PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to seek ways to improve the quality of life of workers by separating workers into the low fatigue group and the severe fatigue group depending on the level of fatigue level, and analyzing and understanding the difference between quality of life and job stress according to the fatigue level. METHODS: For the 'Development of Mibyeong management system which was a consumer-directed health care service', the data of job stress, fatigue and quality of life was collected from 115 workers who visited the oriental hospitals located in J city and C city from Jul, 2012 to Dec, 2012. RESULTS: The severe fatigue group showed significantly higher job stress than the low fatigue group in physical environment (p=.004), job demand (p<.001), interpersonal conflict (p=.012), lack of reward (p=.062). The severe fatigue group showed lower degrees both in physical component summary (PCS) (p<.001) and mental component summary (MCS) (p<.001) measured by SF-12 and the quality of life (p<.001) measured by EQ5D than the lower fatigue group. A relatively strong negative correlation was found in the item of mental component summary (MCS) measured by SF-12. CONCLUSION: Considering our results that high fatigue level show negative impact on quality of life and job stress, we suggest to provide a variety of health promotion strategies to improve the quality of life through the prevention and relief of fatigue for workers.
Delivery of Health Care ; Fatigue* ; Health Promotion ; Quality of Life* ; Reward

PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of CT in the diagnosis of bowel and mesenteric injury we studied the CT findings and its usefulness in patients of abdominal trauma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CT scans of 27 patients who were confirmed to have bowel and/or mesenteric injury due to abdominal trauma were analyzed retrospectively. Of these 27 patients 15 had bowel injury only and 12 had both bowel and mesenteric injury. CT findings analysed were bowel wall thickening, presence or absence of highly attenuated bowel wall, sentinel clot, mesenteric infiltration, peritoneal fluid collection and free intraabdominal air in cases with bowel injury only and with both bowel and mesenteric injury respectively. Ten patients had other accompanying abdominal injuries, such as liver, spleen, pancreas, kidney, bladder injuries, intraperitoneal abscess or retroperitoneal hemorrhage. RESULTS: Findings observed were bowel wall thickening in 23 cases(85%), peritoneal fluid collection in 21 (78%), highly attenuated bowel wall in 19(70%), mesenteric infiltration in 17(63%), free intraperitoneal air in 10 (37%) and sentinel clot in 7(26%). Pneumoperioneum were observed in 10 of 24 patients(41.7%) having bowel perforation. Two cases did not show any CT findings suggesting bowel and/or mesenteric injury. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of the CT findings between the patient group with bowel injury only and the patient group with both bowel and meseneric injury. CONCLUSION: CT scan is a useful tool in evaluating the degree and extent of bowel and/or mesenteric injury as well as in planning the patient's management.
Abdominal Injuries ; Abscess ; Ascitic Fluid ; Diagnosis ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Kidney ; Liver ; Pancreas ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Spleen ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Urinary Bladder

PURPOSE: The purpose of this research was to provide baseline data by utilizing solutions to health problems caused by work-related stress and to examine a way of treatment by comparing and analyzing how the stresses link to fatigue and quality of researchers' life. METHODS: A survey was conducted with 50 researchers working for in H research institute in Daejeon Metropolitan City from April 10th to May 10th, 2012 to examine the correlation of work stress, fatigue and quality of life. The data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test to look into examine the difference in work stress, fatigue, and quality of life. Also, the correlation of work stress, fatigue and quality of life was measured through by the Pearson correlation coefficient. The data collected through the questionnaires was were analyzed by SPSS 21.0 based on the significant level with a p-value, 0.05. RESULTS: The results showed that fatigue was caused by work stresses in researchers and quality of life was ranked in a relatively low level. Correlation of work stresses, quality of life and fatigue and work stresses against mental health index was negative and fatigue against physical index was also negative. CONCLUSION: It is necessary to maintain more detailed provisions in order to improve mental health and stress level of researchers. Moreover, systematic, in-depth evaluation should be done to reduce researcher's work-related stress and fatigue. In addition, stress management and prevention program should be implemented for these researchers.
Academies and Institutes ; Fatigue* ; Humans ; Mental Health ; Quality of Life* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Research Personnel

BACKGROUNDS: The development of a noninvasive, accurate imaging technique for assessing coronary artery bypass graft patency is of major clinical importance because increasing numbers of patients have undergone coronary artery bypass surgery. The electron beam tomography, by virtue of its rapid data acquisition time and good spatial resolution, may be useful in this regard. The purpose of this study is to determine the accuracy of three-dimensional coronary angiography by electron beam tomography (EBT) in the assessment of patency of coronary artery bypass grafts. METHODS: Twenty-five patients who had undergone coronary artery bypass graft surgery were included. All patients underwent EBT and conventional coronary angiography for the evaluation of the status of bypass grafts. Three dimensional reconstruction of the heart and bypass grafts were performed and compared with selective angiography of the bypass grafts. RESULTS: Fifty-seven saphenous vein grafts (SVG) and 22 left internal mammary artery (LIMA) were evaluated for occlusion or patency. The sensitivity and specificity of EBT in the evaluation of LIMA patency were 80%, 82.4%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of EBT in the evaluation of SVG patency were 91.7% and 91.1%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of EBT in the evaluation of SVG according to the coronary territory were : 1) SVG to left anterior descending artery 100%, 100%:2) SVG to diagonal branch 100%, 100%:3) SVG to left circumflex artery 100%, 88.9%:4) SVG to right coronary artery 75%, 85.7%. CONCLUSION: Three-dimensional coronary angiography by electron beam tomography is a promising, useful and relatively accurate diagnostic technique for the evaluation of graft patency in patients who had undergone coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
Angiography ; Arteries ; Coronary Angiography* ; Coronary Artery Bypass* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Heart ; Humans ; Mammary Arteries ; Saphenous Vein ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed* ; Transplants ; Virtues

BACKGROUNDS: The development of a noninvasive, accurate imaging technique for assessing coronary artery bypass graft patency is of major clinical importance because increasing numbers of patients have undergone coronary artery bypass surgery. The electron beam tomography, by virtue of its rapid data acquisition time and good spatial resolution, may be useful in this regard. The purpose of this study is to determine the accuracy of three-dimensional coronary angiography by electron beam tomography (EBT) in the assessment of patency of coronary artery bypass grafts. METHODS: Twenty-five patients who had undergone coronary artery bypass graft surgery were included. All patients underwent EBT and conventional coronary angiography for the evaluation of the status of bypass grafts. Three dimensional reconstruction of the heart and bypass grafts were performed and compared with selective angiography of the bypass grafts. RESULTS: Fifty-seven saphenous vein grafts (SVG) and 22 left internal mammary artery (LIMA) were evaluated for occlusion or patency. The sensitivity and specificity of EBT in the evaluation of LIMA patency were 80%, 82.4%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of EBT in the evaluation of SVG patency were 91.7% and 91.1%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of EBT in the evaluation of SVG according to the coronary territory were : 1) SVG to left anterior descending artery 100%, 100%:2) SVG to diagonal branch 100%, 100%:3) SVG to left circumflex artery 100%, 88.9%:4) SVG to right coronary artery 75%, 85.7%. CONCLUSION: Three-dimensional coronary angiography by electron beam tomography is a promising, useful and relatively accurate diagnostic technique for the evaluation of graft patency in patients who had undergone coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
Angiography ; Arteries ; Coronary Angiography* ; Coronary Artery Bypass* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Heart ; Humans ; Mammary Arteries ; Saphenous Vein ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed* ; Transplants ; Virtues

PURPOSE: In this research, we recognized the effects of DISC behavior styles of office workers on job satisfaction, organizational commitment and job performance, and tried to present a basic data for designing an efficient working system and enhancing the quality of personal life by applying them in the real office work environment. METHODS: A survey was conducted for 315 office workers in D city from Jan. 28th to May 30th 2010, and the collected data were analyzed with the SPSS/WIN 17.0. RESULTS: 1. The differences on job satisfaction, organizational commitment and job performance according to the general characteristics of subjects, were significant except for the gender in job satisfaction and education in organizational commitment. 2. Relationships in job satisfaction, organizational commitment and job performance of subjects, showed positive correlation. 3. Job satisfaction, organizational commitment and job performance according to the DISC behavior styles, were generally not significant. However, some questions were characterized by the DISC types. CONCLUSION: It is necessary to seek an efficient design method by identifying the differences of individual behavior types to enhance job satisfaction, organizational commitment and job performance of office workers, and such an effective job design should be made at the organizational level.
Humans ; Job Satisfaction

Tsutsugamushi fever is a serious febrile disease outwardly similar to malaria and various arboviral infections. The endemic area is Asia-Pacific. This disease are generally associated with disturbed habitats favoring large populations of vector larval trombiculid mites. Therapy with tetracycline, chloramphenicol or ciprofloxacin is currently recommanded. Unfortunately these drugs is suboptimal for children and pregnant women. Recently, azithromycin has been proven to be effective in therapy of scrub typhus. There is no evidence that azithromycin causes adverse reaction to developing fetus or children. We report four cases of tsutsugamushi fever in children successfully treated with azithromycin. This is the first report describing clinical application of azithromycin to tsutsugamushi fever in Korean children.
Azithromycin* ; Child* ; Chloramphenicol ; Ciprofloxacin ; Ecosystem ; Female ; Fetus ; Humans ; Malaria ; Pregnant Women ; Scrub Typhus* ; Tetracycline ; Trombiculidae

PURPOSE: In this research, we recognized the effects of DISC behavior styles of office workers on job satisfaction, organizational commitment and job performance, and tried to present a basic data for designing an efficient working system and enhancing the quality of personal life by applying them in the real office work environment. METHODS: A survey was conducted for 315 office workers in D city from Jan. 28th to May 30th 2010, and the collected data were analyzed with the SPSS/WIN 17.0. RESULTS: 1. The differences on job satisfaction, organizational commitment and job performance according to the general characteristics of subjects, were significant except for the gender in job satisfaction and education in organizational commitment. 2. Relationships in job satisfaction, organizational commitment and job performance of subjects, showed positive correlation. 3. Job satisfaction, organizational commitment and job performance according to the DISC behavior styles, were generally not significant. However, some questions were characterized by the DISC types. CONCLUSION: It is necessary to seek an efficient design method by identifying the differences of individual behavior types to enhance job satisfaction, organizational commitment and job performance of office workers, and such an effective job design should be made at the organizational level.
Humans ; Job Satisfaction

Cryptococcosis is an invasive fungal infection, which is more common in immunocompromised patients. However, pulmonary cryptococcosis can occur in immunocompetent patients and should be considered on a differential diagnosis for nodular or mass-like lesions in chest radiograph. Recently, we experienced a patient with pulmonary cryptococcosis, successfully treated with oral fluconazole therapy. A 74-year-old female patient was referred for an evaluation of abnormal images, a large consolidative mass with multiple nodular consolidations and small nodules that mimics primary lung cancer with multiple lung to lung metastases. Computed tomography-guided lung biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis. The follow-up image taken after 4 months with oral fluconazole treatment showed marked improvement.
Aged ; Biopsy ; Cryptococcosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Fluconazole ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Multiple Pulmonary Nodules ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Thorax

PURPOSE: To assess the utility of color Doppler sonography in the differential diagnosis of thyroid nodules. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty patients with thyroid nodules(10 cases of follicular adenoma, 12 of adenomatous hyperplasia, 21 of papillary adenocarcinoma, and 7 of follicular adenocarcinoma) were analyzed. Colour signal analysis was performed by inspecting the signals in and around the nodules, and these were graded from 0 to III according to the degree of vascularity in internal and marginal blood flow. Peak systoic velocity (PSV) and resistive index (RI) in internal vascularity were used to analyse the flow signal. RESULTS: Internal colorsignals of malignant lesions tended to be high grade, whereas those of benign lesions tended to be low grade, with statistical significance(P<0.05). In spectral wave analysis, correlation between PSV and malignancy of thyroid nodules was statistically significant(P<0.05). The value of RI did not correlate with the malignancy of nodules, but tended to show a meaningful difference. CONCLUSIONS: Although further studies may be required, color Dopplersonography using color signal analysis and flow signals analysis is a useful imaging modality for the differentiation of benign and malignant lesions of thyroid nodules.
Adenocarcinoma, Papillary ; Adenoma ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Nodule*