BACKGROUND: HLA-B5102 is a newly approved antigen at the meeting of the WHO Nomenclature Committee held after the Eleventh International Histocompatibility Workshop. It had been called B5l.35 because it was defined by both B5l and B35 antisera. HLA-B5102 antigen cannot be accurately determined by current commercial HLA typing trays. This study was carried out to assess the frequency of HLA-B5102 antigen in Koreans and serological reaction patterns of HLA-B5102 on commercial HLA trays. METHODS: We performed HLA-A, B, C serological typing for 2,000 Koreans registered for KMDP (Korean Marrow Donor Program) donors using the Terasaki Oriental Tray (One Lambda, USA). Selected samples (17/2000) which showed atypical B5 reaction patterns were tested against Japan Central Block HLA Workshop tray to detect the presence of HLA-B5102. RESULTS: HLA-B5102 showed a phenotype (antigen) frequency of 0.45% (9/2000) and an allele frequency of 0.23%. Two locus HLA haplotype and linkage analysis showed that HLA-B5102 was in linkage disequilibrium with HLA-A3l (p<0.01). The serological patterns of HLA-B5102 on Terasaki Oriental Tray were 1) Lot 14, 15 : B5(+), 2) Lot 15 B : B5(+), B35+53(+), and 3) Lot 16 : B5(+), B5l(+), B35+53(+), and therefore could be identified as HLA-B5, B5l, B52, B35 or B53. CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of HLA-B5102 in the Korean population (antigen frequency 0.45%, allele frequency 0.23%) is similar to that of Japanese. The presence of HLA-B5102 can be suspected when atypical BS reaction patterns are encountered in commercial HLA typing trays, and B5 or BSI had better been assigned to these cases when additional confirmatory typing is not available.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Bone Marrow ; Education ; Gene Frequency ; Haplotypes ; Histocompatibility ; Histocompatibility Testing ; HLA-A Antigens ; Humans ; Immune Sera ; Japan ; Linkage Disequilibrium ; Phenotype ; Tissue Donors

BACKGROUND: HLA-B5102 is a newly approved antigen at the meeting of the WHO Nomenclature Committee held after the Eleventh International Histocompatibility Workshop. It had been called B5l.35 because it was defined by both B5l and B35 antisera. HLA-B5102 antigen cannot be accurately determined by current commercial HLA typing trays. This study was carried out to assess the frequency of HLA-B5102 antigen in Koreans and serological reaction patterns of HLA-B5102 on commercial HLA trays. METHODS: We performed HLA-A, B, C serological typing for 2,000 Koreans registered for KMDP (Korean Marrow Donor Program) donors using the Terasaki Oriental Tray (One Lambda, USA). Selected samples (17/2000) which showed atypical B5 reaction patterns were tested against Japan Central Block HLA Workshop tray to detect the presence of HLA-B5102. RESULTS: HLA-B5102 showed a phenotype (antigen) frequency of 0.45% (9/2000) and an allele frequency of 0.23%. Two locus HLA haplotype and linkage analysis showed that HLA-B5102 was in linkage disequilibrium with HLA-A3l (p<0.01). The serological patterns of HLA-B5102 on Terasaki Oriental Tray were 1) Lot 14, 15 : B5(+), 2) Lot 15 B : B5(+), B35+53(+), and 3) Lot 16 : B5(+), B5l(+), B35+53(+), and therefore could be identified as HLA-B5, B5l, B52, B35 or B53. CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of HLA-B5102 in the Korean population (antigen frequency 0.45%, allele frequency 0.23%) is similar to that of Japanese. The presence of HLA-B5102 can be suspected when atypical BS reaction patterns are encountered in commercial HLA typing trays, and B5 or BSI had better been assigned to these cases when additional confirmatory typing is not available.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Bone Marrow ; Education ; Gene Frequency ; Haplotypes ; Histocompatibility ; Histocompatibility Testing ; HLA-A Antigens ; Humans ; Immune Sera ; Japan ; Linkage Disequilibrium ; Phenotype ; Tissue Donors

No abstract available.
Blood Donors* ; Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Third* ; Pregnancy*

PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify how an education program on palliative care affects nursing home caregivers' perception of hospice care and attitude towards terminally ill patient care. METHODS: This study was conducted using a nonequivalent control group with a pretest-posttest design. The participants were 101 certified care workers: 58 in the experimental group and 43 in the control. The experimental group completed the palliative care education program consisted of 20 hours of classroom training and 20 hours of clinical practicum. An ANCOVA was performed to compare the score changes to outcome variables. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the experimental group showed significant pretest-posttest differences in both the perception of hospice care (F=21.09, P < 0.001) and attitude towards caring for terminally ill patients (F=13.28, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: These results indicate that the palliative care education program for caregivers is effective in preparing participants to provide hospice/palliative care service. Further study is warranted to explore the effects of this program on palliative caregivers' performance.
Attitude to Death ; Caregivers* ; Education* ; Hospice Care ; Hospices* ; Humans ; Nurses' Aides ; Nursing Homes ; Palliative Care* ; Patient Care ; Preceptorship ; Terminally Ill

Since the reemergence of tertian malaria in Korea in 1993, we have confirmed 10 cases of Plasmodium vivax malaria associated with blood transfusion from 1997 to 2001. Age of patients ranged from 4 months to 68 years; three cases were younger than 1 year old. Because 2 of 10 patients received different components of the same donor, 9 presumably infected donors were identified for the 10 cases. Four of them were identified by polymerase chain reaction, 2 by indirect fluorescent antibody test, and 1 donor was identified by peripheral blood film examination. Geographically the cases were distributed over the whole Nation; 3 cases in Seoul, 2 in Kyunggi and Ulsan, and 1 case each in Pusan, KyungNam and Taegu. The infective components were 1 unit of whole blood, 5 units of packed red cells and 4 units of packed platelets. The incubation periods ranged from 9 days to 78 days(mean : 30.5 days, median : 21.5 days). The incidence rate of transfusion-transmitted malaria From 1997 to 2001 calculated as number of cases/number of units of whole blood and packed red cells transfused during each year ranged from 0 to 2.85 cases per million units transfused. Enforced predonation counseling might have prevented some of the above cases. Although test for malaria antibody has been implemented for donor screening this method does not reflect the present infective status of donor. Therefore careful screening of donors according to the exclusion guidelines of the Korean Red Cross remains as the best way to prevent transfusion-transmitted malaria.
Blood Transfusion ; Busan ; Counseling ; Daegu ; Donor Selection ; Gyeonggi-do ; Gyeongsangnam-do ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea* ; Malaria* ; Malaria, Vivax ; Mass Screening ; Plasmodium vivax ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Red Cross ; Seoul ; Tissue Donors ; Ulsan

PURPOSE: This study was done to investigate the effects of a Stress Management Program providing Cognitive Behavior Therapy on problem-focused coping, job stress, and depression. METHODS: The research design was a quasi-experimental research with a nonequivalent control group pre-posttest. Participants were recruited from two fire safety centers in D city, and the research was carried out from March 11 to April 2, 2011. To test the effects of the Stress Management Program participants were divided into two groups, an experimental group (21) and a control group (20). The research tools included problem-focused coping, job stress, and depression scales. The Stress Management Program was provided to the experiment group for 60 minutes/session twice a week, for 4 weeks. Data were analyzed using Fisher's exact probability test, chi2-test, t-test with the SPSS/WIN 14.0 program. RESULTS: After attending the Stress Management Program, significant differences were found in problem-focused coping scores and depression scores between the experimental group and the control group (t=4.70, p<.001; t=-3.16, p=.003). But there were no significant differences in job stress scores between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that the Stress Management Program providing Cognitive Behavior Therapy is an effective nursing intervention for improving problem-focused coping and decreasing depression in firefighters.
Cognitive Therapy ; Depression ; Firefighters ; Fires ; Humans ; Research Design ; Weights and Measures

Surgical intervention in the posterior maxillary region requires detailed knowledge of maxillary sinus anatomy and the possible anatomical variations. This study evaluated the incidence, location of maxillary sinus septa by using radiographic (panoramic radiography and computed tomography) findings and comparison of panoramic radography with CT in antral anatomical variation. This study was based on data from 70 sinuses in partial dentate maxilla. The sample consisted of 61 patients(25 women and 36 men, with ages ranging between 19 and 77 years and a mean age of 49.4+/-11.3 years) who were being treatment-planned to receive implant-supported restorations. First, the panoramic images were examined for the presence of antral septa by radiologist and examiner who don't know about CT findings. And incidence of antral septa was evaluated using an axial plane of CT image. The incidence of septa was compared between panoramic radiography and CT. The accuracy of the incidence was compared between radiologists and dentists. A total of 20 septa were found in 70 sinuses on CT image and the prevalence of one or more septa per sinus was found to be 28.6%. The assumed incidence of septa on panoramic radiography was 27.6%+/-2.2% in radiologist and 31.9%+/-5.8% in dentists. Erroneous diagnosis rate was 11.42% in radiologist and 15.96% in dentists. 40% of antral septa were located in the anterior(premolar) region, 30% of septa were located in the middle(first molar) and posterior(second molar) region separately. Prior to implant placement, it seems appropriate to consider panoramic radiography as a standard radiographic examination and periapical radiographs may be used to complete the findings in regions not sharply depicted in the panoramic radiograph. And cross-sectional imaging should be used in sites with severe bone loss and close proximity of the maxillary sinus.
Dentists ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Maxilla ; Maxillary Sinus* ; Prevalence ; Radiography ; Radiography, Panoramic

Campylobacter fetus subsp. fetus is a rare human pathogen, but can cause serious extraintestinal infections. Effective antimicrobial agent is required for the therapy, but we have very limited knowledge on the susceptibility of the organism. In this study, the susceptibility of 25 isolates of the organism to 14 antimicrobial agents was tested by an agar dilution method. Antimicrobial agents with low MIC ranges, in micrograms/ml, were: meropenem Y or = 0.25, dirithromycin < or = 0.5, gentamicin > or = 1, amikacin, ofloxacin, tetracycline and erythromycin < or = 2. The MIC range of cefepime was 0.5-8 micrograms/ml, but those of other beta-lactams were relatively high. All of the isolates were interpreted to be susceptible to cefepime, meropenem, amikacin, gentamicin, ofloxacin, tetracycline and dirithromycin. A significant proportion of the isolates were either intermediate or resistant to ampicillin, cephalothin, cefotaxime, aztreonam, loracarbef and erythromycin. In conclusion, the organism remains susceptible to aminoglycosides and tetracycline. Greater in vitro activity of meropenem, ofloxacin and dirithromycin require clinical evaluation.
Antibiotics/*pharmacology ; Blood/*microbiology ; Campylobacter fetus/*drug effects/isolation & purification ; Human ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Synovial Fluid/*microbiology

OBJECTIVE: To determine the proportion and the types of CNS anomalies among congenital anomalies detected through prenatal ultrasonography. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between November 1997 and December 2000, 624 cases of singleton pregnancies were terminated at Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, CHA Hospital due to lethal congenital anomalies detected through prenatal ultrasound. Forty-three of 624 termination cases had CNS anomalies. Autopsy and chromosomal study was carried out on ten and six cases respectively. Incidence, maternal age and parity, sex ratio and body weight of the terminated fetuses, gestational age at which anomaly was detected, associated anomalies were evaluated. RESULTS: The incidence of CNS anomalies was 0.21%(43 in 20,805), and maternal age was between 30 and 34 in 20cases. The fetus was male in 25 cases, female in 11 cases and indefinite in 7 cases. Anomalies were detected between 17-20 weeks in 12 cases. Body weights of the terminated fetuses were below 500grams in 23 cases. Anencephaly was the most common with 11 cases(25.6%), hydrocephalus ranked second with 8 cases(18.6%). Two cases had associated anomalies of Meckel-Gruber syndrome features. CONCLUSION: CNS anomalies are frequent and have a severe prognosis. Contemporary ultrasound is much accurate in evaluating CNS anomalies. Still, minor anomalies and those cases without associated anomalies are difficult to detect. Even after diagnosis, CNS anomalies are mostly void of prenatal corrective treatment. Fortuitous investigation is needed for prenatal neural axis anomaly detection.
Anencephaly ; Autopsy ; Axis ; Body Weight ; Central Nervous System* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Fetus ; Gestational Age ; Gynecology ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Incidence ; Male ; Maternal Age ; Obstetrics ; Parity ; Pregnancy ; Prognosis ; Sex Ratio ; Ultrasonography* ; Ultrasonography, Prenatal

When thinking about priority setting in access to healthcare resources, decision-making requires that cost-effectiveness is balanced against medical ethics. The burden of disease has emerged as an important approach to the assessment of health needs for political decision-making. However, the disability adjusted life years approach hides conceptual and methodological issues regarding the claims and value of disabled people. In this article, we discuss ethical issues that are raised as a consequence of the introduction of evidence-based health policy, such as economic evidence, in establishing resource allocation priorities. In terms of ethical values in health priority setting in Korea, there is no reliable rationale for the judgment used in decision-making as well as for setting separate and distinct priorities for different government bodies. An important question, therefore, is which ethical values guiding the practice of decision-making should be reconciled with the economic evidence found in Korean healthcare. The health technology assessment core model from the European network for Health Technology Assessment (EUnetHTA) project is a good example of incorporating ethical values into decision-making. We suggest that a fair distribution of scarce healthcare resources in South Korea can be achieved by considering the ethical aspects of healthcare.
Cost of Illness ; Delivery of Health Care ; Ethical Analysis ; Ethics ; Ethics, Medical ; Health Policy ; Health Priorities ; Judgment ; Korea* ; Quality-Adjusted Life Years ; Resource Allocation ; Technology Assessment, Biomedical ; Thinking