No abstract available.
Birth Certificates* ; Parturition*

OBJECTIVE: Multiple birth implicates the important health and social problems such as preterm birth, low birth weight, high perinatal mortality, and increased medical cost. This study was performed to investigate the multiple birth rate in Korea using the birth certificate data. METHODS: Retrospective review and analysis of data from Korean birth certificate in 1996. RESULTS: Multiple birth rate was 1.4% of total births(683,043 cases). Mean birth weight was 3.29+/-0.47kg for singleton birth and 2.57+/-0.58kg for multiple birth. Mean gestational age was 39.56+/-1.32 weeks for singleton birth and 37.47+/-2.41 weeks for multiple birth. Rate of low birth weight (< 2.5kg) was 14 times higher for multiple birth compared with that of singleton birth, and rate of preterm birth(< 37 weeks) was 10 times higher. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the relationship between multiple birth and selected variables including maternal age, job and birth order. As the odds ratio(OR) was 2.47(95% CI: 2.34 - 2.59, p<0.001) for the second birth, and 5.31(95% CI: 4.99 - 5.65, p<0.001) for the third and over birth compared with the first birth, there was a significant correlation between multiple birth and birth order. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the birth certificate data in 1996, the incidence of twin and higher order multiple birth was 1.7%, and a significant correlation between multiple birth and birth order was revealed. Further studies are necessary to elucidate the etiology and prognosis of multiple birth and the developmental problems from birth to adolescence.
Adolescent ; Birth Certificates* ; Birth Order ; Birth Weight ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant, Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Maternal Age ; Multiple Birth Offspring* ; Parturition* ; Perinatal Mortality ; Pregnancy ; Premature Birth ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Social Problems ; Twins

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship among percieved social support, hope and quality of life of the cancer patients and to gain the baseline data for development of nursing intervention program for promoting quality of life in cancer patients. The design of this study was a cross sectional correlational survey. The subjects were 20 out and in-cancer patients in 5 general hospitals in Pusan The data were collected from July 2 to August 1. 2001. The instruments were the Percieved social support scale(16 items, 5 point scale) had developed by Tae(1986), Hope scale(12 items, 4point scale) developed by Nowotny(1989) and Quality of life scale(31 items, 10 point scale) developed by Tae et al.(2000). The data was analyzed by the SPSS/PC+ program using frequency & percentage, item mean & standard deviation, t-test, ANOVA & Scheffe test, Pearson's correlation coefficient. The results of this study was as follows: 1) The item mean score of quality of life was 6.05+/-1.16 (range 0-10). The heighest score of subarea of the quality of life was the spiritual wellbeing area (7.09+/-1.63) and the lowest score was social wellbeing area(5.53+/-1.65), The mean score of perceived social support was 52.65+/-10.32 (the lowest 1, the highest 80). The mean score of family support was32.71+/-6.66 (range 1- 40) and the mean score of medical team support was 19.93+/-5.95 (range 1- 40), The mean score of Hope was 37.02+/-5.64 (range 1- 48). 2) There were statistically significant difference in the score of quality of life according to the life effect of religion(F=3.97, p=0.00), treatment method(F=2.94, p=0.01), area of diagnosis (F=3.48, p=0.01), stage of disease (F=13.74, p= 0.00). 3) There was significant correlation between perceived social support(r=0.44, p=0.000 ; family support: r=0.334, p=0.000, medical support; r=0.395, p=0.000), hope(r=0.563, p= 0.000) and quality of life. In conclusion, there was a significant relationship among perceived social support, hope and quality of life. Therefore perceived social support, hope intervention programs should be developed to improve the quality of life in cancer patients.
Busan ; Diagnosis ; Hope* ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Nursing ; Quality of Life*

