This study was intended to enhance the level of hospital personnel management through analysing job satisfaction of hospital employees in terms of structural, personal and environmental variables. The sample of this study consist of a total of 790 persons including doctors, residents, interns, pharmacists, nurses, medical engineers, office workers and manual workers who have worked for general hospitals with 200 beds, 300 beds and 800 beds respectively. The Likert's 5 scales were used for the measurement of satisfaction. The results can be summarized as follows: 1. Structural variables. The level of satisfaction on the job itself was generally low 2.8 in Likert`s 5 scales, with the order of role ambiguity(3.87), routinization(2.6), work overload (2.45) and autonomy(2 37). Hospital employees are aware of their responsibility and they regarded their work as heavy one. The compensatory satisfaction degree was 2.5 which was also low: There were in the order stability(3.l), distributive justice(2.57), pay(2.3) and promotion(l.9). Usually hospital employees showed high degree of stability, while, their satisfaction on promotion possibility is quite low due to specially differentiated structures of hospitals. The degree of satisfaction on the internal conditions of organizational culture was relatively higher as 2.92: They were co-worker's support(3.69), supervisory support(3.15), role conflict(2.64) and welfare(2.17) in order. The satisfaction on welfare as an economic condition was the lowest. 2. Personal Variables. The level of satisfaction on personal variables was 3.27 which seemed to be quite high: contribution to the hospital(3.38), attitude on job performance(3.28) and pride as a member of the, hospital(3.07). They seem to believe that their work has been helpful to the performance of hospitals. 3. Environmental Variables. The degree of satisfaction on these variables was 3.07 the average which was derived from environmental factors such as family-role conflict and community support related to hospital employees' environment. The order of satisfaction for each variable is community support(3.2) and family-role conflict(2.94). They turned out to be fairly satisfied with their job in community and yet, they wanted more spare time to spend with their family.
Hospitals, General* ; Humans ; Job Satisfaction* ; Organizational Culture ; Personnel Administration, Hospital ; Pharmacists ; Weights and Measures

Patients with chronic renal failure, generally, sufferred from normocytic normochromic anemia caused by decreased level of erythropoietin. But, secondary erythrocytosis has been reported in patients with several renal diseases; renal artery stenosis or throm- bosis, polycystic kidney disease, bilateral hydronephrosis, etc. We report one case of chronic renal failure combined with polycythemia vera. The case was 32 year-old man whose chief complaints were dyspnea, back pain, itching sensation, headache. 6 month ago, the laboratory examination showed only proteinuria and hematuria without deterioration of renal function. The renal function was aggravated with an accelerated course, and bone marrow examination revealed hypercellularity (erythroid predominance), and renal biopsy showed the finding of the end stage of renal disease which may be originated from IgA nephropathy.
Adult ; Anemia ; Back Pain ; Biopsy ; Bone Marrow Examination ; Dyspnea ; Erythropoietin ; Glomerulonephritis, IGA* ; Headache ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Hydronephrosis ; Immunoglobulin A* ; Kidney Failure, Chronic* ; Polycystic Kidney Diseases ; Polycythemia Vera* ; Polycythemia* ; Proteinuria ; Pruritus ; Renal Artery Obstruction ; Sensation

OBJECTIVE: To identify the risk factors for secondary lymphedema after breast cancer surgery. Lymphedema, a sequelae of breast cancer therapy, changes functional abilities and may affect a patient's psychosocial adjustment and overall quality of life. It is generally underreported and undertreated. METHOD: Six hundred two patients who had undergone breast cancer surgery between January 2000 and December 2005 were examined. The circumferences of the upper extremities were measured and lymphedema was defined as difference of greater than 2cm between the affected and normal arms. The effects of age, body mass index, diabetes, hypertension, side of tumor, sugery method, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, TNM stage, involvement of axillary lymph nodes, menopausal state and laboratory findings on the development lymphedema were investigated and analyzed by t-test, chi-square test and multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: 121 out of 602 patients had lymphedema. Those patients with lymphedema had a higher body mass index. Univariate analysis indicated an increased occurrence of lymphedema due to those with body mass index, radiotherapy, T2 stage, N3 stage and axillary lymph node invasion. Multivariate analysis revealed that body mass index and radiotherapy were independently associated factors for lymphedema after breast cancer surgery. CONCLUSION: The patients who had radiotherapy or BMI greater than 25 must be considered as potential candidates to have lymphedema after breast cancer surgery. Therefore, these patients should be informed during the follow-up period about this morbidity, the preventive measure, and the treatment.
Arm ; Body Mass Index ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Logistic Models ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphedema ; Multivariate Analysis ; Quality of Life ; Risk Factors ; Upper Extremity

