Nosocomial infections surveillance is the basic activity of infection control programs, and many countries conduct surveillance using various methods. We convinced that each country should conduct an adequate and efficient surveillance system depending on their situations. Here we reviewed the recent nosocomial surveillance systems of other countries. As many countries have succeeded in reducing hospital infections, we expect that Korean Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System would contribute to nosocomial infection prevention and health promotion in Korea through an active surveillance at the national level.
Cross Infection* ; Health Promotion ; Infection Control ; Korea*

Catatracts are an infrequent but well-known complication of electrical injury, remains poorly understood. We report two cases of electric cataract with maculopathy experienced recently. The first case was a 58-year-old man who had exposed to 22000 voltage current and sustained third degree, 15% burn. 54th day after burn, the lenticular changes showed total opacity of both eyes and the intraocular pressure of left eye was 28 mmHg. 65th day after burn, extracapsular cataract extraction with posterior chamber lens implantation on left eye was performed. After the operation, naked vision was 1.0, but hard exudates were showed in macular area. The second case was a 23-year-old man who had exposed to 54000 voltage current and sustained third degree, 20% burn. 82th day after burn, the lenticular changes showed moderate opacities in the anterior and posterior subcapsular area of both eyes. 137th day after burn, extracapsular cataract extraction with posterior chamber lens implantation on right eye was performed. The final corrected visual acuity was 0.5 on 7th week after the operation due to lamellar macular hole.
Male ; Humans

PURPOSE: This study sought to find a nursing intervention tool for enhancing elderly women's lives by investigating the causes and the meaning of their grief. METHOD: This research was derived from a phenomenological tool such as qualitative research design. The data collection took place from December of 2000 until April of 2001 Through systematic interviews and participatory observations of five elderly women attending C welfare center located in downtown Seoul the data was collected. Each interview lasted an hour and a half and was arranged five times. The analysis of this research was conducted using the Giorgi method. RESULTS: (1) There was obvious physical and physiological decline caused by aging old; as well as there being spouse health problems, additional physical suffering, signs of senility, adn insomnia, (2) Further grief was imposed by unpleasant memories of the spouse; infidelity, incapability, and even disregard of her own well-being, (3) Then there was pity for children; unfaithful children, uncertain futures of the children, and early death of a child, (4) Also, regrettable fate, painful daily acttrities, unreliable factors, bad circumstances, and feelings emptiness were reported, (5) Finally, anxiety for the future; ac sense of despair, loneliness, economic hardship, and the fear of imminent death increased grief levels. CONCLUSION: A variety of programs and social meetings for the elderly to overcome their physiological or psychological crisis should be substantially developed and supported by the government. In order to implement the social welfare for the elderly women, special consideration whether on the governmental level or the personal level, should be devoted to the elderly who live without any financial support or social concern.
Aged* ; Aging ; Anxiety ; Child ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Female ; Financial Support ; Grief* ; Humans ; Loneliness ; Nursing ; Qualitative Research ; Seoul ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; Social Welfare ; Spouses

The purpose of this study is to seek the nursing intervention for the elderly people's positive lives by investigating the causes for their loss and its meanings. The method of this research derives from a phenomenological tool as a qualitative research design. The data collection had been performed from February, 2001 until August, 2001 through systematic interviews and participatory observations of six elderly people (4 elderly women and 2 elderly men) residing in downtown Seoul. It took one and a half hour for each interview arranged five times. The analysis of this research is based upon Giorgi method and the research results on the causes for elderly people's sense of loss and its meaning are as follows. 1) bitter disappointment of family members : unfaithful children, husband's infidelity, conflict with daughter-inlaw, economic hardships. 2) bereavement : loss of spouse or children, a sense of one's own mortality. 3) regret for the past : sorrowful things, unfair treatment, a sense of resentment, a sense of futility, a feeling of helplessness, despair, resignation. 4) unpleasant memories of others : hurt of self-esteem, hostile feelings aroused by betrayal or distrust. 5) grief of lost youth : loss of health, hard married life, unlucky fate. 6) sense of another superable life : regret, awareness, maturity through suffering. As a person ages, the number of deaths of close friends and family members usually increases. The occurrence of such multiple losses can cause the elderly to become overwhelmed by the events. Care givers need to be sensitive to these losses and need to be aware that the elderly can experience an overload of grief. Counselling can often be useful in helping them to come to terms with such multiple losses.
Adolescent ; Aged* ; Bereavement ; Caregivers ; Child ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Female ; Friends ; Grief ; Humans ; Medical Futility ; Mortality ; Nursing ; Qualitative Research ; Seoul ; Spouses

No abstract available.
Family Practice* ; Humans ; Internship and Residency*

No abstract available.
Depression* ; Humans ; Seoul*

It is currently necessary to manage chronic ischemic foot gangrene because the rate of hospitalization and operations is increasing as a result of diet change and the growth of an aging population. Chronic ischemic foot gangrene is caused by Buerger`s disease, atherosclerosis and particularly, diabetes. In this study, we used the Wagner ischemic index with Doppler flowmeter and Wagner classification on 62 patients over 8 years from 1991 to 1998 as an index for treatment and prognosis. We measured the systolic pressure to determine the ischemic index, and according to Wagner the blood flow was inadequate in cases of diabetic foot gangrene and nondiabetic foot gangrene when it was below 0.45 and 0.35, respectively. According to the observation of clinical symptoms, we divided the cases by Wagner classification. Based on the above data, we performed conservative treatment, skin graft, local flap, superficial sural arterial island flap and amputation. We then followed up the patients and observed the treatment results. We concluded that the Wagner ischemic index with Doppler flowmeter and Wagner classification was useful in determining, selecting, and predicting the rate of survival or death as a result of amputation and graft when a surgical operation is performed.
Aging ; Amputation ; Atherosclerosis ; Blood Pressure ; Classification* ; Diabetic Foot ; Diet ; Flowmeters* ; Foot Ulcer* ; Foot* ; Gangrene ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Prognosis ; Skin ; Transplants

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Infant* ; Urinary Tract Infections* ; Urinary Tract*

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to analyze the effects of self-care behavior, empowerment, and social support on glycosylated hemoglobin in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: The data were collected during the period of July 1 to July 31, 2016. In total, 172 participants were recruited from outpatients who had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at a health care center, a health promotion center at National Health Insurance Corporation, and a tertiary hospital. Statistical data were analyzed with SPSS 20.0 using frequency analysis, t-test, ANOVA, Scheffé test, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and hierarchical regression analysis. RESULTS: The study results showed that self-care behavior (β=−.34, p<.001), empowerment (β=−.34, p<.001), and social support (β=−.20, p=.018) were found to be influential factors affecting glycosylated hemoglobin, with an overall descriptive power of 69%. CONCLUSION: Self-care behavior, empowerment, and social support are considered to be important factors in blood glucose management for the patients with type 2 diabetes. Therefore, self-caring blood glucose programs and internal synchronizing education through social support and empowerment need to be improved.
Blood Glucose ; Delivery of Health Care ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Education ; Health Promotion ; Hemoglobin A ; Hemoglobin A, Glycosylated* ; Humans ; National Health Programs ; Outpatients ; Power (Psychology)* ; Self Care* ; Tertiary Care Centers

A total of 162 patients with invasive cervical cancer was investigated retrospectively with a view to elucidate the efficacy of pretreatment staging procedures of application with intravenous pyelography, cystoscopy, rectosigmoidoscopy. All 72 intravenous pyelograms, 155 sigmoidoscopies, 158 cystoscopies were normal. Of 111 patients with stage Ib who had paraaortic lymph node biopsies, two patients had a positive node(0.02%). Of 51 patients with stage II who had paraaortic lymph node biopsies, five patients had positive paraaortic lymph node(10%). And the accuracy of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging in the evaluation of invasive cervical cancer was assessed. In evaluating stage of cervical cancer, clinical staging had an accuracy of 78.9%, compared with 65.7% for CT and 58.9% for MRI. And for detection of parametrial invasion, clincal staging had an accuracy of 85.9%, compared with 85.1% for CT and 78.9% for MRI. Both modalities were comparable in evaluating lymph node metastasis ( 76.1% for CT, 74.4% for MRI ). IVP, cystoscopy and sigmoidoscopy for staging procedure evaluated in this study are unnecessary and should no longer be performed in patients with early stage cervical cancer. In addition, paraaortic lymph node biopsies in the absence of clinically suspicious nodes are not warranted. Compared with CT and MRI, pelvic examination offered improved evaluation of cervical cancer staging, parametrial invasion, but CT and MRI was useful in detecting the pelvic lymph node metastasis which was nearly impossible by clinical evaluation.
Biopsy ; Cystoscopy ; Gynecological Examination ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Retrospective Studies ; Sigmoidoscopy ; Urography ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms