PURPOSE: To report clinical aspects of children diagnosed with refractive accommodative esotropia after wearing their first glasses to correct hyperopia accompanied with esodeviation. METHODS: The present study included 75 children followed up for at least 24 months. Age, spherical equivalent of refractive error, angle of deviation and presence of amblyopia were analyzed according to the duration between first wearing glasses and control of esotropia within 8 PD (< or =2 months vs. >2 months). RESULTS: The mean age was 4.48 +/- 2.08 years and mean follow-up was 50.17 months. Initial deviation angle without glasses was 25.43 +/- 10.07 PD at far, 27.72 +/- 11.45 PD at near, spherical equivalent was +4.86 +/- 2.41 D in right eyes, +5.05 +/- 1.06 D in left eyes and 8 of 75 patients (10.67%) had < or =2 D of hyperopia. Esotropia was controlled within 8 PD with hyperopic glasses in 61 of 75 children (81.3%) within 2 months, 6 (8%) within 3-6 months, 4 (5.3%) within 6-12 months and 4 (5.3%) after 12 months. In comparison, esotropia was controlled < or =2 months in 61 of 75 children (81.3%); 14 of 75 children (18.7%) requiring >2 months had less hyperopia (+4.02 D vs. 5.17 D), more severe esodeviation both at far (30.79 +/- 10.79 PD vs. 24.17 +/- 9.56 PD, p = 0.03) and at near distance (34.00 +/- 14.20 PD vs. 26.25 +/- 10.31 PD, p = 0.02) and higher initial amblyopia prevalence rates (71.5% vs. 47.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Several patients needed longer follow-up until esotropia was controlled within 8 PD after wearing hyperopic glasses considering the amount of hyperopia and angle of esodeviation.
Amblyopia ; Child ; Esotropia* ; Eyeglasses* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glass* ; Humans ; Hyperopia ; Prevalence ; Refractive Errors

The objectives of this study were to: (a) examine the overall operating conditions of both government-dominant and non-governmental food bank programs, (b) understand the operational management attributes on the target based on IPA (importance performance analysis)(c) analyze the present status of donating management, and (d) suggest a direction based on the analysis of advantages and disadvantages of food banks in each part. The random samples of 120 food bank operators were selected by a proportionate stratified random sampling method. A total of 60 government-dominant food banks and 25 non-governmental food banks were analyzed. The main results of this study were as follows: According to the Importance-Performance Analysis of operational management, "assistance for operating funds" and "deployment of experience staff" were placed at "Focus Here". There was a great shortage of experienced staff with food bank-specific knowledge. The average number of the government-dominant and non-governmental food bank program employees was 0.29 and 0.30 respectively, while the ratios of employees with other jobs were 0.96 and 0.83 respectively. Shortages of refrigeration facilities were an area that needs to be addressed. While 51.6% of donated food required cold storage, only 45% of government-dominant and 60% of non-governmental food bank programs had refrigeration facilities. Most of food bank operators (96.3%) were required to visit the donators' locations to pick up the donated foods. And the foods were distributed to the people in need, especially to the livelihood protectee.
Refrigeration

The purpose of this study was to examine the donators' characteristics and donative foods of both government-dominant and non-governmental food bank program, to understand the problems and benefits of food bank program, and to find the solutions to activate food bank program. The questionnaires were distributed to 120 food bank operators and 3 donators were selected from each food bank for the survey from April 2002 to May 2002. 118 sheets (32.8%) from government-dominant food bank and 53 sheets (20.1%) from non-governmental food bank were collected. The main results of this study were as follows: The largest donators to either government-dominant or non-governmental food bank programs were bakery and confectionery companies 31.4% and 45.3% respectively. The majority of donated foods were "goods in stock" (55.6%) and frequency of donation were largely on a daily basis (27.1% for government-dominant and 22.6% for non-governmental). Some of the donators who had more donative food did not donate, and the reasons were closeness to expiration date of food (67.3%), lack of legal protection in the event of food poisoning (54.5%), and poor public image of food related accidents (52.3%).
Foodborne Diseases

