Chest CT scans of 70 patents with malignant lymphoma were reviewed to evaluate the thoacic manifestation of malignant lymphoma. Sixteen patients had Hodgkin's disease and 54 patients had non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The thoracic involvement of malignant lymphoma was observed i 47 patients (67.1%) and 11 of these patients had Hodgkin's disease, and 36 had non-Hodgkin's lympoma. The most common finding was mediastinal lymphadenopathy and the most frequently involved sites were anterior mediastinal and paratracheal lymph nodes. Pulmonary parenchymal involvement was seen in 11 patients (15.7%), and CT scan showed thickening of bronchovascular bundle, parenchymal consolidation and nodules. Pleural effusion was seen in 18 patients (25.7%), however, without any evidence of parietal pleural thickening in all cases. Involvement of chest wall and breast was seen in two patient(2.9%). The data obtained through the current study showed no differences from those of previous reports, except the fact that there was no CT evidence of pleural thickening in patients who had pleural effusion.
Breast ; Hodgkin Disease ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Lymphoma* ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin ; Pleural Effusion ; Rabeprazole ; Thoracic Wall ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

BACKGROUND: The authors studied to estimate the frequency of irregular antibodies and their significance in blood transfusion and antenatal care in Korea. METHODS: Irregular antibodies were tested by immediate saline spin, 37degrees C albumin and antiglobulin test for 2,008 transfusion candidates and 1,047 pregnant women at Severance hospital using commercial screening and identification cells (Dade, U.S.A.). RESULTS: The irregular antibodies were detected in 38 (1.24%) of total 3,055 subjects (transfusion candidates: 0.9%, pregnant women: 1.91%) . In transfusion candidates, the detected antibodies were Lewis antibodies, cold antibodies (anti-M, anti-P 1), Rh antibodies and unspeified warm antibodies, and their distributions were 56%, 22%, 17%, and 5%, respectively. In pregnant women, the detected antibodies were Lewis antibodies, Rh antibodies, anti-Jra, and unspeified warm antibodies, and their distributions were 45%, 45%, 5% and 5%, respectively. At immediate saline phase, 58% of irregular antibodies were detected. At 37degrees C albumin phase, 90% of irregular antibodies were detected and only 10% of irregular antibodies were detected at antiglobulin phase. CONCLUSIONS: Although the prevalence rates of clinically important irregular antibodies were low, 1/1000 of irregular antibodies could not be detected. Therefore, irregular antibody screening should be performed in all pretransfusion test. And, if antibody detection tests are negative, immediate saline crossmaching methods are acceptable in Korea.
Antibodies* ; Blood Transfusion ; Coombs Test ; Female ; Humans ; Korea* ; Mass Screening ; Pregnant Women* ; Prevalence*

BACKGROUND: The authors studied to estimate the frequency of irregular antibodies and their significance in blood transfusion and antenatal care in Korea. METHODS: Irregular antibodies were tested by immediate saline spin, 37degrees C albumin and antiglobulin test for 2,008 transfusion candidates and 1,047 pregnant women at Severance hospital using commercial screening and identification cells (Dade, U.S.A.). RESULTS: The irregular antibodies were detected in 38 (1.24%) of total 3,055 subjects (transfusion candidates: 0.9%, pregnant women: 1.91%) . In transfusion candidates, the detected antibodies were Lewis antibodies, cold antibodies (anti-M, anti-P 1), Rh antibodies and unspeified warm antibodies, and their distributions were 56%, 22%, 17%, and 5%, respectively. In pregnant women, the detected antibodies were Lewis antibodies, Rh antibodies, anti-Jra, and unspeified warm antibodies, and their distributions were 45%, 45%, 5% and 5%, respectively. At immediate saline phase, 58% of irregular antibodies were detected. At 37degrees C albumin phase, 90% of irregular antibodies were detected and only 10% of irregular antibodies were detected at antiglobulin phase. CONCLUSIONS: Although the prevalence rates of clinically important irregular antibodies were low, 1/1000 of irregular antibodies could not be detected. Therefore, irregular antibody screening should be performed in all pretransfusion test. And, if antibody detection tests are negative, immediate saline crossmaching methods are acceptable in Korea.
Antibodies* ; Blood Transfusion ; Coombs Test ; Female ; Humans ; Korea* ; Mass Screening ; Pregnant Women* ; Prevalence*

PURPOSE: This study was to examine whether VRE infection control strategies have an effect on the decrease in incidence rates for VRE acquisition and VRE nosocomial infection in ICU. METHODS: All the patients were examined for VRE carriers on ICU admission. Among them, patients hospitalized for over 48 hours were investigated for VRE acquisition rates and VRE nosocomial infection rate using VRE infection control strategies in ICU for the experimental group from September 2007 to April 2008. Before that, incidence of VRE acquisition and VRE nosocomial infection for the control group without Intervention were investigated from May to August 2007 retrospectively. RESULTS: VRE acquisition rate in clinical specimens was 0.6% in the experimental group, that was significantly lower when compared to the control group. VRE carrier rate at admission to ICU was 15.4%. Out of 182 VRE carriers, 180 patients were identified by the active surveillance culture. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that active surveillance culture at admission was considered to be an essential measure for detection of VRE carrier. But without strict isolation and adherence rating after each intervention, hand washing and contact isolation alone did not significantly decrease VRE nosocomial infection, although it did significantly decrease incidence of VRE acquired from clinical specimen.
Cross Infection ; Hand Disinfection ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infection Control ; Critical Care ; Intensive Care Units ; Vancomycin

PURPOSE: This is a clinical experimental study aimed to provide basic data to ensure quality care. The purpose of this study is to increase nurses hand washing behavior and decrease respiratory isolation rate of MRSA. METHOD: This study was conducted in Kangnam St. Marys hospital. The subjects included 5 nurses working at the NS ICU and 165 specimen for nasal swabs and 46 specimen for sputum cultures from 106 patients admitted to the NS ICU. The data were collected from June to September 2000. RESULTS: 1.The percentage of the nurses hand washing was 15.6percent but was improved to 46.5 percent after the educational intervention. In particular, hand washing behavior was increased in situations such as after suctioning, before parenteral nutrition, and after providing hygiene care. 2. Results of nasal swab showed that MRSA isolation rate was reduced from 42.8 percent before the education to 18.6percent after the education. The sputum culture results also showed that the MRSA rate was reduced from 40.7percent before the education to 34.6percent after the education. CONCLUSION: The findings showed the nurses' strict hand washing behavior and use of disposable gloves and paper towers as well as use of hand sterilization spray by visitors or families can decrease the MRSA isolation rate in the NS ICU patients. Since the NS ICU patients may have respiratory complications due to long-term hospitalization, the nurses regular hand washing is important enough to be emphasized. Future research should be focused on the impact of nurses' hand washing behavior on the incidence of pneumonia, an iatrogenic infection.
Education* ; Hand Disinfection* ; Hand* ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Hygiene ; Incidence ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus* ; Parenteral Nutrition ; Pneumonia ; Sputum ; Sterilization ; Suction

This study was designed to compare the nurse and nurses aids on their perception and performance levels for nosocomial infection control and to evaluate the relevant variables. The study data were obtained from 246 nurses and 219 nurse aids working at two university hospitals in Seoul, by using a constructed questionnaire. The data was collected from March to April of 1998, and analyzed using the SAS program for t-test, two way ANOVA, Pearson's Correlation Coefficients. The results were as follows; 1. The mean score of the perception level for nosocomial infection control of the nurse(M= 4.72) was higher than that of the nurses aids(M= 4.56). 2. No significant association was found between the nurse and nurses aids on their performance level for nosocomial infection control. 3. The score of perception level showed significant interaction by age in all domains, by career in contaminated material and environmental management, and by department in sterile and environmental management. Regarding the performance levels, the score showed significant association between hand washing and clothing management by age and career. However, there was no significant difference by department. 4. A positive correlation was found in the perception and performance levels for nosocomial infection control between the nurse and nurse aids. In conclusion: the mean score of the perception level for nosocomial infection control in nurses was higher than that of their performance level. In the case of nurses aids, the mean scores of the perception and performance level for the nosocomial infection control were the same but lower than those of the nurses. It is suggested that appropriate hospital infection control programs should be developed by continuous systemic education and practice to improve the nurse and nurses aids' level of perception and performance for nosocomial infection control.
Clothing ; Cross Infection* ; Education ; Hand Disinfection ; Hospitals, University ; Seoul ; Surveys and Questionnaires

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Renal Cell* ; Caveolin 1*

No abstract available.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between fatigue, sleep disturbance, and gestational stress in women during late stage of pregnancy. METHODS: This study was conducted with 113 healthy pregnant women at gestational age greater than 27 weeks who were registered at community health centers and received prenatal care. A structured questionnaire regarding fatigue, sleep disturbance, and gestational stress was used. The data was analyzed using a t-test, an ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficients. RESULTS: The subjects with unplanned pregnancies and irregular exercise patterns showed a higher level of fatigue than those with planned pregnancies and regular exercise patterns. Pregnant women with caffeine intake manifested higher levels of gestational stress and sleep disturbance than those without. The levels of sleep disturbance and gestational stress increased as the fatigue levels increased. The fatigue levels increased with increased levels of sleep disturbance. CONCLUSION: Planned pregnancy, regular exercise patterns, and caffeine intake were related with fatigue, sleep disturbance, and gestational stress in women during late stages of pregnancy. Fatigue, sleep disturbance, and gestational stress had close associations to each other. In the future, such results should guide development of nursing intervention programs for women in late stages of pregnancy.
Caffeine ; Community Health Centers ; Family Planning Services ; Fatigue* ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Nursing ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Unplanned ; Pregnant Women* ; Prenatal Care ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Sleep Wake Disorders

BACKGROUND: Autoimmune hemolytic anemias are characterized by autoantibodies recognizing antigens on the Individual's own red blood cells, resulting in immune- mediated hemolysis. Blood transfusions have been regarded as hazardous in patients with autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) because of potential intensification of hemolysis and a presumed high incidence of alloimmunization. METHODS: We examined the pretransfusion and posttransfusion hemoglobin levels in 6 patients with autoantibodies in their sera, which showed panagglutinations with all bloods tested in the compatibility testing. They received 'least' incompatible blood because of inability to find compatible blood. RESULTS: When we compared pretransfusion hemoglobin level with posttransfusion hemoglobin level, in 5 of 6 patients with AIHA, the hemoglobin levels were increased after red cell transfusion. 4 patient who did not respond to transfusion therapy initially had an increase in hemoglobin level after steroid treatment. Any signs or symptoms indicating hemolytic transfusion reaction were not observed ducting the transfusion period in all patients. CONCLUSIONS: The decision to transfuse in AIHA should consider multiple factors including the patient's clinical status, the potential benefit of transfusion, the potential response to other therapeutic modalities, but must never be regarded as contraindicated, even though the compatibility test may be strongly incompatible.
Anemia, Hemolytic* ; Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune ; Autoantibodies ; Blood Group Incompatibility ; Blood Transfusion ; Erythrocyte Transfusion* ; Erythrocytes* ; Hemolysis ; Humans ; Incidence