Objectives: The aim of this study is to identify the factors related to re-visit intentions of patients who had visited the 10 oral health care centers for the disabled currently operating in Korea. Methods: A self-developed questionnaire (29 items) was distributed among 1,000 randomly selected patients and their guardians who had visited one of the 10 oral health care centers for the disabled, with a consent. Consequently, 874 questionnaires were collected and analysed for statistics using SPSS 25.0. Results: The patients traveled a long distance to visit the oral health care centers because of their specialization for the disabled. With the level of satisfaction with dentist services, dental hygienist services, and facilities increasing, the re-visit intention proportionally rose. Conclusions This study presents basic data that provides information on the operation of 10 oral health care centers for the disabled. It is imperative to develop a more structured questionnaire, and conduct an annual survey of the disabled visiting the centers.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to identify the factors related to re-visit intentions of patients who had visited the 10 oral health care centers for the disabled currently operating in Korea. Methods: A self-developed questionnaire (29 items) was distributed among 1,000 randomly selected patients and their guardians who had visited one of the 10 oral health care centers for the disabled, with a consent. Consequently, 874 questionnaires were collected and analysed for statistics using SPSS 25.0. Results: The patients traveled a long distance to visit the oral health care centers because of their specialization for the disabled. With the level of satisfaction with dentist services, dental hygienist services, and facilities increasing, the re-visit intention proportionally rose. Conclusions This study presents basic data that provides information on the operation of 10 oral health care centers for the disabled. It is imperative to develop a more structured questionnaire, and conduct an annual survey of the disabled visiting the centers.

Toxocariasis is an important cause of secondary hypereosinophilia in Korea. Here, we describe a rare case of toxocariasis presenting as transient global amnesia due to secondary hypereosinophilia. A 44-year-old male visited the Emergency Department (ED) for transient global amnesia. He ate raw cow liver and omasum 2 weeks before the ED visit. The initial peripheral blood eosinophil count was 15,250/µL and serologic test for serum specific IgG antibodies to Toxocara canis larval antigen was positive. Radiologic studies revealed multiple small embolic infarctions of brainwithout cardioembolic sources or vascular abnormalities. He was treated with systemic corticosteroid, and neither neurologic deficit nor motor deficit was left. In our current case, the patient have a history of frequently eating raw cow liver and omasum, and his total IgE level was extremely high (>5,000 IU/mL). Thus, the patient was diagnosed as having toxocariasis and secondary hypereosinophilia. Toxocariasis should be considered in the differential diagnosis in patients with eosinophilia and atypical neurologic symptoms, such as transient amnesia.
Adult ; Amnesia ; Amnesia, Transient Global* ; Antibodies ; Cerebral Infarction ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Eating ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Eosinophilia ; Eosinophils ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Immunoglobulin G ; Infarction ; Korea ; Liver ; Male ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Omasum ; Serologic Tests ; Toxocara canis ; Toxocariasis*

The present study was carried out to examine the toxicity and target organs of oral cholera vaccine (OCV) after repeated oral administration in Sprague-Dawley rats for 6 weeks (3 administrations, once every 2 weeks). OCV is an inactivated oral cholera vaccine that contains Vibrio cholerae and confers protection against cholera caused by V. cholera serogroups O1 (Inaba and Ogawa serotypes) and O139 (strain 4260B). The animals were orally administered either OCV placebo (negative control) or OCV at a dose equivalent to 240 times the anticipated human dose. Throughout the administration period, no significant change was detected in clinical signs, body weight, food or water consumption, urinalysis results, hematological and clinical biochemistry test results, organ weights, necropsy, or histopathological examination results. Minor changes were found in hematological and clinical biochemistry tests; however, these changes were within normal ranges. The above results suggest that oral administration of OCV in rats did not induce any toxicologically meaningful changes, and the target organs could not be determined. This study was conducted in accordance with the guidelines established by Good Laboratory Practice (2009-183, KFDA, December 22, 2009) and the OECD Principles of Good Laboratory Practice (1997).
Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Biochemistry ; Body Weight ; Cholera ; Drinking ; Humans ; Organ Size ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reference Values ; Urinalysis ; Vibrio cholerae

BACKGROUND: Impaired lung function is associated with mortality rate from cardiovascular and all other death causes. There were previous studies on the relationship between lung function impairment and metabolic syndrome, but they are insufficient. This study was conducted on Koreans to analyze each component of metabolic syndrome as well as its variability between sexes. METHODS: 1,370 subjects underwent a health examination at the Eulji General Hospital Health Center. We examined the association between lung function measurement (forced expiratory volume for 1 second [FEV1], forced vital capacity [FVC], FEV1/FVC) and metabolic syndrome using Student t-test, Pearson partial correlation coefficient, and analysis of covariance for statistical analysis, and we adopted metabolic syndrome defined by American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in Asia. RESULTS: Men with metabolic syndrome tended to experience lung function impairment. In terms of association to each metabolic syndrome component, metabolic syndrome components in men were associated with pulmonary function impairment and the more metabolic syndrome diagnostic criteria factors the patients had, the more severe their pulmonary function tended to decline. In women, waist circumference, triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were associated with pulmonary function change. CONCLUSION: In men, all metabolic syndrome components were associated with pulmonary function impairment, and the more metabolic syndrome components men had, the more severe their pulmonary functions decline. In women, components of metabolic syndrome were not associated with pulmonary function impairment.
Cause of Death ; Cholesterol ; Female ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Heart ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Lipoproteins ; Lung ; Male ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Vital Capacity ; Waist Circumference

Uterine leiomyoma is common benign tumor in reproductive age woman. And secondary degeneration of uterine leiomyoma can be occurred usually during midpregnancy and the puerperium. But, spontaneous perforation of uterine leiomyoma with cystic degeneration is very rare. We have experienced a case of spontaneous perforation of a huge cystic degenerative uterine leiomyoma associated with massive hemoperitoneum in a menopausal woman, and report it with a brief review of literature.
Female ; Hemoperitoneum ; Humans ; Leiomyoma ; Postpartum Period

Myotonia congenita (MC) is a form of nondystrophic myotonia caused by a mutation of CLCN1, which encodes human skeletal muscle chloride channel (CLC-1). We performed sequence analysis of all coding regions of CLCN1 in patients clinically diagnosed with MC, and identified 10 unrelated Korean patients harboring mutations. Detailed clinical analysis was performed in these patients to identify their clinical characteristics in relation to their genotypes. The CLCN1 mutational analyses revealed nine different point mutations. Of these, six (p.M128I, p.S189C, p.M373L, p.P480S, p.G523D, and p.M609K) were novel and could be unique among Koreans. While some features including predominant lower extremity involvement and normal to slightly elevated creatine kinase levels were consistently observed, general clinical features were highly variable in terms of age of onset, clinical severity, aggravating factors, and response to treatment. Our study is the first systematic study of MC in Korea, and shows its expanding clinical and genetic spectrums.
Adult ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group/*genetics ; Base Sequence ; Child, Preschool ; Chloride Channels/*genetics ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; Exons ; Humans ; Infant ; Korea ; Male ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Myotonia Congenita/*genetics ; *Point Mutation ; Protein Conformation ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to establish a new syphilis test algorithm using Architect Syphilis TP (Abbott Japan, Japan: AST), a fully automated treponemal antibody test, as a screening test in a university hospital laboratory. We evaluated performance characteristics of AST in various patient groups. METHODS: A total of 1,357 serum samples obtained from patients at a university hospital from June to August, 2008 were categorized into checkup, preoperative, other diseases, diagnosis (clinically suspected of syphilis), and follow up groups. We compared the results of AST with those of RPR (N=1,276) or Treponema pallidum hemagglutination assay (TPHA, N=81). Samples with discrepant results between RPR or TPHA and AST were retested by fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption test (FTA-ABS) and all patients' clinical records were thoroughly reviewed. RESULTS: The positive rate of AST was significantly higher than that of RPR in preoperative and other diseases groups and was the same as that of RPR in diagnosis group. There were no significant differences in check up and follow up groups. The results of AST showed 97.4% (1,243/1,276) and 97.5% (79/81) concordance rates with those of RPR and TPHA, respectively. Among 26 RPR-AST discrepant and FTA-ABS confirmed cases, there were 20 RPR false-negatives, 4 RPR false-positives, 1 AST false-negative, and 1 AST false-positive. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results and literature review, we established a new syphilis test algorithm using AST as a screening test, which would be helpful for detection of more syphilis patients including latent infections.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Algorithms ; Autoanalysis ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; False Positive Reactions ; Female ; Fluorescent Treponemal Antibody-Absorption Test/methods ; Hemagglutination Tests/methods ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Reagent Kits, Diagnostic ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Syphilis/*diagnosis ; Syphilis Serodiagnosis/*methods

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to develop Web-based multimedia contents for supporting student nurses' clinical practice on critical care, and to evaluate learners' responses. METHODS: Based on the steps of Assessment, Design, Development, Implementation, & Evaluation(ADDIE) model, a total of 13 self-directed learning modules including live lectures and real video clips were developed through faculty collaboration of nine nursing colleges in Gwangju and Chonnam province. The finally developed multimedia contents were published on the Web of the learning management system at a local e-learning center. RESULTS: The Web contents were evaluated after self-learning by 81 junior college nursing students who were encouraged to study it at their own pace during their two-week clinical practice at a medical or surgical intensive care unit of a university hospital and two hospitals. The knowledge (t = -27.66, p < .001) and self-evaluated clinical performance level(t = 7.54, p < .001) were significantly increased after learning of the Web contents and clinical practice, and satisfaction level that measured post-test only was 4.0 out of 5 point. CONCLUSION: The use of Web contents for critical care need to be extended as a complimentary material in a class room lecture or clinical practice of students to increase their self-learning ability and understandings of clinical knowledge and situation.
Computer-Assisted Instruction ; Cooperative Behavior ; Critical Care ; Humans ; Critical Care ; Learning ; Lectures ; Multimedia ; Students, Nursing

Cesarean scar pregnancy is one of the rarest forms of ectopic pregnancy. Little is known about its incidence and natural history. With increasing incidence of caesarean section worldwide, more and more cases are diagnosed and reported. Transvaginal ultrasound and colour flow Doppler provides a high diagnostic accuracy with very few false positives. A delay in diagnosis and/or treatment can lead to uterine rupture, major haemorrhage, hysterectomy and serious maternal morbidity. Surgical management can be safe and effective and medical treatment can be selected as appropriate selection criteria. Patients with history of a pregnancy in a cesarean delivery scar should be advised of the risk for future uterine rupture and placenta accreta. We experienced a case of ectopic pregnancy with treatment of surgical excision and report with a brief review of literatures.
Cesarean Section ; Cicatrix* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Incidence ; Natural History ; Patient Selection ; Placenta Accreta ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Ectopic* ; Ultrasonography ; Uterine Rupture