BACKGROUND: The pre-storage condition of blood culture bottles prior to entering the automated blood culture system may affect the time to detection (TTD) of microorganisms and the final report days. METHODS: We compared the TTD and final report days according to the pre-incubation conditions after laboratory operating hours: room temperature (RT) vs. a BacT/Alert unit (BioMerieux Inc.) for 3 months respectively. All bottles were inserted into the main BacT/Alert system the next morning. RESULTS: TTD was significantly reduced by pre-incubating bottles in a BacT/Alert unit (median, 8.4 h) compared to pre-storage at RT (median, 12.4 h) (P< 0.001). The final report of bacterial identification and drug susceptibility within 2 days was available for 24.4% of bottles pre-incubated in a BacT/Alert unit compared to 14.9% of those incubated at RT. The false positive results were significantly higher for pre-incubation in a BacT/Alert unit (0.81%) than for that (0.29%) at RT (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: If a clinical microbiology laboratory is not operational for 24 hours, an automated blood culture unit might be a good alternative to reduce TTD and allow the submission of a faster final report compared to pre-storage at RT. However, false positive readings increased more than two-fold by pre-incubation in a BacT/Alert unit.
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Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of different intensity of aerobic exercise for four weeks on cardiovascular risk factors, reactive oxygen, and antioxidant enzymes in old mice. Methods: Eighteen male C57BL/6 mice age 18 months were randomly classified into the control group (n=6), the moderate intensity exercise group (n=6), and the low intensity exercise group (n=6). The training groups performed the aerobic exercise twice daily for 20 minutes, five days weekly for four weeks. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, analysis of variance (ANOVA), the Chi-square test, and the Tukey’s test with the SPSSWIN 21.0 program. Results: In this study, among the risk factors of cardiovascular disease, blood sugar (BS) (p=.023) and total cholesterol (TC) (p=.001) were significantly different between the moderate intensity exercise group and the control group. Additionally, there were significant differences in the reactive oxygen malondialdehyde (MDA) (p=.001), the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) (p<.001) and glutathione reductase (GR) (p=.015) between the moderate intensity exercise group and the control group. Conclusion This finding suggests that moderate intensity aerobic exercise promotes the activity of antioxidant enzymes and lowers cardiovascular risk factors in older mice.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify differences between the degree of nursing need and nursing performance as perceived by caregivers of hospitalized children. METHODS: Participants included 200 main caregivers from two pediatric hospitals where their children had been hospitalized for at least 2 days. Data were collected from October 30 to December 10, 2014. RESULTS: The degree (2.64+/-0.40) of nursing performance perceived by caregivers with hospitalized children was found to be significantly lower than that (3.39+/-0.21) of nursing needs of caregivers. Of nursing needs, direct nursing had the highest score at 3.59, and nursing assessment, the lowest at 3.23. For nursing performance, nursing assessment had the highest score at 2.76, and education and counseling, the lowest at 2.35. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that performance of nursing activities by nurses caring for hospitalized children do not meet the nursing needs of the caregivers. Therefore it is necessary to develop nursing strategies to reduce the gap between nursing needs and nursing performance.
Caregivers* ; Child ; Child, Hospitalized* ; Counseling ; Education ; Hospitalization ; Hospitals, Pediatric ; Humans ; Nursing Assessment ; Nursing*

PURPOSE: In this study self-efficacy, emotional labor, pediatric nurse-parent partnership and job stress of pediatric nurses were examined. Factors affecting job stress of pediatric nurses were also investigated. METHODS: The study was done between June and September 2014, with a convenience sample of 145 nurses from 3 advanced general hospitals, 5 general hospitals and 2 children's hospitals. Research data were collected via questionnaires and analysed using SPSS version 18.0. RESULTS: Average levels of self-efficacy, emotional labor and job stress were similar to other general nurses and the average level of pediatric nurse-parent partnership was also similar to other pediatric nurses. Job stress of pediatric nurses showed a positive correlation with emotional labor and negative correlations with self-efficacy and pediatric nurse-parent partnership. The most significant factor affecting job stress in pediatric nurses was emotional labor (beta=0.372, p<.001). The combination of emotional labor, pediatric nurse-parent partnership and self-efficacy accounted for 25.4% of job stress in pediatric nurses. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that nursing management strategies to decrease emotional labor and improve pediatric nurse-parent partnerships and self-efficacy are critical to decrease job stress for pediatric nurses. Continued development of nursing management interventions to decrease job stress in pediatric nurses is suggested.
Child ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Nursing ; Parents ; Professional-Family Relations

PURPOSE: In this study a caregiver's role improvement program was developed and tested to identify the effect on uncertainty, stress, and role performance of caregivers with hospitalized children. METHODS: The design of this study was a quasi-experimental study with a nonequivalent control group and a non-synchronized design. Thirty-three caregivers were assigned to the experimental group and 33 to the control group. Data were collected from March 5 2016 to April 10 2016. For the experimental treatment, each individual was given on-site education with situated learning (given 30 minutes each, for 2 sessions), and self-repetition learning activities were performed from the e-book. Data were analyzed using t-test, χ2-test, Fisher's exact test, paired t-test, and independent t-test. RESULTS: The level of uncertainty and stress decreased, and role performance level improved for these caregivers with hospitalized children. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study show that using on-site education through situated learning and self-repetition learning with an e-book as in the caregiver's role improvement program is an effective intervention. Therefore, utilizing the caregiver role improvement program developed in this study is recommended as an effective intervention for caregivers of hospitalized children.
Caregivers* ; Child ; Child, Hospitalized* ; Education ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Learning ; Non-Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Uncertainty*

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to develop and test effects of a child health management program based on cooperative learning for mothers of preschool children. METHODS: For this quasi-experimental study, a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design was used. Outcome measures were level of child health management self-efficacy, child health management practices, child's health behavior. Participants were 55 mothers (experimental group 28, control group 27). The program was composed of 6 categories of home health management for preschool children, and provided for three 120-minute sessions. Data were collected from September to October, 2015, at 3 times: baseline, 3 and 6 weeks after beginning the intervention. Data were analyzed using SPSS/WIN 21.0 program. RESULTS: After 3 and 6 weeks, there were significant differences between the two groups in child health management self-efficacy (F=18.33, p<.001), child health management practices (F=8.91, p<.001), and child's health behavior (F=9.91, p<.001). CONCLUSION: Study findings indicate that this child health management program based on cooperative learning is effective and can be recommended as an intervention for mothers of preschool children. It will contribute to enhanced child health management self-efficacy and health management practices and improved child's health behavior.
Child Health* ; Child* ; Child, Preschool* ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Learning* ; Mothers* ; Non-Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Self Efficacy

Liver infarction is rare because of dual blood supply of the liver with hepatic artery and portal vein. And its occurrence as a complication of chronic pancreatitis is rarer. We present a case of chronic pancreatitis complicated by liver infarction and inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery pseudoaneurysm. A 31-year-old female with alcoholism presented with severe acute epigastric pain. Serum amylase and lipase were 203 IU/L and 78 IU/L, respectively. Initial computed tomography (CT) scan showed peripancreatic infiltration, fluid collection, right portal vein thrombosis, and a large wedge-shaped low attenuation in the right hepatic lobe. The patient has been treated with heparin. Follow-up CT scan done after 4 days of heparin treatment demonstrated a pseudocyst with internal hemorrhage and a pseudoaneurysm. Angiography revealed a pseudoaneurysm in inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery. Coil embolization of the artery was done. The patient has been discharged without complication. Follow-up CT scan showed resolution of liver infarction, portal vein thrombosis and pseudoaneurysm.
Adult ; Alcoholism ; Amylases ; Aneurysm, False* ; Angiography ; Arteries* ; Embolization, Therapeutic ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemorrhage ; Heparin ; Hepatic Artery ; Humans ; Infarction* ; Lipase ; Liver* ; Pancreatitis ; Pancreatitis, Chronic* ; Portal Vein ; Thrombosis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Venous Thrombosis

Liver infarction is rare because of dual blood supply of the liver with hepatic artery and portal vein. And its occurrence as a complication of chronic pancreatitis is rarer. We present a case of chronic pancreatitis complicated by liver infarction and inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery pseudoaneurysm. A 31-year-old female with alcoholism presented with severe acute epigastric pain. Serum amylase and lipase were 203 IU/L and 78 IU/L, respectively. Initial computed tomography (CT) scan showed peripancreatic infiltration, fluid collection, right portal vein thrombosis, and a large wedge-shaped low attenuation in the right hepatic lobe. The patient has been treated with heparin. Follow-up CT scan done after 4 days of heparin treatment demonstrated a pseudocyst with internal hemorrhage and a pseudoaneurysm. Angiography revealed a pseudoaneurysm in inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery. Coil embolization of the artery was done. The patient has been discharged without complication. Follow-up CT scan showed resolution of liver infarction, portal vein thrombosis and pseudoaneurysm.
Adult ; Alcoholism ; Amylases ; Aneurysm, False* ; Angiography ; Arteries* ; Embolization, Therapeutic ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemorrhage ; Heparin ; Hepatic Artery ; Humans ; Infarction* ; Lipase ; Liver* ; Pancreatitis ; Pancreatitis, Chronic* ; Portal Vein ; Thrombosis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Venous Thrombosis

BACKGROUND: The internet is a growing source of information for patients, with increasing numbers of people searching for health information on the web. Patients with acne attempt to search for medical information from the internet. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to investigate the current information of acne on the internet. METHODS: We chose the largest portal sites to investigate the current information of acne and search for 'acne'. RESULTS: 5.3% of the information provided by question-and-answer platform were written by dermatologist. 0.7% of the information provided by personal blog were written by dermatologist. 1.4% of the information provided by internet message board were written by dermatologist. Overall, only 2.4% of the information were written by dermatologist for provide the medical information. CONCLUSION: The internet provides a great deal of information in many types of resources. However, the quality of information has been more of a concern. Dermatologists should continue to counteract inaccurate information by providing quality information on the internet. Dermatologists should be more aware of the health-related online information and should guide patients to take the accurate information.
Acne Vulgaris* ; Blogging ; Humans ; Internet* ; Skin Diseases* ; Skin*

Aspirin resistance defined by light transmittance aggregometry (LTA) or urinary 11-dehydro-thromboxane B2 has been associated with an increased risk of adverse clinical events. However, aspirin resistance based on the point-of-care VerifyNow-Aspirin assay (aspirin reaction unit > or = 550) shows poor sensitivity compared with LTA. In aspirin-treated patients, activation by cyclooxygenase- independent pathways may be associated with residual platelet reactivity, which may cause adverse clinical outcomes in some portion. A large-scale, prospective study using several platelet function assays should be performed to establish the long-term clinical significance of antiplatelet resistance in Korean patients treated with coronary stenting. Accordingly, we can apply tailored antiplatelet therapy in resistant patients.
Aspirin ; Blood Platelets ; Humans ; Light ; Prospective Studies ; Stents ; Thromboxane B2