BACKGROUND: The propose of this study was to identify the level of medical technologists' perception of and compliance with hospital infection control guidelines. METHODS: A questionnaire survey was conducted for 65 medical technologists working at three university hospitals in Seoul and Kyunggi areas. The questionnaire was composed of 34 questions on the general characteristics (14 items) of individual responders and about infection control guidelines (20 items). Their response was marked on the basis of 5 points for each question. RESULTS: The mean scores of the perception of and compliance with the infection control guidelines were 4.62+/-0.34 and 3.85+/-0.42, respectively. The female technologists scored significantly higher than did the male counterparts in the participation level of the infection control guidelines (P<0.05). The medical technologists who had participated in an infection control educational program were more likely than those who had not to show a higher compliance level on the infection control guidelines (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The study demonstrated that the development of infection control educational programs for medical technologists and a supportive policy of the hospital administration should contribute to the prevention of nosocomial infections.
Compliance* ; Cross Infection* ; Female ; Gyeonggi-do ; Hospital Administration ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Infection Control ; Male ; Medical Laboratory Personnel ; Seoul ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Desmoid tumors are defined as aggressive overgrowth of fibrous sheets and musculoaponeurotic structures. Although desmoid tumors are generally known as a benign neoplasm, it's aggresive local invasiveness and frequent recurrence indicate it's position lying between the benign and malignancy. The association of desmoid tumor and familial adenomtous polyposis(FAP) was first made in 1923 by Nichols. In 1951, Gardner reported the familial occurrence of intestinal polyposis, osteomas, fibromas, and epidermal or sebaceous cyst. Desmoid tumors are common in patients with FAP and Occur in 3.5~29% of patients with FAP whereas the incidence in the gerenal population is 2~5/1,000,000 person years. Surgical resection of desmoids in patients with FAP has been controversial because unresectability and recurrence are more common than cure. Palliative and curative resections have a high morbidity. Surgery should be reserved for those patients with symptomatic mesenteric desmoids. If a small mesenteric desmoid is encountered incidentally and is easily resectable, it should be resected. If surgery has been less than satisfactory in the treatment of these patients, several different medical approaches can be combined with or without surgical resection with mixed result. Authors report a case of unresectable mesenteric desmoid tumor, developing after surgery of FAP and literatures were reviewed
Deception ; Epidermal Cyst ; Fibroma ; Fibromatosis, Aggressive* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intestinal Polyposis ; Osteoma ; Recurrence

Exercise-induced anaphylaxis can be associated with ingestion of a specific food. We experienced a case of exercise-induced anaphylaxis followed by ingestion of parsely. A 22- year old female patient was presented with angioedema of the face and chest tightness induced by running after ingestion of parsley within 15 minutes. She had suffered from allergic rhinitis. She had positive reactions to mugwort pollen and parsely extract on skin prick test in a dose dependent manner. Although the oral provocation test with parsely could not induce bronchoconstriction, we could diagnosed as parsely dependent exercise induced anaphylaxis based upon skin prick test and history.
Anaphylaxis ; Angioedema ; Artemisia ; Bronchoconstriction ; Eating ; Female ; Humans ; Petroselinum ; Pollen ; Rhinitis ; Running ; Skin ; Thorax

STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective study that analyzed and compared the results between a posterior lumbar interbody fusion, and a posterolateral fusion (PLIF+PLF), and PLF alone, in the treatment of spondyolytic spondylolisthesis in adults. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the outcomes of two surgical treatment methods for spondylolytic spondylolisthesis-posterolateral fusion alone, and circumferential fusion, using posterior lumbar interbody fusion and posterolateral fusion. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: There have been many reports regarding the surgical treatment of spondylolisthesis. Posterior lumbar interbody fusions have certain distinct mechanical advantages over posterolateral ones. However, the clinical and radiological results do not usually correlate. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January 1998 and December 2001, 38 patients, with spondylolytic spondylolisthesis, were operated on by a single surgeon. Nineteen patients underwent a posterolateral fusion alone (group I), with the same number undergoing an additional posterior lumbar interbody fusion (group II). These two groups were evaluated for their clinical outcomes, radiological measurements and fusion rates. RESULTS: The losses in the slip reduction were 7.1 and 1.3% in the PLF and PLF+PLIF groups, respectively (P<0.05). The losses in the Meschan angle were 3.3 and 0.2 in the PLF and PLF+PLIF groups, respectively (P<0.05). The losses in the disc height restoration were 10.4 and 3.8% in the PLF and PLF+PLIF groups, respectively (P<0.05). A nonunion was observed in 3 of the PLF cases (15.8%) and 1 of the PLF+PLIF (5.3%). However, the satisfactory clinical results were 84.2 and 73.7% in the PLF and PLF+PLIF groups, respectively (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Although the addition of a posterior lumbar interbody fusion, to an instrumented posterolateral fusion, following decompression, is more predictable in maintaining a correction and achieving union, a posterolateral fusion may have a better clinical outcome in patients with low grade spondylolytic spondylolisthesis. Therefore, careful patient selection is necessary for each operation.
Adult* ; Decompression ; Humans ; Patient Selection ; Retrospective Studies ; Spondylolisthesis*

Robinsoniella peoriensis has recently been identified as a Gram-positive, spore-forming, anaerobic rod originally recovered from swine manure storage pits. To date, 6 cases of R. peoriensis infection have been reported, including 2 cases of bacteremia, 1 of abdominal fluid collection, and 3 of wound infection. In the present study, we report a 76-yr-old man with R. peoriensis bacteremia who developed aspiration pneumonia. Gram staining of a purified colony revealed Gram-positive, rod-shaped bacteria. Biochemical identification using API 20 A (bioMerieux, France) indicated presence of Clostridium spp. We performed both 500-bp and full-gene sequencing of 16S rRNA of the isolate. The sequence was analyzed with MicroSeq ID 16S rRNA Library v2.0 (Applied Biosystems, USA), GenBank Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genbank), and EzTaxon database v2.1 (http://www.eztaxon.org). The 500-bp 16S rRNA sequence of the blood culture isolate showed 99.16-99.79% similarity with R. peoriensis and the full-gene 16S rRNA sequence showed 98.87-99.50% similarity with R. peoriensis. The organism was confirmed as R. peoriensis by using all of the mentioned databases except for MicroSeq, which did not include the RNA sequence of this bacterium. This case suggests that identification of R. peoriensis might be challenging in clinical laboratories with no access to molecular methods, as certain commercial identification systems may not identify, or may misidentify, this organism. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the isolation of R. peoriensis in Korea.
Aged ; Bacteremia/*microbiology ; Clostridium/classification/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Databases, Genetic ; Humans ; Male ; Phylogeny ; Pneumonia, Aspiration/*diagnosis/microbiology ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/chemistry/genetics ; Republic of Korea ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

STUDY DESIGN: Thirty-seven patients with spinal tuberculosis were evaluated according to surgical method. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of posterior spinal instrumentation in the surgical treatment of patient with tuberculous spondylitis. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEWS: There are many debates about the effectiveness of posterior spinal instrumentation combined with anterior interbody fusion in tuberculous spondylitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 1995 to June 2000, 37 patients were divided into two groups depending on their use of posterior spinal instrumentation. Group I consist of thirteen patients who were treated with conventional anterior corpectomy and anterior interbody fusion using autogenous strut bone graft. Group II was composed of twenty-four patients who were treated with conventional anterior corpectomy and anterior interbody fusion combined with posterior spinal instrumentation. Changes of corrected kyphotic angle and complication were measured using pre-, post-operative and follow-up radiographs and chart review. RESULTS: In group I, six cases (46.2%) showed loss of corrected kyphotic angle. Of these six cases, five cases had initial kyphotic angle of more than 20 dgree and three cases had involvement of two or more vertebrae. All six cases had thoracic or thoracolumbar involvement. Comparing two groups, maintaining corrected kyphotic angle and low complication rates were obtained in group II during follow-up period. The change of deformity as followed. In thoracic area, the mean kyphotic angle of 26.5 dgree was reduced to 18 dgree postoperatively, At the most recent follow-up, the mean kyphotic angle was 31.5 dgree in group I, a loss of correction of 13.5 dgree . In group II, the mean kyphotic angle was corrected from 27 dgrees to 13.5 dgree after surgery. At the most recent follow-up, the mean kyphotic angle was 17.5 dgrees, a loss of correction of 4 dgree . CONCLUSION: Posterior spinal instrumentation combined with conventional anterior corpectomy and anterior interbody fusion were found to be effective for preventing loss of kyphotic angle and for maintaining stable bone fusion in patients with mean
Congenital Abnormalities ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Spine ; Spondylitis* ; Transplants ; Tuberculosis, Spinal

Degenerative changes in the cervical spinal column are common in the adult population. Although most patients respond well to initial nonsurgical management, those who continue to have symptoms or patients with clinically evident myelopathy are candidates for surgical intervention. The objective of this article is to review and discuss the surgical treatment for degenerative cervical spine disease. Anterior cervical spine surgery is commonly used to treat numerous pathologic entities and is expected to increase with the development of surgical techniques and instruments. Autogenous tricortical iliac crest struts are the best option for anterior fusion, but they are associated with donor site morbidity. Equivalent fusion rates have been reported after allografting and autografting, combined with the use of anterior plates. Artificial disc replacement, one of the emerging motion-sparing technologies, is currently used and has shown excellent results. However, longer follow-up is needed to determine whether these devices can function well over time. Surgical treatments in degenerative cervical disease have shown excellent results. Appropriate methods that take into account the pathologic status of the patient and the surgeon's surgical experience can prevent complications and lead to excellent surgical outcomes.
Adult ; Humans ; Radiculopathy ; Spinal Cord Diseases ; Spine ; Tissue Donors ; Total Disc Replacement ; Transplantation, Autologous ; Transplantation, Homologous

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective controlled study. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine if unilateral TLIF is comparable to conventional PLIF with regard to radiologic and clinical outcomes, and to examine the viability of local bone for bone grafting in lumbar interbody fusion. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: TLIF, a modified form of PLIF, is a new spinal fusion technique that avoids the typical complications of PLIF. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed 32 cases of single-level TLIF or PLIF in patients with degenerative or isthmic spondylolisthesis, who were followed for more than 1 year. The patients in group 1 underwent TLIF, and the patients in group 2 underwent PLIF. The fusion rate, changes in disc height, and degree of anterolisthesis in the fused segment were analyzed radiologically. The clinical results were evaluated using the Oswestry Disability Index and visual analog scale. We also analyzed operative time, blood loss, and complications in both groups. RESULTS: Radiologically and clinically, there were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of fusion rate, changes in disc height, or degree of anterolisthesis in the fused segment. The mean operative time was 200 minutes in group 1 and 240 minutes in group 2. The mean blood loss was 854 ml in group 1 and 1102 ml in group 2(p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: TLIF is a potentially useful alternative to conventional PLIF in patients with degenerative or isthmic spondylolisthesis. Additionally, local bone may be a viable source of bone grafts for single-level TLIF and PLIF.
Bone Transplantation ; Humans ; Operative Time ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Fusion ; Spondylolisthesis ; Transplants

OBJECTIVE: Throughout the past several years, there have been a number of entertainment celebrity suicides in South Korea. The aim of this study was to investigate the clustering of suicides following celebrities' suicides in South Korea from 2005 to 2008, particularly according to certain characteristics. METHODS: Seven celebrity suicides were examined and defined using the Korean Integrated Newspaper Database System (KINDS) and from these, we considered four affected periods occurring 28 days after each celebrity's suicide. A Poisson time-series autoregression model was used to estimate the relative risk of the total suicide number for each affected period from 2005 to 2008. Logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate whether there were specific increases in the numbers of suicides in subgroups matching each celebrity. RESULTS: There were significant increases in the risk of suicide during the affected periods. Remarkable increases were found in the subgroups matching each celebrity, especially in the group in which all factors (sex, age, and method) were similar. CONCLUSION: This study provides confirmation that a significant copycat effect was induced by these celebrities' suicides, especially among people who identified more with the celebrities. This implies that countermeasures for upright media coverage of celebrity suicides should be discussed and practiced properly in South Korea.
Imitative Behavior ; Korea* ; Logistic Models ; Mass Media ; Periodicals ; Republic of Korea ; Risk Factors ; Suicide*

PURPOSE: To investigate factors influencing the amount of indirect reduction by ligamentotaxis according to timing of surgery, extent of surgery, and characteristics of fractures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed 22 cases of thoracolumbar fracture which had been performed posterior instrumentation and fusion using pedicle screw system. We divided patients into each group according to timing of surgery, number of fusion segment, insertion of screw on fractured vertebra, and rupture of posterior ligament complex, and Denis type. We measured changes of kyphotic angle, anterior vertebral height and wedge angle on plain radiographs, and we compared spinal canal area before and after operation using computed tomographic scans. RESULTS: Kyphotic angle, anterior vertebral height, wedge angle, and area of spinal canal showed significant improvement postoperatively. The wedge angle improved significantly operated within 3 days after injury, however, kyphotic angle and anterior vertebral height had no correlation with variable factors except the rupture of posterior ligament complex. The amount of restoration of spinal canal also affected only by rupture of posterior ligament complex. CONCLUSION: There is little relationship between timing of surgery and canal restoration, so we cannot conclude that prompt operation helps reduction of narrowed spinal canal. Otherwise narrowed spinal canal had much less restored by ligamentotaxis when there were rupture of posterior ligament complexes.
Humans ; Ligaments ; Rupture ; Spinal Canal ; Spine