BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to develop and apply a prevention program for needle-stick injuries among health care workers who have a high occupational risk of such injuries, and to analyze the effect of the program on the subjects' knowledge regarding such injuries and compliance with protocols, as well as the incidence of needle-stick injuries among subjects. METHODS: The subjects of this study were nurses (RNs) and nurse's aides (NAs) working at a university hospital in Daegu. The data were collected by conducting surveys and determining the incidence of needle-stick injuries during a 1-year period before the application of the program. The program consisted of preventive education on needle-stick injury, the use of standardized boxes to measure blood sugar test, and the use of intravenous catheters with safety needles. Six months after the intervention, surveys were conducted to analyze the incidence of needle-stick injuries. The data on knowledge and compliance related to needle-stick injuries before and after program application were analyzed using the paired t-test, and data on the incidence of injuries were analyzed using the chi-square test. RESULTS: The scores on knowledge (RN, P<0.001; NA, P=0.007) and compliance (RN, P<0.001; NA, P=0.038) were significantly higher after the intervention than before. However, the number of reports on the incidence of needle-stick injuries before and after the intervention were not significantly different (RN, P=0.691; NA, P=0.079). CONCLUSION: The prevention program for needle-stick injuries was effective in improving the knowledge and compliance related to needle-stick injuries among RNs and NAs, but the number of reports on the incidence of injuries showed no difference. Therefore, the prevention program must be reevaluated and further developed after continuously monitoring and analyzing it in a hospital setting in order to decrease the incidence of needle-stick injuries.
Blood Glucose ; Catheters ; Compliance ; Delivery of Health Care ; Humans ; Incidence ; Needles ; Needlestick Injuries ; Nurses' Aides ; Plant Extracts

Allergic contact dermatitis due to 8-MOP is a rarely known si(ie effect of this widely used drug. Other known adverse reactions due to 8-MOP such as the oallergic dermatitis as well as some isolated cases of exanthema, papular eruptions, and astloma like symptoms are also sporadically reported. A 52-year-old man with vitiligo developed erythema to the UVA exposed 0.3% Oxoralen cream applied area. Prior to this episode, the patient had history of generalized burns after systernic PUVA therapy in 1983. Even after this experience, the patient had few more episodes of erythema at the site of 0.3%. Oxoralen cream application. We performed patch test and photopatch tests with Scandinavian series, 0.3% Oxoraler or am (as is), and diluted 8-MOP, 5-MOP, TMP solution. The result showed positive reactivity to 6-methylcoumarin, 8-MOP, as well as to 0.3% Oxoralen cream. The size of erythema was same in both irradiated areas which indicates an allergic contact dermatitis rather than photoallergic dermatitis or phototoxic dermatitis.
Burns ; Dermatitis ; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact* ; Dermatitis, Photoallergic ; Dermatitis, Phototoxic ; Erythema ; Exanthema ; Humans ; Methoxsalen ; Middle Aged ; Patch Tests ; PUVA Therapy ; Thymidine Monophosphate ; Vitiligo

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the knowledge and practice level of infection managements in child guardians with respiratory infections after H1N1 diffusion of 2009. METHODS: The data were collected during February and March 2010 using a self-report questionnaire. The participants were 228 child guardians. Data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, means, SD, t-test, F-test, Pearson correlation coefficients, and Cronbach's alpha with the SPSS 17.0 program. RESULTS: Mean age of the guardians and children were 37.8 years, 4.1 years respectively. For knowledge level of respiratory infections, hand washing method had the highest score and snuffles prevention method, the lowest. For practice level for respiratory infections, environmental hygiene management had the highest score and symptom management, the lowest. Infection management knowledge and practice level had a positively significant correlation in every area. CONCLUSION: The results indicate the necessity of continual education on infection management, and that the most efficient timing for the education appears be for participants during their first pregnancy or after the woman has delivered her child.
Child ; Compliance ; Diffusion ; Female ; Hand Disinfection ; Humans ; Hygiene ; Legal Guardians ; Pregnancy ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; Child Health ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Persistent light reaction is a condition of chronic photodermatitis in which photosensitive reaction persists even after the rernoval of all photosensilizers. A 56-year-old man had experienced a recurrent dermatitis involving primarily the face, neek, forearms and hands for 9 years, this condition was aggravated by sunexposure. Photopatch testing disclosed a strongly positive reaction to chloropromazine, promethazine, acid trichlorocarbanilide, Phototesting also revealed lowered MED with UVA and UVB thar norrmal mean value.
Dermatitis ; Forearm ; Hand ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Photosensitivity Disorders ; Promethazine

Sunlight is one of the well-established factors which play key roles in the induction and exacerbation of lupus erythematosus. In two patients of discoid lupus erythematosus, we have experimentally reproduced skin lesions by provocative phototesting. Both UVA (100 joules/cm²) and UVB (80 millijoules/cm²) radiation induced the skin lesions. The reproduced skin lesions were clinically and histopathologically consistent with lupus erythematosus.
Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Discoid ; Reproduction* ; Skin ; Sunlight

BACKGROUND: The clinical behavior of vitiligo has not been clearly understood and hypothesis concerning the pathogenesis of the disease has been confusing and contradictory though autoimmune mechanisms have been considered important by many authors. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to develop a better understanding of the clinical features and pathogenesis of vitiligo. METHODS: We investigated clinical features of vitiligo in 1315 patients, and also compared the clinical course and features of non-segmental type(type A) and segmental type(type B) vitiligo patients to see whether the two types of vitiligo have a different pathogenic mechanism. RESULTS: Previously reported clinical patterns of the disease were reviewed and compared with our data, and the different clinical findings between the two types which supported the hypothesis of Koga et al. that type A and type B vitiligo had a different pathogenesis and autoimmune mechanisms played a role only in type A were shown. CONCLUSION: We investigated the clinical characteristics of vitiligo in Korea and showed that the type A vitiligo might have a different pathogenic mechanism with type B.
Clinical Study* ; Humans ; Korea ; Vitiligo*

Contact hypersensitivity (CH) responsiveness to 24-dinitro-l-fluorobenzene(DNFB)is depressed in mice sensitized through unexposed skin sites after exposure to high dose of ultraviolet B radiation(UVB). Exposure of mice to ultraviolet A(UVA) radiation in combination with 8-methoxypsoralen(8-MOP) also results in a systemic suppression of CH. Our study was designed to determine whether a high dose of UVA radiation alone can induce a systemic suppression of CH, and if so, which phase of CH response is influenced by UVA radiation. Relatively large doses of UVA(400, 600, 800J/cm²) induced significant systemic suppression of CH when DNFB was applied to UVA-unirradiated abdominal skin. The duration of the rest period after UVA exposure did not cause any significant change in systemic suppresion of CH. Functional analyses showed that lymph node cells(LNCs) obtained from donors that were sensitized on the unirradiated skin site with DNFB 5 days after UVA treatment transferred normal ear-swelling responsiveness to non-primed recipients, thus implying that high doses of UVA can induce systemic suppression which is not affected in the induction phase of CH but affected in the elicitation phase of CH. UVA irradiation de-creased Langerhans cell(LC) numbers significantly with a dose of 100J/cm² or greater. LNCs obtained from donors that were sensitized on the irradiated skin site with DNFB 5 days after UVA treatment did not transfer normal ear-swelling responsiveness to non-primed recipients. This phenomenon may be related to the decreased number of LC after UV treatment. To look for possible mediators impairing the elicitation phase of the CH reaction, we checked prostaglandin E(PGE) levels in serum after 800J/cm² irradiation. A high dose of UVA did not increase the serum PGE level in mice as much as UVB irradiation, in which a significant increase of PGE may affect CH response.
Animals ; Dermatitis, Contact* ; Dinitrofluorobenzene ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Mice ; Prostaglandins E ; Skin ; Tissue Donors

Contact hypersensitivity (CH) responsiveness to 24-dinitro-l-fluorobenzene(DNFB)is depressed in mice sensitized through unexposed skin sites after exposure to high dose of ultraviolet B radiation(UVB). Exposure of mice to ultraviolet A(UVA) radiation in combination with 8-methoxypsoralen(8-MOP) also results in a systemic suppression of CH. Our study was designed to determine whether a high dose of UVA radiation alone can induce a systemic suppression of CH, and if so, which phase of CH response is influenced by UVA radiation. Relatively large doses of UVA(400, 600, 800J/cm²) induced significant systemic suppression of CH when DNFB was applied to UVA-unirradiated abdominal skin. The duration of the rest period after UVA exposure did not cause any significant change in systemic suppresion of CH. Functional analyses showed that lymph node cells(LNCs) obtained from donors that were sensitized on the unirradiated skin site with DNFB 5 days after UVA treatment transferred normal ear-swelling responsiveness to non-primed recipients, thus implying that high doses of UVA can induce systemic suppression which is not affected in the induction phase of CH but affected in the elicitation phase of CH. UVA irradiation de-creased Langerhans cell(LC) numbers significantly with a dose of 100J/cm² or greater. LNCs obtained from donors that were sensitized on the irradiated skin site with DNFB 5 days after UVA treatment did not transfer normal ear-swelling responsiveness to non-primed recipients. This phenomenon may be related to the decreased number of LC after UV treatment. To look for possible mediators impairing the elicitation phase of the CH reaction, we checked prostaglandin E(PGE) levels in serum after 800J/cm² irradiation. A high dose of UVA did not increase the serum PGE level in mice as much as UVB irradiation, in which a significant increase of PGE may affect CH response.
Animals ; Dermatitis, Contact* ; Dinitrofluorobenzene ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Mice ; Prostaglandins E ; Skin ; Tissue Donors

PURPOSE: To analyze CT and follow-up chest radiographic findings in patients with necrotizing pneumonia and to evaluate clinical significance of the extent of necrosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed medical records and retrospectively analysed CT scans and follow-up chest radiographs of 22 patients with necrotizing pneumonia, confirmed by biopsy(n=7) and culture (n=15). Inclusion criteria for necrotizing pneumonia was necrotic low attenuation, with or without cavitation on postcontrast enhanced CT scan. The study group included 15 men and seven women, aged 11-66 years (average: 47years). RESULTS: The pathogens of necrotizing pneumonia were Klebsiella spp(n=7), Enterobacter spp(n=5), Actinomyces spp(n=4), Pseudomonas spp(n=4), Nocardia spp(n=4), and others(n=5). Average duration of pneumonia was 4.1 months. On CT scan, pneumonic consolidations were well-marginated in 14 patients and there were cavities on initial CT scan in 16 cases. Margins of the necrotic portion on CT scan were well-demarcated in majority of the patients(16/22). Low attenuation areas on initial CT scan resulted in cavitation, fibrosis and volume loss as shown on follow-up chest radiographs. The larger the necrotic areas on CT, the more the volume loss was. CONCLUSION: CT findings of necrotizing pneumonia were well-marginated air-space consolidation with low attenuation area, with or without cavity. The extent of necrotic area was closely related with the degree of fibrotic change later on. CT is important tool for diagnosis and prediction of parenchymal damage in necrotizing pneumonia.
Actinomyces ; Diagnosis ; Enterobacter ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Klebsiella ; Male ; Medical Records ; Necrosis ; Nocardia ; Pneumonia* ; Pseudomonas ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

PURPOSE: To analyze CT and follow-up chest radiographic findings in patients with necrotizing pneumonia and to evaluate clinical significance of the extent of necrosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed medical records and retrospectively analysed CT scans and follow-up chest radiographs of 22 patients with necrotizing pneumonia, confirmed by biopsy(n=7) and culture (n=15). Inclusion criteria for necrotizing pneumonia was necrotic low attenuation, with or without cavitation on postcontrast enhanced CT scan. The study group included 15 men and seven women, aged 11-66 years (average: 47years). RESULTS: The pathogens of necrotizing pneumonia were Klebsiella spp(n=7), Enterobacter spp(n=5), Actinomyces spp(n=4), Pseudomonas spp(n=4), Nocardia spp(n=4), and others(n=5). Average duration of pneumonia was 4.1 months. On CT scan, pneumonic consolidations were well-marginated in 14 patients and there were cavities on initial CT scan in 16 cases. Margins of the necrotic portion on CT scan were well-demarcated in majority of the patients(16/22). Low attenuation areas on initial CT scan resulted in cavitation, fibrosis and volume loss as shown on follow-up chest radiographs. The larger the necrotic areas on CT, the more the volume loss was. CONCLUSION: CT findings of necrotizing pneumonia were well-marginated air-space consolidation with low attenuation area, with or without cavity. The extent of necrotic area was closely related with the degree of fibrotic change later on. CT is important tool for diagnosis and prediction of parenchymal damage in necrotizing pneumonia.
Actinomyces ; Diagnosis ; Enterobacter ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Klebsiella ; Male ; Medical Records ; Necrosis ; Nocardia ; Pneumonia* ; Pseudomonas ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed