No abstract available.
Immunization* ; Influenza, Human*

No abstract available.
Diagnosis*

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND: Health care workers (HCWs) are exposed to patients' blood occupationally by needlesticks or sharps injuries and by direct contact to mucous membranes or skins. This study was performed to investigate actively the descriptive epidemiology of HCWs' blood exposures in a University Hospital in Korea. METHODS: Over a 5 year period (from Jan, 1996 to Dec. 31, 2000), in a acute, educational, tertiary and about 1,500 beds university hospital, blood exposure episodes were reported by HCWs. The reported cases of 532 were analysed epidemiologically and statistically using PC SAS 6.12. RESULTS: The proportions of male and female were 44.0% (234), 56.0% (298) respectively the mean age was 29.2 years and the mode of career was 12 months. Distributions by job titles were 44.9% (239/532) in doctors' 29.5% (157/532) in registered nurses' 9.0% (48/532) in aid nurses, 6.4%(34/532) in housekeepers and 4.3%(23/532) in technicians. The proportions per 100 HCWs by job category were 4.4%(239/5,489) in doctors, 3.7%(157/4,262) in registered nurses and 1.3%(23/ 1,786) in technicians. and that per 100 beds was 6.8% (529/7,730). Distribution of reported cases were 13.0% (69/532), 11.5% (61/532), 9.2%(49/532) in March, April and May respectively. The major type of exposure was percutaneous injuries (96.3%, 513/533), and the most of them was needlesticks (91.4%, 469/513). The largest number of blood exposures occurred in inpatient ward(48.4%, 257/532) and the most injured body part was fingers (782%, 412/527), especially 1st finger (25%, 84/332). Blood exposure accidents were occurred during invasive procedures(66.3%, 341/514) and most of them were blood sampling(22.9%, 78/341) and recapping(20.8%, 71/341). Hepatitis B virus was the major bloodborne pathogens of reported cases (55.8%. 293/525). Post exposure prophylaxis and follow up were done for susceptible person but the seroposive conversions in them were not found. The association between job categories and exposure types and that between job titles and occurrence places were significant statistically(CMH chi-square p=0.001). The reporting cases of HBV exposures were decreased but those of HIV exposures were increased annually during the study period. CONCLUSION: We could find the descriptive epidemiology of Hews' occupational exposures to blood in a university hospital in Korea. And we can support the data in order to establish the policy or act for HCWs' safety and health from the boodborne hazards. In addition, to confirm the preventive effects of infection control activities for Hews from the risk of bloodborne diseases.
Blood-Borne Pathogens ; Cross Infection ; Delivery of Health Care* ; Epidemiology ; Female ; Fingers ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatitis B virus ; HIV ; Humans ; Infection Control ; Inpatients ; Korea ; Male ; Mucous Membrane ; Needlestick Injuries ; Occupational Exposure ; Occupations ; Post-Exposure Prophylaxis ; Skin

No abstract available.
Bacteremia* ; Staphylococcus aureus* ; Staphylococcus*

BACKGROUND: Approxinately 30%-70% of patients hospitalized receive intravenous(IV) therapy[l-4], It is generally believed that many hospitalized patients experienced IV therapy related complications-including infiltration(swelling), phlebitis, pain, suppurative phlebitis and bacterernia. These complications may be critical to ill children in the hopsital. This study was done to assess the IV therapy related complications and characteristics od the phlebitis of the hospitalized children. METHODS: We collected date prospectively from December 8, 1994 to December 14 at the tertiary care hospital in Seoul. The subhects of this study were children who got new IV catheters during that period. RESULTS: There were 306 new cases(176 children) that got IV therapy and which meant 63.8 per 100 discharge patients. Male(62.8%), pediatric surgery patients(70.6%) were more than female(37.2%) and pediatrucs(28.4%) respectively. The usually used IV sites were the upper extermities(71.3%). Among various purposes of IV therapy, the most common was to administer drugs(74.2%) including antibiotics, and next was to keep vein open (41.2%). By the way, 172 cases(56.3%) had IV related complications and 14 resulted in phlebitis. The most common IV related complication of hospitalized children was swelling(35.1%). The incidence of IV related complication of hospitalized children was swelling(35.1%). The incidence of IV phlebits was higher in pediaterics than in pediatrid surgery (P<0.05), over 12 years old than under that aged patients (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: This study revealed that many hospitalized children experienced the IV related complications. In order to decrease the IV related complications, reduce the incidence and thorough care is recommanded.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Catheters ; Child* ; Child, Hospitalized ; Humans ; Incidence ; Phlebitis ; Prospective Studies ; Seoul ; Tertiary Healthcare ; Veins

