Brucellosis is a zoonosis caused by several species of Brucella. Brucellosis is usually an acute or sub-acute febrile illness that histologically develops granulomatous inflammation. Brucella prostatitis is a very rare complication and is usually accompanied by epididymo-orchitis. We now report a case of histologically proven granulomatous prostatitis due to Brucella without clinical evidence of epididymo-orchitis. A 61-year-old farmer presented with myalgia, low back pain, and fever. A needle biopsy of the prostate was performed due to symptoms of urinary frequency and high prostate specific antigen levels (17.3 ng/mL). Histologically, the prostate showed granulomatous inflammation without caseous necrosis. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) studies of blood and prostatic tissue for Brucella were positive, while a PCR study for Mycobacterium tuberculosis was negative. The patient was treated with doxycycline and rifampin. A possibility of Brucella prostatitis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of granulomatous prostatitis or prostatitis of unknown origin associated with or without epididymo-orchitis.
Biopsy, Needle ; Brucella ; Brucellosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Doxycycline ; Fever ; Granuloma ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Korea ; Low Back Pain ; Middle Aged ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Necrosis ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prostate ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; Prostatitis ; Rifampin

Tamoxifen and radiotherapy are used in breast cancer treatment worldwide. Radiation recall dermatitis (RRD), induced by tamoxifen, has been rarely reported. Herein, we report a RRD case induced by tamoxifen. A 47-year-old woman had a right quadrantectomy and an axillary lymph node dissection due to breast cancer. The tumor was staged pT2N0; it was hormone receptor positive, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative. The patient received adjuvant chemotherapy followed by tamoxifen and radiotherapy. After 22 months of tamoxifen, the patient developed a localized heating sensation, tenderness, edema, and redness at the irradiated area of the right breast. The symptoms improved within 1 week without treatment. Three weeks later, however, the patient developed similar symptoms in the same area of the breast. She continued tamoxifen before and during dermatitis, and symptoms resolved within 1 week.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Dermatitis ; Edema ; Female ; Heating ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Lymph Node Excision ; Middle Aged ; Radiodermatitis* ; Radiotherapy ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; Sensation ; Tamoxifen*

The K antigen, one of the 38 immunogenic antigens in the Kell blood group system, can cause severe hemolytic transfusion reactions (HTR) and hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN). The frequency of incidence of the K antigen varies by race (9.02% of Western populations are K＋ compared to 0.0% in Koreans), and the incidence and causes of anti-K vary accordingly. Anti-K have occasionally been detected in antibody screening/identification tests, but no hemolytic transfusion reactions have been reported in Korea so far. We conducted a retrospective review of nine cases of anti-K identified at the Samsung Medical Center over the past five years, most of which involved Koreans. No clear causes, such as the transfusion of K antigen-positive donor blood, pregnancy, or infections known to trigger anti-K, were identified. It has been speculated that the increased immigration of people of different races with the K antigen might be a reason for the anti-K formation. However, given the frequency of K＋ reported in recent literature and observed in our study, it is suggested that these “unknown causes” may be more common than previously believed. Hence, prospective studies are warranted to identify these causes more accurately.

The K antigen, one of the 38 immunogenic antigens in the Kell blood group system, can cause severe hemolytic transfusion reactions (HTR) and hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN). The frequency of incidence of the K antigen varies by race (9.02% of Western populations are K＋ compared to 0.0% in Koreans), and the incidence and causes of anti-K vary accordingly. Anti-K have occasionally been detected in antibody screening/identification tests, but no hemolytic transfusion reactions have been reported in Korea so far. We conducted a retrospective review of nine cases of anti-K identified at the Samsung Medical Center over the past five years, most of which involved Koreans. No clear causes, such as the transfusion of K antigen-positive donor blood, pregnancy, or infections known to trigger anti-K, were identified. It has been speculated that the increased immigration of people of different races with the K antigen might be a reason for the anti-K formation. However, given the frequency of K＋ reported in recent literature and observed in our study, it is suggested that these “unknown causes” may be more common than previously believed. Hence, prospective studies are warranted to identify these causes more accurately.

The K antigen, one of the 38 immunogenic antigens in the Kell blood group system, can cause severe hemolytic transfusion reactions (HTR) and hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN). The frequency of incidence of the K antigen varies by race (9.02% of Western populations are K＋ compared to 0.0% in Koreans), and the incidence and causes of anti-K vary accordingly. Anti-K have occasionally been detected in antibody screening/identification tests, but no hemolytic transfusion reactions have been reported in Korea so far. We conducted a retrospective review of nine cases of anti-K identified at the Samsung Medical Center over the past five years, most of which involved Koreans. No clear causes, such as the transfusion of K antigen-positive donor blood, pregnancy, or infections known to trigger anti-K, were identified. It has been speculated that the increased immigration of people of different races with the K antigen might be a reason for the anti-K formation. However, given the frequency of K＋ reported in recent literature and observed in our study, it is suggested that these “unknown causes” may be more common than previously believed. Hence, prospective studies are warranted to identify these causes more accurately.

The K antigen, one of the 38 immunogenic antigens in the Kell blood group system, can cause severe hemolytic transfusion reactions (HTR) and hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN). The frequency of incidence of the K antigen varies by race (9.02% of Western populations are K＋ compared to 0.0% in Koreans), and the incidence and causes of anti-K vary accordingly. Anti-K have occasionally been detected in antibody screening/identification tests, but no hemolytic transfusion reactions have been reported in Korea so far. We conducted a retrospective review of nine cases of anti-K identified at the Samsung Medical Center over the past five years, most of which involved Koreans. No clear causes, such as the transfusion of K antigen-positive donor blood, pregnancy, or infections known to trigger anti-K, were identified. It has been speculated that the increased immigration of people of different races with the K antigen might be a reason for the anti-K formation. However, given the frequency of K＋ reported in recent literature and observed in our study, it is suggested that these “unknown causes” may be more common than previously believed. Hence, prospective studies are warranted to identify these causes more accurately.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the current status of parents' monitoring of school lunch programs and to examine the relationship of parents' school lunch monitoring with their level of trust in school lunch programs. METHODS: During November 2016, a web survey was conducted with 1,283 parents who had participated in monitoring of school lunch programs. A total of 621 parents completed the questionnaires (48.4% response rate) and the responses from 442 parents were analyzed (34.5% analysis rate) for elementary (n=196) and middle/high school parents (n=246), respectively. RESULTS: Both the elementary and middle/high school parents most wanted to participate in monitoring 1~2 times per month, which was less frequent than their current practice. They showed the highest experience rate in ‘food sanitation’ area in both the prior training and actual practice of school lunch monitoring. They most responded ‘increasing trust in school lunch programs’ as a merit and ‘lack of parents participating in monitoring’ as a problem of school lunch monitoring. The average levels of trust did not differ between elementary and middle/high school parents. Multiple regression analyses showed that elementary school parents' level of satisfaction in the monitored school lunch programs was positively associated with the parents' level of trust in general school lunch programs. Monitoring frequency and parents' age, in addition to level of satisfaction in the monitored school lunch program, were associated with level of trust in general school lunch programs among middle/high school parents. CONCLUSIONS: There was room for change in parents' school lunch monitoring programs to meet parents' needs better. Well-managed school lunch monitoring programs contributing to parents' satisfaction with school lunch programs could increase parents' level of trust in school lunch programs.
Humans ; Lunch* ; Parents

PURPOSE: The incidence of multiple trauma is increasing nowadays and is the leading cause of death among young adults. Initial treatment is well known to be crucial in multiple trauma victims. However, many indiscriminate transfers occur due to the lack of a well-organized trauma system in Korea. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the current serious state in which major trauma patients are transferred to the Emergency Medical Center of a university hospital from another medical center. METHODS: From November 2009 to October 2010, we performed a retrospective study to analyze the characteristics of patients who visited the Ajou University Medical Center located in Gyeonggi-do. We evaluated the ISS (injury severity score), and a score over 15 point was identified as major trauma. The major trauma patients were separated into two groups according to the visit route, and the characteristics of each group were analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 88,862 patients who visited to the Emergency Medical Center, trauma patients accounted for 19,950, and 343 of them were evaluated as major trauma patients. Among the 343 patients, 170 patients had been transferred from other medical centers. The proportion of males to females was 3.3:1, and the mean ISS was 22.7. The leading cause of trauma was motor vehicle accidents. Of the total 170 patients, 77.6% were admitted to the Intensive care unit and 36.3% underwent surgery. The 170 patients that had been transferred to our medical center, 78.8% were transferred from Gyeonggi-do, 15.3% were transferred from other regions, and 5.9% were miscellaneous. CONCLUSION: Almost half of the major trauma victims treat at our medical center had been transferred from other medical centers. Establishing a traumatic system, supported by well-organized trauma centers and emergency medical services, that can reduce inappropriate transfers among medical facilities is essential.
Academic Medical Centers ; Cause of Death ; Emergencies ; Emergency Medical Services ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Injury Severity Score ; Intensive Care Units ; Korea ; Male ; Motor Vehicles ; Multiple Trauma ; Retrospective Studies ; Trauma Centers ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the timing and route of arrival of patients with cancer referred to a hospital near their residence for end-of-life care.METHODS: The medical records of patients with cancer receiving palliative systemic treatment at other hospitals who were transferred to our hospital for terminal care were reviewed retrospectively.RESULTS: Records of 60 patients (mean age, 57.4 years) were reviewed. The median survival after transfer was 40 days; 56.3% and 43.3% of the patients were referred to the outpatient and emergency departments of our hospital, respectively. Only 45% of the patients were enrolled in the hospice palliative care system. The most common reason for not enrolling was rejection of the patients or their families for hospice palliative care.CONCLUSION: For end-of-life care, the time from the referral to death was short, and many patients were transferred to the emergency department of our hospital.
Emergency Service, Hospital ; Hospices ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Outpatients ; Palliative Care ; Referral and Consultation ; Retrospective Studies ; Terminal Care

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the validity and reliability of the Korean version of the Nurse-Nurse Collaboration Behavior Scale developed by Liao et al (K-NNCBS). Methods: Data were collected through an online survey, of 258 nurses working in general or tertiary hospitals. We translated the NNCBS into Korean and evaluated it through content validity, criterion validity, reliability, and confirmatory factor analyses. Results: The factor loading of the 23 items belonging to the four domains ranged from .40 to -.87. The confirmatory factor analysis supported a good model fit (χ2 =578.56, p<.001, CFI=.83, RMSEA=.08, SRMR=.07). Regarding criterion validity, the K-NNCBS was positively correlated with communication competence (r=.54) and negatively correlated with task conflict (r=-.22) and relationship conflict (r=-.29). Cronbach's ⍺ for K-NNCBS rated on a five-point Likert scale was .90. Conclusion These findings show that the K-NNCBS is valid and reliable. This scale can be used to measure the collaboration behaviors among nurses in Korea.