No abstract available.
Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute* ; Sarcoma, Myeloid*

BACKGROUND: Hospital-wide surveillance showed an up to 9% increase in the incidence rate of the nasal transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) among health care workers (HCWs) in a tertiary care hospital where MRSA is endemic. The purpose of this study was to investigate the knowledge of and attitude towards nasal transmission of MRSA and hand-washing practice among HCWs and determine the behavioral factors associated with the nasal transmission of MRSA. METHODS: In a 750-bed tertiary care hospital, nasal swabs from HCWs were obtained, and questionnaires with 25 questions were distributed to HCWs who were divided into 2 different groups: MRSA carriers and non-carriers. The questionnaires focused on the HCWs' knowledge about the mode of MRSA transmission and precautions against MRSA infection and their self-reported compliance for hand hygiene. RESULTS: The total number of respondents for the surveillance culture and survey were 253 (51 MRSA carriers and 202 non-carriers). There was significant difference between the 2 groups on the knowledge of precautionary measures used for the MRSA patients in the hospital (P=0.026). Compared to the MRSA carriers, the non-carriers washed their hands significantly more frequently after ventilator care (P=0.004) and used more alcohol sanitizers (P=0.023). However, no significant difference was observed in hand-washing practices of both the groups before the medical procedures, their knowledge about the mode of transmission of MRSA, and the duration of hand washing. CONCLUSION: Non-carriers replied more accurately to the questions on knowledge about the management and treatment of MRSA, and they considered interventions such as surveillance cultures and questionnaires to be an effective method in lowering the incidence of nosocomial infections. Compared to the MRSA carriers, the non-carriers showed higher hand-washing compliance.
Compliance ; Cross Infection ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Delivery of Health Care ; Drug Resistance ; Hand ; Hand Disinfection ; Humans ; Incidence ; Methicillin Resistance ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; Tertiary Healthcare ; Ventilators, Mechanical

No abstract available.
Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Vertebroplasty*

GH concentration in plasma decline with age. GH and GH response to GHRH are influenced by sex hormones, thereby changing around the menopause. In several aspects, features of aging resemble those of a state of GH deficiency. It has been argued the declining GH function, along with other factors, might be a causal factor in osteoporosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate that postmenopausal osteoporosis in ovariectomized rat could be prevented by rhGH. Fifty-four Sprague-Dawley rats(weight 140-200g) were devided 3 groups. Group 1(n=18) was sham operation; Group 2(n=18) was ovariectomized and received subcutaneous injection with 0.05 cc normal saline; Group 3(n=18) was ovariectomized and received subcutaneous injection with 0.2 IU rhGH. Group 2 and 3 were injected daily, 6 day per week. Each group was devided three subgroups(n=6) and were sacrificed at 6 week, 10 week, 14 week, respectively. Group 2 showed a significant increase in body weight, femur length, serum IGF-1 level, serum PICP and ICTP level at 6 weeks, 10 weeks, 14 weeks and a significant decrease in ash weight of tibia, width of bony spicules, at 14 weeks than Group 1. Group 3 demonstrated a significant increase in body weight, femur length, serum IGF-1, serum PICP and ITCP levels and a insignificant decrease in ash weight of tibia and width of bony spicules, at 6 weeks, 10 weeks, 14 weeks than Group 1. At 14 weeks, Group 3 showed a significant increase in serum IGF-1, Serum PTH, Serum PICP. From these data, we conclude that although rhGH administration leads to an activation of bone turnover and more stimulation of bone formation, it does not prevent a bone loss in ovariectomized rat.
Aging ; Animals ; Body Weight ; Female ; Femur ; Gonadal Steroid Hormones ; Humans* ; Injections, Subcutaneous ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; Menopause ; Osteogenesis ; Osteoporosis* ; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal ; Ovariectomy ; Plasma ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tibia

Dislocation involving tarsal navicular is a extremely rare injury compare to dislocation of other tarsal bone. One case of the tarsal navicular dislocation associated with subluxation of the midtarsal joint treated by open reduction and arthrodesis was reported.
Arthrodesis ; Dislocations ; Joints ; Tarsal Bones

Spontaneous testicular hemorrhagic necrosis is a rare disease usually associated with testicular torsion. Partially involved and suspicious testis tumor cases are also defined from orchiectomy specimens. Herein, a spontaneous hemorrhagic necrosis, without any testicular torsion, but with involvement of the whole testicle and epididymis, is reported. A 21 year old patient, who presented with a painless left testicular enlargement of several days duration was believed, based on physical examination, ultrasonography and elevation of serum LDH, to have a testicular tumor. Diagnosis was made only after radical orchiectomy and histopathological examination.
Diagnosis ; Epididymis ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Male ; Necrosis* ; Orchiectomy ; Physical Examination ; Rare Diseases ; Spermatic Cord Torsion ; Testis* ; Ultrasonography ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Surgical correction of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is relatively safe and effective since it does not remain in the category of open-heart-surgery. Although the surgical practice for PDA is performed in almost all hospitals, they contain the problems of anxiety of patients, remained surgical wounds on patients' chests and complications of surgery and general anesthesia. Recently non-surgical methods for the obstruction of PDA have been developed and some of them including buttoned devices are used now. The success rates of these methods approach to 84%. But the problems of embolization, incomplete closure, hemolysis, stenosis of aorta and left pulmonary artery have been reported. We invented new PDA occluder , using stainless steel wire and polyurethane foam. Therefore we investigated the efficacy of occluding blood flow with the new PDA occluder in the vessels of experimental animals. METHOD: Using 304 stainless steel wire which is self-expandable stent, two star-shaped frames were made, each frame forming cone and facing the other's tip. And in the center of the frames polyurethane foam was inserted. 316L stainless steel wire was used to fix the elements described above and some portion of the wire was extracted outside of the frames, shaping hook or round loop with which the occluder could be pulled out in case of misplacement. To create the similar situation to PDA, we made shunts from artery to vein between carotid arteries and jugular veins with surgical bypass grafts or made shunts of direct artery to vein connections without grafts in 4 dogs and 1 pig. Through 8F sheath, we deployed the occluders into the shunts made of 5 grafts or made of 3 arterial ends. Also the occluders were inserted into the femoral artery of dog and iliac artery of pig. After deployment of occluders, angiograms were performed to obscure the efficacy of blocking blood flow and follow-up angiogrms were done in one and two weeks. The animals were sacrificed in one and two weeks to get the tissues including occluders inside. Gross findings were checked about thrombi formation in and around polyurethane foam. RESULTS: The 10 occluders were placed successfully except one site due to misplacement. The occluders successfully blocked the blood flows in all 10 sites within 3 - 60 minutes. Each follow-up angiogram for occluders in one and two weeks revealed good maintenance of blockade in blood flow. Observed gross findings on tissues were packed thrombi formation in the polyurethane foam and membrane formation along the occluder. CONCLUSIONS: This newly developed device revealed good efficacy for occlusion of blood flow including shunts in immediate and follow-up study. Practical method for the delivery of the device and some design modification for proper fitting into the PDA especially for small patients would be required. Longer period of follow-up with more animal experiments for other possible complications including distal embolization would be required also before clinical trial.
Anesthesia, General ; Animal Experimentation ; Animals ; Anxiety ; Aorta ; Arteries ; Carotid Arteries ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Dogs ; Ductus Arteriosus, Patent* ; Femoral Artery ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemolysis ; Humans ; Iliac Artery ; Jugular Veins ; Membranes ; Polyurethanes ; Pulmonary Artery ; Stainless Steel ; Stents ; Thorax ; Transplants ; Veins ; Wounds and Injuries

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to examine the behavioral intentions of breastfeeding in single women using the theory of planned behavior. METHODS: The questionnaires were distributed to 350 single women in her 20~30s, and 316 respondents were analyzed by descriptive statistics, Spearman's correlation, and multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: The subjects showed strong intentions and favorable attitudes toward breastfeeding. The subjects were more favorably influenced by their mothers, siblings, friends, and coworkers who previously experienced breastfeeding than ones with no breastfeeding experiences. There were significant correlations between breastfeeding intention and attitudes (r = 0.321, p < 0.0001), subjective norms (r = 0.434, p < 0.0001), and perceived control (r = 0.307, p < 0.0001). However, regression analysis with two different age groups revealed that subjective norms (p < 0.0001) and perceived control (p < 0.001) contributed to the model of explaining breastfeeding intentions in subjects who were 25 years old or younger, whereas attitudes did not. In addition, subjects who were more than 25 years old showed that attitudes (p < 0.003) and subjective norms (p = 0.002) contributed to the model of explaining breastfeeding intentions while perceived control (p < 0.070) showed less contribution. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the theory of planned behavior can be a useful tool to increase the rate of breastfeeding intentions in single women when designing educational materials, which requires consideration of age differences.
Breast Feeding* ; Female ; Friends ; Humans ; Intention* ; Mothers ; Siblings ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Carcinosarcoma of the stomach is a rarely occurring malignant biphasic tumor that consists of both carcinomatous and sarcomatous components simultaneously in a single tumor. The common carcinoma component is tubular or papillary adenocarcinoma and the mesenchymal sarcomatous components are variable and these include leiomyosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, osteosarcoma and chondrosarcoma. However, neuroendocrine carcinomatous differentiation in the carcinomatous component is extremely rare. We present here a rare gastric carcinosarcoma that demonstrated neuroendocrine carcinomatous and leiomyosarcomatous differentiation in a 47-year-old man.
Adenocarcinoma, Papillary ; Carcinosarcoma ; Chondrosarcoma ; Humans ; Leiomyosarcoma ; Middle Aged ; Muscle, Smooth ; Neurosecretory Systems ; Osteosarcoma ; Rhabdomyosarcoma ; Stomach

Hairy polyps are a rare malformations of bigerminal origin that comprise of both ectodermal and mesodermal elements. Meningothelial elements are an extremely rare pathologic finding in hairy polyps. Here we report a case of a hairy polyp with a meningothelial element, which originated from the hard palate. A 1-year-old boy was evaluated for an intraoral mass accompanied by multiple congenital anomalies. A small polypoid mass was noted at the midline of the hard palate. The lesion had central fibroconnective tissue with an unusual stromal component showing reticulated anastomosing pseudovascular patterns. Immunohistochemical staining of the cells lining the pseudovascular spaces and the interstitial cells revealed vimentin and epithelial membrane antigen positivity.