OBJECTIVE: To determine risk factors of orthostatic hypotension in ischemic stroke patients. METHOD: In 98 ischemic stroke patients, blood pressure and heart rate were measured after resting in the supine position for 10 minutes and again after standing for one minute. Presence of orthostatic hypotension was correlated with age, gender, body mass index, laboratory findings, diabetes mellitus, anti-hypertensive use, side of involved hemisphere, smoking and K-MBI (Korean Modified Barthel Index). RESULTS: 30 out of 98 patients had orthostatic hypotension. Those patients with orthostatic hypotension were older in age and had a higher average blood pressure, heart rate and plasma creatinine. On the other hand, body mass index, K-MBI and serum sodium levels were lower in the orthostatic hypotension group. Multivariate analysis revealed that age, body mass index, anti-hypertensive use and smoking were independently associated with orthostatic hypotension. CONCLUSION: Old age, low BMI, anti-hypertensive use, smoking were risk factors of orthostatic hypotension in the ischemic stroke patients. Patients in the higher risk categories should receive regular monitoring of blood pressure in order to detect orthostatic hypotension and prevent its complications.
Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Creatinine ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Hand ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hypotension, Orthostatic* ; Multivariate Analysis ; Plasma ; Risk Factors* ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Sodium ; Stroke* ; Supine Position

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The Oxford classification of immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) is a pathology-based prognostic classification system. However, further study is needed to determine its validity. We studied the relationships between the Oxford classification and established prognostic factors and renal survival. We also examined associations between electron microscopy findings and these parameters. METHODS: We reviewed and reclassified 213 patients who were diagnosed with IgAN from 1997 to 2007 using the Oxford and World Health Organization (WHO) classification systems. The patients were also categorized by a pathologist using electron microscopy findings, including foot process fusion, glomerular basement membrane thickness, and electron-dense deposits. We examined the correlations between light and electron microscopy data and known prognostic factors (e.g., age, sex, proteinuria, serum creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR], and blood pressure). The same procedure was applied to renal survival. RESULTS: Patient age increased with the grades of segmental sclerosis (S) and tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis (T) (P < 0.05). eGFR decreased significantly with increasing mesangial hypercellularity (M) (p = 0.0034), S (p = 0.0003), endocapillary hypercellularity (E) (p = 0.0411), and T (P < 0.0001). MSET differed significantly by sex (P < 0.0001). The 24-h urine protein/creatinine ratio increased significantly with the degrees of S (p = 0.036), E (p = 0.0155), and T (p = 0.015). The serum creatinine level was significantly higher in patients with T2 than T1 or T0 (P < 0.0001). At the time of biopsy, the degree of tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis affected the doubling of serum creatinine or end-stage renal disease. However, the electron microscopy findings did not predict the renal outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis is significantly associated with proteinuria and renal progression in IgAN.
Biopsy ; Classification ; Creatinine ; Fibrosis ; Foot ; Glomerular Basement Membrane ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Glomerulonephritis, IGA* ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Microscopy, Electron ; Pathology* ; Prognosis ; Proteinuria ; Sclerosis ; World Health Organization

OBJECTIVE: To determine the time period and factors inhibiting recovery of orthostatic hypotension during head up tilt with ischemic stroke patients. METHOD: Fourty two ischemic stroke patients with orthostatic hypotension were included. Blood pressure and heart rate were taken after resting in the supine position for 10 minutes and again after standing for one minute every week. Age, gender, body mass index, laboratory findings, diabetes mellitus, anti-hypertensive use, side of involved hemisphere and K-MBI were obtained. RESULTS: The numbers of orthostatic hypotension patients were significantly decreased at 3rd week. Non recovering group until 3rd week were older in age and had higher plasma creatinine level. On the other hand, body mass index and K-MBI were lower than the group without orthostatic hypotention. Multivariate analysis revealed that age, body mass index, anti-hypertensive medication were independently associated factors for resistant orthostatic hypotension during head up tilt. CONCLUSION: For 7 weeks, especially at 3rd week, the numbers of orthostatic hypotension patients significantly decreased. Age, BMI, and antihypertensive medication were inhibitiing factors for recovery of orthostatic hypotension.
Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Creatinine ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Hand ; Head ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hypotension, Orthostatic ; Multivariate Analysis ; Plasma ; Stroke ; Supine Position