To investigate the infection status of pigs with Cryptosporidium parvum, 589 fecal samples were collected from pigs raised at farm in Chungcheongbuk-do and Chungcheongnam-do. Of the 589 pig fecal samples, 62 (10.5%) were positive for C. parvum. The area showing the highest positive rate was Dangjin-gun, Chungcheongnam-do (14.0%), and the lowest (0%) Salmi-myon, Chungcheongbuk-do. The positive rate of C. parvum in Judok-eup increased from 12.7% in the winter to 22.1% in the summer. The results of this study suggest that the pigs may be a source of human C. parvum infection.
Animal Husbandry ; Animals ; Cryptosporidiosis/epidemiology/parasitology/*veterinary ; Cryptosporidium parvum/*isolation & purification ; Feces/parasitology ; Korea/epidemiology ; Parasite Egg Count ; Swine ; Swine Diseases/*epidemiology/*parasitology

BACKGROUND: Nurses are often exposed to needlestick and sharp-object injuries (NSIs). This study aimed to investigate the post-exposure reporting rate of NSIs among nurses. METHODS: The subjects were 84 nurses from 4 hospitals (3 hospitals with 300 or more beds and 1 hospital with less than 300 beds) who had experienced at least 1 NSI within a 6-month period. The instrument was a self-administered questionnaire, which was based on the EPINet report form and a questionnaire for NSIs among resident physicians, which was used by Choi et al. Data were collected between April 9 and June 15, 2009, and analyzed using descriptive statistics and the chi-square test, which was performed using SPSS with a significance level of 0.05. RESULTS: Among the 84 nurses who had experienced at least 1 NSI within 6 months, only 14.3% had reported the NSIs, and 58.4% of these subjects reported the NSI immediately after sustaining the injury. The most common reason for not reporting was "the patients were found out to be uninfectious" (81.9%) followed by "too busy" (65.3%). The incidence of post-exposure reporting was negatively related to the number of NSIs (chi-square=13.871, p<0.001) and positively related to assessments of infectivity of the patients (chi-square=4.248, P=0.039) and other persons' recommendations to report NSIs (chi-square=4.092, P=0.043). CONCLUSION: The post-exposure reporting rate was very low. The factors responsible for this low rate should be investigated in a more systematic manner, and more measures should be undertaken to increase the reporting rate among nurses.
Humans ; Incidence ; Needlestick Injuries ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Though proper management of hand burns in children is provided, hypertrophic scars frequently cause various hand deformities or functional disturbances in growing hands. When correction principles have not been observed for the long term, contraction of the skin, tendon and joints has a serious influence on hand deformities and bone change occur in growing children and second, to determine when is the proper operative time to minimize hand deformities and recurrences. We reviewed 107 hands in 103 admitted pediatric patients who had postburn hands deformities by scar contracture. The analysis of severity of hand deformities was evaluated by assessment of our hospital scale. According to these data, we performed the operations and compared the final results. The results were as follows: The types of burn hand deformities among 107 involved hands of 103 patients included flexion contracture (39.3%), syndactyly (29.9%), extension contracture (10.3%), Boutonniere deformity (9.3%), claw hand deformity (5.6%), severe hypertrophic scar (3.7%), swan neck deformity (0.9%), and loss of digit (1.9%) etc. On 98 preoperative x-ray examinations, bone changes were common, including angular deformity (19.4%), epiphyseal plate loss(18.4%), osteoporosis (17.3%), bony erosion (17.3%), joint change (15.3%), and ankylosis (9.2%). Thus, early correction of postburn hand deformities is imperative in pediatric patients, even though there is a greater chance of secondary operation due to immature scars. All patients were operated on by our proposed protocol and postoperative results showed greatly improved finger joint motion than before. We concluded that early correction of Grade III to V postburn hand deformities is mandatory in rapidly growing pediatric patients.
Animals ; Ankylosis ; Burns* ; Child* ; Cicatrix* ; Cicatrix, Hypertrophic ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Contracture ; Finger Joint ; Growth Plate ; Hand Deformities* ; Hand* ; Hoof and Claw ; Humans ; Joints ; Neck ; Operative Time ; Osteoporosis ; Recurrence ; Skin ; Syndactyly ; Tendons

No abstract available.
Vibrio vulnificus* ; Vibrio*

By an application of Sigma-Frankel methods, two transaminase systems, glutamic-pyruvic transaminase and glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase, were found to operate at a mesurable rate in 2 species of nematodes(Ascaris lumbricoides and Ascaridia galli), 5 species of trematodes (Clonorchis sinensis, Fasciola hepatica, Eurytrema pancreaticum, Paramphistomum cervi and Paragonimus westermani) and 5 kinds of cestodes (Diphyllobothrium mansoni, Dipylidium caninum, Taenia pisiformis, Cysticercus cellulosae and Cysticercus pisiformis). A comparison was made of the transamination reactions in nematodes and those of trematodes and cestodes. And the significance of transaminase in these parasites is discussed in relation to protein synthesis and its utilization.
parasitology-helminth-nematoda-trematoda-cestoda ; transaminase ; biochemistry ; spectrophotometry ; Ascaris lumbricoides ; Ascaridia galli ; Clonorchis sinensis ; Fasciola hepatica ; Eurytrema pancreaticum ; Paramphistomum cervi ; Paragonimus westermani ; Diphyllobothrium mansoni ; Dipylidium caninum ; Taenia pisiformis ; Cysticercus cellulosae ; Cysticercus pisiformis

The surgical correction of postburn nose and lips deformities still remains a difficult task domain to be done by plastic surgery. Consequently, the performance of autogenous cartilage graft and ear cartilage graft to maintain a better philtral form were found to raise the problem of a defect in the unnatural form due to consecutive tension in the region. Recently, focus had been placed on composite graft, including auricular cartilage, to obtain a unique dimple in the philtrum, and concurrently with this, part of its natural form has been acknowledged. However, composite graft on scar beds with poor circulation on the recipient site dose not represent safe survival, has increased risk allotment, which laeds to difficult application. From Jan. 1992 to Dec. 1998, the authors have experienced auricular composite graft in 15 patients who had a defect on the philtrum due to postburn scar contractures. As types of this operation, in method I, the subcutaneous pocket is made at the midline of the upper lip. The next step is cartilage insertion into subcutaneous tissue. The cartilage graft is fixed to be overlying skin by the bolus sutures. In Method II, the recipient site is excavated by some excision of the soft tissue in the central upper lip after scar tissue excision. The obtained auricular skin composite graft is placed and fixed to the philtral area. In Method III the auricular skin composite graft is harvested, and 2 or more 2mm-sized multiple holes are made along the midline of cartilage. Then composite graft is fixed to the defects of philtrum. The elongated portion of the distal tip of cartilage is embedded into the vermilion tubercle for sprouting and fullness. The most effective method was Method III, which enhanced the survival of auricular cartilage graft and its overlying skin, by trimming the margin of grafts, and enhancement of the connecting vessels through fenestrated holes of cartilage between the recipient site and composite graft. The authors hereby report the results of the present study along with study findings based on literature surveys.
Burns* ; Cartilage ; Cicatrix* ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Contracture ; Ear Cartilage ; Humans ; Lip ; Nose ; Skin ; Subcutaneous Tissue ; Surgery, Plastic ; Sutures ; Transplants*

No abstract available.
Osteotomy* ; Prognathism* ; Recurrence*

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to identify comprehensive predictors of fatigue in cancer patients. METHODS: One hundred ten cancer patients visiting in-patient or out-patient clinics of a university hospital located in Incheon participated in this study. RESULTS: The hematologic indicators (WBC and Hemoglobin) were significant for explaining fatigue. The psychological factors of fatigue were statistically significant. Both anxiety and depression, included as psychological factors, were significant in explaining fatigue in cancer patients. The influence of physical factors on fatigue was also statistically significant. Among the variables included as physical factors, pain, nausea/vomiting/anorexia, and sleep disturbance were significant whereas, dyspnea was not significant. The influence of the daily activity factor on fatigue was statistically significant. Among the variables included as daily activity factors, regular exercise or not and the usual activity level were significant in explaining fatigue of cancer patients, while the level of rest was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: From the study results fatigue of cancer patients appeared to be influenced by multidimensional factors, such as physiological, physical, psychological, and activity related factors.
Activities of Daily Living ; Adaptation, Physiological ; Adult ; Aged ; Fatigue/etiology/*nursing ; Female ; Health Status ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Models, Nursing ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasms/complications/*nursing ; Sick Role ; Sickness Impact Profile

A 17-year-old male patient was referred with symptoms of dyspnea. Multi-detector computerized tomography (MDCT) and echocardiography evaluation revealed quadricuspid aortic and pulmonary valves, an atrial septal defect (ASD), and pulmonary stenosis. We closed the ASD using a bovine patch and performed a commissurotomy of the pulmonary valve. Quadricuspid semilunar valves are very rare congenital abnormalities that are reported to occur nine times more frequently in the pulmonic valve than in the aortic valve. According to the Hurwitz and Roberts classification, the aortic valve was type A, and the pulmonic valve was type B. The aortic valve had normal function, but the pulmonic valve was stenotic and had abnormal function.
Adolescent ; Aortic Valve ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Dyspnea ; Echocardiography ; Heart Septal Defects, Atrial ; Humans ; Male ; Pulmonary Valve ; Pulmonary Valve Stenosis

No abstract available.