We describe a case of spontaneous neonatal gastric perforation in a premature infant girl of 27(+1)- week gestational age with respiratory distress syndrome baby. The patient presented within postnatal 36 hours with abdominal distension, respiratory distress, and massive pneumoperitoneum on radiography. Ischemic perforation of the stomach tissues caused by an intrauterine infection from group B streptococcus chorioamnionitis was noted. This is the first report of a spontaneous neonatal gastric perforation caused by group B streptococcus chorioamnionitis in the literature.
Chorioamnionitis* ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Pneumoperitoneum ; Pregnancy ; Radiography ; Stomach ; Streptococcus*

BACKGROUND: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most frequent nosocomial infections and are frequently associated with indwelling urinary catheters. It is known that adherence to standard infection control measures for urinary catheters can reduce UTIs in hospitals. This study was performed to evaluate the effect of education in reducing catheter-related UTIs (CR-UTIs) in intensive care units (ICUs) of a university hospital. METHODS: CR-UTIs were prospectively monitored for all patients with indwelling urinary catheters in ICUs from July 2006 through December 2007. Recommendations based on previously known guidelines for catheter insertion, catheter management, and specimen collection to prevent CR-UTIs were formulated and educated in March 2007. Knowledge and adherence level were evaluated before and after educating healthcare workers about the recommendations using questionnaire. Changes in knowledge and adherence level before and after education were compared by Chi-square test. Changes in the rate of CR-UTIs and urinary catheter utilization ratios were also analyzed by Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: After education, knowledge level of and adherence level to most of the recommendations were improved significantly. The rate of CR-UTIs significantly decreased by 48% from 7.43/1,000 catheter-days before intervention to 3.87/1,000 catheter-days after intervention (P=0.02). CONCLUSION: Surveillance for nosocomial infections and education for standard infection control measures are very important in preventing CR-UTIs in ICUs.
Catheters ; Cross Infection ; Delivery of Health Care ; Humans ; Infection Control ; Critical Care ; Intensive Care Units ; Prospective Studies ; Specimen Handling ; Urinary Catheterization ; Urinary Catheters ; Urinary Tract ; Urinary Tract Infections ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Menigioma arising from the orbit is uncommonly encountered. Ectopic(extradural) meningiomas are exceedingly rare orbital tumors that do not originate from either the optic nerve or the intracranial meninges. We present a case of probable primary ectopic(extradural) orbital meningioma that was successfully treated with a complete surgical excision.
Meninges ; Meningioma* ; Optic Nerve ; Orbit

PURPOSE: This study was to investigate factors that influence health examination for unmarried women. METHODS: A correlation study was carried out with 144 unmarried women with an age range of 35~49 years through self-administered questionnaires. This questionnaire included Health Belief Model modifying factors (demographic . sociological, structural, and cues to action variables). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi2-test, multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 37.2+/-2.67 years. Rates for breast cancer, cervical cancer and comprehensive health examination were each 34.7%, 38.2% and 94%. In multiple logistic regression analysis, influencing factors on physical examination were age(OR=0.06, 95% CI: 0.02~0.26), personal medical insurance (OR=6.30, 95% CI: 1.60~24.82), housemate (OR=7.63, 95% CI: 2.58~22.52), exercise (OR=3.72, 95% CI: 1.37~10.12) in breast cancer examination, and age (OR=0.08, 95% CI: 0.02~0.34; OR=0.07, 95% CI: 0.01~0.85), personal medical insurance (OR=14.17, 95% CI: 2.94~68.23), sexual experiences (OR=3.38, 95% CI: 1.28~8.91), drinking (OR=2.92, 95% CI: 1.14~7.49) in cervical cancer examination. CONCLUSION: The results emphasize the necessity of preparing nursing education and intervention in consideration of associated factors which influence on the health examination in unmarried women.
Breast Neoplasms ; Cues ; Drinking ; Early Detection of Cancer ; Education, Nursing ; Female ; Humans ; Insurance ; Logistic Models ; Physical Examination ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Single Person* ; Statistics as Topic ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

No abstract available.
Germ Cells* ; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal* ; Prognosis*

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated lung function in workers exposed to dusts, fumes and noxious gases at small foundries. METHODS: Lung function was measured in 148 male workers from 12 small foundries and 202 unexposed male workers. Pulmonary function tests performed included: forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), percent of FEV1/FVC (FEV1/FVC%), maximum mid-expiratory flow (MMEF), peak expiratory flow (PEF), and forced expiratory flow at 25, 50, and 75% of expired FVC (FEF25, 50, 75). RESULTS: Mean values of all ventilatory indices except FEF25 of foundry workers were significantly lower than those of controls. Specifically, following stratification by smoking habits, all ventilatory indices except FEF25 of foundry workers were significantly lower than those of controls who smoked; however, there were no significant differences observed in any ventilatory indices between nonsmoking exposed workers and controls. The results of multiple linear regression analysis indicated work duration as a significant predictor of a decrease in FVC%. CONCLUSIONS: This research indicates that combined occupational exposure to dust, fumes, and gases in small foundries is associated with a reduction in lung function. Smoking may also contribute to respiratory abnormalities. These results suggested that foundry workers should be required to undergo periodic lung function tests and-in addition to not smoking, efficient use of personal protection equipment while at work is recommended.
Dust ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Gases ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Lung ; Male ; Occupational Exposure ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Vital Capacity

Bronchial foreign body aspirations are uncommon in adults and usually have various underlying conditions, otherwise accidentally occurred in dental procedure, medical, surgical procedure. The most commonly aspirated objects were food materials, with peanuts leading the list. When bronchial foreign body was aspirated, no definite respiratory symptoms or foreign body is may not seen, then diagnosis is delayed. Therefore late complications was developed. The tendency to use fiberoptic bronchoscope for removal of foreign bodies in adults is increased. We report a rare case of bronchial pneumonia due to occult aspiration of a twig before 1 year with a review of the literatures.
Adult ; Arachis ; Aspirations (Psychology) ; Bronchopneumonia ; Bronchoscopes ; Diagnosis ; Foreign Bodies ; Humans ; Pneumonia*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: There has been little clinical data on the treatment outcome of patients with acute asthma attack in Korea. We designed a management protocol of acute asthma, and analyzed clinical p arameters obtained from this protocol. METHOD: A total of 32 cases with acute asthma were treated with oxygen, beta2 agonist, and methylprednisolone. Ipratropium was added in cases of severe attack. After 90 minutes, intravenous aminophylline was given to the patients with poor response. RESULT: Beta2 agonist and methylprednisolone were sufficient for symptom control in 17 cases. Ipratropium and aminophylline were added in 6 and 9 cases, respectively. There was no difference in improvement of PEF, heart rate, respiratory rate, PaO2, PaCO2, and SaO2 at 90 minutes and 8 hours between beta2 agonist inhalation and subcutaneous group. Serum potassium concentration levels significantly decreased in patients treated with ipratropium of aminophylline(n=15, 4.17+/-0.45 vs. 3.99+/-0.35mM/L, p<0.05), compared with patients using only beta2 agonist and methylprednisolone(n=17, 3.89+/-0.30 vs. 4.14+/-0.45mM/L, p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Subcutaneous beta2 agonist may be an alternative to inhalant beta2 agonist for the emergency treatment of acute asthma, and we think a consensus regarding use of aminophylline in the emergency room should be made.
Aminophylline ; Asthma* ; Consensus ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Emergency Treatment ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Ipratropium ; Korea ; Methylprednisolone ; Oxygen ; Potassium ; Respiratory Rate ; Treatment Outcome*

BACKGROUND: Porcine endogenous retroviruses (PERVs) form part of the chromosomes of all pigs. Since they can be produced as infectious virion and infect human cells, safety issues on PERVs infection to human are still controversial and is one of main hurdles of xenotransplantation using pig cells or organs. It has been reported that the established porcine cell line, PK-15, produces PERVs and can infect the human cell lines. Therefore, clonal analysis on human cell line infected with PERV is a prerequisite to characterize the infectivity to human cells and to investigate the harmfulness of PERVs to human. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For the characterization of PERV that originates from porcine cell line, PK-15, full length PERV cloning from genomic DNA of PK-15 was performed and partial sequences of both ends were achieved. Cell clones from human cell line, 293, persistently infected with PERVs from PK-15 were established by the method of limiting dilution. Nested PCR and direct sequencing of PCR products in each clone were carried out so as to confirm the PERV genomes in each clone. The growth rate of each clone was checked using cell counting and 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, the infectivity by reverse transcriptase (RT) assay, and genetic analysis by karyotyping. RESULTS: A total of 12 genomic PERV clones could be retrieved; 1 with full length, 4 with defective forms, and others with irrelevant sequences. Intact PERV was thought to be able to infect 293 and the PERV-infected cell clones were selected by limiting dilution. PCR results confirmed that nine cell clones were infected with PERV, and sequence alignment data on PCR products of pol region from PK-15 and human cell clones with PERV showed very similar results. Cell counting and MTT assay for growth kinetics of each clone indicated that two clones showed reduced growth rate. However, it was difficult to verify the effect of PERV infection on the cell growth because of the presence of many genetic alterations in 293 parental cells. No RT activities were detected in the culture supernatant from PERV-infected 293 cell clones. CONCLUSION: The sequences of PERVs were detected in human cell clones after PERV infection, but PERV virions could not be detected from the culture supernatant by RT assay.
Cell Count ; Cell Line ; Clone Cells ; Cloning, Organism ; DNA ; Endogenous Retroviruses ; Genome ; Humans ; Karyotyping ; Kinetics ; Parents ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase ; Sequence Alignment ; Swine ; Transplantation, Heterologous ; Virion

BACKGROUND: Porcine endogenous retroviruses (PERVs) form part of the chromosomes of all pigs. Since they can be produced as infectious virion and infect human cells, safety issues on PERVs infection to human are still controversial and is one of main hurdles of xenotransplantation using pig cells or organs. It has been reported that the established porcine cell line, PK-15, produces PERVs and can infect the human cell lines. Therefore, clonal analysis on human cell line infected with PERV is a prerequisite to characterize the infectivity to human cells and to investigate the harmfulness of PERVs to human. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For the characterization of PERV that originates from porcine cell line, PK-15, full length PERV cloning from genomic DNA of PK-15 was performed and partial sequences of both ends were achieved. Cell clones from human cell line, 293, persistently infected with PERVs from PK-15 were established by the method of limiting dilution. Nested PCR and direct sequencing of PCR products in each clone were carried out so as to confirm the PERV genomes in each clone. The growth rate of each clone was checked using cell counting and 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, the infectivity by reverse transcriptase (RT) assay, and genetic analysis by karyotyping. RESULTS: A total of 12 genomic PERV clones could be retrieved; 1 with full length, 4 with defective forms, and others with irrelevant sequences. Intact PERV was thought to be able to infect 293 and the PERV-infected cell clones were selected by limiting dilution. PCR results confirmed that nine cell clones were infected with PERV, and sequence alignment data on PCR products of pol region from PK-15 and human cell clones with PERV showed very similar results. Cell counting and MTT assay for growth kinetics of each clone indicated that two clones showed reduced growth rate. However, it was difficult to verify the effect of PERV infection on the cell growth because of the presence of many genetic alterations in 293 parental cells. No RT activities were detected in the culture supernatant from PERV-infected 293 cell clones. CONCLUSION: The sequences of PERVs were detected in human cell clones after PERV infection, but PERV virions could not be detected from the culture supernatant by RT assay.
Cell Count ; Cell Line ; Clone Cells ; Cloning, Organism ; DNA ; Endogenous Retroviruses ; Genome ; Humans ; Karyotyping ; Kinetics ; Parents ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase ; Sequence Alignment ; Swine ; Transplantation, Heterologous ; Virion