BACKGROUND: Direct observation of healthcare workers is commonly used in hospitals to investigate hand hygiene compliance. However, the hand hygiene compliance rate may increase due to the Hawthorne effect, which is the modification of behavior simply because subjects become aware that they are being observed. The objective of this study was to investigate the occurrence of the Hawthorne effect when directly observing hand hygiene compliance in intensive care unit (ICU) healthcare personnel. METHODS: A total of 87 staff members from the coronary care unit and cardiac surgery ICU of a general hospital in Seoul were included in this study: 24 residents and interns, 55 nurses, and 8 nursing assistants. Both covert and overt observations, where subjects were either unaware or aware of any direct observation, were performed on separate occasions. RESULTS: A total of 1,052 covert and 1,336 overt observations were documented over 30 and 34 occasions, respectively. Overall hand hygiene compliance was significantly higher with overt observation than with covert observation (1,041/1,336, 77.9% vs. 659/1,052, 62.6%, P<0.001). The Hawthorne effect was present in all professions and behaviors, with the exception of nursing assistants, and prior to touching a patient. CONCLUSION: Direct observation of hand hygiene compliance was associated with the Hawthorne effect when observations were made overtly and this was likely to contribute to an overestimation of compliance rate.
Compliance ; Coronary Care Units* ; Delivery of Health Care* ; Effect Modifier, Epidemiologic* ; Hand Hygiene* ; Health Personnel ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units* ; Nursing ; Seoul ; Thoracic Surgery*

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the factors influencing health promotion behaviors among high school students and the mediating effect of health empowerment on the relationship between health literacy and health promotion behaviors. Methods: This descriptive research study targeted 136 high school students attending five high schools in Daejeon to confirm the mediating effects of health empowerment on the relationship between health literacy and health promotion behaviors. Results: This study confirmed health literacy and health empowerment as factors influencing high school students’ health promotion behaviors. Testing the mediating effect of health empowerment on the relationship between health literacy and health promotion behaviors showed that health empowerment was a complete mediator and that it was effective. Conclusion Further research is needed to validate the development and effectiveness of capacity-building programs that can enhance high school students’ health literacy and health-promoting behaviors, as well as to identify various influencing factors affecting the health-promoting behaviors of high school students.

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the factors influencing health promotion behaviors among high school students and the mediating effect of health empowerment on the relationship between health literacy and health promotion behaviors. Methods: This descriptive research study targeted 136 high school students attending five high schools in Daejeon to confirm the mediating effects of health empowerment on the relationship between health literacy and health promotion behaviors. Results: This study confirmed health literacy and health empowerment as factors influencing high school students’ health promotion behaviors. Testing the mediating effect of health empowerment on the relationship between health literacy and health promotion behaviors showed that health empowerment was a complete mediator and that it was effective. Conclusion Further research is needed to validate the development and effectiveness of capacity-building programs that can enhance high school students’ health literacy and health-promoting behaviors, as well as to identify various influencing factors affecting the health-promoting behaviors of high school students.

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the factors influencing health promotion behaviors among high school students and the mediating effect of health empowerment on the relationship between health literacy and health promotion behaviors. Methods: This descriptive research study targeted 136 high school students attending five high schools in Daejeon to confirm the mediating effects of health empowerment on the relationship between health literacy and health promotion behaviors. Results: This study confirmed health literacy and health empowerment as factors influencing high school students’ health promotion behaviors. Testing the mediating effect of health empowerment on the relationship between health literacy and health promotion behaviors showed that health empowerment was a complete mediator and that it was effective. Conclusion Further research is needed to validate the development and effectiveness of capacity-building programs that can enhance high school students’ health literacy and health-promoting behaviors, as well as to identify various influencing factors affecting the health-promoting behaviors of high school students.

