BACKGROUND: Serratia marcescens proliferates well in a humid environment or soil and is recently considered as an important pathogen for the severe nosocomial infections. this organism is spreads easily by hand-to-hand transmission, and contaminates medical equipment used for invasive procedures, working environment, medications, and soap. METHODS: We investigated the source of an outbreak of bloodstream infections by S. marcescens isolated that occurred during the period from July to December, 2004, at a university hospital in Gyeonggi Province and attempted to intervene in the outbreak and control it. RESULTS: From July to December, 2004, S. marcescens grew from 296 blood culture from 283 patients. The medical charts of the patients were reviewed, and surveillance cultures were taken to identify the outbreak of nosocomial infections and risk factors. Only four cases of infection were identified and all remaining positive blood cultures were due to contamination. Nine isolates randomly selected from the 296 S. marcescens showed an identical pulsed-field gel electrophoresis pattern. To identify the source of infection, environmental culture and hand cultures of the related medical workers were carried out, but S. marcescens was not isolated. CONCLUSION: As the result of aggressive infection control activities, such as re-education on environmental management methods, hand washing techniques, and blood culture sampling techniques, no more S. marcescens had been grown in blood culture since January, 2005.
Cross Infection ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field ; Gyeonggi-do ; Hand ; Hand Disinfection ; Humans ; Infection Control ; Risk Factors ; Serratia marcescens ; Serratia* ; Soaps ; Soil

Lidocaline if frequently administered as a component of an anesthetic : for local or regional nerve blocks, to mitigate the autonomic response to laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation, to suppress the cough reflex, and for antiarrythmic therapy. Diazepam dectease the potential central nervous system (CNS) toxicity of local anesthetic agents but -may modify the sitmulant action of lidocaine in addition to their own cardiovascular depressant. The potential cardiovascular toxicity of local anesthetics may be enhanced by the concomitant administration of diazepam. This study was designed to investigate the effects of lidocaine dose and pretreated diazepam to cardiovascular system and plasma concentration of lidocaine. Lidocaine in 100 mcg/kg/min, 200 mcg/kg/min, and 300 mcg/kg/min was given by sequential infusion to dogs anesthetized with halothane-nitrous oxide (Group I). And in group II, after diazepam pretreatment, lidocaine was infused by same way when lidocaine was administered in 100 mcg/kg/min, the low plasma levels (3.97+/-0.22-4.48+/-0.36 mcg/ml) caused a little reduction in cardiovascular hemodynamics. As administered in 200 mcg/kg/min, 300 mcg/kg/min, the higher plasma levels (7.50+/-0.66-11.83+/-0.59 mcg/ml) reduced mean arterial pressure (MAP), cardiac index (CI), stroke index (SI), left ventricular stroke work index (LVSWI), and right ventricular stroke work index (PVSWI) and incresed pulmonary artery wedge pressure (PAWP), central venous pressure (CVP), systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI), but was assciated with little changes of heart rate (HR), mean pulmonary artery pressure (MPAP), and pulmonary vascular resistance index (PVM). When lidocaine with pretreated diazepam was administered in 100 mcg/kg/min, the low plasma level, the lower level than when only lidocaine administered. reduced MAP, but was not changed other cardiovascular hemodynamics. While lidocaine was infused in 200 mcg/kg/min, 300 mcg/kg/min in dogs pretreated diazepam, the higher plasma level (7.64+/-0.79-13.79+/-0.82 mcg/ml) was maintained and was associated with reduced CI, SI, LVSWI and incresed PAWP, CVP, SVRI but was a little changes of HR, MPAP, PVRI. After CaCl2 administeration, CI, SI, SVRI, LVSWI was recovered but PAWP, UP was rather incresed than recovered. The foregoing results demonstrate that pretreated diazepam imposes no additional burden on cardiovascular system when a infusion of large dose of lidocaine is given to dogs anesthetized with halothanenitrous oxide. But caution may be advised if the addition of lidocaine is indicated in subjects who have impared autonomic nervous system and who are in hypercarbic, hypoxic, or acidotic states.
Anesthetics ; Anesthetics, Local ; Animals ; Arterial Pressure ; Autonomic Nervous System ; Cardiovascular System* ; Central Nervous System ; Central Venous Pressure ; Cough ; Diazepam* ; Dogs* ; Heart Rate ; Hemodynamics ; Intubation ; Laryngoscopy ; Lidocaine* ; Nerve Block ; Plasma* ; Pulmonary Artery ; Pulmonary Wedge Pressure ; Reflex ; Stroke ; Vascular Resistance

Lymphoid tumors of the orbit are rare, and sometimes it is not possible either clinically or histologically to differentiate between lymphoid tumor and pseudolymphoma. Some authors assert that the degree of cytologic differentiation appears to be the single most important factor for determining the prognosis of patients with orbital lymphoid lesions. However, the cytomorphologic basis is not so helpful to diagnose and classify our case, which shows some discrepancy between pathological findings and clinical and radiological findings. At first we misdiagnosed our case as orbital malignant lymphoma on the basis of cytomorphology and immunohistochemical study. But no responce to local intensive radiotherapy and the follow up study of the patient suggest orbital pseudolymphoma.
Follow-Up Studies

PURPOSE: The correlation between sonographic findings and clinical symptoms was investigated in the patients with mesenteric lymphadenitis who had recurrent acute abdomen. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-eight children with recurrent acute abdominal pain without obvious primary disease were evaluated by sonography. The initial and follow-up sonography were performed in 17 children. The abdomen was divided into 3 areas. The number and size of mesenteric lymph nodes were observed in each zone, and was compared with the clinical findings. RESULTS: In 56(71.8%) of 78 cases, good correlation was seen in the area of the greatest size and number of the lymph nodes in the sonography. Most severe symptom, was seen in the right lumbar area(49 cases) and umbilical area(7 cases). In 17 cases of follow up, 14 cases showed decrease size and number of mesenteric lymph nodes while 2 cases showed increase in size and number of the nodes with aggravated symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasonography was useful to detect and localize the enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes. Initial and follow-up sonography showed good correlation between the changes in number and size of the lymph nodes and symptoms.
Abdomen ; Abdomen, Acute* ; Abdominal Pain ; Child* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Mesenteric Lymphadenitis* ; Ultrasonography*

PURPOSE: This study aimed to explore the constituents and structure of adaptation experiences in their everyday life among senior patients of a nursing home in order to provide nursing intervention data for the satisfaction and the improvement of life of senior patients by appreciating the nature of their adaptational experience. METHODS: The participants were five female and one male senior patients who were 65-years old or older and admitted at a nursing home in a metropolitan city. The interview data were analyzed by the Giorgi's phenomenological analysis method. RESULTS: As the results of analysis, the following three constituents have been found out: retrospective focus based on the meaning of admission, expanding a view and facing up to the reality, reconstructing views about the meaning of life and the world. CONCLUSION: With the increasing number of senior in facilities, nurses not only play a key role in caring for seniors but also in managing their maladaptation. Thus, it is considered that the results obtained from the this study provide valuable information for both the senior patients and their families as well as for the nurses, by presenting the data about senior patients' adaptational experiences of nursing home admission.
Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Nursing Homes* ; Nursing* ; Retrospective Studies

The trichofolliculoma is a rare tumor of the hair follicle occuring most often on the head and neck. We have experienced a case of 24-year-old female who had a small, dome-shaped, tan brown firm nodule on the nose. Under the clinical impression of a granuloma, an excisional biopsy of the nodule was done. Microscopically the lesion was composed of a large central cystic hair follicle with many srhall but well differenciated secondary hair follicles branching from the wall. Well developed secondary hair follicles were often grouped and were surrounded by a prominent stroma.
Female ; Humans ; Biopsy

BACKGROUND: The influenza is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. The primary target groups recommended for annual vaccination are healthcare workers and households which have frequent contact with persons at high risk and can transmit influenza to those persons at high risk. Members of these groups should be vaccinated against the flu so that they can avoid getting infected with continuously mutating influenza viruses. We assessed healthcare workers' knowledge and attitudes regarding influenza vaccination in order to help promote the vaccination rate. METHODS: This survey was carried out in two hospitals affiliated with the Catholic University School of Medicine, from December 2004 to January 2005. Of the 3,023 questionnaires distributed, 2,023 could be evaluated. RESULTS: The most frequently cited reason for receiving influenza vaccine was self-protection against influenza (55.4%). The most common reasons for not receiving influenza vaccine are personal health problems such as concurrent flu, pregnancy or breast-feeding (29.2%). There is no significant difference in the frequency of side effect between two groups receiving and not receiving vaccine. The most frequent side effect of influenza vaccination is flu-like syndrome; People receiving vaccine have more significant knowledge than those people not receiving vaccine about efficacy of flu vaccination, risk of influenza infection of healthcare workers and their need of flu vaccination. CONCLUSION: In order to promote the vaccination rate, education targeting people at high risk need to keep continuous and facilitate access to vaccination.
Delivery of Health Care* ; Education ; Family Characteristics ; Humans ; Influenza Vaccines ; Influenza, Human* ; Orthomyxoviridae ; Pregnancy ; Vaccination* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Strumal carcinoma of the ovary is rare tumor of germ cell origin characterized by intimate mixture of thyroid tissue and carcinoid. We report a strumal carcinoid tumor associated with ipsilateral follicular cyst and contralateral mature cystic teratoma of the ovary in a 47-year-old woman. Histologically it was composed largely of trabeculae partly of insular carcinoid and focally of individual thyroid follicles. Many cells in the carcinoid areas and even some follicular areas contained abundant argyrophile granules, and they also, in the corresponding areas, demonstrated thyroglobulin. Electron microscopic findings revealed abundant neurosecretory granules and colloid material in the same cell. We agree that this tumor is derived from hybrid showing thyroid and neuroendocrine differenciation.
Female ; Humans ; Cysts

BACKGROUND: The incidence of primary osteoarthritis of elbow is very low in individuals without work-related risk factors, and primary osteoarthritis of the elbow is rarely symptomatic. Because it is difficult to prove these conditions are work-related, the patients with work-related elbow osteoarthritis don't tend to be compensated in Korea. CASE REPORT: The patient was a 51-year old male, with an occupational history as a sledgehammer user for 23 years. He has been complaining of pain for 3 years. Physical examination of the elbow showed painful end-range motion and the radiographs showed osteophytes and, loose bodies, but relatively-preserved joint spaces, which were typical characteristic of primary osteoarthritis. CONCLUSION: The authors report on a case of primary osteoarthritis of both elbows that was associated with repetitive high shear force due to long-term use of the sledgehammer.
Elbow ; Elbow Joint ; Humans ; Incidence ; Joints ; Korea ; Male ; Osteoarthritis ; Osteophyte ; Physical Examination ; Risk Factors

Supernummerary breast is a rare developmental anomaly occurring along the course of the embryological milk lines, which run from the anterior axillary folds to the inner thighs. Kajava first described the classification of supernumerary tissue in 1915, and this term is still in use. We herein report two cases of supernumerary breast, classified as Kajava classification type 3 and 6.
Breast* ; Classification ; Milk ; Thigh