BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate the determinants of North Korean refugees' trust in South Korea health service. METHODS: This study surveyed 168 North Korean refugees aged 19 and over living in Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon, and Gangwon. The collected data were analyzed by frequency analysis, t-test, analysis of variance, and hierarchical regression analysis to analyze the effect on the trust of refugees. RESULTS: The difference analysis showed statistically significant difference according to duration of residence and employment status. The determinants of North Korean refugees' trust in South Korea health services were duration of residence, basic communication skills, health communication skills, and experience of health service. CONCLUSION: In order to increase the trust of North Korean defectors in South Korea medical services, it is necessary to resolve communication problems and improve the satisfaction of health services. For this, the interpreter service should be activated. And specific education should be given to the North Korean refugees about the health care system and the utilization methods of health service in Korea.
Delivery of Health Care ; Education ; Employment ; Gangwon-do ; Gyeonggi-do ; Health Communication ; Health Services ; Humans ; Incheon ; Korea ; Refugees ; Seoul

BACKGROUND: Respiratory viruses play a significant role in the etiology of acute respiratory infections and exacerbation of chronic respiratory illnesses. This study was conducted to identify the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of children with acute viral lower respiratory infections. METHODS: This study investigated 1,168 children diagnosed with acute viral lower respiratory tract infections (RTIs) between January 2012 and December 2014. Specimens of respiratory viruses were collected using a nasopharyngeal swab and analyzed by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and analyzed the clinical features of children hospitalized for acute lower respiratory infections. RESULTS: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the main cause of infection in children aged <5 years, was the most commonly detected pathogen in children with bronchiolitis and pneumonia, and resulted in high proportions of children requiring oxygen treatment and intensive care unit admission. Rhinovirus was preceded by RSV as the second most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia, and was detected most frequently in the children aged ≥6 years. In addition, asthma was predominantly caused by rhinovirus in children aged ≥6 years, whereas croup was mostly caused by parainfluenza virus in those aged <5 years. Rhinovirus infection (p < 0.001) and history of asthma (p=0.049) were identified as significant risk factors for readmission within a month. CONCLUSION: We identified the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of respiratory viruses in children with acute lower respiratory infections during the last 3 years. Our findings may provide useful clinical insight to comprehend the acute viral lower RTIs in children.
Asthma ; Bronchiolitis ; Child ; Child, Hospitalized* ; Croup ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Medical Records ; Oxygen ; Paramyxoviridae Infections ; Pneumonia ; Respiratory Syncytial Viruses ; Respiratory System* ; Respiratory Tract Infections* ; Retrospective Studies ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Rhinovirus ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND: Respiratory viruses play a significant role in the etiology of acute respiratory infections and exacerbation of chronic respiratory illnesses. This study was conducted to identify the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of children with acute viral lower respiratory infections.METHODS: This study investigated 1,168 children diagnosed with acute viral lower respiratory tract infections (RTIs) between January 2012 and December 2014. Specimens of respiratory viruses were collected using a nasopharyngeal swab and analyzed by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and analyzed the clinical features of children hospitalized for acute lower respiratory infections.RESULTS: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the main cause of infection in children aged <5 years, was the most commonly detected pathogen in children with bronchiolitis and pneumonia, and resulted in high proportions of children requiring oxygen treatment and intensive care unit admission. Rhinovirus was preceded by RSV as the second most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia, and was detected most frequently in the children aged ≥6 years. In addition, asthma was predominantly caused by rhinovirus in children aged ≥6 years, whereas croup was mostly caused by parainfluenza virus in those aged <5 years. Rhinovirus infection (p < 0.001) and history of asthma (p=0.049) were identified as significant risk factors for readmission within a month.CONCLUSION: We identified the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of respiratory viruses in children with acute lower respiratory infections during the last 3 years. Our findings may provide useful clinical insight to comprehend the acute viral lower RTIs in children.
Asthma ; Bronchiolitis ; Child ; Child, Hospitalized ; Croup ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Medical Records ; Oxygen ; Paramyxoviridae Infections ; Pneumonia ; Respiratory Syncytial Viruses ; Respiratory System ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; Retrospective Studies ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Rhinovirus ; Risk Factors

When difficulties occur during anesthesia and the management of intensive care patients, there may not be sufficient time for frequent, accurate and detailed recordings which are essential for medico-legal purposes and the retrieval of information. However, it is during such occasions that the collection of an accurate, detailed record may be nearly impossible. A system, bases on the 16bits microcomputer linked to a Datascope 2000, has been developed to collect cardiovascular data on line from a cardiovascular monitor. The computer can be operated by using the main anesthetic record program written in a C language which enables the interrupt facility in the microcomputer and interface card to detect and store data transmitted from the Datascope. Patient's details are entered by manipulating function keys on the keybord. All information is stored on a disc for subsequent analysis. A formed graph and text can be displayed on the screen. The graph and all the information entered can be printed out at the end of the operation to form a complete anesthetic record.
Anesthesia ; Humans ; Critical Care ; Microcomputers

To compare the two previous reports of anesthetic experiences (1959-1977 and 1978-1982) at Wonju Christian Hospital, Wonju Medical College, Yonsei University, Wonju, Korea, anesthetic experiences of 23,524 reported cases, performed from January 1983 to December 1987, were analyzed statistically. There were no iclusions of cases performed through local anesthesia. The results were as follows: 1) The number of anesthetic cases increased on a year by year basis. 2) Sexual categorization was as follows: male 49.3%, female 50.7%. 3) According to the age category, the second to fourth decades of life occupied 41.9% of the these cases, and ifants occupied less than 0.3%. 4) According to prescribed anesthetic method, general inhalation anesthesia was performed in 75. 6% of these cases and regional anesthesia was performed in the other cases. 5) With respect the main anesthetic agent, halothane was utilized in 52.4%, while local anesthetics were used in 22.4% and Ethrane was used in 15.4% of the above cases. 6) Recording the preoperative A.S.A. physical status, class I was predominant over class II in elective operation, but class II was more apparent in emergent operations. 7) Among departmental emergent operations which accounted for 25% of all total cases, OB & GY accounted for 35% while General Surgery accounted for 28.9%. 8) Medical insurance patients were the most common.
Anesthesia, Conduction ; Anesthesia, Inhalation ; Anesthesia, Local ; Anesthetics, Local ; Enflurane ; Female ; Gangwon-do ; Halothane ; Humans ; Insurance ; Korea ; Male

No abstract available.
Humans ; Prevalence* ; Renal Dialysis*

To evaluate the results of cardiac anesthesia during open heart surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass, the cases of 100 patients from December 1986 to May 1989 were reviewed. The results were as follows: 1) There were 56 patients with congenital heart disease (male 32, female 24) and 44 patients with acquired heart disease (male 14, female 30). 2) The mean age of patients with congenital heart disease was 17.0+/-10.0 years and the mean age of patients with acquired heart disease was 41.2+/-14.6 years. 3) There were 54 cases of acyanotic heart disease and 2 cases of cyanotic heart disease among congenital heart disease, and 41 cases of valvular heart disease. 4) Glycopyroolate and hydroxyzine were mostly used as premedicants and morphine was used in some cases of acquired heart disease. 5) Anesthesia was induced by morphine and diazepam mostly while ketamine was used in some congenital heart disease. 6) The periods of cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic cross clamp in acquired heart disease were twice as long as in congenital heart disease. 7) The lowest body temperature during cardiopulmonry bypass was 26.7+/-2.5 degrees C in congenital heart disease and 24.1+/-3.6 degrees C in acquired heart disease while mean arterial pressure was maintained between 50-80 mmHg. 8) There were 33 cases of complications in 19 patients in which wound infection and arrythmia were most predominant. Four fatalities resulted from 3 cases of low cardiac output syndrome and 1 case of cerebrovascular disease.
Anesthesia* ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Arterial Pressure ; Body Temperature ; Cardiac Output, Low ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Diazepam ; Female ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Heart Diseases ; Heart Valve Diseases ; Heart* ; Humans ; Hydroxyzine ; Ketamine ; Morphine ; Thoracic Surgery* ; Wound Infection

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study investigates correlations between circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) and obesity-related parameters among young women (aged 20–30 years old) in Korea. SUBJECTS/METHODS: We analyzed TaqMan low density arrays (TLDAs) of circulating miRNAs in 9 lean (body mass index [BMI] < 25 kg/m2) and 15 obese (BMI > 25 kg/m2) women. We also performed gene ontology (GO) analyses of the biological functions of predicted miRNA target genes, and clustered the results using the database for annotation, visualization and integrated discovery. RESULTS: The TLDA cards contain 754 human miRNAs; of these, the levels of 8 circulating miRNAs significantly declined (> 2-fold) in obese subjects compared with those in lean subjects, including miR-1227, miR-144-5p, miR-192, miR-320, miR-320b, miR-484, miR-324- 3p, and miR-378. Among them, miR-484 and miR-378 displayed the most significant inverse correlations with BMI (miR-484, r = −0.5484, P = 0.0056; miR-378, r = −0.5538, P = 0.0050) and visceral fat content (miR-484, r = −0.6141, P = 0.0014; miR-378, r = −0.6090, P = 0.0017). GO analysis indicated that genes targeted by miR-484 and miR-378 had major roles in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. CONCLUSION Our result showed the differentially expressed circulating miRNAs in obese subjects compared to lean subjects. Although the mechanistic study to reveal the causal role of miRNAs remains, these miRNAs may be novel biomarkers for obesity.

BACKGROUND: Plasmodium vivax malaria is an acute debilitating illness characterized by recurrent paroxysmal fever and relapses from hypnozoites in the liver. Although a few studies reported clinical characteristics of vivax malaria in civilians after reemergence in the Republic of Korea, only a small group of patients was analyzed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients who had been diagnosed with vivax malaria by peripheral blood smear in a university-affiliated hospital located in a malaria-endemic area between January 2005 and December 2009. RESULTS: During the study period, a total of 352 malarial cases from 341 patients were diagnosed. Vivax malaria was most commonly developed in July and August, 24.7% (87/352), and 21.9% (77/352), respectively. The mean (SD) age was 42.5 (14.7) years and the number of male patients was 243 (71.3%). Six patients had a previous history of vivax malaria from 6 months to 10 years before. A total of 337 patients (98.8%) had fever and the mean (SD) body temperature was 38.3 (1.4)degrees C. Common associated symptoms were chills (213/341, 62.5%), headache (115/341, 33.7%), and myalgia (85/341, 24.9%). Laboratory findings included thrombocytopenia (340/341, 99.7%), anemia (97/341, 28.5%), leukopenia (148/341, 43.4%), increase of aspartate transaminase (177/341, 51.9%), and increase of alanine transaminase (187/341, 54.8%). Hypotension (14/341, 4.1%), altered mentality (3/341, 0.9%), azotemia (3/341, 0.9%), spleen infarction (2/341, 0.6%), and spleen rupture (1/341, 0.3%) developed as complications. Chloroquine was administered to all patients and primaquine was administered with mean (SD) 3.39 (0.82) mg/kg to 320 patients. There were 11 recurrent infections during the study period. The median (range) time to recurrent infection was 100 (32-285) days. Platelet counts were higher (86,550 vs. 56,910/mm3) and time to treatment of malaria was shorter (5 vs. 7 days) in relapsed cases compared with first occurrence cases (P=0.046). CONCLUSIONS: The overall recurrence rate of vivax malaria was 3.2% (11/341) in this study. In recurred cases, malaria was diagnosed earlier and thrombocytopenia was less severe. To evaluate the risk factors associated with recurrence and adequate dose of primaquine in Korean patients, further large-scale prospective studies will be needed.
Alanine Transaminase ; Anemia ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Azotemia ; Body Temperature ; Chills ; Chloroquine ; Fever ; Headache ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Infarction ; Leukopenia ; Liver ; Malaria ; Malaria, Vivax ; Male ; Medical Records ; Platelet Count ; Primaquine ; Recurrence ; Republic of Korea ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Rupture ; Spleen ; Thrombocytopenia ; Time-to-Treatment

Objective: Recently data has been accumulated regarding the role of coping strategies in the relationship between stress and sleep quality. Therefore, we set out to identify the mediating effects of coping strategies between stress and sleep quality. Methods: A online-based cross-sectional study was performed using the Perceived Stress Scale-10, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and a simplification of the 60-item Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (Brief COPE) inventory in the nonclinical adult sample. The 24 items of Brief COPE were categorized into four factors (social support, problem solving, avoidance, positive thinking). Then, we used the PROCESS macro to conduct the multiple mediation analysis for the four coping styles as potential mediators in the relationship between stress and sleep quality, and an additional subgroup analysis was examined to identify a gender difference for the mediation effect. Results: As a group, four coping styles mediated significantly the association between perceived stress and poor sleep quality. And avoidance has maintained its significance thought all regression analyses. Finally, this results remained as same in the females. Conclusion The effect of perceived stress on poor sleep quality was mediated by coping strategies, especially by avoidance. Thus, further research should consider the coping styles of individuals to reduce the influence of stress on sleep quality.