BACKGROUND: The quality of specimen for Papanicolaou smear depends on the sampling methods of uterine cervix. This study was designed to test specimen adequacy and the detection of disease using t,wo cervical cytological sampling methods. pastic spatula plus Cytobrish and Cervex-Brush. METHODS: Research subjects were t.he exarninee for screening for cevical cancer in Farnily Practice Center and Health Promotion Center of University Hospital. Research sub jects were classified to two groups randomly. 5 physicians used each device at random. A group 80 test smples(plast,ic spatula plus Cytobrush) were compared with B group test samples(Cervex Brush) for the presence rate of endocervial cells and specimen adequacy. The laborat.ory was blind to the sampling met,hods. RESULTS: The plastic spatula plus Cytobrush and Cervex-Brush were comparable in cap- turing in endocervical cells. But the capturing rates of both methods were high(over 70%). Both the pastic spatula plus Cytobrush and Cervex-Brush produced adequate samples, and the adequacy scores between two methods were not different. significantly. CONCLUSIONS: Use of the plastic spatula puls Cytobrush and Cervex-Brush produced adequate smear for interpretation.
Cervix Uteri ; Female ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Papanicolaou Test ; Plastics ; Research Subjects

The purpose of this study was to investigate the difference of body composition, eating habits and dietary intake in three Sasang constitutions. This survey was carried out using anthropometry, a questionnaire about eating habits, and 24-hour recall of dietary intake on 45 male and 29 female students of the fifth grade at C elementary school. The results are summarized as follows: A total of 44.6% of the subjects were Taeumin, 35.1% were Soyangin, and 20.3% were Soeumin. The average weight, WHR, Triceps, Rhrer index and BMI in the Taeumin group were significantly higher than those of the Soeumin and Soyangin groups. The body fat mass (kg) and abdominal fat (%) in the Taeumin group were significantly higher than those of the Soeumin and Soyangin groups. The soft body mass (%) in the Soeumin group was significantly higher than that of the Soeumi and Soyangin groups. The Taeumin's energy expenditure in physical activities was little high than that of the Soyangin and Soeumin groups, but the Soyangin's energy expenditure in physical activities per weight was a little higher than that of the Taeumin and Soeumin groups. The calorie and most of the nutrient intake were lower than those of Korean RDA. In the case of males, most nutrient intake, except for fiber, carotene and vitamin C were high in the Taeumin. For females, most nutrient intake, except for calcium and retinol were significantly higher in the Taeumin group. Conclusively, anthropometry characteristics, body composition, energy expenditure in physical activities, eating habits and dietary intake are different among the three Sasang constitutions. This study suggests the possibility of using Sasang consitutions as a basis for providing nutritional education and health guidelines.
Abdominal Fat ; Adipose Tissue ; Anthropometry ; Ascorbic Acid ; Body Composition* ; Calcium ; Carotenoids ; Child* ; Constitution and Bylaws* ; Eating* ; Education ; Energy Metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Motor Activity ; Vitamin A ; Surveys and Questionnaires

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
DNA, Viral* ; Hep G2 Cells* ; Hepatitis B virus* ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Spices*

OBJECTIVE: The accuracy of analytical results of blood and urine heavy metals came out to the main issue on occupational health from late eighties. The discrepancy of the results for same samples from different laboratories made the diagnosis for occupational diseases be unreliable. Therefore, a quality control program for analysis of samples taken from workplace had been introduced in Korea since 1992. This study aims to show the quality control program f'or analysis of blood and urine samples and its proficient rates from 1992 to 1999 and to know how they have been being used in occupational health. METHODS: The quality control program runs twice a year with mandatory items of blood lead and urine hippuvic acid and voluntary items of blood cadmium and manganese and urine mandellic acid and methyl hippuric acid. Participant laboratories are receiving three levels for each items and two out of three samples have to be qualified for being a proficient laboratory for the item. The acceptable range of blood lead and urine hippuric acid is +/-15% and that of the others is within 3 SD(standard deviation) from the reference values. RESULTS: The proficient rates of blood lead and urine hippuric acid was 89%, 90%, repectively, however those of the other voluntary items have been from 51% to 62%. The proficient rates of urine mercury and urine N-methylformamide(NMF), which are introduced since 1999, were very poor. Urine hippuric acid and blood lead were analyzed frequently for the purpose of biological monitoring conducting by special health examination organizations. Urine and blood manganese and urine metabolites of trichloroethylene, urine phenol, methylhippuric acid and cadmium were followed. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the quality control program for biological monitoring has dramatically improve the ability of analysing blood and urine samples and eventually contributes to diagnose occupational diseases and to prevent occupational poisoning. However, some biological monitoring data, such as urine manganese, mercury and NMF, have been still reported from laboratories that were not accepted as a proficient laboratory.
Cadmium ; Diagnosis ; Environmental Monitoring ; Korea ; Manganese ; Metals, Heavy ; Occupational Diseases ; Occupational Health ; Phenol ; Poisoning ; Quality Control ; Reference Values ; Trichloroethylene

Nocardiosis is an opportunistic infection occurring in immunocompromised patients. Worldwidely, about four cases of nocardiosis of the breast have been previously reported, but none of these were in Korea. We describe a case of breast nocardiosis associated with pulmonary infection in a patient with Cushing's disease. In our patient, multiple, well-defined, conglomerated, tubular-shaped, isodense mass was revealed at mammography, and an irregular-shaped, ill-defined, heterogeneous echoic mass with movable debris at ultrasonography.
Breast* ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Korea ; Mammography ; Nocardia ; Nocardia Infections* ; Opportunistic Infections ; Ultrasonography

An ipsilateral supraclavicular lymph node recurrence of breast cancer after surgery has been considered a predecessor to distant metastases. There still is a debate as to whether breast carcinoma patients with the isolated supraclavicular lymph node recurrence should be considered to have disseminated disease or if aggressive treatment, with curative intent, is justified. We report two cases of an isolated ipsilateral supraclavicular lymph node recurrence following modified radical mastectomy, and multimodality treatments with modified radical neck dissection, systemic chemotherapy and involved field radiotherapy. These patients have lived without locoregional recurrence or distant metastases for 3 and 2 years, respectively. Conclusively, we recommend aggressive combined multimodality treatments, including surgery, such as modified radical neck dissection or complete excision of the involved lymph nodes, systemic chemotherapy, and involved field radiotherapy, in patients with isolated supraclavicular lymph node recurrence, but with no other evidence of distant metastases.
Breast Neoplasms ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Mastectomy, Modified Radical ; Neck Dissection ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Radiotherapy ; Recurrence

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a risk factor of hyperlipidemia, DM, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. In clinical practice the evaluation of obesity has been done indirectly by anthropomet ric indices such as BMI, waist to hip ratio, waist and hip circumference. This study was attempted to show whether waist circumference is better simple anthropometric index of abdominal obesity and has better correlation of metabolic profile than waist to hip ratio which has been commonly used. METHODS: We gathered 286 cases who have undergone medical examination from May 1997 to July 1997 at Dankook University Hospital and measured BMI, relative ideal body weight by Modified Broca method, waist circumference, waist to hip ratio, metabolic profiles, fasting blood sugar, systolic and diastolic blood pressure. RESULTS: Waist to hip ratio and waist circumference showed high correlation with BMI and Modified Broca index. In men, correlation coefficient of waist circumference and waist to hip ratio with BMI was r=0.761, r=0.467, and correlation coefficient of waist circumference and waist to hip ratio with Modified Broca index was r=0.726, r=0.458. In women, correlation coefficient of waist circumference and waist to hip ratio with BMI was r=0.791, r=0.628, and correlation coeffience of waist circumference and waist to hip ratio with Modified Broca index was r=0.769 r=0.660. This finding showed waist to hip ratio and waist circumference is more closely related to BMI and Modified Broca index in women than men and showed higher correlation with waist circumference than waist to hip ratio. There were significant differences of correlation coefficient of obesity indices between waist circumference and waist to hip ratio (p<0.00001). Waist circumference showed relatively significant correlation with metabolic profiles, but we could not observe high correlation coefficient. But there was significant difference of distribution between normal group and obese group defined as BMI>25 and modified Broca index>120%. CONCLUSION: Waist circumference, index of abdominal obesity has better correlation with obesity indices than waist to hip ratio and is a simpler method.
Blood Glucose ; Blood Pressure ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Fasting ; Female ; Hip ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; Hypertension ; Ideal Body Weight ; Male ; Metabolome ; Obesity ; Obesity, Abdominal* ; Risk Factors ; Waist Circumference* ; Waist-Hip Ratio

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to identify the effects of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) practice education on CPR knowledge, attitude, confidence, learning satisfaction and performance of the personal assistants for the disabled. METHODS: This is a quasi-experimental study with a non-equivalent control group. The participants were 62 personal assistants for the disabled. Thirty-one subjects were assigned to an experimental group and the remaining subjects were assigned to a control group. The date collected were analyzed using the IBM SPSS Statistics 20.0 program by descriptive statistics, χ2-test, Fisher's exact test, and t-test. RESULTS: CPR practice education was found to have a meaningful effect on CPR knowledge (p<.001), learning satisfaction (p<.001), and performance (p<.001) of the personal assistants for the disabled. CONCLUSION: Considering these results, it would be useful to develop CPR practice curriculum to enhance CPR knowledge, attitude, confidence, learning satisfaction and performance of the personal assistants for the disabled.
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation* ; Curriculum ; Education* ; Humans ; Learning ; Non-Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to analyze current status of the web sites dealing with asthma in the Internet, and to evaluate their technical aspects and contents. METHODS: The evaluation tool consisted of four areas(construction, operation, accessibility, and content) with twenty-six items. Four sites including the contents related with symptoms of asthma, consultation of health professionals, and treatment and nursing for asthma were selected to be analyzed. RESULTS: The results of the analysis were as follows: 1) there was no web site dealing with asthma managed by public institutions 2) the only 5% of the top 100 sites were found to be related with the asthma by exploring the top five search engines in Korea and 3) the evaluation scores four web sites were 6-11 out of 18 in the category of construction, 10-21 out of 24 in operation, 5-10 out of 15 in accessibility, and 8-18 out of 21 in content. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, it will be possible to prevent asthma at first through web sites, which will be one of the most beneficial aspects of web site, so the system to evaluate web sites should be developed to provide high-quality information about asthma.
Asthma ; Health Occupations ; Internet ; Korea ; Nursing ; Search Engine