Diabetes patients are steadily increasing. As such, the importance of diabetes education is being emphasized as the number of diabetic patients continues to increase. Diabetes education is being conducted by experts in most hospitals. Medical social workers are part of the diabetes education team and are conducting educational counseling to help patients manage diabetes. The purpose of this article is to examine educational counseling for adult diabetic patients from the viewpoint of medical social workers.

Recently as indicated by the various media, patients with diabetes mellitus are constantly increasing. It has been a heavy burden on socio-economic aspects. Diabetes is closely related to decreased quality of life by complications. In particular, the economic difficulties of the people with diabetes were to have a negative effect in diabetes management. It is the role of the diabetes educator to help patients with diabetes by providing an economic support welfare information to help manage the disease.
Diabetes Mellitus* ; Humans ; Quality of Life ; Social Welfare*

Objectives: . The association between pet sensitization and pet ownership remains unclear. Therefore, we aimed to elucidate the association between pet sensitization and pet ownership by age. Methods: . We retrospectively reviewed 2,883 patients who visited our allergy clinic for nasal symptoms from January 2003 to December 2014, of whom 1,957 patients with data on skin-prick tests and questionnaire responses were included and divided into adults (age >19 years) and children (age ≤19 years). The association between pet sensitization and pet ownership was evaluated in both groups. Results: . Among children, dog and cat sensitization showed no associations with dog and cat ownership, respectively. However, among adults, dog sensitization was significantly associated with dog ownership (odds ratio [OR], 3.283; P<0.001), and cat sensitization with cat ownership (OR, 13.732; P<0.001). After adjustment for age, sex, familial history of allergy, sinusitis, diabetes mellitus, other pet ownership, and non-pet sensitization, significant associations remained between dog sensitization and dog ownership (adjusted OR [aOR], 3.881; P<0.001), and between cat sensitization and cat ownership (aOR, 10.804; P<0.001) among adults. Dog ownership did not show any association with allergic rhinitis, asthma, or atopic dermatitis, whereas atopic dermatitis had a significant association with cat ownership in adults (aOR, 4.840; P<0.001). Conclusion . Pet ownership in adulthood increased the risk of pet sensitization. However, pet ownership was not associated with the prevalence of atopic disorders, regardless of age, except for atopic dermatitis and cat ownership in adults.

Objectives: . The association between pet sensitization and pet ownership remains unclear. Therefore, we aimed to elucidate the association between pet sensitization and pet ownership by age. Methods: . We retrospectively reviewed 2,883 patients who visited our allergy clinic for nasal symptoms from January 2003 to December 2014, of whom 1,957 patients with data on skin-prick tests and questionnaire responses were included and divided into adults (age >19 years) and children (age ≤19 years). The association between pet sensitization and pet ownership was evaluated in both groups. Results: . Among children, dog and cat sensitization showed no associations with dog and cat ownership, respectively. However, among adults, dog sensitization was significantly associated with dog ownership (odds ratio [OR], 3.283; P<0.001), and cat sensitization with cat ownership (OR, 13.732; P<0.001). After adjustment for age, sex, familial history of allergy, sinusitis, diabetes mellitus, other pet ownership, and non-pet sensitization, significant associations remained between dog sensitization and dog ownership (adjusted OR [aOR], 3.881; P<0.001), and between cat sensitization and cat ownership (aOR, 10.804; P<0.001) among adults. Dog ownership did not show any association with allergic rhinitis, asthma, or atopic dermatitis, whereas atopic dermatitis had a significant association with cat ownership in adults (aOR, 4.840; P<0.001). Conclusion . Pet ownership in adulthood increased the risk of pet sensitization. However, pet ownership was not associated with the prevalence of atopic disorders, regardless of age, except for atopic dermatitis and cat ownership in adults.

BACKGROUND: Influenza is a highly contagious respiratory disease. Influenza virus, which causes epidemics every winter season, has the high possibility of appearing with new virus types every year due to antigen variation. Therefore, we intended to analyze the data on the epidemiology of influenza that had been acquired by laboratory surveillance in Incheon during the 2003/2004 and 2004/ 2005 seasons and to apply the knowledge to the control and prevention of influenza in Korea. METHODS: Specimens were inoculated into Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells and, when cytopathic effect (CPE) was seen, culture supernatants were tested by mutiplex RT-PCR for typing and subtyping of influenza viruses. RESULTS: The first virus of the season was isolated at week 47 (3rd week on November) in 2003 during 2003/2004 and at week 43 (4th week on October) in 2004 during 2004/2005, which was about 4 weeks earlier than in the 2003/2004 season. From 532 specimens cultured for influenza virus during the 2003/2004 season. 330 (62.0%) viruses were isolated: 161 (48.8%) A/H3N2, 1 (0.3%) A/H1N1, and 168 (50.9%) B. During 2004/2005 season, 457 specimens were tested and 278 (60.8 %) were positive for influenza virus: 232 (83.5%) A/H3N2, 5 (1.8%) A/H1N1, and 38 (13.7%) B. The incidence of influenza was the highest in the school-age children and young adults of 7 to 19 years age group in both seasons. CONCLUSION: Influenza virus was isolated at a high rate (more than 60%) by the laboratory influenza surveillance system in Incheon during the 2003/2004 and 2004/2005 seasons: the predominant strain was influenza A/H3N2 subtype.
Antigenic Variation ; Child ; Epidemiology ; Humans ; Incheon* ; Incidence ; Influenza, Human* ; Kidney ; Korea ; Orthomyxoviridae ; Seasons ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of magnetization transfer(MT) in contrast-enhanced brain MR imaging of the various intracranial diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We prospectively studied the effect of MT incontrast-enhanced brain MR imaging 101 patients with a variety of intracranial diseases. In all patients contrast-enhanced T1-weighted(TR/TE = 550/14) SE MR images with and without MT were obtained on a 1.5 Tsuper conducting unit(Magnetom, Siemens). The MT pulse used for MT images was an 8.1 msec(=250 Hz band width) syncpulse, 1000 Hz off-resonance. We randomly divided the patients into two groups : group I and group II. Group I consisted of 54 patients in whom contrast-enhanced images without MT and then images with MT were obtained just ofter the injection of Gd-DTPA(0.1 mmol/kg). In group II(47 patients), contrast-enhanced images with MT and then the images without MT were obtained, considering the delayed-enhancement effect. The effect of MT was assessed visually and quantitatively. For quantitative assessment, contrast to noise ratios(CNR) were calculated in 27 cases with enhancing intracranial tumors larger than 1 cm. We then compared CNRs of contrast-enhanced images with and without MT. The paired t-test was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: On visual assessment, only11.9%(12/101) of normally enhancing structures and only 20.3%(14/69) of enhancing lesions showed improved enhancement in images with MT. There was however, no case in which the enhancing lesion was seen only in MR image with MT but not in that without MT. On quantitative analysis there was no statistically significant difference between overall images with MT and those without MT(p>0.05). The average CNR of images with MT was higher than that of images without MT in group I, but not in group II. CONCLUSION: MT in contrast-enhanced brain MR imaging resulted in contrast improvement in a limited number(less than approximately 20%) of patients. Routine application of MT images to contrast-enhanced brain MR imaging may be of limited value. Further studies on the clinical usefulness of MT technique with more refined MT pulse are thus needed.
Brain* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Noise ; Prospective Studies

PURPOSE: We performed this study to evaluate the risk of rehospitalization for respiratory syncytial virus(RSV) infection among premature infants discharged from a neonatal intensive care unit(NICU). METHODS: We performed a retrospective study for rehospitalization for RSV infection and risk factors among premature infants who were admitted to NICU and discharged between May 2001 and April 2003 in Wonkwang University Hospital. RSV detection was utilized by direct fluorescent antibody tests in nasopharyngeal aspirates. We also reviewed various risk factors including gestational age, birth weight, sex, ventilatory care, surfactant administration, chronic lung disease(CLD), siblings in school or kindergarten age, and month of discharge. RESULTS: The rehospitalization rate for RSV infection was 6.6%(26/381) in premature infants and 22.2%(4/18) in premature infants with CLD. The most common season of rehospitalization for RSV infection was between November to January, this was 69.2%(18/26) in premature infants, the same as children: 61.2%(93/152). The risk factors for RSV rehospitalization among premature infants were CLD, siblings in school or kindergarten age and discharge between October to December from NICU. CONCLUSION: The risk for RSV rehospitalization among premature infants from NICU was low. Preterm infants subject to risk factors of CLD, siblings in school or kindergarten age, and discharge between October to December from NICU, were most likely to require hospitalization for RSV disease. In CONCLUSION: Prophylaxis for RSV infection should be considered one month before discharge from NICU in the RSV season between October and December.
Birth Weight ; Child ; Gestational Age ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature* ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Lung ; Respiratory Syncytial Viruses* ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors* ; Seasons ; Siblings

PURPOSE: We estimated scattered radiation doses to the patients and medical practitioneer and revealed risk factors associated with increasing radiation doses during extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy(ESWL). MATERIALS AND METHODS: At first, we measured radiation doses 2 times using thermoluminescence dosimeter to simulative patients and medical practitioneer without any shield during 10 minutes of ESWL and determined mean radiation dose/minute. From June to August 2007 at our institution, we prospectively measured radiation exposured time during respective ESWL for treatment of urinary stones. Thereafter, we calculated practical radiation doses to patients and medical practitioneer from respective mean radiation dose/minute. We also analyzed which factors were associated with increasing radiation doses. RESULTS: A total of 50 ESWL were analyzed from 38 patients. Mean radiation dose/minute to simulative patients and medical practitioneer was 16.20, 0.006mSv respectively. At 1 time ESWL, median radiation exposured time was 360 seconds(130-980), therefore, median radiation dose to patients and medical practitioneer was calculated as 97.20mSv(35.10-264.60), and 0.04mSv(0.01-0.08) respectively. Larger stone size had a correlation with increasing radiation dose and additional pain control group had higher radiation dose than otherwise. CONCLUSIONS: During ESWL, patients were relatively exposed to high radiation which were roughly corresponded to that of 3 times of computed tomography. But the radiation dose to medical practitioneer was insignificant consider international guideline. Medical practitioneer should be aware of radiation hazard and try to minimize radiation dose to the patients at the time of ESWL.
Humans ; Lithotripsy ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Shock ; Urinary Calculi

Objective: In September 2018, the traffic law revision has enforced all passengers in cars to wear seatbelts. Our study aims to investigate the effects of this law revision on fellow passengers involved in car accidents by considering their seatbelt-wearing rate and severity score. Methods: This study is a retrospective observational study. Data were collected from the Emergency Department-based Injury in-depth Surveillance (for the years 2017 and 2019), Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. Candidates were patients who visited emergency rooms (ERs) of 23 hospitals from January to December in the years 2017 and 2019. Patients under the age of 15 years or without Excess Mortality Ratio-adjusted Injury Severity Score (EMR-ISS) data or having accidents on highways were excluded. Results: The total number of patients who visited ERs during the study periods was 91,506 and 14,806 in 2017 and 2019, respectively, and were included in our study. There were more fellow female passengers than male passengers during both the study periods: 5,559 in 2017 (67.9%) and 4,341 in 2019 (66.8%). Compared to 52.2% in 2017, the rate of wearing seatbelts increased to 54.5% in 2019. However, after adjusting for age, sex, use of ambulance, injury time, alcohol use, type of road, and counterpart, multivariate logistic regression revealed that compared to the 2017 group, the odds ratio of severe injuries in the 2019 group was 1.10 (95% confidence interval, 0.98-1.24). Conclusion Increased rate of wearing seatbelts after imposing the traffic law revision was not satisfactory. Therefore, it is necessary to tighten regulations on fellow passengers without seat belts and improve awareness through public relations.

This study has focused on genetical patterns of rotavirus positives on diarrhea patients in Incheon. Fecal specimens collected from January 2002 to December 2004 from patients with diarrhea in seven localities in Incheon were screened for group A rotavirus by RT-PCR. To survey the prevalence of group A rotavirus infection and distribution of P (VP4) and G (VP7) genotypes of rotaviruses in Incheon, we performed the nested RT-PCR using rotavirus ELISA positive samples. Among a total of 4,865 samples investigated, 1,100 samples (22.6%) were positive. The predominant genotypes of 293 RT-PCR positive samples were confirmed as G4P[6] (101 samples, 34.5%) followed by G2P[4] (73 samples, 24.9%), G1P[8] (38 samples, 13.0%), G3P[8] (28 samples, 9.6%), G3P[10] (14 samples, 4.8%), G4P[8] (6 samples, 2.0%) and G9P[8] (6 samples, 2.0%). Mixed types and untypable types were 3.8% and 5.1%, respectively. The most prevalent types in 2002, 2003 and 2004 were G4P[6] (71 samples, 40.3%), G4P[6] (22 samples, 40.7%) and G2P[4] (15 samples, 22.2%) respectively. This is the first nationwide genoepidemiological study for determining the prevailing of genotypes of rotaviruses in Incheon. The genetic analysis for investigating sequence variations among group A rotavirus strains in this study would provide the useful information to establish the preventing strategy of human rotaviruses and of developing vaccines which will be used in Korea.
Diarrhea ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Gastroenteritis* ; Genotype ; Humans ; Incheon* ; Korea ; Prevalence* ; Rotavirus Infections ; Rotavirus* ; Vaccines