The purpose of the study was to test the reliability and validity of the Korean version of Children's Health Locus of Control Scale(CHLC), an instrument designed to measure health locus of control in children aged 7 to 12. The scale was administered to 467 children in grades 4 to 6, enrolled in 2 elementary schools located in city. The mean age of the subject was 10.03(SD=1.33). The findings were as follows: 1. Cronbach alpha coefficient for internal consistency was .69 for the total, and .67, .65, and .56 on the respective subscales. 2. Construct validity was supported through factorial isolation of three theory consistent subscales: internal, chance, and powerful others. Two items did not fit well with the originally developed subscale. The total percent of variance explained by 3 factors was 34.5%. The result of the factor analysis according to Kaiser's criterion revealed that the scale was consisted of 5 factors. But, The items of the subscales were rather inconsistent with the dimensions of the locus of control concept. 3. There were significant differences according to parent's educational level and occupation, and birth order on the scores of the CHLC. There were no significant differences according to grade level and sex. 4. The score of the CHLC was significantly correlated with the self concept of the children(r=.14, p<.001). The result indicated that the Korean version of Children's Health Locus of Control Scale was valid and reliable in measuring health locus of control concept in children, even though further research is required to reconfirm and increase the reliability of the instrument. CHLC could be used for study explaining the health related behavior of the children and research project to health education program.
Birth Order ; Child* ; Health Education ; Humans ; Internal-External Control* ; Occupations ; Psychometrics* ; Reproducibility of Results ; Self Concept ; Child Health

No abstract available.
Autopsy* ; Diagnostic Errors*

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the efficacy of Fibrin glue to decrease recurrence in video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery(VATS) for a treatment of spontaneous penumothorax. MATERIAL AND METHOD: All medical records of 17 patients who underwent a thoracoscopic wedge resections of bullae with stapling device with Fibrin glue in our institute between May 1998 and December 1999 were reviewed. variables analyzed include affected sites primary indication of VATS. duration from admission to discharge duration of postoperative stay duration of chest tube drainage recurrence and complication. There were 16 men and 1 woman. RESULT: There was no evidence of hemodynamic instability or arterial blood gas abnormalities encountered during the procedure. Mean age at the time of the VATS was 26.9 years (range 15 to 61 years) The mean duration from admission to discharge was 7.8 days and mean postoperative stay was 5.1days mean chest tube indwelling period was 4..0 days. There was no recurrence of pneumothorx. CONCLUSION: Thoracoscopic wedge resections with introduction of fibrin glue are safe and effective and requires only a short hospital stay. We believe that this thoracoscopic technique will further simplify the surgical treatment of pneumothorax.
Chest Tubes ; Drainage ; Female ; Fibrin Tissue Adhesive* ; Fibrin* ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Medical Records ; Pneumothorax* ; Recurrence ; Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted

PURPOSE:Mycoplasma pneumoniae (M. pneumoniae) is a major cause of respiratory infections in school-aged children. Complications of M. pneumoniae pneumonia include atelectasis, pleural effusion, empyema, pneumothorax and bronchiectasis. We evaluated the clinical characteristics of M. pneumoniae pneumonia with pleural effusion. METHODS:A total of 210 medical records of children who were admitted to the Dong-A University hospital due to M. pneumoniae pneumonia from 2000 to 2004 were retrospectively analyzed. Diagnosis of M. pneumoniae pneumonia was based on the single titer of antimycoplasmal antibody higher than 1:320. Enrolled children were divided into Group A (with pleural effusion) and Group B (without effusion). We analysed the differences between the two groups according to sex, age, onset, symptoms, clinical manifestations, laboratory findings and chest x-rays. RESULTS:There were no significant differences in age, sex and clinical manifestations between the two groups. Group A had longer fever durations (9.3+/-7.8 days vs 5.0+/-3.7 days), and a longer duration of hospitalization (10.4+/-6.3 days vs 6.9+/-6.3 days) compare to Group B. Also, compared to the Group B, Group A had higher ESR (49.6+/-32.9 mm/hr vs 28.7+/-20.4 mm/hr), CRP (23.0+/-60.4 mg/dL vs 8.7+/-30.9 mg/dL), SGOT (67+/-74.2 IU/L vs 53.6+/-60.0 IU/L), SGPT (37.4+/-18.6 IU/L vs 26.2+/-16.9 IU/L). There was no significance between antimycoplasmal antibody titer and pleural effusion. CONCLUSION:This study shows that M. pneumoniae pneumonia with pleural effusion has a longer duration of fever and hospitalization, higher ESR, CRP, SGOT, SGPT compare to the M. pneumoniae pneumonia without pleural effusion. We conclude that these findings could be used as the prognostic factors in M. pneumoniae pneumonia with pleural effusion.
Alanine Transaminase ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Bronchiectasis ; Child ; Diagnosis ; Empyema ; Fever ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae* ; Mycoplasma* ; Pleural Effusion* ; Pneumonia* ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma* ; Pneumothorax ; Pulmonary Atelectasis ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; Retrospective Studies ; Thorax

