BACKGROUND: Rotavirus activity in Korea has been reported beginning in October, peak in November, continuing in winter and ending in spring. But the peak month and the incidence of rotavirus seems to be changed recently. So we investigated the trends of rotavirus activity for the last 10 years in Hanyang University Hospital (HUH). Also latex agglutination test was compared with automated enzyme-linked fluorescent immunoassay for the detection of rotavirus in stool specimens. METHODS: Stool specimens (3,636 from HUH, 1989-1998; 1,171 from Hanyang University Kuri hospital, HUKH, 1996-1998) from pediatric patients with acute diarrhea were tested for rotavirus,. Sixty specimens were tested by latex agglutination test (Sliders Rota-kit 2, bioMerieux Vitek, France) and enzyme-linked fluorescent immunoassay (VIDAS Rotavirus, bioMerieux Vitek, France) according to the instructions from the manufacturer. RESULTS: The annual incidence of rotavirus diarrhea from 1989 to 1998 was 47%, 32%, 33%, 25%, 26%, 24%, 24%, 17%, 17%, 14%, respectively. Positive rate of rotavirus was 25% for the 10year period in HUH, 20% for the recent 3 years in HUKH. Peak month was November (46%) in the first 5 year, but November incidence decreased to 17% in the last 5 year, and the peak moved to January, February, and March (34%, 35%, 33%, respectively). Epidemic period was from October to February during the first 5 year, but from December to April during the last 5 year period. The agreement rate of the two methods was 90% and VIDAS Rotavirus showed significantly higher sensitivity compared to Sliders Rota-kit 2. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of rotavirus diarrhea decreased gradually for the last 10 years and the peak month of rotavirus activity was changed from November to January, February, and March. The VIDAS Rotavirus was more sensitive than the Sliders Rota-kit 2 for the detection of rotavirus in stool.
Diarrhea ; Epidemiology ; Gastroenteritis* ; Humans ; Immunoassay ; Incidence ; Korea* ; Latex Fixation Tests ; Rotavirus*

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic active gastritis and peptic ulcer disease. All patients with ulcers who are infected with H. pylori receive antimicrobial therapy. Therefore diagnosis of H. pylori infection is imperative for the treatment gastritis or ulcer patients. We evaluated the four diagnostic methods and three culture media for the isolation of H. pylori. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rapid urease test(CLO test), modified Gram stain, culture, and nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were performed with 108 gastroscopic biopsy specimens from patients with peptic ulcer or chronic gastritis. Among them 40 specimens were inoculated onto each of 5% sheep blood agar, e99 Yolk emulsion (EYE) agar, and 7% horse blood agar containing antibiotics. RESULTS: The positive rates were the highest by the PCR(72%), 67% by modified Gram stain, 64% by CLO test, and 57% by culture. Among the three media the horse blood agar (selective medial) gave the highest isolation rate (48%), followed by sheep blood agar (45%), and EYE agar (38%). CONCLUSION: Though PCR was the most sensitive method for the detection H. pylori modified Gram stain was sensitive enough, simple, rapid, and economical as the routine diagnostic method of H. pylori. For the culture of H. pylori combination of sheep blood agar as nonselective media and horse blood agar as selective media would show the highest isolation rate.
Agar ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Biopsy* ; Culture Media* ; Diagnosis ; Gastritis ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Horses ; Humans ; Peptic Ulcer ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sheep ; Ulcer ; Urease

PURPOSE: This study examined the mediating and moderating effects of multicultural efficacy in the relationship between cultural empathy and cultural competence in child care teachers. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive survey design was used. The participants were 277 child care teachers at private and public daycare centers in G and S districts of Seoul. The survey instruments included a cultural empathy questionnaire, a multicultural efficacy scale, and a cultural competence scale. Data were analyzed using the SPSS and AMOS programs. For data analysis, descriptive statistics, correlation, and mediating and moderating effect analyses were performed. Bootstrapping was implemented to verify the mediating effect of the model developed herein. RESULTS: Positive correlations among cultural empathy, multicultural efficacy, and cultural competence were noted. Multicultural efficacy showed a significant mediating effect on the relationships between cultural empathy and cultural competence. However, there was no moderating effect. CONCLUSION: In order to enhance the cultural competence of child care teachers, it is necessary to develop a strategy that can promote their cultural empathy and multicultural efficacy. Furthermore, these results will ultimately enhance the role of child care teachers, thus contributing to the normal growth and development of multicultural children.
Child ; Child Care ; Child ; Cultural Competency ; Cultural Diversity ; Empathy ; Growth and Development ; Humans ; Negotiating ; Self Efficacy ; Seoul ; Statistics as Topic

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to apply and evaluate the effectiveness of a child abuse prevention program based on the Nursing Model of Resilience and Coping Skills Training Model for unmarried mothers during pregnancy and puerperium. Methods: This study had a prospective single-case, AB design with four repeated self-questionnaire measures and three observational measures. Seven unmarried mothers were provided with 10 sessions child abuse prevention program through individual visits from 32 to 34 weeks of pregnancy to 6 weeks after childbirth. The questionnaire was composed related to resilience, maternal stress, maternal attitude, parent-child interaction, child abuse potential. The observation was measured by video recording (total 16 times) the interaction of parent-child during feeding and analyzing it by three experts. Data were analyzed by Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Friedman’s test. Results: Maternal attitude and parent-child interaction were statistically significantly improved after intervention compared to before intervention. However, maternal stress decreased after intervention compared to before intervention, but it was not statistically significant. Also, resilience and child abuse potential were not statistically significant. This program is partially effective in preventing child abuse by promoting parenting attitudes and parent-child interactions. Conclusion This study focused on individual resilience and applied systematic intervention as coping skills training to prevent child abuse. This study is meaningful in that interventions were conducted through individual visits to unmarried mothers at high risk of child abuse, and the program was applied, including pregnancy and postpartum periods, to prevent child abuse early.

BACKGROUND: In diagnosis or monitor of the airway obstruction in bronchial asthma, the measurement of FEV1 in the standard method because of its reproducibility and accuracy. But the measurement of peak expiratory flow(PEF) by peak flow meter is much simpler and easier than that of FEV1 especially in children. Yet there have been still no data of the predicted normal values of PEF measured by peak flow meter in Korean children. This study was conducted to provide equations to predict the normal value of PEF and correlation between PEF and FEV1 in healthy children. METHOD: PEF was measured by MiniWright peak flow meter, and the forced expiratory volume and the maximum expiratory flow volume curves were measured by Microspiro HI 501(Chest Co.) in 346 healthy children (age:5-16 years, 194 boys and 152 girls) without any respiratory symptoms during 2 weeks before the study. The regression equations for various ventilatory parameters according to age and/or height, and the regression equations of FEV1 by PEF were derived. RESULTS: 1. The regression equation for PEF(L/min) was:12.6×age(year)+3.4×height(cm)-263(R2=0.85) in boys, and 6×age(year)+3.9×height(cm)-293(R2=0.82) in girls. 2. The value of FEFmax(L/sec) derived from the maximum expiratory flow volume curves was multiplied by 60 to compare with PEF(L/min), and PEF was faster by 125 L/min in boys and 118 L/min in girls, respectively. 3. The regression equation for FEV1(ml) by PEF(L/min) was:7×PEF-550(R2=0.82) in boys, and 5.8×PEF-146(R2=0.81) in girls, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study provides regression equations predicting the normal values of PEF by age and/or height in children. And the equations for FEV1, a gold standard of ventilatory function, was predicted by PEF. So, in taking care of children with airway obstruction, PEF measured by the peak flow meter can provide useful information.
Airway Obstruction ; Asthma ; Child* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Humans ; Reference Values

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori has been implicated in the pathogenesis of active chronic gastritis and peptic ulcer disease in man. Thus, diagnosis and treatment of H. pylori infection are now of growing importance in ulcer management. A variety of non-invasive and invasive methods have been described for the detection of H. pvlori, but all of these techniques have disadvantages such as time consuming or insensitivity. So we describe the polymerase chain reaction(PCR) assay for the sensitive and specific detection of H. pylori. METHODS: Gastric biopsy specimens were obtained from 247 patients undergoing endoscopic examinations at Hanyang University Hospital. One half of the specimen was processed for routine culture and the other half for PCR. Bacterial genomic DNA from gastric biopsies was extracted by Instagene. Two sets of primer pairs derived from the nucleotide sequence of the urease A gene of H. pylori were used. RESULT: H. pylori was cultured in 100(40%) cases and PCR assay detected 179 (72%) cases (P<0.05, Chi-square test). Culture and PCR-positive cases totaled 100, and there were 68 cases negative by both methods. There were 79 culture-negative and PCR-positive cases, but none was culture-positive and PCR-negative. The assay was sensitive for detecting as little as 0.1 pg of DNA (1 bacterial cell). The specificity of detection was confirmed by ensuring that the primers did not amplify DNA extract from other bacteria. CONCLUSION: The PCR is a rapid, accurate, and sensitive method for the detection of H. pylori.
Bacteria ; Base Sequence ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; DNA ; Gastritis ; Genes, vif ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Humans ; Peptic Ulcer ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Ulcer ; Urease

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the anatomical correlates of the neuropsychological deficits in patients with the cerebellar stroke. METHODS: We screened patients who were admitted to the National Rehabilitation Center with the cerebellar stroke between October 2012 and November 2016. The patients with the cerebellar stroke who underwent neuropsychological testing for which the Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery (SNSB) or the SNSB-II were enrolled. The neuropsychological function capacities were compared in accordance with the stroke type (hemorrhagic vs. ischemic) and the location (right/left anterior, right/left posterior intermediate, right/left posterior lateral lobe, and vermis). Mean z-scores were computed to compare the patient performances with the population averages. RESULTS: Twenty-six patients (15 with ischemic stroke and 11 with hemorrhagic stroke) with a mean age of 54.8±16.6 years were assessed 8.8±9.2 months after the stroke. Differences in the neuropsychological functioning according to the stroke type were not observed. All of the numerical subtests of the stroke patients showed significantly poorer performances compared with the population averages (mean z-score < 0), and some of the subtests revealed abnormal performances in attention-, visuospatial function-, memory-, and frontal/executive function-related tasks (mean z-score <−1). The patients with the presence of a lesion in the right posterior intermediate lobe of the cerebellum showed a poorer performance in the subtests evaluating the executive function including the Korean-version Stroop Test (p=0.04), the Digit Symbol Coding Test (p=0.01), and the Korean-version Trail Making Test (p=0.02) compared with the patients without that lesion. CONCLUSION: The present study confirms that the cerebellar stroke affects the neuropsychological functioning which is associated with the anatomical site of stroke.
Cerebellum ; Clinical Coding ; Cognition ; Executive Function ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Neuropsychological Tests ; Rehabilitation Centers ; Seoul ; Stroke* ; Stroop Test ; Trail Making Test

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the anatomical correlates of the neuropsychological deficits in patients with the cerebellar stroke. METHODS: We screened patients who were admitted to the National Rehabilitation Center with the cerebellar stroke between October 2012 and November 2016. The patients with the cerebellar stroke who underwent neuropsychological testing for which the Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery (SNSB) or the SNSB-II were enrolled. The neuropsychological function capacities were compared in accordance with the stroke type (hemorrhagic vs. ischemic) and the location (right/left anterior, right/left posterior intermediate, right/left posterior lateral lobe, and vermis). Mean z-scores were computed to compare the patient performances with the population averages. RESULTS: Twenty-six patients (15 with ischemic stroke and 11 with hemorrhagic stroke) with a mean age of 54.8±16.6 years were assessed 8.8±9.2 months after the stroke. Differences in the neuropsychological functioning according to the stroke type were not observed. All of the numerical subtests of the stroke patients showed significantly poorer performances compared with the population averages (mean z-score < 0), and some of the subtests revealed abnormal performances in attention-, visuospatial function-, memory-, and frontal/executive function-related tasks (mean z-score <−1). The patients with the presence of a lesion in the right posterior intermediate lobe of the cerebellum showed a poorer performance in the subtests evaluating the executive function including the Korean-version Stroop Test (p=0.04), the Digit Symbol Coding Test (p=0.01), and the Korean-version Trail Making Test (p=0.02) compared with the patients without that lesion. CONCLUSION: The present study confirms that the cerebellar stroke affects the neuropsychological functioning which is associated with the anatomical site of stroke.
Cerebellum ; Clinical Coding ; Cognition ; Executive Function ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Neuropsychological Tests ; Rehabilitation Centers ; Seoul ; Stroke* ; Stroop Test ; Trail Making Test

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the utility of Cognitive Perceptual Assessment for Driving (CPAD) through the on-road test in predicting the actual road driving skills in brain injured patients. METHOD: 25 brain injured patients with actual driving experience before the occurrence of diseases participated in the handicapped driving adaptation training program of our hospital as the subjects of the study, and one round of CPAD and on-road test were performed. CPAD evaluations and on-road tests for all patients were evaluated by the same therapist. RESULTS: 11 patients passed the CPAD and all of them passed the on-road test. 3 patients failed from CPAD and they turned out to be failed at the on-road test. The mean CPAD score of the on-road test passed group was 53.6 which was significantly different from the mean 43.6 CPAD score acquired by the on-road test failed group by showing a significant difference between two groups (p<0.05). Among the 11 patients who received the borderline CPAD score, 9 patients passed the on-road test. CONCLUSION: CPAD is considered to be useful in predicting the actual road driving skills of brain injured patients who previously had driving experiences before the occurrence of the diseases.
Brain ; Disabled Persons ; Humans

BACKGROUND: Diagnosis of tuberculosis is more complicated because of low sensitivity and time consuming procedures of the conventional diagnostic methods as well as nonspecific clinical features. Recently the serologic diagnosis of tuberculosis has been reported as one of rapid sensitive and specific methods. We evaluated the ability of a rapid ICT Tuberculosis assay(AMRAD/ICT Diagnostics, Syndey, Australia) to detect pulmonary tuberculosis. METHODS: ICT Tuberculosis assay was performed to the sera from 50 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (24 patients with smear positive, 26 patients with smear negative) and 105 controls (48 patients without tuberculosis, 57 healthy controls). RESULTS: Antibodies were detected in 22 of 24 (92%) smear positive patients and 22 of 26 (85%) smear negative patients who had been clinically diagnosed as having active pulmonary tuberculosis. Two (4.2%) out of 48 patients without tuberculosis and 1 (1.8%) out of 57 healthy controls had a positive antibody response. The overall sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive value of the ICT Tuberculosis assay were 88%, 97%, 94%, and 94%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The ICT Tuberculosis assay was not only sensitive and specific but also rapid and simple. This assay will be useful as a diagnostic method of pulmonary tuberculosis in combination with sputum smear and X-ray.
Antibodies ; Antibody Formation ; Diagnosis* ; Humans ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sputum ; Tuberculosis* ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary*