PURPOSE: This study is to evaluate the effects of drug abuse prevention program for elementary school students. METHOD: The design of this study is nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design. The subjects of experimental group were 27 students and the subjects of control group were 25 students in fifth grade of elementary school in C City, Gyeongsangbuk-do. The experimental group had Drug Abuse Prevention Program, which was two days per week program, for 5 weeks. And post-test was carried out in the same way as the pre-test. Data analysis was done using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, Chi-square test, t-test, Paired Samples t-test using with SPSS WIN 11.0. RESULT: the experimental group, to which drug abuse prevention program was given, was improved in knowledge of drug and unacceptable attitude of drug compared to the control group, but there were no significant differences of self-esteem and assertiveness between two groups. CONCLUSION: The drug abuse prevention program was effective to increase knowledge and attitude of drug in elementary school students.
Child ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; *School Health Services ; Substance-Related Disorders/*prevention & control

PURPOSE: The demand for suitable organs in the world greatly outweighs the supply of transplantable organs. Perceptions and attitudes of the attending physician to brain death are pivotal for the organ donation process in brain dead donors. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the perceptions and attitudes of the attending physician on brain death and organ donation in order to promote the organ donation from brain dead donors in Korea. METHODS: Questionnaires were collected from 194 (17.9%) among 1,018 physicians and were analyzed by descriptive statistics. RESULTS: 97.5% (189/194) of respondents have positive attitudes toward organ donation. Although 97.9% (190/194) have experienced donor management, the referral rate was no more than half (96/194, 49.5%). The main barriers against organ donation were lack of knowledge on organ donation and transplantation (60/129, 46.5%), cultural background (27/120, 20.9%) and complexity in the organ donation process (12/129, 9.3%). CONCLUSION: Promotion of organ procurement organization and well trained-education programs are crucial to help attending physicians to understand the organ donation process, and eventually to increase the rate of organ donations in brain dead donors.
Brain Death* ; Brain* ; Humans ; Korea ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Referral and Consultation ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Tissue and Organ Procurement* ; Tissue Donors* ; Transplantation

Pelvic and abdominal actinomycosis is a chronic granulomatous supurative disease usually caused by an anaerobic Gram positive organism Actinomyces israelii. Its presentation is usually considered to be malignancy rather than an infective process and was once described as 'the most misdiagnosed disease'. They are normal commensal inhabitants of the human bronchial and gastrointestinal tracts and seem to only cause pathological infection after preceding mucosal breakdown. Infection spreads by direct extension. Hematogenous spread can occur but lymphatic spread is unknown. We experienced a pelvic and abdominal actinomycosis after total abdominal hysterectomy. This case illustrates the importance of considering the possibility of actinomycosis when we met a vague abdominal pain and mass after hysterectomy.
Abdominal Pain ; Actinomyces ; Actinomycosis* ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Hysterectomy*

Spinal cord infarction is uncommon and accounts for only 1% of all strokes in comparison with cerebral infarction. Furthermore, posterior spinal cord infarction is particularly rare because of an anastomotic network of direct penetrating vessels and plexus of pial vessels fed by the paired posterior spinal arteries. We report a case of unilateral posterior spinal artery infarction on lower medulla and upper cervical spinal cord in a patient of 60-year-old woman. She complained of continuous headache for several weeks and suddenly presented right facial paresthesia, slow progression of motor weakness and proprioceptive sensory loss on right extremity, and voiding difficulty. Magnetic resonance and computed tomography imaging studies confirmed acute infarction at the right posterolateral aspect of the lower medulla and upper cervical cord (C1-2 level) with right vertebral artery hypoplasia. Transcranial doppler sonography also showed right vertebral artery hypoplasia rather than stenosis with atherosclerosis.
Arteries ; Atherosclerosis ; Cerebral Infarction ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Extremities ; Female ; Headache ; Humans ; Infarction ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Middle Aged ; Paresthesia ; Spinal Cord ; Stroke ; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial ; Vertebral Artery

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: NT-proBNP, a sensitive and specific marker of congestive heart failure (CHF), is also useful in monitoring the effectiveness of treatment and in predicting prognosis. However, the usefulness of NT-proBNP for measuring the functional capacity as a component of the quality of life (QoL) in patients with CHF remains to be discovered. The Korean Activity Scale/Index (KASI) is a Koreanized tool for measuring the functional capacity in patients with cardiac diseases during daily activities, thus representing the physical domain of the QoL. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between NT-proBNP and the KASI. SUCJECTS AND METHODS: Between July, 2003 and September, 2003, the NT-proBNP levels were measured in 76 patients with CHF that visited the OPD or who were hospitalized. They were asked to fill out a self-administered questionnaire, from which their KASI scores were obtained. NYHA Fc and Heart Failure scores were also obtained from a history taking and physical examination conducted by the investigator. RESULTS: The level of NT-proBNP increased with increasing NYHA Fc (p<0.001 by Kruskall-Wallis test). The Spearman correlation coefficient between NT-proBNP and the KASI score was -0.730 (p<0.001), which was higher than that between the HF and KASI scores (rho=-0.557, p<0.001). The level of NT-proBNP also had a positive correlation with the HF score (rho=0.706, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The level of NT-proBNP has a strong negative correlation with the KASI score, reflecting the functional capacity during daily activities. This suggests that NT-proBNP is useful in measuring the functional capacity as an element of the QoL in patients with CHF.
Estrogens, Conjugated (USP)* ; Heart Diseases ; Heart Failure* ; Humans ; Physical Examination ; Prognosis ; Quality of Life ; Research Personnel ; Surveys and Questionnaires

An intramural duodenal hematoma has been mostly reported as a consequence of trauma. It can also result from a hematological disorder, anticoagulant drug use and a post-therapeutic endoscopic procedure. Common symptoms of patients with an intramural duodenal hematoma are vomiting and abdominal pain. An intramural duodenal hematoma is rarely accompanied with pancreatitis and cholangitis due to intestinal obstruction. A diagnosis is made by esophagogastroduodenoscopy and the use of an abdominal CT scan. An intramural duodenal hematoma is mainly treated with conservative therapy but it may sometimes be treated with a surgical procedure. We report one case of an intramural duodenal hematoma after performing a therapeutic endoscopic procedure in a chronic renal failure patient undergoing maintenance hemodialysis.
Abdominal Pain ; Cholangitis ; Duodenal Ulcer ; Duodenoscopy ; Duodenum ; Endoscopy, Digestive System ; Epinephrine ; Hematoma ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Intestinal Obstruction ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Pancreatitis ; Renal Dialysis ; Vomiting

Severe adenovirus pneumonia that causes acute respiratory failure can occur in infants, children, and immunocompromised patients. However, severe adenovirus pneumonia is rare in adults with a normal immune system. Adenovirus pneumonia may progress to acute respiratory failure in a few hours or a few days, and its clinical course cannot be predicted. In addition, the mortality rate is very high (range, 50% to 66%). However, the optimal treatment of adenovirus pneumonia has not been established. Herein, we report the successful treatment of acute respiratory failure due to adenovirus pneumonia with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.
Adenoviridae* ; Adult ; Child ; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation* ; Humans ; Immune System ; Immunocompromised Host ; Infant ; Mortality ; Pneumonia* ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult ; Respiratory Insufficiency

Recently, a novel influenza A (H1N1) has been recognized as the cause of a worldwide respiratory infection outbreak. Although the symptoms of a novel influenza A (H1N1) are usually mild, the disease can cause severe illness and death. A complication of novel influenza A (H1N1) is pneumomediastinum, a rarely reported condition. We report a case of influenza A (H1N1) complicating pneumomediastinum with subcutaneous emphysema, which had initially presented with blood tinged sputum and chest pain. In addition, we demonstrate bronchoalveolar lavage in influenza A (H1N1).
Bronchoalveolar Lavage ; Chest Pain ; Emphysema ; Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype ; Influenza, Human ; Mediastinal Emphysema ; Pneumomediastinum, Diagnostic ; Pneumonia ; Sputum ; Subcutaneous Emphysema ; Tolnaftate ; Viruses

Paraplegia is a relatively rare complication of epidural anesthesia. Several possible factors may contribute to the development of paraplegia including arachnoiditis, trauma and ischemia. We experienced a case where paraplegia had developed after epidural anesthesia for cesarean section. So we present the case and consider the possible etiologies. A 30-year-old previously healthy woman was referred to our hospital for postpartum motor weakness of the lower limbs. Six days prior, the patient was admitted at a local obstetric clinic for delivery at 39 weeks gestation. The patient underwent a Cesarean section under epidural anesthesia induced with 20 ml 2% lidocaine and 5 ml 0.5% bupivacaine. In the early morning of the day following the Cesarean section, a motor and sensory deficit in both lower extremities was noted. A lumbar MRI showed diffuse enhancement along the cauda equina and spinal cord surface in the lower lumbar spine, suggesting diffuse arachnoiditis.
Adult ; Anesthesia, Epidural ; Arachnoid ; Arachnoiditis ; Bupivacaine ; Cauda Equina ; Cesarean Section ; Female ; Humans ; Ischemia ; Lidocaine ; Lower Extremity ; Paraplegia ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy ; Spinal Cord ; Spine

Prosthetic valve thrombosis (PVT) can be a life-threatening complication that requires immediate treatment. This is a case report on repeated thrombolytic therapy for thrombosis of a prosthetic tricuspid valve. After repeated urokinase therapy, mechanical clicks were audible and the hemodynamics of the patient rapidly improved. Echocardiography showed the disappearance of thrombi and a normalized pressure gradient. Cine-fluoroscopy showed a well-functioning prosthetic valve.
Echocardiography ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Thrombolytic Therapy ; Thrombosis* ; Tricuspid Valve* ; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator*