BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to survey hygiene behavior of healthcare personnel according to the Hygiene Inventory 23 (HI23) and to use the results in education and research for promoting hygiene behaviors. METHODS: We sampled a total of 400 people with 50 from each job category. The sample was obtained through convenient sampling among 8,200 employees working at a tertiary-care hospital with 2,600 beds in Seoul. The HI23 consisted of 5 subscales and 8 questions on general hygiene, 3 on household hygiene, 3 on food-related hygiene, 5 on hand hygiene methods, and 4 on personal hygiene, resulting in a total of 23 questions. The researcher also added 14 questions on the general characteristics of the subjects. The self-administered questionnaires were distributed on October 2009 and analyzed blindly. RESULTS: The average total score for hygiene behavior was 3.04+/-0.44 (maximum of 4). In the subcategory of hygiene behavior, the mean score was 3.20+/-4.24 for general hygiene, 3.07+/-0.68 for household hygiene, 3.07+/-0.68 for food-related hygiene, 2.91+/-0.69 for hand hygiene methods, and 2.97+/-0.48 for personal hygiene. When factors affecting the level of hygiene behavior were identified through multivariate regression analysis, independent factors were found to be gender (female), job category (food-related job), experience in hand hygiene education, and experience in teaching hand hygiene or general hygiene. CONCLUSION: Programs and education adapted to the characteristics of each job category in hospitals are needed to promote hygiene behaviors such as general hygiene, hand hygiene methods, household hygiene, food-related hygiene, and personal hygiene.
Delivery of Health Care ; Family Characteristics ; Hand Disinfection ; Hand Hygiene ; Humans ; Hygiene ; Surveys and Questionnaires

We observed 233 twins and 2 triplets cases among 16,774 newborns delivered at Kwangju Christian Hospital during 5 years from Jan, 1986 to Dec. 1990. The results obtained are as follows: 1) The overall incidence of win pregnancy was 1:72(1.4%)and that of triplets 1:z8387(0.01%). 2) The average male-female sex ratio of twins was 1.06:1 with male predominating and 86% were same sex pairs(male-male 43.8%, female-female 41.3%), only 14.0% being different. 3) The incidence of twin delivery tended to be more prevalent in primigravidas. 4) More than half of all cases(248/466)had birth weight less than 2,500 g, with 33% falling into the range of 2,001~2,500 g. No statistically significant differences of birth weight were noted between both sexes or among birth sequences. 5) At 5 minute after birth, Apgar score below 7 were found in 9.5% of the firtst born and in 11.6% of second born twins, with no significant difference noted. 6) The perinatal mortality rate of twins were 94.4/1,000 and the perinatal mortality rates of first and second twins were 77.2 and 111.6, resp., but not significantly different. The larger the difference of birth weight between co-twins, the shorter thee gestational age and the less the birth weight between co-twins, the shorter the gestation age and the less the birth weight of twins, the larger became the perinatal mortality. But, it was not related to the parities or maternal ages. 7) The overall principal causes of perinatal death were still birth (45.5%), respiratory distress syndrome(36.4%) and immaturity(11.4%) in descending order.
Apgar Score ; Birth Weight ; Gestational Age ; Gwangju ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Maternal Age ; Parturition ; Perinatal Mortality ; Pregnancy ; Sex Ratio ; Triplets ; Twins*

Iron deficient state occurs commonly in the athlets, and the cause may be inadequate iron intake, loss of iron from sweat, blood loss of gastrointestinal tract, and hematuria. The age of the athletes ranged from 11 to 17 years old. I messured red blood cell count, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and related hematologic factors in the 32 adolescent female athletes and 21 female controls. a hematologic comparison was perfomed between the athletes and controls. The results obtained were as follows: 1) A value of hemoglobin were 11.6+/-1.4g/dl in the athletes and 12:4+/-0.8g/dl in controls (p<0.05). 2) Hematocrits were 34.1+/-3.4% in the athletes and 37.4+/-2.3% in controls (p<0.05). 3)A value of red bolld cell distribution width values were 13.9+/-2.1% in the athletes and 12.2+/-1.1% in controls (p<0.05). 4) Serum iron was 87.7+/-30.3ug/dl in the athletes and 121.8+/-39.0ug/dl in controls (p<0.001). 5) Total iron binding capacity was 445:6+/-31.8ug/dl in the athletes and 384:6+/-54.2ug/dl in controls (p<0.001). 6) Mean transferrin saturation values were 19.7+/-6.9% in the athletes and 32.5+/-10.8% in control (p<0.001). 7) Ferritin was 14.5+/-10.0ng/ml in the athletes and 33.9+/-13.9ng/ml in controls (p<0.001). 8) The duration of exercise was 4.8+/-2.5 years in the stage III iron deficiency, whil 3.0+/-2.0 years in normal group in iron deficient state (p<0.05).
Adolescent* ; Athletes* ; Erythrocyte Count ; Female* ; Ferritins ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Hematocrit ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Iron* ; Sweat ; Transferrin

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to construct and test a structural equation model of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among hospitalized patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). METHODS: Participants were 256 patients with PTB who were 20 years or older and admitted in two national tuberculosis hospitals. The patients participated in pulmonary function testing and responded to structured questionaries. RESULTS: The goodness-of-fit statistics of the final hypothetical model were as follows: χ2/df=2.19, RMSEA=.07, SRMR=.05, GFI=.95, NFI=.95, CFI=.96, TLI=.92, and PCFI=.52. Symptoms and general health perception had significant direct effects, and subjective economic status, social support and stigma had significant indirect effect on HRQoL of hospitalized patients with PTB. These variables explained 64% of variance in the prediction model. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that strategies and intervention for physical symptoms and depressive symptoms are crucial to improve the quality of life in hospitalized patients with PTB. The development of various social support programs is also recommended.
Depression ; Hospitals, Chronic Disease ; Humans ; Quality of Life* ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Social Stigma ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary*

Postpartum thyroiditis is a common but frequently unrecognized disorder, affecting approximately 5% of women during the first 12 months after delivery. It is characterized by transient hyperthyroidism occurring about 14 weeks postpartum followed by transient hypothyroidism at 19 weeks postpartum. Our aim is to investigate the prevalence of positive antimicrosomal antibody in women 3 months postpartum and an association of antimicrosomal antibody with symptomatic and biochemical thyroid disorders. We used data collected from 205 women who visited Dankook University Hospital in 3 months postpartum, Our results showed that the rate of positive antithyroid microsomal antibody was 12.7% in women 3 months postpartum and the prevalence of biochemical hyperthyroidism and biochemical hypothyroidism with positive antithyroid microsomal antibody women 3 months postpartum were 26.9% and 19.2%, respectively. The prevalence of postpartum biochemical thyroid dysfuncion 3 months postpartum was 13.7%. There was no relationship between any of the following factors and thyroid antibody status: fetal distress, birth weight and infant sex, matemal age, experiences and mode of delivery, previous medical disease(such as pstrointestinal and psychotic diseases), experiences of previous abortions, gestational age and past history of thyroid diseases.
Abortion, Induced ; Birth Weight ; Female ; Fetal Distress ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Hyperthyroidism ; Hypothyroidism ; Infant ; Postpartum Period* ; Postpartum Thyroiditis* ; Prevalence ; Thyroid Diseases ; Thyroid Gland

Congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation and Extralobar Pulmonary sequestration are very rare congenital anomalies. We experienced a 4 year-old female patient who had Congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation in her lower lobe of left lung. We accidently found extralobar pulmonary sequestration associated with Congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation at operation field. The resection of the left lower lobe and the extralobar pulmonary sequestration were performed. The arterial supply of the extralobar pulmonary sequestration was one anomalous artery arised from the thoracic aorta. The Venous drainage of expralobar pulmonary sequestration was intercostal vein into the azygous vein. The patient was discharged without any problem.
Aorta, Thoracic ; Arteries ; Bronchopulmonary Sequestration* ; Child, Preschool ; Cystic Adenomatoid Malformation of Lung, Congenital* ; Drainage ; Female ; Humans ; Lung ; Veins

Fox-Fordyce disease is a chronic pruritic papular eiruption, usually appearing in women and presenting a strict localization to the areas bearing apocrine sweat glands. More than 90g, of the cases were seen in women, the majority being in the age group of 13 to 35 years. The present report deals with unusual case of 14-year-old boy who developed Fox-Fordyce disease 6 years ago. To our knowledge, it is extremely rare case in Korea.
Adolescent ; Female ; Fox-Fordyce Disease* ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Sweat Glands

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between depressive symptoms, stigma and social support in hospitalized PTB (pulmonary tuberculosis) patients. METHODS: Participants were 256 patients with PTB who were admitted in two national tuberculosis hospitals. RESULTS: Higher levels of stigma were significantly related to depressive symptoms in patients with PTB. Self-reports of social support by medical staff were negatively associated with depressive symptoms in patients with PTB. Stigma and social support by medical staff were found to be significant predictors of depressive symptoms after controlling for potential confounders. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that intervention for depressive symptoms be incorporated into treatment for patients with PTB, and strategies to decrease TB-related stigma and increase social support by medical staff be provided to prevent depressive symptoms.
Depression* ; Hospitals, Chronic Disease ; Humans ; Medical Staff ; Social Stigma ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary*

In 1,146 term neonates without perinatal problems who were born in Kwangju Christian Hospital, blood TSH levels were measured by immunoradiometric assay. In 397 term neonates among them, blood T4 levels were measured by radioimmunoassay in same specimens. 1) In normal neonates aged 3~5 days, 6~10 days, 11~20 days and 21~28 days, the TSH levels were 8.88+/-5.21(mean+/-SD), 9.44+/-5.16, 9.69+/-4.98, 11.96+/-3.75 IU/ml and the T4 levels were 11.41+/-2.79, 11.37+/-2.82, 11.19+/-2.63, 10.51+/-2.99 g/dl respectively. 2) No significant sex difference in TSH level was found in each age group, and TSH level did not correlate with birth weight. In neonates delivered by Cesarean section, TSH levels were lower than those of the normally delivered. 3) T4 levels did not differ between both sexes, and between types of delivery in each age group, and nor did it correlate with birth wweight 4) If the recall rate should be set at 0.2% of the total, TSH levels above 26.9 IU/ml would be required to recall for serum sampling. TSH level above 2 SD was 19.7 IU/ml. Cutoff points of T4 levels at 1.5 SD and 2 SD were 5.8 and 7.2 g/dl respetively, and the lowest 10th percentile was 7.4 g/dl.
Birth Weight ; Cesarean Section ; Female ; Gwangju ; Humans ; Immunoradiometric Assay ; Infant, Newborn* ; Mass Screening* ; Parturition ; Pregnancy ; Radioimmunoassay ; Sex Characteristics

No abstract available.
Education ; Nursing