Apert's syndrome(acrocephalosyndactyly) is a rare congenital anomaly that is characterized by the combination of premature fusion of multiple cranial sutures primarily involving the coronal suture and severe symmetrical syndactyly of fingers and toes. Some patients of this syndrome have various abnormalities of the central nervous system. We experienced a case of Apert's syndrome with craniofacial malformations, symmetric syndactyly, occipital encephalocele and hypogenesis of corpus callosum. She had a oxycephalic head with small sized anterior fontanelle, elongated forehead, hypertelorism, down-slanting palpebral fissures, flattened nose, cleft palate, low set ears and short neck. A 5x3 cm sized scalp-covered soft mass protruded in the occipital area through defect of the occipital bone. MRI showed hypogenesis of corpus callosum, occipital encephalocele, dilatation of the lateral and the third ventricles. She also had hands and feet with symmetric syndactyly involved skin and soft tissue but not bones.
Central Nervous System ; Cleft Palate ; Corpus Callosum* ; Cranial Fontanelles ; Cranial Sutures ; Dilatation ; Ear ; Encephalocele* ; Fingers ; Foot ; Forehead ; Hand ; Head ; Humans ; Hypertelorism ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neck ; Nose ; Occipital Bone ; Skin ; Sutures ; Syndactyly ; Third Ventricle ; Toes

No abstract available.
Thanatophoric Dysplasia*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Hepatic fibrosis in rat induced by thioacet amide shares similar morphological and biochemical characteristics with human liver cirrhosis. Thioacetamide (T AA) initially induces accumulation of collagen in Disse space and eventually leads to macro- and micronodular cirrhos is. Ito cell was believed to play a main role in hepatic fibrosis. And it s activity was known to be regulated by the expression of various genes. But little has been discovered about the upstream signal trans duction pathway of these genes in hepatic fibrosis. The expression of genesrelated to Ito cell activity was regulated by many transcription factors , the activity of which was regulated by protein kinase C( PKC) is oforms. So it is s upposed that PKC could be as s ociated with fibrosis in liver. METHODS: We investigated the correlation of PKC is oforms and It ocell activity in the course of hepatic fibrosis using TAA induced rat liver cirrhosis model. We used six week- old male rats , and administered 0.03% TAA in drinking water. The animals were sacrificed at 9, 20, and 30 weeks after TAA administration. The degree of hepatic fibrosis was evaluated by measuring the total amount of collagen.-SMA immunohist ochemical st aining of liver tissue was done to determine the Ito cell activity. The expression pattern of PKC isoforms was investigated by West ern blotting. RESULTS: In TAA- treated group, collagen cont ent and Ito cell activity did not increase until 30 weeks and 20 weeks of treatment , respectively, while in control group collagen cont ent and Ito cell activity were not detected. Collagen content showed linear correlation with Ito cell activity. This implied that the proliferation of activated Ito cells was prior to the increase of collagen content. In view of expression pattern of PKC is oforms, PKC alpha showed no difference in TAA- treated group and control group. In TAA-treated group, PKCbeta1 exhibited increased level of expression in both particulate and cytosolic forms at 9 weeks, while PKCdelta and PKC epsilon showed striking shift to particulated form. After 20 weeks, all of the PKC beta1, delta, and epsilon degenerated and showed remarkably decreased level of expression. This suggested PKC alpha had no relation to hepatic fibrosis,while PKC beta1, delta, and epsilon, showing activity at 9 weeks, were related to fibrosis og liver. In response to fibrogenic factors, molecules engaged in intracellular signal transduction pathway like PKC beta1, delta, and epsilon, began to change prior to the increase of Ito cell activity, morphologic changes and alterations of collagen content. CONCLUSION: Our results strongly suggest that the activity of PKC isoforms play an important role in early step of hepatic fibrosis, while accompanying Ito cell activity do in later step.
Animals ; Collagen ; Cytosol ; Drinking Water ; Fibrosis ; Hepatic Stellate Cells ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis* ; Liver* ; Male ; Protein Isoforms ; Protein Kinase C-epsilon ; Protein Kinases ; Rats ; Signal Transduction ; Strikes, Employee ; Thioacetamide ; Transcription Factors

BACKGROUND: There are a few studies on the effects of job strain on the prevalence of sleep problems in the foreign countries. In Korea, it has not been studied till now. In this article, the combined effects of job strain, shift work and some life style on the prevalence of sleep proplems were studied among workers in middle aged men. METHODS: 998 cases were chosen from 1109 men who visited health screening center from October to November, 1999. Sleep problems were categorized to insomnia, sleep deprivation, daytime sleepiness and snoring on the base of result of factor analysis of 11 questions. Job strain was measured by 11 questions which developed by Karasek and Theorell. All data set were analyzed using Chi square test and multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The 4 sleep proplems were analyzed by multiple logistic regression analysis in relation to job strain, shift work, occupation, obesity, sedentary life style, smoking, drinking. Insomnia was increased significantly from highest job strain group(Odds ratio (OR:2.02)) and non exercise group(OR:2.05). In these groups, daytime sleepiness was increased significantly(OR=1.92 in the highest job strain group, OR=1.72 in non exercise group). Sleep deprivation was increased in the highest job strain group(OR=2.18), managers & clerks(OR:1.67) and non exercise group(OR:1.78). Snoring was increased from BMI(Body mass index)> OR =25(OR=1.77), BMI> OR =27(OR=2.80) and non exercise group(OR:1.87). CONCLUSION: In the highest job strain group, insomnia, sleep deprivation and daytime sleepiness was increased significantly. And sedentary life style increased all sleep problems.
Dataset ; Drinking ; Humans ; Korea ; Life Style* ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Middle Aged* ; Obesity ; Occupations ; Prevalence* ; Sleep Deprivation ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Snoring

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Liver cirrhosis is an end-stage liver disease. Ito cell is known to have central role in fibrogenes is of liver cirrhosis. But collagen content and Ito cell activity in liver cirr hosis have received little attention. So Ito cell activity and hepatocyte proliferation activity according to collagen content was investigated. WAF-1 and c- met were studied to evaluate the effect of cell cycle. METHODS: We analyzed 56 cases of liver cirrhosis ( viral:41, biliary:11, alcoholic:2, Wilson' s disease:2). Collagen content was measured by spectrophot ometry. Ito cell activity and prolifer ation index was measured by-SMA and Ki- 67 immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: In viral cirrhosis, high collagen group showed increased Ito cell activity compared to low collagen group. There was no difference in hepatocyte prolifer ation activity bet ween high and low collagen group in viral cirrhosis. In biliary cirrhos is, high collagen group showed increased Ito cell activity in septal zones compared to low collagen group. WAF- 1and c- met were negative in most of cases. CONCLUSION: Collagen content of liver cirrhosis is closely related to increment of activated Ito cells . Ito cell activity was prominent in septal zones than in parenchymal areas of viral cirrhosis and that was only significant in septal zones of biliary cirrhosis. There is no correlation bet ween collagen content and hepatocyte proliferation activity.
Cell Cycle ; Collagen* ; Fibrosis ; Hepatic Stellate Cells ; Hepatocytes* ; Immunohistochemistry ; Liver Cirrhosis* ; Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary ; Liver Diseases ; Liver*

PURPOSE: The acute scrotum is a clinical syndrome that is defined as an acute, painful swelling of the scrotum or its contents. The symptoms and signs of acute scrotum are similar and its pathognomonic features are rarely detected. This study was performed to find a proper way to diagnose and treat acute scrotum promptly and correctly. METHODS: From January 1990 through December 1999, 31 cases of pediatric patients hospitalized in this center with acute scrotum were analyzed for diagnosis, seasonal incidence, age distribution, time interval from the onset of symptoms to admission, symptoms and signs, laboratory and radiologic findings and therapeutic details. RESULTS: Acute scrotum included 13 cases of testicular torsion(41.9%), 9 cases of acute epididymitis(29.0%), five cases of torsion of appendages (16.1%), and four cases of orchitis(12.9%). Twelve cases(38.7%) were observed from March to May. The average time interval from the onset of symptoms to admission was 11.6 hours and 46.1 hours for testicular torsion and acute epididymitis, respectively. All testicular torsion showed no cremasteric reflexes. Only three out of 13 cases of testicular torsion were successfully treated with manual detorsion. Seven cases underwent testis reduction and orchiopexy. The remaining three cases of testicular torsion showing the necrosis of testes were treated with orchiectomy. CONCLUSION: Color doppler ultrasonography, testicular scintigraphy, and physical examination such as cremasteric reflex are useful for diagnosis. Surgical procedures can be the most effective treatment for testicular torsion, and the antibiotic treatments for both epididymitis and orchitis. However, conservative treatment can be effective in the case of torsion of appendages.
Age Distribution ; Child* ; Diagnosis ; Epididymitis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Necrosis ; Orchiectomy ; Orchiopexy ; Orchitis ; Physical Examination ; Radionuclide Imaging ; Reflex ; Scrotum* ; Seasons ; Spermatic Cord Torsion ; Testis ; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color