This study was undertaken to develop an instrument to be used for measuring the concept of quality of life of Korean patients with cancer multidimensionary and correctly. It can contribute in holistic nursing care for Korean cancer patients and also provide and validate basic data to help oncology nurses measure the outcome of nursing intervention correctly. To develop this instrument, the researchers first estabilished a conceptual framework based on the results of qualitative data analysis and indepth interview method Development of the scale was conducted using a method in which 31 items were assessed by subjects' self report using linear analogue scales. The subjects were 79 D.M. patients, 103 patients with acute illness, and 91 cancer patients residing in Busan, Korea. Data were collected during the period from July, 24 to August 14, 2000. This instrument consisted of 31 items with a self report scale. This instrument covered 4 dimensions of cancer patients : 1) physical wellbeing 2) psychological wellbeing 3) social wellbeing and 4)spiritual wellbeing. Each item had a possible score of 10. The reliability of the scale was tested with Cronbach's alpha. Validity was evaluated by examining the relationships of this scale, Youn's Quality of Life Questionnare scores and the Simple Quality of Life scale. Two separate runs of multiple regression were used to predict scores on the Simple Quality of Life measurement. Further validation was obtained by examining the correlation between the instrument subscores and Youn's Quality of Life measurement subscore for convergence of this scale. Examination of the discriminant. power of the instrument was done using ANOVA test. The results are summarized as follows: 1. The reliability of the instrument for the quality of life was 0.8321(Cronbach's alpha.), physical wellbeing dimension 0.6343, psychological wellbeing dimension 0.6501, spiritual wellbeing dimension 0.5883. 2. This instrument had a high correlation with Youn's Quality of Life measurement(r= 0.636) in cancer patients, whereas it had a low correlation with Simple Quality of Life measurement(r=0.455) in cancer patients. In the D.M. patients, the instrument correlated with both the Youn's Quality of Life measurement and Simple Quality of life measurement(r=0.313, r= 0.407) and in the acute stage patients, the instrument had no correlation. 3.Multiple regression of individual items on the Simple Quality of Life scores accounted for 56.8% of the variance in the Simple Quality of Life measurement, whereas, Youn's Quality of Life measurement scores accounts for 31.7%. 4. The correlations collected from the three group had the same patterns of variations but especially the instrument developed in this study had higher disciminant power than that of Youn's Quality of Life Measurement.
Busan ; Holistic Nursing ; Humans ; Korea ; Nursing ; Quality of Life* ; Self Report ; Statistics as Topic ; Weights and Measures

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is characterized by histological findings of an immunoinflammatory destruction of small- and medium-sized bile ducts with progressive portal fibrosis, and the presence of anti-mitochondrial antibody (AMA) with a laboratory evidence of chronic cholestasis. The term "autoimmune cholangitis" (AIC) is used for a disease with the clinical and pathologic features of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) but with negative AMA and positive anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) tests. Eight cases of AIC and ten cases of PBC were reviewed in order to determine whether there was any difference between two diseases in clinico-pathologic aspects. All of the patients were female and the mean ages of AIC and PBC patients were 48 and 47 years, respectively. ANA test was positive in six of ten PBC paients and their mean titer was lower than that of AIC patients. IgM level was significantly higher in PBC group than in AIC group. No significant difference was found between two groups with respect to biochemical and histopathological features. Since the only consistently distinguishing features between these two conditions are the autoantibody profile (AMA vs ANA) and immunoglobulin level (IgM), these two conditions might be part of a spectrum. PBC can be considered to be the same as AMA-positive AIC or alternatively AIC to be the same as AMA-negative PBC.
Bile Ducts ; Cholangitis* ; Cholestasis ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin M ; Immunoglobulins ; Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary*

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to verify the effects of daily 2% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) bathing on the acquisition of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) and healthcare-associated infection (HAI) in a medical intensive care unit (MICU). METHODS: The study was a randomized controlled group posttest only design, involving 91 patients in MICU at a tertiary hospital (47 patients in the experimental group and 44 patients in the control group). The 2% CHG bathing was performed daily according to bathing protocol to the patients in the experimental group, and traditional bath was performed every three days to those in the control group. Fisher's exact test and χ² test were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: MDRO were found in 6 patients of the experimental group and in 15 patients of the control group. The difference was statistically significant (p=.016). HAI occurred in 2 patients of the experimental group and in 7 patients of the control group. The difference was not statistically significant (p=.084). CONCLUSION: The results confirmed that daily bathing with CHG was effective in reducing the incidence of MDRO acquisition. Therefore, it is expected that daily bathing with CHG will be used as an effective nursing intervention to reduce the incidence of MDRO acquisition.
Baths ; Chlorhexidine ; Critical Care ; Cross Infection ; Drug Resistance, Microbial ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intensive Care Units ; Nursing ; Tertiary Care Centers

This study was designed to identify the ultrastructural changes of mouse endometrum during peri-implantation period and obtain the fundamental information for the establishment of 3-dimensional culture system of mouse endometrial cells in vitro. The used female ICR mice (6~8 wks) were conducted on pregnant. The biopsies were obtained from whole uterus at cycle day 1 (D1) and day 5 (D5) after hCG injection and mating. The biopsies materials were fixed 2.5% glutaraldehyde and 1% osmium tetroxide. Subsequently, for observation using light and transmission electron microscopy (LM and TEM), they were dehydrated and embedded in Epon and the embedded biopsies were sectioned and stained. For scanning electron microscypy (SEM), the fixed specimens were dehydrated, dried and coated with gold. 1)For LM, the biopsied materials at D5 (late secretory phase) were appeared the extended stromal layer by increased connective tissues and the fully developed endometrial glands and vessels compared with D1 (early secretory phase). 2) For TEM, the mouse endometrium was consisted of 3-layers, a simple polarized columnar epithelial cells, basement membrane and stromal cells. At D5, the distribution of microvilli, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi body, lipid and glycogen deposits, secretory granules and surface area of basement membrane were increased. 3) For SEM, the degree of folding and microvilli of surface of mouse epithelial cells was became more and more according to the process of secretory phase, and at D5, implantation time of mouse, the appearance of pinopodes as a specific marker of uterine receptivity was found. The uterine pinopodes of mouse were found in narrow sites at the luminal surface, irregularity and appeared the different stages in the same sample. Therefore, these results indicated that the mouse endometrium was experienced dramatic morphological changes during peri-implantation period.
Animals ; Basement Membrane ; Biopsy ; Connective Tissue ; Endometrium* ; Endoplasmic Reticulum ; Epithelial Cells ; Female ; Glutaral ; Glycogen ; Humans ; Mice* ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; Microvilli ; Osmium Tetroxide ; Phenobarbital ; Secretory Vesicles ; Stromal Cells ; Uterus

Twin-twin transfusion syndrome is attributed to an unbalanced blood flow between the donor and the recipient twin, but the exact pathophysiology remains incompletely understood. Despite active prenatal management, fetal twin-twin transfusion syndrome is still associated with a substantial residual perinatal mortality and morbidity. The donor twin progressively becomes anemic, growth restricted, oliguric and has oligohydramnios, where as the recipient becomes plethoric, polyuric and has polyhydramnios and in the most severe cases develops cardiomegaly, congestive heart failure and hypertension. We report a case of severe systemic hypertension developed in recipient twin.
Cardiomegaly ; Female ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Oligohydramnios ; Perinatal Mortality ; Polyhydramnios ; Pregnancy ; Tissue Donors

No abstract available.
Animals ; Constitution and Bylaws* ; Mice* ; Oocytes*

A total of 152 strains of Streptococcus pyogenes were isolated from patients with pharyngitis, scarlet fever, skin infection, or invasive streptococcal infections in Seoul, Korea from January 1988 to December 1999. All isolates were epidemiologically characterized to decide phenotypes by T protein serotype and serum opacity factor (OF) detection. Genetic diversity of the isolates were analyzed by emm genotyping and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). T protein serotype showed 17 kinds in distribution and T12 (40.1% of study strains), T4 (19.1%), and T1 (7.9%) were the prevalent ones. When sources of S. pyogenes isolates were analyzed by T serotype distribution, T12 type was predominant in pharyngitis and skin infection isolates which contributed to 30 strains (49.2%) and 11 strains (18.0%), respectively. When T serotype of S. pyogenes isolates were analyzed by emm genotype distribution, of the 61 isolates of T12 type, 48 strains (78.7%) belonged to the emm type 12 (M12) and of the 29 isolates of T4 type, 27 strains (93.1%) belonged to the emm genotype 4 (M4). PFGE of genomic DNA of different emm genotype (emm12, emm4 and emm1) showed distinctive patterns. When the DNA of same emm gene type isolates were analyzed genetic relatedness by PFGE pattern, emm4, emm1, and emm12 types showed over 90%, 75%, and 70% of genetic similarity, respectively. Therefore, it was suggested that these emm genotype isolates were closely related genetically whereas among the isolates of other emm genotypes showed less than 30% of genetic similarity. Show genotypes are more diverse in comparison with phenotypes. In even epidemiologically unrealated isolates, genetic subtypes appeared correlated. The phenotypic and genotypic analysis used in the study were discriminative and appropriate for epidemiological study of S. pyogenes.
DNA ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Genetic Variation ; Genotype ; Humans ; Korea* ; Pharyngitis ; Phenotype ; Scarlet Fever ; Seoul* ; Skin ; Streptococcal Infections ; Streptococcus pyogenes* ; Streptococcus*