No Abstract available.
Cross Infection* ; United States*

For the purpose of the curative effects of oral D-penicillamine in lead Ip0soning,D-penicillamine was orally administered to 7 lead poisoned workers which were employed in glaze product industry dealing with the lead oxide (Pb3O4). The doses of D-penicillamine was 1, 200mg per day which was administered by oral 7days schedules, taking for 5 days and stopping for the following 2days, repeatedly during 3 months period-(All the poisoned workers started working again in that industry after I month treatment, and were treated by oral D-penicillamine for 2 months still being exposed to contaminated environment. In order to evaluate the curative effects of D-penicillamine, IOgm of whole blood and 24 hours urine were collected every 14 days during the curative period for laboratory analysis(hemoglobin, blood lead. urine c-aminolevulinic acid, urine coproporphyrin, and urine lead levels) with the observation of the clinical symptoms. The results were as follows; 1. Oral D-penicillamine effected good curative results as that hemoglobin, blood lead, urine caminolevulinic acid, and urine coproporphyrin levels were decreased belpiv the critical level within 1 month treatment. 2. After re-exposure, oral D-penicillamine effected to some extent as that urine lead level was decreased 'below the critical level after 3 months treatment with disappgarence of the clinical symptoms after 2 months treatment. However, the curative effects of orral D-penicillamine in the lead exposure state is questionable since increasement of blood lead' level and remarkable decreasement of urine lead level after 3 months treatment can be observed.
Appointments and Schedules ; Lead Poisoning* ; Penicillamine*

The cohort study is an observational epidemiological study which selects the specific study population attempting to study the relatiqnship between an exposure to the purported cause and the subsequent risk of developing disease in accordance of time direction. Since Doll and Hill had studied the association between lung cancer and smoking behavior among the British medical doctors in the years of the last fifties, the defined group cohort studies analysing the relationship between an exposure and the occurence of a disease have become very popular. Cohort studies can be classified as either prospective or retrospective, depending on the temporal relationship between the initiation of the study and the occurence of the disease. Cohort studies are admitted as the very valuable studies for demonstrating the association between an exposure and a disease because it is possible to drive relative and attributable risks and often incidence measures. They can even examine multiple effects of a single exposure. However, they are usually expensive to carry out and large cohorts are required for rare diseases in addition to the time consum ing works. There are also very significant problems associated with selection of appropriate groups to be studied as far as complete ascertainment of disease occurence in them. Usually it is necessary that we must compromise to provide the opportunity for various types of bias such as selection bias, follow-up bias, information bias or misclassification, confounding bias and post hoc bias to occur which can result in incorrect conclusions. Only the success of a cohort study would be expected when the investigator pay the deep care in recognizing and correcting for these biases.
Bias (Epidemiology) ; Cohort Studies* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lung Neoplasms ; Rare Diseases ; Research Personnel ; Selection Bias ; Smoke ; Smoking

This study was performed to investigate the change of T-lymphocyte subsets to evaluate the immune reactivity of herpes simplex keratitis patients. Peripheral blood lymphocytes were obtained from fourteen herpes simplex keratitis patients and fourteen controls. These cells were incubated with a panel of lymphocyte specific monoclonal antibodies and then CD4+ helper and CD8+ suppressor T cells were measured by the use of flow cytometer. The following results were obtained. 1. The mean age of the control group was 46.4+/-15.9(mean+/-SD)years. The proportion of CD4+ helper T cell was 41.93 +/- 7.89%(mean +/- SD), the proportion of CD8+ suppressor T cell was 24.35 +/- 5.54% and the CD4+ helper/ CD8+ suppressor T cell ratio was 1.86 +/- 0.47. 2. The mean age of herpes simples keratitis patients was 49.9 +/- 16.4 years. In the patients, CD4+ helper/ CD8+ supressor T cell ratio was 1.25 +/- 0.42, a decrease compared to cells from controls (P<0.01). The proportion of CD4+ helper T cell was 30.1 +/- 7.11%, a decrease compared to controls(P<0.01). CD8+ suppressor T cell was 25.96 +/- 7.90%. There was no significant change in the CD8+ suppressor T cell. In this study, herpes simplex keratitis patients were accompanied by decrement in the ratio of helper to suppressor T cells and this decreased ratio was due to a decrease in helper T cells. These results suggest that cell mediated immune reactivity is depressed in herpes simplex keratitis patients.
Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Herpes Simplex* ; Humans ; Keratitis ; Keratitis, Herpetic* ; Lymphocytes ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets* ; T-Lymphocytes* ; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer

We investigated the 1,004 workers who worked in a automobile factory to study the epidemiologic characterist of dermatoses due to cutting oils. Among the workers, 667(66.4%) answered the questionnaire. They are belong to 5 departments of the factory-the Engine-Work(86), Power train Assembly(17). We measured the oil mist concentration in air of the departments and examined the workers who had dermatologic symptoms. The results were follows; 1) Oil mist concentration; Of all measured points(52), 9 points(17.2%) exceeded 5mg/m3-the time-weighed PEL- and one department had a upper confidence limit(95%) higher than 5mg/m3. 2) Dermatologists examined 213 workers. 172 of them complained any skin symptoms at that time-itching(32.5%), papule(21.6%), scale(15.7%), vesicle(12.5%) in order. The abnormal skin site found by dermatologist were palm(29.3%), finger & nail(24.6%), forearm(16.2%), back of hand(8.4%) in order. 3) As the result of physical examination, we found that 160 workers had skin diseases. Contact dermatitis was the most common; 69 workers had contact dermatitis alone(43.1%), 11 had contact dermatitis with acne(6.9%), 10 had contact dermatitis with folliculitis(6.3%), 1 had contact dermatitis with acne & folliculitis, and 1 had contact dermatitis with abnormal pigmentation. Others were folliculitis(9 workers, 5.6%), acne(8, 5.0%), folliculitis & acne(2, 1.2%), keratosis(1, 0.6%), abnormal pigmentation(1, 0.6%), and non-specific hand eczema(47, 29.3%). 4) The prevalence of any skin diseases was 34.0 per 100 in cutting oil users, and 13.3 per 100 in non-users. Especially, the prevalence of contact dermatitis was 23.0 per 100 in cutting oil users and 4.3 per 100 in non-users. 5) We tried patch test(standard series, oil series, organic solvents) on 49 patients to differentiate allergic contact dermatitis from irritant contact dermatitis and found 20 were positive. 6) In a multivariate analysis(independent=age, tenure, kinds of cutting oil), the risk of skin diseases was higher in the water-based cutting oil user and both oil user than non-user or neat oil user(odds ratio were 2.16 and 2.78, respectively). And the risk of contact dermatitis was much higher at the same groups(odds ratio were 5.16 and 6.82, respectively).
Acne Vulgaris ; Automobiles ; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact ; Dermatitis, Contact ; Fingers ; Folliculitis ; Hand ; Humans ; Oils ; Physical Examination ; Pigmentation ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Skin ; Skin Diseases

No abstract available.
Bronchiolitis* ; Respiratory Sounds*

PURPOSE: As a retrospective study by using of medical records, this was to investigate the incidence rate of nosocomial pneumonia and risk factors and to determine the causing agent. METHODS: Subjects were 336 patients during the period from January 2003 through December 2003. Nosocomial pneumonia was defined according to the definition(CDC, 1992).The statistical SPSS was used to analyze data that included chi-square, t-test and multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: The actual number of patients with nosocomial pneumonia turned out to be 42 out of total 336 patients during the survey period. The incidence rate was 125 per 1,000 patients and 16.7 patients per 1,000 patient-days, which is comparable with 217 patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia per 1,000 patients and 34.8 per 1,000 patient-days. The significant risk factors for nosocomial pneumonia were identified as cardiomegaly based on chest radiography (OR=4.93; 95% CI=1.11-21.94), cerebral hemorrhage(OR=6.27; 95% CI=1.63-24.16), cerebral infarction(OR=4.39; 95% CI=1.05-18.40) and the duration of admission (OR=5.57; 95% CI=3.14-9.88). Causing agents of nosocomial pneumonia were Staphylococcus aureus 21.8%, Pseudomonas aeruginosa 17.4% and Acinetobacter baumani 17.4%. Ventilator-associated pneumonia were Acinetobacter baumani 27.5%, Staphylococcus aureus 24.2%, Pseudomonas aeruginosa 13.8%. CONCLUSIONS: The cardiomegaly at admission, diagnosis and duration of admission were considered to enhance the incidence rate of nosocomial pneunoniae. Further studies and intervention actions would be necessary to deal with the nosocomial pneunoniae.
Acinetobacter ; Cardiomegaly ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Logistic Models ; Medical Records ; Pneumonia* ; Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; Radiography ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Thorax

No abstract available.
Adult* ; Atherosclerosis* ; Cholesterol* ; Humans ; Korea*

The present studies were carried out, under natural room condition from June to July in 1969. The period required for growth of eggs and larva varied according to various temperatures and methods of rearing. The average number of eggs laid by the Culex pipiens pallens was 137 per egg raft. The period of gonotrophic cycle was from 3 to 6 days: incubation period of eggs was from 1.5 to 2 days: larva period was from 10 to 14 days: pupa period was from 2 to 3 days. Accordingly, the period from the beginning of gonotrophic cycle to the adult mosquitos in next generation required 25 days at the longest and 16.5 days at the shortest.
parasitology-arthropodology-Culex pipiens pallens ; life cycle ; egg ; pupa ; larva ; mosquito

OBJECTIVE: The heart diseases are known as a major cause of sudden death, as well as a cause of poor life-quality of school-age children. But there have been few mass screening of heart diseases in these children in Korea. This study was done to estimate the prevalence of heart diseases of these population. METHODS: We screened all elementary students(grade 1) in 12 cities and 16 counties(Gun) in Kyonggi province from 1992 to 1995. The first screening was done by auscultation of doctors and simultaneously by checking using 'auto-interpreter of EKG-cardiac sound'(Fukuda Densi ECP 50A). We conducted futher examinations to whom classified as being abnormal condition in first screening, by using EKG, chest x-ray, doppler echocardiograpy(if needed). RESULTS: The total number of examined students was 161,308(92% of the population), the male were 83,238 and female were 78,070. The congenital heart diseases(CHD) patients were 290(18 per 10,000) - male 155(18.6 per 10,000) and female 135(17.3 per 10,000). The most frequent disease was ventricula septal defect(VSD, 45.5%), Atrial septal defect(ASD, 14.8%), Tetralogy of Follot(TOF, 11.7%), and Patent Dutus Arteriosis(PDA, 7.6%) in order. In female, the order was VSD(48.1%), ASD(13.3%), TOF(11.1%), and PDA(10.4%). The total number of EKG abnormality were 433(62.7 per 10,000) among 69,056 screened children in 1995. The complete right bundle branch block(CRBBB) and paroxymal ventricular contraction(PVC) were frequent(26.6%, 26.3% in each), and incomplete right bunddle branch block(IRBBB,14.6%), paroxymal atrial contraction(PAC, 6.7%), abnormal Q(5.8%), Wolf-Pakinson-White syndrom (5.5%) in order. In female, the most frequent abnormality was PVC(29.8%), and CRBBB(19.9%) in order. CONCLUSION: We could present the stable prevalence of the rare heart disease. The prevalence of congenital heart diseases was 18.0 per 10,000 and of EKG abnormality was 62.7 per 10,000 among school children.
Auscultation ; Child* ; Death, Sudden ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Gyeonggi-do* ; Heart Diseases* ; Heart* ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Prevalence* ; Thorax