No abstract available.
Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune* ; Child* ; Hepatitis, Chronic* ; Humans

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G* ; Measles*

BACKGROUND: This study was purposed to identify the knowledge and performance level of the infection control guidelines and to improve their performance level of infection control for those nurses who care patients directly. METHODS: This study was based on the survey questionnaires about infection control guidelines with the total 626 nurses in Seoul and Kyunggi areas for the period between May 26, 2003 and July 14, 2003. RESULTS: The average knowledge level of infection control was 0.84 +/-0.07 (score range 0-1) and the average performance level of the infection control was 4.44+/-10.27 (score range 0-5). The correlation between knowledge and performance of the infection control showed positive correlation (r=.39; P<.001). The knowledge and performance level of the 'Prevention of the central catheter infection' were higher than other infection control guidelines. The performance levels of the 'Prevention of the surgical site infection' were lower than other infection control guidelines. The correlation between knowledge and performance of the 'Prevention of the nosocomial pneumonia' (r=.389; P<.001). 'Prevention of the urinary tract infection' (r=.325; P<.001), 'Prevention of the central catheter infection (r=.290; P<.001) and 'Intravascular infection control' (r=.446; P<.001) showed positive correlation. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrated that the nurses' knowledge and performance of infection control guidelines showed positive correlation. So the education on the infection control is required indispensably and it would contribute to reduce the hospital infection rate by performing the right treatment on the infection control with the basis of accurate knowledge.
Catheters ; Cross Infection ; Education ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Infection Control* ; Seoul ; Urinary Tract ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Granulocytopenia, which can be seen in patients with Graves' disease during treatment with antithyroid agents, could be a self resolving transient episode or can imply the beginning of life threatening agranulocytosis requiring a change in treatment modality. Transient granulocytopenia could be a manifestation of hyperthyroidism itself, or a mild side effect of antithyroid drugs. Aganulocytosis is a rare, but major complications of the termination drug, propylthiouracil (PTU), requiring prompt termination of the medication, and intensive care. Therefore, differentiation of agranulocytosis and transient granulocytopenia, is important, but is not practically easy. We introduce a case of transient granulocytopenia, which was detected in a patient with Graves'Disease, accompanied by underlying type 1 diabetes mellitus, during treatment with PTU. Diagnosis of transient granulocytopenia was made by a normal granulocyte count following a single injection of G-SCF, and the patient was treated with conservative therapy. This case confirms a diagnostic tool for differentiating transient granulocytopenia and PTU-induced agranulocytosis.
Agranulocytosis* ; Antithyroid Agents ; Beginning of Human Life ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1* ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential* ; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor* ; Granulocytes ; Graves Disease* ; Humans ; Hyperthyroidism ; Critical Care ; Propylthiouracil

PURPOSE: To evaluate the CT findings and incidence of complications occurring in intrathoracic extrapul-monary organs due to radiation therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Among 82 patients who underwent chest CT before and after radiation therapy, 23, in whom the procedure provided no evidence of pericardial invasion or pleural effusion before radiation therapy, nor of significant improvement in the tumor after this therapy, were evaulated. Changes in the pericardium, pleura and mediastinal fat were retrospectively assessed. In comparing the CT findings obtained before radiation therapy with those obtained afterwards, changes in the pericardium and pleura were classified as effusion where low density fluid was present and as thickening where there was no fluid. If an increased abundance of soft tissue strands was seen within mediastinal fat, changes in this fat were deemed to have occurred. RESULTS: Among the 23 patients evaluated, changes in the pericardium [thickening (n=3 ; 13.0%) ; effusion (n=8 ; 34.8%)] were found in 11 patients (47.8%), and changes in the pleura [thickening (n=3 ; 13.1%); effusion (n=9 ; 39.1%)] in 12 (52.2%). In no patient with pericardial or pleural effusion was thickening or contrast enhancement of the pericardium or pleura evident. In seven cases(30.4%), soft tissue strands within mediastinal fat had become more abundant. CONCLUSION: The CT findings which demonstrated complications resulting from radiation therapy were pericardial or pleural thickening or effusion and an increased abundance of soft tissue strands within mediastinal fat. In contrast to previous reports, pericardial and pleural change after radiation therapy was a common finding in our study, occurring in 69.6% of cases.
Esophageal Neoplasms* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lung* ; Pericardium ; Pleura ; Pleural Effusion ; Radiation Oncology ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

BACKGROUND: This study aims to compare the surgical outcomes of open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) and minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis (MIPO) using a screw compression method in simple humeral shaft fractures. METHODS: This retrospective study was performed with 50 patients who had surgical interventions for the treatment of simple humeral shaft fractures and had follow-ups of at least 12 months in Ulsan University Hospital between August 2008 and June 2015. Group 1 included 23 patients treated with ORIF and group 2 included 27 patients treated with the MIPO technique using a locking screw plate. The time to clinical/radiographic union, the joint range of motion (ROM), and function were evaluated. RESULTS: The average time to clinical/radiographic bone union was shorter in group 2 (12.0 ± 3.7 weeks/14.8 ± 2.0 weeks in group 1 and 9.4 ± 1.3 weeks/12.0 ± 3.3 weeks in group 2; p = 0.022/p = 0.034). Shoulder and elbow joint function evaluated by joint ROM and visual analogue scale (VAS), Korean Shoulder Elbow Society (KSS), American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES), and the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) scores was excellent in both groups. On the average shoulder ROM at 12 months after the operation, group 1 had forward elevation of 160°, external rotation of 30° in adduction and lumbar vertebra 10 level in internal rotation and group 2 had forward elevation of 170°, external rotation of 35° in adduction and lumbar vertebra 9 level in internal rotation. The mean VAS, KSS, ASES, and UCLA scores were 2.8, 87.0 ± 0.9, 89.4 ± 0.9, and 31.0 ± 1.4, respectively, in group 1 and 1.7, 89.1 ± 2.7, 91.0 ± 1.6, and 32.4 ± 3.2, respectively, in group 2. There were statistically significant intergroup differences in VAS score (p = 0.011). There were significantly less postoperative infections in group 2 (three cases, 10.7% in group 1 and 0 case in group 2; p = 0.041) although all of them were superficial infections and well-treated by an average 4-week course of antibiotics (range, 2 to 6 weeks). CONCLUSIONS: MIPO using a screw compression method in simple humeral shaft fractures demonstrated superior efficacy to ORIF in terms of the time to clinical/radiographic union, pain score, and postoperative infection rate.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; California ; Elbow ; Elbow Joint ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fracture Fixation ; Humans ; Humeral Fractures ; Joints ; Methods* ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Retrospective Studies ; Shoulder ; Spine ; Surgeons ; Ulsan

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The prevalence of colonic diverticulosis in Korea is increasing in conjunction with the adoption of western dietary pattern, extension of lifespan, and advances in diagnostic modalities. The clinical characteristics of colonic diverticulosis seem to be gradually becoming similar to those of Western societies. Therefore, factors associated with the clinical characteristics of colonic diverticulosis in Korea were investigated. METHODS: The data of 200 patients diagnosed with colonic diverticulosis using colonoscopy between May 2010 and April 2012 at Inje University Seoul Paik Hospital (Seoul, Korea) were prospectively collected. Clinical parameters acquired through a questionnaire include age, body mass index, waist circumference, exercise, diet, smoking, drinking habits, etc. Correlation between these factors and the clinical features of diverticulosis were analyzed. RESULTS: Mean age of the patients was 54.9+/-11.9 (range 17-79) years and male to female ratio was 2.2:1. Most diverticula were located on the right side of the colon (83%) and the mean number of diverticulum was 4.07+/-3.9. Factor associated with the location of diverticulum on the left side was age (p=0.001). There was a positive correlation between the waist circumference and the number of diverticulum (partial correlation coefficient r'=0.143, p=0.047). Diverticulitis occurred more frequently in younger patients than in older patients (p=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Colonic diverticulosis in older patients is found more frequently on the left colon, and the number of diverticulosis is associated with central obesity.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Alcohol Drinking ; Body Mass Index ; Colonoscopy ; Diverticulosis, Colonic/complications/*diagnosis/epidemiology ; Exercise ; Female ; Hemorrhage/etiology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Prospective Studies ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Risk Factors ; Smoking ; Waist Circumference ; Young Adult