PURPOSE: This study was to examine the effects of the hypertension self-help program on knowledge, self-efficacy, self-management compliance, and physiological parameters for workers with hypertension. METHODS: The subjects of study were 54 patients with hypertension, divided into 28 of experimental group and 26 of control group, working in a general work place located in K city from June to September, 2009. Experiment treatment was a 12-week self-care program given for two hours, once a week. RESULTS: After conducting a self-help program, the experimental group showed significant increase in knowledge level, self-efficacy, self-management compliance, and physiological parameters including blood pressure, BMI, total cholesterol level, neutral fat, and LDL-cholesterol of blood lipids compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: This program is greatly recommended for workshops.
Blood Pressure ; Cholesterol ; Compliance ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Hypogonadism ; Mitochondrial Diseases ; Ophthalmoplegia ; Self Care ; Workplace

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Epidermal Cyst*

Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura is an uncommon illness but most common form of thrombocytopema in pregnancy. Corticosteroids, splenectomy, immunosuppressive drugs, and immunoglobulin therapy have been recommended for manaaement. The optimal method of delivery is controversial. We have experienced a case of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura diagnosed previously and managed with corticosteroid and vincrstine, which was followed by pregnancy, vaginal delivery and postpiirtum splenectomy.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Immunization, Passive ; Pregnancy* ; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic* ; Splenectomy

The radiologic and clinical findings of foreign bodies in the chest of children are well recognized. Foreign bodies in adults are infrequent, however, and the radiologic findings of these unusual circumstances have rarely been described. We classified various thoracic foreign bodies into three types according to their cause: Type I, Aspiration, Type II, Trauma or Accident; Type III, Iatrogenic. This pictorial essay will illustrate the radiologic findings and consequences of thoracic foreign bodies in adults, which have rarely been described in the radiologic literature. The clinical significance of thoracic foreign bodies will be also be discussed.
Accidents ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aspiration ; Esophagus/radiography ; Female ; Foreign Bodies/*etiology/*radiography ; Heart/radiography ; Human ; Iatrogenic Disease ; Male ; Middle Age ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; *Thorax ; Wounds and Injuries/complications ; Wounds, Gunshot/complications

We report herein a 46-year-old woman who presented with mucinous breast carcinoma that appeared as a coarse and densely calcified mass on mammography. The lesion was a 4.6-cmsized palpable, hyperechoic, calcified mass with posterior shadowing on ultrasonography. This finding is a unique feature of mucinous breast carcinoma and is also observed in unusual breast cancer variants such as metaplastic breast cancer with chondroid differentiation, extraosseous osteosarcoma, and breast chondrosarcoma. The lesion showed a slow-growing pattern throughout the 4-year observation period. Mammography performed 4 years ago revealed faint, grouped microcalcifications; the lesion increased in size over 2 years, presenting as a well-circumscribed, calcified mass, mimicking dystrophic calcification. As several unusual variants of breast cancer, including mucinous carcinoma, may present as coarse and densely calcified masses on mammography, immediate biopsy should be considered when they are observed.

No abstract available.
Plasma ; Protein C Deficiency* ; Protein C* ; Purpura Fulminans* ; Purpura* ; Warfarin

INTRODUCTIONThis study was conducted to provide an overview of the community-based hypertension and diabetes control programme of 19 cities in Korea and to evaluate its effectiveness in controlling hypertension at the community level.

MATERIALS AND METHODSIn this longitudinal observational study, we analysed the data of 117,264 hypertensive patients aged ≥65 years old from the time of their first enrolment in July 2012 to October 2013 (up to their 2-year follow-up).

RESULTSThe hypertension control rate of 72.5% at the time of enrolment increased to 81.3% and 82.4% at 1 and 2 years after enrolment. Treatment continuity, completion of hypertension self-management education, and longer enrolment duration in the programme contributed to improvements in hypertension control rate.

CONCLUSIONThis programme was characterised by a public health-clinical partnership at the community level. Despite its simplicity, the programme was evaluated as a successful attempt to control hypertension among patients aged >65 years at the community level.

Aged ; Community Networks ; Humans ; Hypertension ; drug therapy ; Longitudinal Studies ; Patient Education as Topic ; Program Evaluation ; Republic of Korea ; Self Care

PURPOSE: Time-driven activity-based costing was applied to analyze the nursing activity cost and efficiency of a medical unit. METHODS: Data were collected at a medical unit of a general hospital. Nursing activities were measured using a nursing activities inventory and classified as 6 domains using Easley-Storfjell Instrument. Descriptive statistics were used to identify general characteristics of the unit, nursing activities and activity time, and stochastic frontier model was adopted to estimate true activity time. RESULTS: The average efficiency of the medical unit using theoretical resource capacity was 77%, however the efficiency using practical resource capacity was 96%. According to these results, the portion of non-added value time was estimated 23% and 4% each. The sums of total nursing activity costs were estimated 109,860,977 won in traditional activity-based costing and 84,427,126 won in time-driven activity-based costing. The difference in the two cost calculating methods was 25,433,851 won. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that the time-driven activity-based costing provides useful and more realistic information about the efficiency of unit operation compared to traditional activity-based costing. So time-driven activity-based costing is recommended as a performance evaluation framework for nursing departments based on cost management.
Costs and Cost Analysis ; Hospitals, General/economics ; Humans ; Internal Medicine/*economics ; Nursing Service, Hospital/*economics ; Task Performance and Analysis ; Time Factors

PURPOSE: Cost-benefit analysis is one of the most commonly used economic evaluation methods, which helps to inform the economic value of a program to decision makers. However, the selection of a correct benefit estimation method remains critical for accurate cost-benefit analysis. This paper compared benefit estimations among three different benefit estimation models. METHODS: Data from community-based chronic hypertension management programs in a city in South Korea were used. Three different benefit estimation methods were compared. The first was a standard deterministic estimation model; second, a repeated-measures deterministic estimation model; and third, a transitional probability estimation model. RESULTS: The estimated net benefit of the three different methods were $1,273.01, $-3,749.42, and $-5,122.55 respectively. CONCLUSION: The transitional probability estimation model showed the most correct and realistic benefit estimation, as it traced possible paths of changing status between time points and it accounted for both positive and negative benefits.
Adult ; Aged ; Blood Pressure ; Chronic Disease ; Cost-Benefit Analysis/*methods ; Databases, Factual ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension/economics/*therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Models, Statistical ; Program Evaluation