PURPOSE: This study was performed to measure the level of nursing tasks and practice environment of nursing work (PENW) perceived by nurses working on comprehensive wards or general wards, and to investigate the relationship between these two variables. METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional survey. Participants were 97 nurses working on comprehensive or general wards of one general hospital in Gyeonggido, Korea. Data were collected from October 17 to 21, 2016 using the structured questionnaires and analyzed with SPSS/PC ver 18.0 programs. RESULTS: The scores for nursing tasks (performance, importance, and knowledge) perceived by nurses working on comprehensive wards were higher than nurses on general wards. The score for PENW perceived by nurses working on comprehensive wards was significantly higher than that of nurses on general wards. For comprehensive ward nurses, there was a relationship between nursing tasks and PENW, but no relationship was found for general ward nurses. CONCLUSION: This findings show that nurses working on comprehensive wards evaluate nursing tasks and PENW higher than nurses working on general wards indicating that nursing managers should work to raise the perception of general ward nursing tasks and PENW.
Cross-Sectional Studies ; Gyeonggi-do ; Hospitals, General ; Korea ; Nursing ; Patients' Rooms ; Task Performance and Analysis

No abstract available.
Clostridium difficile* ; Clostridium* ; Critical Illness* ; Humans ; Proton Pump Inhibitors* ; Proton Pumps* ; Protons*

PURPOSE: This study was designed to examine whether human articular chondrocytes express heat shock protein 27 (hsp27) and to evaluate the relation between hsp27 and the apoptosis of chondrocytes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Knee joint articular cartilage was obtained from femoral condyle in osteoarthritis patients who underwent joint replacement surgery. Chondrocytes were isolated, cultured and then exposed to heat shock (42degrees C) for 1 hour to induce the expression of hsp27. 20 mM of sodium nitroprusside (SNP) was then added for 12 hours to evaluate the ability of hsp27 to prevent SNPinduced chondrocyte apoptosis. The expression of hsp27 was verified by Western blot and the rate of apoptosis was determined by flow cytometric analysis. RESULTS: Heat shock resulted in the increased expression of hsp27 in chondrocytes. Heat-shocked groups had smaller numbers of apoptotic cells than control groups when both were exposed to apoptosis inducing stimuli. CONCLUSION: We conclude that hsp27 was expressed in human articular chondrocytes by heat shock and that the expression of hsp27 in chondrocytes increases their resistance to apoptosis. This result presents clues, which suggest that the induction of hsp27 could be a desirable future therapeutic strategy in human osteoarthritis
Apoptosis* ; Blotting, Western ; Cartilage, Articular ; Chondrocytes* ; Heat-Shock Proteins* ; Hot Temperature* ; HSP27 Heat-Shock Proteins* ; Humans ; Joints ; Knee Joint ; Nitroprusside ; Osteoarthritis ; Shock

Kaposi's sarcoma is a neoplastic, vascular tumor involving the skin or internal organs. We report a case of a 72-year-old male who presented with multiple, grouped, purpuric papules, hemorrhagic bullae and nodules showing zosteriform distribution on the sole of his right foot. In our case, as in some of the cases from the literature, the patient was initially misdiagnosed clinically as having herpes zoster. Histopathologic findings revealed a diffuse infiltrate of small blood vessels and slit-like spaces extending through most of the dermis. Many of the spindle-shaped cells expressed factor VIII-related antigen, and human herpes virus 8 (HHV-8) DNA was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in paraffin-embedded tissue.
Aged ; Blood Vessels ; Dermis ; DNA ; Foot ; Herpes Zoster ; Humans ; Male ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sarcoma, Kaposi* ; Skin ; von Willebrand Factor

Kaposi's sarcoma is a neoplastic, vascular tumor involving the skin or internal organs. We report a case of a 72-year-old male who presented with multiple, grouped, purpuric papules, hemorrhagic bullae and nodules showing zosteriform distribution on the sole of his right foot. In our case, as in some of the cases from the literature, the patient was initially misdiagnosed clinically as having herpes zoster. Histopathologic findings revealed a diffuse infiltrate of small blood vessels and slit-like spaces extending through most of the dermis. Many of the spindle-shaped cells expressed factor VIII-related antigen, and human herpes virus 8 (HHV-8) DNA was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in paraffin-embedded tissue.
Aged ; Blood Vessels ; Dermis ; DNA ; Foot ; Herpes Zoster ; Humans ; Male ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sarcoma, Kaposi* ; Skin ; von Willebrand Factor

BACKGROUND: Many young children suffer from wheezing illness during viral respiratory infection, and some of them experience wheezing many years later and ultimately develop bronchial asthma. It is not clear whether atopy or bronchial hyperresponsiveness in the family is a significant risk factor for asthma in this clinical setting. Objective : To examine the genetic basis for the development of asthma after early childhood wheezing. Materials and METHODS: A measurement of serum total IgE concentration, skin prick test to common inhalant allergens, and methacholine bronchial provocation test were performed in 29 asthmatic children and their parents, and 22 non-asthmatic children with the past history of wheezing illness during the first three years of age and their parents. A questionnaire was performed to assess the presence of asthma and allergic rhinitis in the parents. RESULTS: Positive skin test response to common inhalant allergens was more prevalent in asthmatics than in non-asthmatics(67.8% vs. 27.2%). Serum total IgE concentration was significantly higher in asthmatics than in non-asthmatics(geometric mean: 173 vs. 83 IU/ ml). Positive skin test response to comman inhalant allergens was more prevalent in parents of asthmatics than in thoae of non-asthmatics(51.7% vs. 25.0%), but serum total IgE level was not different between the two groups(geometric mean: 132 vs. 120 IU/ml). Positive rate of methacholine bronchial provocation test, geometric mean of PC20-methacholine, and BR index were not different between the parents of asthmatics and non-asthmatics (18.1% vs. 13.9%; 164 vs. 180 mg/ml; 1.154+-0.077 vs. 1.055+-0.068, respectively). CONCLUSION: It is suggested that personal atopy is important in the development of asthma after early childhood wheezing, and parental atopy rather than bronchial hyperresponsiveness is a risk factor for the development of childhood asthma in this clinical setting.
Allergens ; Asthma* ; Bronchial Provocation Tests ; Child ; Genetics ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Methacholine Chloride ; Parents* ; Respiratory Sounds* ; Rhinitis ; Risk Factors ; Skin ; Skin Tests ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: Bronchial asthma is a complex genetic disorder. Although serum IgE level and bronchial hyperresponsiveness are well known to be under genetic control, the influence of genetic factors on basophil releasability has been seldom studied. OBJECTIVE: The present study was carried out to investigate whether genetic factors may influence the basophil histamine releasability. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied 50 children, 32 with atopic asthma (AA) and 18 normal control (NC), and their parents. Suspensions of leukocytes were isolated and stimulated with Ca ionophore and anti-IgE antibody. Then, histamine in the supernatant was as-sayed by an automated fluorometric analyzer. RESULTS: Among the probands, AA children had a significantly higher anti-IgE induced histamine release than NC children. In contrast, Ca ionophore-induced histamine release was similar between the two groups. Ca ionophore-induced or anti-IgE-induced histamine release was not significantly different between parents of AA children and those of NC children. However, the maximal histamine release by Ca ionophore in parents had a significant correlation with that of probands, whereas the values by anti-IgE were not correlated between probands and their parents. CONCLUSION: We confirmed that basophils from patients with atopic asthma are characterized by a specific increase in IgE-mediated histamine release. The significant correlation of Ca ionophore-induced maximal histamine release between children and their parents suggests that genetic factors may play an important role in the control of non-IgE-mediated relessability from basophils.
Asthma ; Basophils* ; Child ; Genetics ; Histamine Release ; Histamine* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Leukocytes ; Parents ; Suspensions

Background: Isotretinoin is a gold standard treatment for moderate to severe acne vulgaris but is associated with cheilitis. Though moisturizing agents or petrolatum have been suggested, uncomfortable isotretinoin-induced cheilitis can disrupt treatment of acne patients. Topical tacrolimus has been used in atopic dermatitis with good safety and efficacy; however, there is no study of application of topical tacrolimus in cheilitis induced by isotretinoin. Objective: In this study, we aimed to describe the efficacy of topical tacrolimus 0.1% ointment on cheilitis associated with isotretinoin therapy using isotretinoin cheilitis grading scale (ICGS), investigator global assessment (IGA), and patient global assessment (PGA). We also observed the side effects of topical tacrolimus ointment. Methods: Fifty acne vulgaris patients with isotretinoin-induced cheilitis were randomly allocated to either topical tacrolimus or petrolatum treatment using permuted-block randomization. Patients were followed-up at 4 and 8 weeks, at which cheilitis lesions were photographed and evaluated with ICGS, IGA, and PGA. Results: Compared to petrolatum group, tacrolimus group had greater responses to treatment as measured by mean values of ICGS, IGA, PGA at follow-up visits. Also, the ICGS decrease was larger in the tacrolimus group compared with the petrolatum group even according to isotretinoin dose. Conclusion Topical tacrolimus ointment had superior efficacy in treating cheilitis induced by isotretinoin compared to petrolatum. Erythema, fissures, scales, and commissures all showed better response to tacrolimus ointment. Topical tacrolimus ointment can be administered as an effective strategy in treatment of cheilitis as a complication of isotretinoin therapy and can improve compliance of acne patients.

Congenital melanocytic nevus is a hamartoma derived from the neural crest that is present at birth. Regression following surgical excision with an apparent halo phenomenon through suture lines has never been reported. A nine-year-old boy presented with a solitary symmetric, oval-shaped, blackish pigmented patch on his right forearm.He reported increasing size of the lesion with no other subjective symptoms. Histological examination of the first excisional biopsy revealed congenital melanocytic nevus, and serial excisions were planned. Interestingly, at the second visit at 18 months after the first biopsy, the size of the congenital melanocytic nevus was reduced with a peripheral whitish halo. Linear regression through suture lines and a peripheral halo was observed after the second and third serial excisions. The mechanism of the halo phenomenon remains elusive but is suggested theorized to be caused by destruction of melanocytes by immune responses of autoantibodies or cytotoxic T cells.