PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the influence of nurses' emotional intelligence and communication within the organization on teamwork in Armed Forces hospitals. METHODS: This study employed a cross-sectional design with a convenience sample of 195 nurses from five Armed Forces hospitals in Korea. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire from August 7 to 23, 2017 and analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and multiple regression. The SPSS/WIN 21.0 program was used for all analyses. RESULTS: The degree of teamwork was 5.03±0.73, with scores ranging from 1 to 7. Emotional intelligence and communication within the organization were positively correlated with teamwork. Specifically, communication within the organization (β=.60, p < .001), the intensive care unit (β=.21, p=.001), and the medical general ward (β=.17, p=.010) were identified as factors influencing teamwork. This model explained 51% of the variance in teamwork, and it was statistically significant (F=35.09, p < .001). CONCLUSION: These results imply the need to develop an approach including communication within the organization to improve teamwork among nurses in Armed Forces hospitals.
Arm ; Emotional Intelligence ; Intensive Care Units ; Korea ; Patients' Rooms

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the influence of nurses' emotional intelligence and communication within the organization on teamwork in Armed Forces hospitals. METHODS: This study employed a cross-sectional design with a convenience sample of 195 nurses from five Armed Forces hospitals in Korea. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire from August 7 to 23, 2017 and analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and multiple regression. The SPSS/WIN 21.0 program was used for all analyses. RESULTS: The degree of teamwork was 5.03±0.73, with scores ranging from 1 to 7. Emotional intelligence and communication within the organization were positively correlated with teamwork. Specifically, communication within the organization (β=.60, p < .001), the intensive care unit (β=.21, p=.001), and the medical general ward (β=.17, p=.010) were identified as factors influencing teamwork. This model explained 51% of the variance in teamwork, and it was statistically significant (F=35.09, p < .001). CONCLUSION These results imply the need to develop an approach including communication within the organization to improve teamwork among nurses in Armed Forces hospitals.

BACKGROUND: The sensitivities and specificities of interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs) vary among different population studies, and the data on the routine use of IGRAs are limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-GIT) test in the diagnosis of active tuberculosis. METHODS: We conducted a prospective study, enrolling 77 patients with suspected pulmonary tuberculosis (TB), at a secondary care teaching hospital in Seoul. RESULTS: In total, 12 (15.6%) patients showed indeterminate results due to positive control failure on the QFT-GIT test. Indeterminate results were significantly associated with the elderly, history of the intensive care unit stay, lymphocytopenia, especially low CD4 count, increased C-reactive protein and decreased protein levels. Of the 77 patients, 44 (57.1%) were diagnosed with active pulmonary tuberculosis, and the percentage of false negative results of the QFT-GIT was 36.4% (vs. 31.8% with TST). In the TB group with >65 years old (n=12), the proportions of the indeterminate (33.3% vs. 3.1%) and the false negative results (58.3% vs. 25.0%) of the QFT-GIT were significantly higher than in the younger TB group (n=32). CONCLUSION: Indeterminate and false negative results of QFT-GIT test were not infrequent in tuberculosis, especially in the elderly. Care should be considered for the interpretation with the elderly, immunocompromised, chronic and severely diseased patients.
Aged ; C-Reactive Protein ; CD4 Lymphocyte Count ; Hospitals, Teaching ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Interferon-gamma Release Tests ; Lymphopenia ; Prospective Studies ; Secondary Care ; Tuberculin Test ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

BACKGROUND: We aimed to investigate the role of the physician in practice and the factors that influence the success rate of smoking cessation. METHODS: This study retrospectively analyzed 126 adult smokers who had visited the outpatient department of pulmonology, and received motivational interviewing with or without supplement drugs. The findings include continuous smoking abstinence rate, which was evaluated at 6, 12 and 24 weeks, and the factors associated with continuous abstinence for 6 months or longer. RESULTS: The patients with only motivational interviewing accounted for 57.9%, while the nicotine patch therapy was applied to 30.2%; and varenicline was prescribed to 11.9%. The smoking cessation success rates of at 6, 12, and 24 weeks were 55.6%, 47.6%, and 33.3%, respectively. However, even in the failure group at six months, tobacco consumption was decreased under 10 cigarettes per day in 42.1% (53/126). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, degree of Fagerstom Test for Nicotine Dependence (p=0.034; odds ratio, 3.607; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.102-1.807), the absence of smoking-related lung disease (p=0.008; odds ratio, 4.693; 95% CI, 1.497-14.707), and education level (p=0.001; odds ratio, 181.420; 95% CI, 8.414-3,911.502) were the predictors of successful smoking cessation. CONCLUSION: An improved continuous smoking abstinence rate can be obtained by motivational interviewing, regardless of the association with pharmacotherapy.
Adult ; Drug Therapy ; Education ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Lung Diseases ; Motivational Interviewing* ; Odds Ratio ; Outpatients ; Pulmonary Medicine ; Retrospective Studies ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Smoking Cessation* ; Tobacco Products ; Tobacco Use ; Tobacco Use Cessation Products ; Tobacco Use Disorder ; Varenicline

Thymic cysts are uncommon benign lesions in the anterior mediastinum. We here describe a 55-year-old male with spontaneous thymic cyst hemorrhage manifesting as a rapidly enlarging mediastinal mass that was resected completely with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a spontaneous thymic cyst hemorrhage in Korea. In cases of rapidly enlarging mediastinal masses, spontaneous thymic cyst hemorrhage should be considered as a differential diagnosis.
Diagnosis, Differential ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Mediastinal Cyst* ; Mediastinum ; Middle Aged ; Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted

Tracheal hemangioma is a rare benign vascular tumor in adults. We reported a case of massive hemoptysis caused by a cavernous hemangioma in a 75-year-old man. This is the first report, to our knowledge, of a tracheal cavernous hemangioma that presented with massive hemoptysis. The lesion was removed with a CO2 laser under rigid laryngoscopy. Endovascular tumors, such as tracheobronchial hemangiomas, should be considered a diagnostic option in cases of massive hemoptysis without a significant underlying lung lesion.
Adult ; Aged ; Hemangioma* ; Hemangioma, Cavernous ; Hemoptysis* ; Humans ; Laryngoscopy ; Lasers, Gas ; Lung ; Trachea

Here, we report a case of pulmonary paragonimiasis that was improved with initial anti-tuberculosis (TB) therapy but confused with reactivated pulmonary TB. A 53-year-old Chinese female presented with a persistent productive cough with foul smelling phlegm and blood streaked sputum. Radiologic findings showed subpleural cavitary consolidation in the right upper lobe (RUL). Bronchoscopic and cytological examination showed no remarkable medical feature. She was diagnosed with smear-negative TB, and her radiologic findings improved after receiving a 6-month anti-TB therapy. The chest CT scans, however, obtained at 4 months after completion of anti-TB therapy showed a newly developed subpleural consolidation in the RUL. She refused pathologic confirmation and was re-treated with anti-TB medication. Nevertheless, her chest CT scans revealed newly developed cavitary nodules at 5 months after re-treatment. She underwent thoracoscopic wedge resection; the pathological examination reported that granuloma caused by Paragonimus westermani. Paragonimiasis should also be considered in patients assessed with smear-negative pulmonary TB.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Cough ; Delayed Diagnosis* ; Female ; Granuloma ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Paragonimiasis* ; Paragonimus westermani ; Smell ; Sputum ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tuberculosis