The number of people living with HIV/AIDS continues to grow, estimated to be 39.5 million as of the end of 2006, while 4.3 million people were newly infected in 2006. The proportions of women has continued to grow, currently approaching 50%. Sub-Saharan Africa continues to bear the brunt of global epidemic, comprising 63% of all infections worldwide. The most striking increases have occurred in East Asia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia. High-risk behaviors (intravenous drug use and unprotected sex between men or with paid sex workers) are the predominant route of transmission. The number of people with HIV/AIDS continues to increase since the first report of HIV in Korea, now approaching 4,580 as of the end of 2006. The real magnitude of HIV epidemic is believed to be much larger than the recent estimates by UNAIDS shows (13,000 people with HIV infection). The prevalence among the general population is still low (less than 0.1%; probably 0.003~0.01%). The HIV epidemic in Korea shows several peculiar features: 1) a male predominance suggesting that the epidemic may still be largely confined to male homosexual community, while the transmission through heterosexual contact remains less prominent, 2) a conspicuous absence of contribution of intravenous drug use to current epidemic, and 3) a very small number of vertical transmission due to the relatively limited number of infected women. The HIV epidemic is expected to continue to grow in the foreseeable future in Korea as well as globally unless drastic efforts are made to cope with the epidemic.
Africa South of the Sahara ; Asia ; Epidemiology* ; Europe, Eastern ; Far East ; Female ; Heterosexuality ; HIV ; Homosexuality ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Prevalence ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Strikes, Employee ; Unsafe Sex

No abstract available.
Candidiasis*

PURPOSE: Pneumonia was an important cause of death in 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic (pH1N1). Clinical characteristics of pH1N1 have been described well, but discriminative characteristics suggesting pH1N1 infection in pneumonia patients are not evident today. We evaluated differences between clinical and radiologic characteristics for those associated and not associated with pH1N1 influenza during the pandemic period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed all patients with pneumonia who visited the Armed Forces Capital Hospital between July 2009 and February 2010. During this period, all pneumonia patients were tested for pH1N1 by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using nasopharyngeal specimens. RESULTS: In total, 98 patients with pneumonia were enrolled. Their median age was 20 years and all patients were males. Forty-nine (50%) of patients had pH1N1 infection and the others (50%) had negative results in pH1N1 RT-PCR. Patients with pH1N1 infection complained of dyspnea more commonly (83.3% vs. 29.0%; p<0.001), had higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II scores [5 (range, 0-12) vs. 3 (range, 0-11); p<0.01], fewer days of prehospital illness [2 (range, 0-10) vs. 4 (range, 0-14); p=0.001], and a higher chance of bilateral infiltrates on chest X-ray (CXR) (67.3% vs. 14.3%; p<0.001) and ground-glass opacity (GGO) lesions on computed tomography (CT; 48.9% vs. 22.0%; p<0.001) than patients without pH1N1 infection. CONCLUSION: Dyspnea, bilateral infiltrates on CXR, and GGO on CT were dominant features in pH1N1-associated pneumonia. Understanding these characteristics can help selection of patients who require prompt antiviral therapy.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use ; Dyspnea/virology ; Humans ; Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype/genetics/*pathogenicity ; Influenza, Human/*complications/radiography/virology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pneumonia/etiology/radiography ; Pneumonia, Viral/drug therapy/etiology/*radiography/*virology ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Young Adult

We report a 33-year-old man with AIDS dementia complex, which is one of the most common neurologic complica-tion of HIV-1 infection. The man presented with mild psychomotor slowing and episodic loss of consciousness about 5 years after the detection of the HIV-1 infection. His symptoms included forgetfulness, concentration difficulties, apathy, and psychomotor retardation which progressed rapidly evolving into the characteristic features of terminal HIV-1-asso-ciated dementia complex, such as severe dementia, mutism, incontinence, and paraparesis before death. Brain MRIrevealed diffuse confluent high signal intensity lesions in the subcortical white matter on the T2 weighted image. HIV encephalitis (AIDS dementia complex) was confirmed by a brain autopsy.
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; Adult ; AIDS Dementia Complex* ; Apathy ; Autopsy* ; Brain ; Dementia ; Encephalitis ; HIV ; HIV-1 ; Humans ; Mutism ; Paraparesis ; Unconsciousness