Female ; Frail Elderly/*psychology ; Health Education ; Humans ; Male ; Massage ; Muscle Strength ; *Program Evaluation ; Risk Factors ; Rural Population ; Self Care ; Self Efficacy

This study was conducted to evaluate prevalence of intestinal helminthic infections and skin tests and Paragonimus and Clonorchis in tuberculosis(TB) patients in Korea. Stool examinations by formalin-ether technique and intradermal tests were carried out in 2 areas; Masan TB hospital and Kong-Ju TB hospital. The positive rate of intestinal helminths of any kind was 51.7 percent among 329 patients in Masan hospital, but 18.1 percent among 215 patients in Kong-Ju hospital. The infection rates of Trichocephalus trichiurus and Clonorchis sinensis were 20.7 percent and 17.6 percent respectively in Masan hospital patients, but the infection rates of T. trichiurus and C. sinensis were 6.5 percent and 6.0 percent respectively in Kong-Ju hospital patients. In skin tests, positive reactions to Paragonimus and Clonorchis antigens were 22.0 percent and 37.6 percent respectively in Masan hospital patients. On the contrary, Kong-Ju hospital patients showed the positive rates of 15.2 percent for Paragonimus and 27.2 percent for Clonorchis respectively.
parasitology-helminth-trematoda ; Ascaris lumbricoides ; Trichuris trichiura ; hookworm ; Trichostrongylus orientalis ; Clonorchis sinensis ; Paragonimus westermani ; Metagonimus yokogawai ; Taenis sp. ; Hymneolepis nana ; epidemiology ; skin test

BACKGROUND: Phagocytosis is probably the first step for mycobacteria to be virulent in host because virulent strains are more readily phagocytosed by macrophage than attenuated strains. According 13 the traditional concept, multi-drug resistant strains have been regarded as less virulent. However, this concept has been challenged, since recent studies(reported) showed that the degree of virulence and drug-resistance is not related. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether the phagocytic activity of M. tuberculosis by peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMC) is different according to drug-resistance or host factor. To evaluate this, we estimated the difference of phagocytic activity of drug-resistant and drug-sensitive M. tuberculosis and also estimated the phagocytic activity of PBMC from intractable tuberculosis patients and healthy controls. METHODS: PBMC from ten intractable tuberculosis patients and twelve healthy control and three different strains of heat-killed M. tuberculosis, ie, ADS(all drug sensitive), MDR(multi-drug resistant), and ADR(all drug resistant) were used. After incubation of various strains of M. tuberculosis with PBMC, the phagocytic activity was evaluated by estimating proportion of PBMC which have phagocytosed M. tuberculosis. RESULTS: Drug-resistant strains of M. tuberculosis were phagocylosed easily than drug sensitive strains(Percentage of PBMC phagocytosed M. tuberculosis in healthy control : ADS : 32.3α2.9%, ADR : 49.6α3.4%, p=0.0022, Percentage of PBMC phagocytosed M. tuberculosis in intractable tuberculosis patients : ADS : 34.9α3.6%, ADR : 50.7α4.5%), p=0.0069). However, there was no difference in phagocytic activity of PBMC from healthy control and intractable tuberculosis patients. CONCLUSION: Drug-resistant strains of M. tuberculosis were phagocytosed easily than drug sensitive strains and host factors does not seems to influence the phagocytosis of M. tuberculosis.
Humans ; Macrophages ; Monocytes* ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; Phagocytosis* ; Tuberculosis ; Virulence

We analyzed ERCP findings of 15 patients with clonorchiasis, that were confirmed by stool examination and operation from May, 1976 to September, 1980. The results were as follows. 1) Filling defects due to adult worm of clonorchis sinensis were significant direct findings of clonorchiasis. 2) Irregular stenosis, fuzziness, raggedness, peripheral dilation and disturbance of peripheral filling of intrahepatic bile ducts were significant indirect findings of clonorchiasis. 3) ERCP was excellent method to evaluate biliary tree in patients with clonorchiasis, who showed obstructive jaundice.
Adult ; Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic ; Biliary Tract ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde* ; Clonorchiasis* ; Clonorchis sinensis ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Humans ; Jaundice, Obstructive

PURPOSE: To investigate the usefulness of the measurement of disc-to-fovea distance to disc-diameter ratio (DF/DD ratio) in detecting large and small discs. METHODS: A total of 300 randomly selected subjects were included in the present study. All patients underwent stereoscopic disc photography and DF/DD ratio, which is the shortest distance between disc margin and fovea divided by mean disc diameter was determined by planimetry. The diagnostic accuracy of DF/DD ratio was evaluated using areas under the receiver operating characteristics curves (AUCs), sensitivity, and specificity. RESULTS: No significant differences in disc-to-fovea distance were observed among small and large disc groups. The DF/DD ratio was significantly lower in subjects with large discs (1.74 +/- 0.27) compared with subjects with small discs (2.70 +/- 0.15). AUCs of the DF/DD ratio were 0.942 and 0.947 in detecting large and small discs, respectively. In detecting disc size by a fixed DF/DD ratio of 2.0, sensitivity was 100% for both large and small discs, and specificity was 70.1% and 40.9% for the large and small discs, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The DF/DD ratio may be a simple and useful clinical aid in detecting large and small discs. The 2.0 fixed DF/DD ratio, showed 100% sensitivity in detecting both large and small discs, although medium discs may be misdiagnosed as small discs more often than as large discs.
Area Under Curve ; Humans ; Photography ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity

No abstract available.
Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia* ; Cervix Uteri* ; Diagnosis* ; Female

A total of 421 patients hospitalized in St. Mary's Hospital were examined by indirect latex agglutination test in order to evaluate the Toxoplasma antibody in Korean from June to August 1981. The test sera of the patients were obtained from each age group by random sampling. The 421 samples of test sera showed negative in 153, 1:2 in 157, 1:4 in 59, 1:8 in 27, 1:16 in 7, 1:32 in 9, 1:64 in 2, 1:128 in 4 and 1:256 in 3 cases, respectively. The positive rate of Toxoplasma antibody was 4.3 percent in this sample when indirect latex antibodies of 1:32 or higher were regarded as positive. The titers of positive Toxoplasma antibodies were increased by age.
parasitology-protozoa ; Toxoplasma gondii ; toxoplasmosis ; immunology ; diagnosis

BACKGROUND: Monocytes/macrophages play a central role in determining the host response during Gram-negative infection through secretion of a variety of mediators after stimulation of LPS. Even though cytokine production has been shown to play an important role in host defense during sepsis cytokine release may also lead to tissue injury. Thus, regulation of macrophage response to LPS is critical for host survival during Gram-neg-alive sepsis. In animals exposed to nonlethal doses of endotoxin a characteristic hyporesponsiveness to subsequent administration of endotoxin has been observed. This phenomenon was knowm as 'LPS tolerance'. However, little information is availavble regarding the underlying mechanism of U)S tolerance. METHOD: Peripheral blood monocyte(PBMC) was isolated from peripheral blood of normal volunteers by adhesion purification method. To evaluate conditions to obtain LPS tolerance. preculture was carried out with LPS at 10ng/ml for 24 hours. For stimulation culture plates were washed two times and were stimulated with LPS at 1ng/ml for 4, 6 and 26 hours. To assess the underlying mechanisms of LPS tolerance, autologous serum, PMA, anti-CD14 Ab, Indomethacin or PGF2 were added to preculture solution respectively. Cytokine concentrations in culture supernatants were measured using ELISA for TNF-α and IL-8 and mRNA of TNF-α and IL-8 were determined by Northern blot analysis. RESULTS: The exposure of PBMC to low dose of LPS suppressed the cytokine production and mRNA expression of TNF-α, but not IL-8. Anti-CDl4 Ab partially recovered production of TNF-α which was suppressed by preculture with low dose LPS. The preculture with PMA induces US tolerance, as preculture with low dose LPS. CONCLUSION: LPS tolerance to TNF-α is regulated pretranslationally and is influenced by protein kinase C pathway and CD14.
Animals ; Blotting, Northern ; Dinoprost ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Healthy Volunteers ; Indomethacin ; Interleukin-8* ; Macrophages ; Monocytes* ; Protein Kinase C ; RNA, Messenger ; Sepsis ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha*

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary tuberculosis(TB) is still prevalent and remains a significant clinical problem for the elderly. However, the disease presents in many ways, and there are frequent adverse drug reactions that may prevent the early diagnosis and treatment of elderly TB patients compared to the young. The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not there are any differences in the clinical feature of pulmonary tuberculosis(TB) in both the diagnosis and treatment between the young (less than 64 years) and the elderly (65 years and more). METHODS: The medical records of 125 young and 70 elderly pulmonary TB patients, who were diagnosed with and treated for pulmonary TB at the Seoul Municipal Boramae Hospital from November 1991 to January 1997, were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: Anorexia(12% vs. 31.4%), general weakness (20.0% vs. 54.3%), dyspnea(21.6% vs. 37.1%) and an abnormal mentality (0.8% vs. 15.7%) were more frequent presenting symptoms in elderly TB patients, whereas hemoptysis (32.8% vs. 10.0%) and fever (BT>37℃ 58.4% vs. 35.7%) were more frequent in the young. The elderly had a higher number of cardiovascular and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases as underlying illnesses. In chest PA, there were no differences in the location of the TB lesion, but the appearances were initially diagnosed more frequently as pneumonia or lung cancer (8.8% vs. 30.0%, p<0.05) in the elderly. There was no difference in the detection rate of acid fast bacilli(AFB) in the sputum between the two groups. There were no differences in the treatment response and follow-up loss. However, adverse drug reactions (13.6% vs. 45.7%, p<0.05), and changes in medication (4.9% vs. 25.7%, p<0.05) during treatment occurred more frequently in the elderly. One among the 125 young patients died from tuberculosis whereas 6 among the 70 elderly patients died from the disease. CONCLUSION: Because the clinical and radiological presentations were more atypical, a sputum AFB smear and culture should be done immediately in the elderly who are TB. The elderly experienced more frequent adverse drug reactions and mortality during treatment, but the response to treatment was good and rapid.
Aged* ; Diagnosis ; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions ; Early Diagnosis ; Fever ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemoptysis ; Humans ; Lung Diseases, Obstructive ; Lung Neoplasms ; Medical Records ; Mortality ; Pneumonia ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul ; Sputum ; Thorax ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary*