Microsporum ferrugineum was the most common cause of tinea captis in Korea until the middle of the 1970s, but this organism has been only rarely isolated from the scalp ringworm during recent years. We report, three cases of tinea capitis occurring in a 2-year-old male, a 10 year-old female and a 5-year-old male. From all three patients, Microsporum ferrugineum was isolated.
Child ; Child, Preschool ; Epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Microsporum* ; Scalp ; Tinea Capitis* ; Tinea*

A 12-year-old boy showed a slatecolored scaly patch on h; ight face for 2 months. Histopathologic findings showed basal vacuolations and dermal me arphages with only scanty lymphoid cells in the fat tissue layer. Besides the facial lesion, lesions of edematous localized erythema were noted on his right if and left buttock with similar mi rocopical findings. 6 months later the facial lesion was aggravated like a cellulitis, of which thc bevpsy findings were consistent with mycosis fungoides. The patient received chemotherapy aftei the diagonsis for one month before his termination. Because of the rarity of mycosis fungoides in childhood age and its un common cutaneous lesions, the case is reported.
Buttocks ; Cellulitis ; Child ; Dronabinol ; Drug Therapy ; Erythema ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; Male ; Mycosis Fungoides* ; United Nations

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The change of voice quality on menstrual cycle is regarded as general in professionals. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the changes of acoustic parameters during menstrual cycle in general population. METHODS: Twenty young adults were asked to produce vowel /a/, /i/ , and /u/ and to read book audibly at the proliferative phase of the menstrual cycle and premenstrual phase. And then, the sound of the voice in each case was recorded and analyzed by the Computerized Speech Lab. (CSL, Kay Elemetrics, Model 4300B, USA). The statistical analyses were performed using paired t-test to compare several variables of data. RESULTS: Compared with the acoustic parameters between two periods, there were no significant differences in all subjects. But the acoustic parameters with book-reading loudly during menstrual cycles revealed slight changes in voice quality. CONCLUSION: The change of voice quality, especially the fatigue of voice may be concerned with menstrual cycle, so more careful voice habituation was required during the menstrual period.
Acoustics ; Fatigue ; Female ; Humans ; Menstrual Cycle* ; Voice Quality* ; Voice* ; Young Adult

This is study was performed to assess socioeconomic status and physical health status of middle-aged men (40's~60's) in Ganghwa country. We interviewed 1,267 middle-aged men (602 male, 665 female) by trained interviewers using structured questionnaires including demographic information, general health status, and anthropometric measurements. And all the data were analyzed by chi-square test, Student's t-test and one-way ANOVA using SPSS 12.0 version at p<0.05. These results were that males were higher than females in educational levels (p=0.000) and most of them decreased according to age in educational levels (p=0.000) and family income (p=0.000), and prevalence of chronic diseases (p=0.000): stomach-duodenum disease, fracture, arthritis, or hypertension. They took to the health information on TV and radio and their health managing methods were exercise and walking and resting and diet regulation. Body Mass Index (BMI) was decreased in older males (p=0.024) but increased in older females (p=0.001). In females, obesity prevalence of 40's, 50's and 60's was 31.3%, 49.7% and 48.0%, respectively. Waist circumference was the highest in 50's males (p=0.015), but hip circumference was the highest in 50's females (p=0.015). Waist-hip ratio (WHR) increased in older males (p=0.028) and females (p=0.000). In spite of the subjects were engaged in agriculture and fishery and had desirable lifestyles, obesity rate especially abdominal obesity, was the serious problem. Socioeconomic status, especially education and income were related to SRH (p=0.006, p=0.000), chronic disease (p=0.000) and BMI (p=0.028, p=0.000). Therefore, it is necessary that the public health policy and nutrition education programs to alter lifestyles and to improve health preservation and health promotion in the farming and fishing communities.
Adult* ; Agriculture ; Arthritis ; Body Mass Index ; Chronic Disease ; Diet ; Education ; Female ; Fisheries ; Health Promotion ; Hip ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Life Style ; Male ; Obesity ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Prevalence ; Public Health ; Social Class* ; Waist Circumference ; Waist-Hip Ratio ; Walking

BACKGROUND: Although blood is very important therapeutic agent in bleeding patients, it may transmit disease, cause an adverse reaction in the recipients, raise the cost of patient care. Since the misuse and inappropriate use of blood is common, we are to review the transfusion practice in our hospital and to reduce unnecessary blood transfusion. METHODS: During a 10-month period from June 1994 through March 1995, 347 patients received blood transfusion during the operation. Among them, we reviewed retrospectively the charts of 211 patients available. We analyzed the transfusion pattern of 47 patients whose postoperative hematocrit exceeded 32 percent to determine the magnitude and cause of unnecessary blood transfusion. RESULTS: The patients of postoperative hematocrit over 32 percent were 119 patients out of 211 patients(56.4%). The main cause of overtransfusion was no reevaluation of the patients hematocrit after the prior unit was given. CONCLUSIONS: Guidelines for transfusing patients must be constructed based on acceptable intraoperative hematocrits. Unnecessary transfusion can be decreased when the transfusion done according to the guidelines, insisting on each reevaluation of the hematocrit prior to the administration of unit of blood.
Blood Transfusion ; Hematocrit ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Patient Care ; Retrospective Studies

Pacemaker malfunctions are secondary to alterations of the preset pacing rate, irregular pacing failure of sensing, failure of cardiac capture or depolarization, and various combinations of these events. A 76 years old male patients was admitted due to pacemaker malfunction. 2 years ago, he was diagnosed as complete atrioventricular block. And then bipolar permanent pacemaker was implanted. Since then syncopal attack developed repetitivly. 12 lead ECG and 24 hour holter moniter monitoring, revealed pacing and sensing failure, thus we converted bipolar system into unipolar system. since then syncopal attack did not developed again.
Atrioventricular Block* ; Electrocardiography ; Humans ; Male

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the treatment effect of extracorporeal magnetic innervation (ExMI) therapy, and determine how long the effect of this treatment lasts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Among the demonstrable stress urinary incontinent patients, 28 were selected. Before the ExMI therapy, voiding diary, incontinence episodes, pad test, and quality of life questionnaires were evaluated. The treatment was performed for 30 minutes, 3 times a week, for 6 weeks. All of the evaluations were repeated at the first and sixth months following treatment. The treatment outcomes were classified as: cure, good, fair, poor and failure, according to a new outcome score. RESULTS: The overall cure rate was 35.7% (10/28) by the 1st month and 17.9% (5/28) by the 6th. From further a classification, the cure rate in grade I was 43.8 (7/16) and 25% (4/16) by the 1st and 6th months, respectively, and in grade II were 25 (3/12) and 8.3% (1/12) respectively. Incontinence episode was reduced from 4.2+/-2.8 to 1.5+/-1.5 and 2.8+/-2.3 by the 1st and 6th months, respectively. The urine loss was reduced from 21.0+/-31.4g to 6.0+/-8.2g and 14.0+/-24.7g by the 1st and 6th months, respectively. The results were statistically analyzed using Wilcoxon rank sum and Fisher's exact tests. CONCLUSIONS: It was suggested that the ExMI therapy was an effective treatment for stress urinary incontinence, but its effect decreased over time. In order to sustain, or improve its effect, a regular interval, or prolonged ExMI therapy, would be need
Classification ; Humans ; Quality of Life ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Urinary Incontinence*

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to find out the cause of discrepancy between various automated immunoassays for 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25-[OH]D). METHODS: National Institute of Standards & Technology Standard Reference Material (SRM) 972a is SRM for 25-(OH)D and consists of 4 vials of frozen serum with different concentrations of 25-(OH)D. Each concentration was measured 6 times in 3 different immunoassays: ADVIA Vitamin D Total assay (Siemens Healthcare, Erlangen, Germany), ARCHITECT 25-(OH)D (Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, IL, USA), and COBAS Vitamin D Total assay (Roche Diagnostics, Basel, Switzerland). RESULTS: When using the certified reference values of SRM 972a as it is, discarding the cross-reactivity of each immunoassay, for ADVIA, the coefficient of determination (R2) as a score of regression analysis was 0.8995 and maximal difference between measured value and certified reference value was 3.6 ng/mL in level 3. The R2 and maximal differences of ARCHITECT were 0.5377 and 6.9 ng/mL, respectively, in level 4. Those of COBAS were 0.3674 and 22.3 ng/mL, respectively, in level 4. When considering cross-reactivities of each immunoassays to various 25-(OH)D metabolites, the ADVIA had R2 and maximal difference of 0.9254 and 3.3 ng/mL, respectively, in level 3. For ARCHITECT, the R2 and maximal differences were 0.7602 and 5.1 ng/mL, respectively, in level 1. Those of COBAS were 0.9284 and 4.9 ng/mL, respectively, in level 1. CONCLUSIONS: The cause of discrepancies between vitamin D immunoassays was mainly on the difference in cross-reactivities to various vitamin D metabolites. The discrepancies can be considerably decreased by considering cross-reactivities of each immunoassay.
Cross Reactions ; Delivery of Health Care ; Immunoassay* ; Reference Values ; Vitamin D* ; Vitamins*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Portal hypertension in cirrhosis is associated with a hyperdynamic circulation, which is characterized by hypervolemia, high cardiac output, arterial hypotension and low peripheral vascular resistance. These circulatory abnormalities are thought to be secondary to a splanchnic arteriolar vasodilation related to the increase in portal pressure. Studies assessing regional hemodynamics in patients of cirrhosis with ascites have shown vasoconstriction in the renal circulation and in peripheral vascular territory. This study was designed to assess the cerebral vascular resistance in cirrhotic patients with ascites. METHODS: The resistive index in the middle cerebral artery and in a renal interlobar artery were measured by Doppler ultrasonography in 12 cirrhotic subjects without ascites, 23 cirrhotic subjects with ascites, and 8 healthy subjects. The arterial blood pressure and plasma renin and norepinephrine concentration, which reflect the activity of the renin-ngiotensin and sympathetic nervous systems respectively, were also measured. RESULTS: The resistive index in the middle cerebral artery were significantly higher in cirrhotic patients with ascites (0.58 +/- 0.04, mean +/- standard deviation) than in cirrhotic patients without ascites (0.53 +/- 0.02, p<0.01) and in control subjects (0.50 +/- 0.05, p<0.01). The resistive index in the middle cerebral artery showed direct correlation with renal resistive index (r = 0.52, p<0.01), plasma renin activity (r = 0.44, p<0.01) and norepinephrine (r = 0.33, p<0.05). The resistive index in the middle cerebral artery showed an inverse correlation with mean arterial pressure (r = -.59, p<0.01). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that in patients of cirrhosis with ascites, independent of the amount of ascites, there is a cerebral vasoconstriction which is related with the arterial hypotension and the overactivity of vasoconstrictor systems.
Arterial Pressure ; Arteries ; Ascites* ; Cardiac Output, High ; Fibrosis ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Hypertension, Portal ; Hypotension ; Liver Cirrhosis* ; Liver* ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Norepinephrine ; Plasma ; Portal Pressure ; Renal Circulation ; Renin ; Sympathetic Nervous System ; Ultrasonography, Doppler ; Vascular Resistance ; Vasoconstriction ; Vasodilation

BACKGROUND: Compliance with hand hygiene protocols is one of the simplest ways to prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Hand hygiene is influenced by individual habits and beliefs, as well as by local organizational culture practices. This study was performed in order to increase the rate of compliance to hand hygiene through changes in the organizational culture. METHODS: From 2009 through 2011, this study was performed in a 2,000-bed tertiary-care university hospital with more than 6,000 employees. The program was implemented mainly by team activities, and the leadership and hand hygiene steering committee members supported them. Goals for planning, intervention, and evaluation of the compliance rate for hand hygiene were made annually in the hospital. RESULTS: The rate of compliance to hand hygiene increased significantly each year (43.8% in 2008, 75.3% in 2009, 80.7% in 2010, and 83.2% in 2011). The detection rate of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) and the incidence of healthcare-associated Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia decreased. CONCLUSION: The rate of compliance to hand hygiene was remarkably improved, and it continuously increased through systematic and continuous changes in the organizational culture. In addition, the detection rate of VRE and incidence of S. aureus bacteremia decreased. These results show that hand hygiene is an important factor for preventing HAIs.
Bacteremia ; Committee Membership ; Compliance ; Enterococcus ; Hand Hygiene ; Incidence ; Organizational Culture ; Staphylococcus aureus