Purpose: Pediatric palliative care is a rapidly developing multidisciplinary approach that supports children with life-limiting conditions and their families. However, there is limited evidence on how to effectively support bereaved parents and siblings. The purpose of this study is to explore the therapeutic impact of art therapy for bereaved families, in accordance with John Bowlby’s four-stage theory of mourning. Methods: This single-case study employed the consensual qualitative research method. Art therapy records of bereaved families were reviewed individually, and records from one case were selected. Verbal statements made during the art therapy sessions and photocopies of the artworks were analyzed to understand the mourning process of the family. Results: A total of 113 statements and 12 artworks from 19 art therapy sessions were analyzed. As the art therapy progressed, each family member exhibited a pattern of engaging in more positive and healthy conversations in daily life, demonstrating the final stage of mourning: reorganization and recovery. The family dynamics also revealed that they reconstructed their inner world and redefined the meaning of loss, which is the final stage of mourning. The art therapy provided a safe environment for the family, allowing them to fulfill their wishes and regain the strength needed for recovery. Conclusion This study suggests that art therapy supports bereaved families in alleviating their psychological difficulties, engaging in a healthy mourning process, and functioning as members of society. Further research is needed to better understand the effect of art therapy as a bereavement support tool in pediatric palliative care.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the shapes and sizes of nasopharyngeal airways by using cone-beam computed tomography and to assess the relationship between nasopharyngeal airway shape and adenoid hypertrophy in children. METHODS: Linear and cross-sectional measurements on frontal and sagittal cross-sections containing the most enlarged adenoids and nasopharyngeal airway volumes were obtained from cone-beam computed tomography scans of 64 healthy children (11.0 +/- 1.8 years), and the interrelationships of these measurements were evaluated. RESULTS: On the basis of frontal section images, the subjects' nasopharyngeal airways were divided into the following 2 types: the broad and long type and the narrow and flat type. The nasopharyngeal airway sizes and volumes were smaller in subjects with narrow and flat airways than in those with broad and long airways (p < 0.01). Children who showed high adenoid-nasopharyngeal ratios on sagittal imaging, indicating moderate to severe adenoid hypertrophy, had the narrow and flat type nasopharyngeal airway (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Cone-beam computed tomography is a clinically simple, reliable, and noninvasive tool that can simultaneously visualize the entire structure and a cross section of the nasopharyngeal airway and help in measurement of adenoid size as well as airway volume in children with adenoid hypertrophy.
Adenoids ; Child ; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Humans ; Hypertrophy

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The olfactory identification test has been used in clinical assessment of olfactory ability for the following reasons: it is fast, it yields results compatible to a threshold test, and it gives a picture of how well the patient can deal with odors of everyday life. However, items in UPSIT (University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test)and CCCRC (Connecticut Chemosensory Clinical Research Center)identification test which are widely used in the world are selected for western people. Accordingly, these items in the tests are not appropriate for Koreans of different cultural background. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For the selection of proper items for the olfactory identification test, 42 natural odors familiar to Koreans were applied to 40 normal subjects and 40 patients with decreased sense of smell without sinonasal diseases. Among 42 items, 16 items with high identifiability and familiarity were chosen according to the results of test-retest in normal subjects. RESULTS: The results of olfactory identification test using 16 selected items showed high correlation with olfactory threshold. CONCLUSION: These 16 items can be used for an olfactory identification test for Koreans.
Humans ; Odors ; Pennsylvania ; Recognition (Psychology) ; Smell

Emergence and spread of low-level mupirocin resistance in staphylococci have been increasingly reported in recent years. The aim of this study was to characterize missense mutations within the chromosomal isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase gene (ileS) among clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) with low-level mupirocin resistance. A total of 20 isolates of MRSA with low-level mupirocin resistance (minimal inhibitory concentration, 16-64 microgram/mL) were collected from 79 patients in intensive care units for six months. The isolates were analyzed for isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase (IleS) mutations that might affect the binding of mupirocin to the three-dimensional structure of the S. aureus IleS enzyme. All isolates with low-level mupirocin resistance contained the known V588F mutation affecting the Rossman fold, and some of them additionally had previously unidentified mutations such as P187F, K226T, F227L, Q612H, or V767D. Interestingly, Q612H was a novel mutation that was involved in stabilizing the conformation of the catalytic loop containing the KMSKS motif. In conclusion, this study confirms that molecular heterogeneity in ileS gene is common among clinical MRSA isolates with low-level mupirocin resistance, and further study on clinical mutants is needed to understand the structural basis of low-level mupirocin resistance.
Staphylococcus aureus/drug effects/*genetics ; *Mutation, Missense ; Mupirocin/*pharmacology ; Methicillin Resistance ; Isoleucine-tRNA Ligase/*genetics ; Intensive Care Units ; Humans ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial

BACKGROUND: Adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) is a rare systemic inflammatory disease of an unknown etiology, and this is characterized by spiking fever, evanescent rash, arthritis and multiorgan involvement. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to better understand the clinical characteristics of patients with AOSD, and especially the cutaneous features. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records and cutaneous findings of 21 patients who were diagnosed with AOSD at our hospital from 2003 to 2009. The diagnosis of AOSD was based on the criteria proposed by Yamaguchi et al. RESULTS: Eighteen (86%) out of the 21 patients were women, and the age of onset ranged from 18 to 55 years. Fever occurred in 21 (100%) patients, skin rash in 20 (95%), arthralgia in 18 (86%), sore throat in 10 (48%) and lymphadenopathy in 7 (33%). The cutaneous features were as follows: typical maculopapular eruption (70%), urticaria (10%), petechia and purpura (10%), persistent plaques and linear pigmentation (5%) and acne-like lesions (5%). The most common sites of skin lesion were the trunk (80%) and thighs (80%). The histopathologic findings of 9 patients showed non-specific chronic inflammation with a perivascular mononuclear preponderance in 6 patients, and the others were consistent with urticaria or leukocytoclastic vasculitis. CONCLUSION: The various cutaneous features of this study suggest that dermatologists should consider AOSD in any patient with cutaneous eruption associated with fever and arthralgia.
Adult ; Age of Onset ; Arthralgia ; Arthritis ; Exanthema ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Medical Records ; Pharyngitis ; Pigmentation ; Purpura ; Skin ; Still's Disease, Adult-Onset ; Thigh ; Urticaria ; Vasculitis ; Vasculitis, Leukocytoclastic, Cutaneous

PURPOSE: Following legal reform in 2013, the annual number of asylum seekers entering South Korea has increased from 1,143 in 2012 to 5,711 in 2015. We interviewed six African refugee mothers of young children regarding their health needs and barriers to access maternal child health services. METHODS: We recruited mothers who had visited a clinic for immigrants between July 2013 and August 2015. Participants were African refugee women, aged over 18 years, who had given birth in Korea within the previous 5 years and had come to Korea over a year before recruitment. Interview questions examined participants' experiences in pregnancy and childbirth and concerns regarding their child's health status. Initial data analysis involved all researchers' immersion in the entire collection of transcripts. We then noted recurrent topics and themes and identified similar issues. RESULTS: At the time of giving birth, 5 participants were asylum seekers and one had undocumented status. The following barriers impeded their access to maternal child healthcare: socioeconomic factors (unstable social identity, low economic status, difficulty obtaining health insurance), language barriers (lack of linguistically appropriate health information, limited access to translation services), and cultural barriers (religious and cultural differences). Weak social support also hindered access to healthcare soon after migration; however, social links with the community emerged as a key coping strategy following settlement. CONCLUSION: We identified barriers to maternal and child healthcare and coping strategies among African refugee mothers in Korea. Future research should assess refugees' health status and improve health access and literacy among refugee mothers.
Child ; Communication Barriers ; Delivery of Health Care* ; Emigrants and Immigrants ; Female ; Health Services Accessibility ; Humans ; Immersion ; Infant ; Korea* ; Literacy ; Maternal-Child Health Services ; Mothers* ; Parturition ; Pregnancy ; Refugees* ; Social Identification ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Statistics as Topic

PURPOSE: The aims of this study are to estimate the frequency of thyrotoxicosis associated with autoimmune thyroiditis (TAIT) and to investigate the characteristics of TAIT in children and adolescents. METHODS: 220 subjects who had shown thyroid autoimmunity before the age of 18 were included. All the subjects were divided as autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT), Graves' disease and unspecified group. In addition, AIT was subdivided as TAIT and euthyroid or hypothyroid AIT. Clinical data were review and the variation of thyroid hormone status was investigated among the subjects with TAIT. RESULTS: Of 220 subjects who showed thyroid autoimmunity, 147 subjects were diagnosed as AIT and 47 were as Graves' disease. Among 147 subjects with AIT, 14 subjects (9.5%) had presented TAIT. Among 65 subjects who had initially presented with thyrotoxicosis, 8 subjects (12.3%) were compatible with TAIT. Whereas presenting symptoms of TAIT were similar to those of Graves' disease, Technetium-99m scan had showed thyroid with decreased uptake. The durations of thyrotoxicosis were several weeks. 6 of 14 TAIT subjects showed recurrent thyrotoxicosis, and 4 of 8 patients who had initially presented with thyrotoxicosis showed subclinical or overt hypothyroidism during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Possibility of TAIT should not be overlooked when a patient presents thyrotoxicosis, because this condition is not so rare in children and adolescents. Long term follow-up after resolution of thyrotoxicosis is necessary because of a diverse clinical course.
Adolescent ; Autoimmunity ; Child ; Follow-Up Studies ; Graves Disease ; Humans ; Hypothyroidism ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroiditis, Autoimmune ; Thyrotoxicosis