OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to investigate the relationships among job stress, job satisfaction, and mental health in marine officers. METHODS: The researchers gathered data on marine officers working at a harbor in Chungcheong Province, South Korea, using a self-reported questionnaire. Mental health was measured by the Symptom Checklist-90-Revision (SCL-90-R), and general characteristics including socioeconomic factors, job stress, and job satisfaction were measured by structured questionnaires. Multiple regression analysis was performed to investigate the relationships among job stress, job satisfaction, and mental health status according to the symptom dimensions of the SCL-90-R. RESULTS: Among the marine officers, obsessive-compulsive behavior, depression, and somatization were the most problematic symptoms. Those who reported poor health, low job satisfaction, and high job stress had a higher prevalence of psychoticism, somatization, depression, anxiety, and phobic anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: An occupational health system should be introduced that would regularly check the mental health of marine officers in charge of ships and sailors, in order to help reduce their stress levels, enhance their job satisfaction, and thereby improve their mental health.
Anxiety ; Depression ; Humans ; Job Satisfaction* ; Korea ; Mental Health ; Military Personnel ; Occupational Health ; Prevalence ; Ships ; Socioeconomic Factors

PURPOSE: To compare the clinical features according to the presence of anisometropia in refractive accommodative esotropia patients. METHODS: Forty-five refractive accommodative esotropia patients were divided into 2 groups : patients who had anisometropia of more than 1.00D (anisometropia group), and patients who had anisometropia of less than 1.00D (isometropia group). Age at onset, age when glasses were first worn, the initial and final angle of esotropia with or without hyperopic correction, the recovery time to orthophoria after hyperopic correction, the degree of stereoacuity and the frequency of amblyopia, the prevalence of deterioration, and the ratio of accommodative-convergence to accommodation were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: There were no statistical differences between the 2 groups in the frequency of amblyopia, the prevalence of deterioration, and the ratio of accommodative-convergence to accommodation at the initial and final visit. The angles of deviation with hyperopic correction at the 1-month follow-up visit in the anisometropia group and the isometropia group were 8.80 +/- 5.63 PD for near, 8.67 +/- 5.42 PD for distance, and 4.54 +/- 6.59 PD for near 5.19 +/- 6.7 PD for distance, respectively; the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.042). The recovery time to orthophoria after hyperopic correction in patients associated with anisometropia was 2.20 +/- 1.01 months, significantly longer than 1.47 +/- 0.86 months in patients associated with isometropia (p = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: In refractive accommodative esotropia patients associated with anisometropia, the recovery time to orthophoria after hyperopic correction was significantly prolonged but there were no statistical differences in other clinical manifestations.
Amblyopia ; Anisometropia ; Esotropia ; Eyeglasses ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glass ; Humans ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: To report a case of periorbital infantile capillary hemangioma treated with propranolol as a single therapy. CASE SUMMARY: A 3-month-old girl with a growing red-purple mass on the right lower eyelid visited our clinic. The patient was diagnosed with capillary hemagioma by imaging studies. The mass had grown rapidly, and the visual axis was obscured in the follow-up. Oral propranolol therapy was initiated at a starting dose of 0.17 mg/kg at 8-hour intervals. After 2 doses, the propranolol was doubled, and after another 2 doses, the daily dose of 0.67 mg/kg divided into 3 was maintained. Three days after the initiation of the treatment, the color of the hemangioma had changed from red-purple to light purple, and the hemangioma had softened. The hemangioma continued to respond well with no side effects in the following 10 months. CONCLUSIONS: The authors suggest that oral propranolol treatment as a possibility of an effective and safe option for the vision-threatening periorbital capillary hemangioma as a single therapy.
Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Capillaries ; Eyelids ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemangioma ; Hemangioma, Capillary ; Humans ; Infant ; Light ; Propranolol

PURPOSE: To report a case of periorbital infantile capillary hemangioma treated with propranolol as a single therapy. CASE SUMMARY: A 3-month-old girl with a growing red-purple mass on the right lower eyelid visited our clinic. The patient was diagnosed with capillary hemagioma by imaging studies. The mass had grown rapidly, and the visual axis was obscured in the follow-up. Oral propranolol therapy was initiated at a starting dose of 0.17 mg/kg at 8-hour intervals. After 2 doses, the propranolol was doubled, and after another 2 doses, the daily dose of 0.67 mg/kg divided into 3 was maintained. Three days after the initiation of the treatment, the color of the hemangioma had changed from red-purple to light purple, and the hemangioma had softened. The hemangioma continued to respond well with no side effects in the following 10 months. CONCLUSIONS: The authors suggest that oral propranolol treatment as a possibility of an effective and safe option for the vision-threatening periorbital capillary hemangioma as a single therapy.
Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Capillaries ; Eyelids ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemangioma ; Hemangioma, Capillary ; Humans ; Infant ; Light ; Propranolol

The purpose of this study was to obtain the basic information for the improvement of dental environment by investigating the presence of methicillin- or vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA or VRSA) isolated from dental health care workers (DHCWs) and environment of the Chosun University Dental Hospital (CUDH) and a private dental clinic (control group). Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) was isolated from anterior nares of 42 DHCWs and 38 sites, unit chairs, x-ray devices, computers, etc., at 10 departments of the CUDH and 20 DHCWs and 11 sites at the private dental clinic. S. aureus was isolated on mannitol salt agar plate and confirmed by PCR with S. aureus species-specific primer. Antimicrobial susceptibility test of clinical isolates of S. aureus against several antibiotics including methicillin (oxacillin) was performed by investigating minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) using broth microdilution assay. In addition, PCR was performed to detect the methicillin- or vancomycin-resistant gene. The data showed that one strain of S. aureus was isolated from DHCWs of the CUDH and three strains of S. aureus was isolated from 3 samples of the private dental clinic, respectively. All of the isolates from the CUDH and the private dental clinic had resistance to penicillin G, amoxicillin and vancomycin and susceptibility to oxacillin and ciprofloxacin. The S. aureus strains were already obtained the resistance to penicillin G and amoxicillin. These results suggest that two dental clinics were under relatively safe environment.
Agar ; Amoxicillin ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Ciprofloxacin ; Delivery of Health Care ; Dental Clinics ; Mannitol ; Methicillin* ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Oxacillin ; Penicillin G ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Staphylococcus aureus* ; Staphylococcus* ; Vancomycin

Purpose: This study was conducted with a focus group interview that drew out experiences, limitations, and difficulties in the workplace according to the employment conditions of visiting nurses in the public health centers. Methods: A total of 12 visiting nurses are those working in the public sector in Seoul and Gyeonggi province who were willing to participate in the interview. Analysis categories and coding were divided into three categories: compensation system, occupational status, and opinions to improve their treatment. Using the content analysis method, the current working status and compensation system of visiting nurses were described. Results: The main themes derived from the significant statements of visiting nurses were ‘Ten years of frozen salary system’, ‘Full-time workers of their own league’, ‘Excluded from performance benefits’, ‘Every visiting nurses are virtually precarious’, ‘Experience of exclusion and discrimination’, and ‘Reasons and barriers to be a full-time worker’. All of the visiting nurses working in the community insisted on having equal treatment for work of equal value. Visiting nurses in the public health sector wanted to be set to the same payment system and the fair allowance system as well. It is necessary to continuously seek solutions to the problems left in insisting on the civil service of visiting nurses. Conclusion Visiting nurses who were working in a precarious job position felt job insecurity, and experienced discrimination, alienation, and exclusion. Legal and institutional reform is needed to improve the treatment of visiting nurses.

BACKGROUND: Nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infections are increasingly being recognized as a cause of chronic pulmonary disease. This study describes the prevalence of NTM species from clinical specimens and the clinical characteristics of NTM pulmonary disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The NTM isolated from March 2003 to December 2003 at the Kosin Medical Center were identified using an oligonucleotide chip containing the internal transcribed space (ITS) sequence. The medical records of the patients with the NTM isolates, who fulfilled the 1997 ATS diagnostic criteria for NTM pulmonary disease, were analyzed, retrospectively. RESULTS: Twenty four species (24.2%) of NTM were isolated from 99 cultured AFB specimens. M. avium complex (MAC) (13 isolates), M. szulgai (3), M. kansasii (2), M. malmoense (2), M. abscessus (1), M. chelonae (1), M. scrofulaceum (1), and unclassified (1). Of the 23 patients with isolated NTM, 11 patients were found to be compatible with a NTM pulmonary infection according to the ATS criteria; MAC was found in 6 cases (54.5%), M. szulgai in 2 cases (18.2%), and M. abscessus, M. szulgai, M. kansasii and M. malmoense in 1 case each (9.1%). Ten patients (91%) were male and the median age at diagnosis was 61 years. In the pre-existing diseases, malignant disease was found in 6 cases including 5 patients with lung cancer, and history of old pulmonary tuberculosis was identified in 4 cases. The radiological patterns showed lung destruction lung in 3 cases, a cavitary mass in 3 cases, a nodular pattern in 2 cases, and reticulonodular, consolidation and a bronchiectasis pattern were in 1 case each. CONCLUSION: Various types of NTM pulmonary diseases were`found in a tertiary hospital at Busan, Korea. The NTM pulmonary diseases were caused by MAC, M. szugai, M. kansasii, M. malmoense, M. abscessus, M. chelonae, and M. scrofulaceum in the order of frequency.
Bronchiectasis ; Busan ; Diagnosis ; DNA* ; Humans ; Korea ; Lung ; Lung Diseases* ; Lung Neoplasms ; Male ; Medical Records ; Nontuberculous Mycobacteria* ; Preexisting Condition Coverage ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

The gastric carcinoma displays various macroscopic appearances ranging from well defined protuberant to diffuse infiltrating tumors but its histological diagnosis is usually simple when performing an endoscopic biopsy. A few gastric cancinomas resemble submucosal tumors (SMT). A gastric carcinoma with a SMT-like appearance is extremely rare, and reportedly accounts for 0.1% to 0.63% of all resected gastric carcinomas in Japan. A histological diagnosis of a SMT-like gastric carcinoma by repeated endoscopic biopsies is often difficult as the tumors are almost entirely covered with normal mucosa. When one sees the lesions in an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, one should be careful about the location of depression, redness and coating that deviates from the top of the tumor. Here we report two cases of SMT-like gastric carcinomas, diagnosed by the usual endoscopic biopsy method and treated with surgery, with an accompanying review of the recent literature.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Biopsy ; Depression ; Diagnosis ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal ; Japan ; Mucous Membrane

Marssonina coronaria associated with apple blotch disease causes severe premature defoliation, and is widely distributed in Korea. Thirteen isolates were collected from orchards located in Gyeongbuk Province from 2005~2007. All isolates displayed over 99.6% and 99.2% sequence similarity to each other in internal transcribed spacer regions and partial sequences of 28S rDNA, respectively. The isolates were phylogenetically closely related to Chinese isolates. Selected isolates did not differ in their pathogenicity. The optimum conditions for fungal growth were 20degrees C and pH 6 on peptone potato dextrose agar (PPDA). Peptone and mannose were the best nitrogen and carbon source, respectively. Fungal growth was better on PPDA than on common potato dextrose agar. This study provides valuable information for integrated disease management program and facilitates the routine culturing of M. coronaria.
Agar ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Carbon ; Diazonium Compounds ; Disease Management ; DNA, Ribosomal ; Glucose ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Korea ; Mannose ; Nitrogen ; Peptones ; Phylogeny ; Pyridines ; Solanum tuberosum

Ischemic colitis is a frequent disorder of large bowel in elderly persons or in debilitated patients with a variable underlying medical problems. Ischemic colitis may result from alterations in the systemic circulation or anatomic or functional changes in the local mesenteric vasculature. In most cases, no specific cause for the ischemic colitis is identified. Cases of ischemic colitis after enema for bowel cleansing have been rarely reported, but there has been no case report after normal saline enema. We report a case of ischemic colitis in a 72-year old patient with well-controlled hypertension, presenting as bloody diarrhea which developed after normal saline enema for preoperative bowel cleansing.
Aged ; Colitis, Ischemic/*diagnosis ; Diarrhea/*diagnosis ; *Enema ; Hemorrhage/diagnosis ; Humans ; Male ; Sigmoidoscopy ; Sodium Chloride/*administration & dosage ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed