BACKGROUND: According to the areas and people that are examined, there are many differences in the prevalence of syphilis in Korea. However, the reactive rate of the serologi test for syphilis showed an increase in the 1960s, and it has deerea@sed from the beginning of the 1970s. OBJECTIVE: Comparing the results of tke serologic test for syphilis which lotad been performed for the 5 years(1987-1991) on the physical examines and pregnant women who were considered as healthy, with the results with normal people, who were considered as healthy, which had been already reported, we tried to observe the change of reactive rate of serologic test for syphili. METHODS: The serologic test for syphilis, including serum VDRL test and serum TPHA test, were carried out on 25,254 healthy adults(20,405 were physical examineea eamined at National Medical Center and 4,849 were pregnant women delivered at National Medical Cer ter). RESULTS: The reaetive rate of serum VDRL test was 0.8% in 25,25 the althy adults(physical examinees 0.8%, pregnant women 0.7%). There were no stistically differerces between the annual incidences. 85.5% of VDRL-reactive subjects showed low VDRL titers(below 1:4) by the quantitative serum VDRL test, The biologic false positive reaction of serum VDRL test was 29(19.5%) in 149 VDRL-reactive subjects, using serum TPHA test as a standard. CONCLUSION: This study suggested thai, there was a decrease in the prevslence of syphilis in Korea.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; False Positive Reactions ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea* ; Pregnant Women ; Prevalence* ; Serologic Tests ; Syphilis*

BACKGROUND: Ciclopiroxole.minsolution or cream is the topical in imycotic agent which has been known to have the ability to penetrate the horny skin and nail keratin. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the pierapeutic effect of 1% ciclopiroxolamine solution on onychomycosis. METHODS: 1% ciclopiroxolamie solution was applied topically to hentire surface of t,he diseased nail at least twice a day for 12 to 36 weeks according to the verity of nail involvement and degree of improvement in 21 cases of onychomycoses. RESULTS: 1. With only topical application of 1% ciclopiroxolamine solutior, 4 out of 21 cases(67%) showed 25% or more reduction of the affected nail area, and 8 out of 21 cases(38%) showed 50% or more reduction of the affected nail area. 2. There was no significant difference in the degree of improvem of according to the duration of disease. 3. Therapeutic effect was relat.ively high on Candida albicans, while it was relatively low on Aspergillus species. 4. 3 out of 7 cases of mild(up to 30%) involvement showed a 7% or more reduction of the affected nail, while 4 out of 6 cases of severe(60-100%) involvement showed a 25% or less reduction of the affected nail. 5. As side effects during the topical application of 1% ciclopiroxol nr ne solution, periungualer ythema appeared in 3 cases, and a burning sensation in 4 of 21 cases. CONCLUSION: 1% ciclopiroir olaniine solution could be tried as an effctive therapeutic agent on onychomycosis for the patient who would not be tolerable to oral an ifiigal medication for associated systemic diseases or who does not want oral medication.
Aspergillus ; Burns ; Candida albicans ; Humans ; Onychomycosis* ; Sensation ; Skin

Herpes zoster is characterized by several groups of vesicles situateu unilaterally within the distribution of the cranial or spinal nerve coming from one posterior ganglion Biateral involvement and recurrence are rare, and zoster involves two widely separated regions at on time are even rarer. We report a case of bilateral eupes zoster. A 5-years-old female patient was presented with painful bilateral grouped vesicles on an erythematous base along the dermatome of Lt T2 and Rt T5. Tzanck smear revealed multinucleated giant cells, and histopathologic findings were consistent with herpetic infection. She was successfully treated by administration of acyclovir without any significant cornplications.
Acyclovir ; Female ; Ganglion Cysts ; Giant Cells ; Herpes Zoster* ; Humans ; Recurrence ; Spinal Nerves

OBJECTIVES: The study was to examine major factors that affect suicidal ideation of elderly in urban areas. METHODS: The subjects were 302 elders who voluntarily participated in the study. The instruments for this study were scale for suicidal ideation(19 items), family concord (20 items), CED-depression(20 items) and family inventor of life events and changes(FILE, 22 items). Frequency, percentage, t-test, ANOVA, Duncan test, Pearson' correlation coefficient, stepwise multiple regression with SPSS program were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: The average score of suicidal ideation was 14.88. Suicidal ideation was positively related to depression and stress, but negatively related to family concord. depression, family concord, stress and health status accounted for 86.1% of the variance in suicidal ideation. These results suggest that family concord, depression and stress can be potential risk factors for suicide of elderly. CONCLUSIONS: These findings may give useful information for developing suicidal prevention program on old age.
Aged* ; Depression ; Humans ; Inventors ; Risk Factors ; Suicidal Ideation* ; Suicide

The purpose of this study was to dcvclop nd test the validity of standardized Korean nome clature based on Nursing Intervention Classi ications (MC), developed by McCloskey and Bul chek at the University of Iowa, The four phases of the study were 1. Two professors and 15 graduate stude ts, who were taking a nursing intervention cours, translated the 433 nursing interventions of IC into Korean 2. 12 nurses with various clinical bac rounds reviewed the nomenclature, taking into nsider ation the definition and activities for each Korean nursing intervention. The Delphi method was used to determine the best appropriate nomenclature for each intervention ~. 20 academic and clinical experts in nursing were given a questionnaire to rate the validity of each Korean nomenclature using a 5 point Likert scale ranging from very inappropriate to very appropriate 4. five members of the Korean Nurses Association Research Committee reviewed the survey results and determined the most appropriate Korean nomenclature for each nursing intei veiition of NIC system. Most nomenclature had a score of more than 4.0, but seven nursing interventions had a score lower than 4.0: Critical Path Development (2.71), Calming Technique ~3.4l), Grief Work Facilitation (3.44), Order Transcription (3.44), Self Modification Assistance (3.44), and Teaching Psycho-motor Skills (3.47). These research results will be included in the nursing vocabulary dictionary to be published by Korean Nurses Association.
Critical Pathways ; Grief ; Iowa ; Nursing ; Vocabulary ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: This study was to obtain information regarding to agricultural accidents in farm workers in the Kyungpook area. METHODS: A questionnaire survey was carried out for 528 workers from the 1st to 31st of March, 2007. Frequency, percentage, mean and chi-square test with the SPSS program were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: The causes of agricultural accidents include falling(29.0%), overseeing(18.9%), traffic accident(17.4%), putting between machinery(11.7%), crashing(5.3%), fire(0.6%) in the order of frequency. Injuries from agricultural accidents include fracture(44.7%) cerebral bleeding(10.4%), amputation(7.0%), airway obstruction(2.3%), burn(1.9%), drug addiction(1.9%) in the order of frequency. The largest proportion of the subjects of hospital treatment were in their 50s and belonged to the group of high-level economic state. Agricultural machinery collision was the most frequent cause among the subjects of hospital treatment. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that carelessness can be a potential risk factor for agricultural accidents in farm workers. These findings may give useful information for developing agricultural accident prevention programs for farm workers.
Accident Prevention ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Risk Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVES: To determine changes in the incidence and pattern of eclampsia in Il Sin Christian Hospital over a 46-year period. METHODS: Information was collected from medical records of the 1910 eclamptic patients among 233,613 deliveries in Il Sin Christian Hospital from Jan. 1 1953 to Dec. 31 1998. Incidence, presentation, and management of eclampsia were reviewed retrospectively, and maternal mortality rate and perinatal mortality rate were calculated. Statistical analysis was done by Chi-squared and Fisher's exact test through two by two tables looking at relative changes between each study period. RESULTS: The overall incidence of eclampsia was 81.8 per 10,000 deliveries. The incidence of eclampsia had increased from 137.3/10,000 in 1953-1962 to 278.4/10,000 in 1963-1972, but the rate had reduced to 6.5/10,000 in 1993-1998. There was a statistically significant fall in the rate of eclampsia every decade between 1973 and 1992, but there has been steady decrease in the last study period. Convulsion occurred antepartum in 54% of patients, intrapartum in 29% and postpartum in 17%. With the reduction in the proportion of antepartum eclampsia, there has been a relative increase in that of intrapartum and postpartum eclampsia. Maternal death occurred in 59 cases among eclampsia, and maternal mortality rate was 3.1%. Maternal mortality rate had significantly decresed from 11.1% in 1953-1962 to 3.8% in 1963-1972, and there has been no maternal death from eclampsia since 1986. Postpartum eclampsia had increased death risk compared with antepartum or intrapartum eclampsia. There were 280 cases of perinatal death and overall perinatal mortality rate was 144.1 per 1000 deliveries. There was a significant decrease in the rate from 243.2/1000 in 1953-1962 to 141.5/1000 in 1963-1972, but the rate has risen steadily since 1983. CONCLUSIONS: With the improvement in antenatal care and management of eclampsia, the incidence of eclampsia and its associated maternal mortality has decreased over the last 46 years. But eclampsia still remains a significant complication of pregnancy with high maternal and perinatal mortality.
Eclampsia* ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Maternal Death ; Maternal Mortality ; Medical Records ; Perinatal Mortality ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy ; Retrospective Studies ; Seizures

PURPOSE: To investigate the clinical outcome based on topographic supported customized corneal ablation (TOSCA). METHODS: The 20 patients (20eyes), who had already undertaken excimer laser surgery at least 6 months ago, resulting in decrease of best-corrected visual acuity, were included. Topography-guided corneal ablation was performed to correct de-centered ablation or irregular astigmatism using with the Mel-70-scan (ascleapion Meditec Inc. Germany) equipped with a Gaussian spot beam. RESULTS: The average uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) and best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in Log MAR scale was 0.52 +/- 0.35 and 0.33 +/- 0.14, preoperatively. The average of UCVA and BCVA was improved to 0.29 +/- 0.29 and 0.11 +/- 0.14, respectively after TOSCA was done. It was statistically significant difference (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: TOSCA may be considered as effective method to improve BCVA in patients who suffer from decrease of BCVA in duced by decentered ablation.
Astigmatism ; Humans ; Lasers, Excimer ; Visual Acuity

Trichophyton rnbrum is a.nthropophilic, and the most common and widely distributed dermato phyte of man. Characterisic lions are circular, usually sharplyn ginated, slightly erythematous, dry, scaly patches with a raised edge. Progressive central clearin produces annular outlines. Other variants are reported, such as granulomatous, bullous or verucius. We reported a case of Trichophyton rubrum infection showing an unusual clinical manifest tin. The skin leison showed multiple discrete brownishouni macules with a fine scale on both hi lower legs, dorsum of feet and buttocks. Central clearing and inflammed border were not not. On KOH mount, fungal hyphae were noted and Techophyton rubrum was isolated on the funu culture.
Buttocks ; Foot ; Hyphae ; Leg ; Lions ; Skin ; Tin ; Trichophyton*

The skin manifestations of secondary syphilis, termed syphilid, show macular, papular and papulosquamous rashes in most cases, but may show lots of other clinical findings. We report a case of syphitid simulating purpura annulsris telangieitodes in 25-year-old male who had a history of genital ulcer 2 months ago. The skin lesion showed diffuse erythematous, 1-3 cm sized, telangiectatic annular patchea and purpuric plaques on both lower extremities and discrete papulosquamous rashes on both soles. The results of the serologic test for syphili was found to be reactive to 32 dilution in serum VDRL test and positive in serum TPHA test. Histovathologically, we could observe the obscuring of dermoepidermal juction, coat-sleeve-like perivascular infiltrate composed of mononuclear cells and a few plasma cells, and endothelial swellings. Afte the treatment with benzathine penicillin G, the titer of serurn VDRL test was decreased abruptly to 4 dilution and the skin lesions disappeared completely.
Adult ; Exanthema ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Male ; Penicillin G Benzathine ; Plasma Cells ; Purpura* ; Serologic Tests ; Skin ; Skin Manifestations ; Syphilis ; Syphilis, Cutaneous* ; Ulcer