This study was performed to observe the therapeutic effects of interferon-gamma(IFN-gamma) and gamma-globulin(gamma-globulin) in experimental Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia of immune suppressed mice. After 9 weeks, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole(TMP-SMZ; 10-50 mg/mouse/day), mouse IFN-gamma(5 x 10(4) units/mouse/day) and mouse gamma-globulin(20 mg/mouse/day) were administered to the mice for 3 weeks by the experimental group. The therapeutic efficacy was evaluated by body weights, histopathologic and electron microscopic findings of the lungs, and number of P. carinii cysts by Gomori's methenamine silver stain. Body weights of the mice were significantly increased in the group of combination therapy of TMP-SMZ with IFN-gamma or gamma-globulin, and in the group of TMP-SMZ treatment (p < 0.05), however, little effect was found in the group of gamma-globulin alone. Histopathologic findings of P. carinii pneumonia were much improved in the group of combination therapy of TMP-SMZ with IFN-gamma. Treatment with either TMP-SMZ or IFN-gamma significantly reduced the number of cysts in the P. carinii pneumonia, but gamma-globulin alone was ineffective. In electron microscopic findings of P. carinii pneumonia, the number of trophozoites and cysts were reduced by treatment with either TMP-SMZ or IFN-gamma, and most of the cysts were empty or containing one or two intracystic bodies. The present results suggested, that combination therapy of TMP-SMZ with IFN-gamma had synergistic effects in treatment of P. carinii pneumonia in experimental mice.
Drug-Synergism ; Drug-Therapy,-Combination ; English-Abstract ; Gamma-Globulins-administration-and-dosage ; Interferon-Type-II-administration-and-dosage ; Mice- ; Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole-Combination-administration-and-dosage ; *Gamma-Globulins-therapeutic-use ; *Interferon-Type-II-therapeutic-use ; *Pneumonia,-Pneumocystis-carinii-therapy ; Gamma-Globulins ; Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole-Combination ; Interferon-Type-II

PURPOSE: Recently, vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) have become one of the major nosocomial pathogens in Korea. However, there have been few studies on the epidemiology of VRE colonization among neonates. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of VRE colonization, risk factors for VRE, and how to control the spread of VRE infection in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Pusan National University Hospital (PNUH). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 192 neonates who were admitted to the NICU of PNUH from March 2006 to March 2007. Surveillance cultures from rectal swabs for detecting VRE were obtained weekly during the study period. We analyzed the prevalence of VRE and various risk factors. RESULTS: The rate of VRE colonization among NICU patients was 25% (48/192). Thirty five of these VRE colonized patients were transferred to the NICU from other local hospitals. Compared with the non-VRE group, the risk factors associated with VRE colonization were lower birth weight, congenital heart disease, applied mechanical ventilation, use of a central venous catheter, chest tubing, a history of surgery, and use of antibiotics. CONCLUSION: VRE colonization among patients admitted to the NICU is rapidly increasing. Monitoring and managing premature neonates from the beginning of the birth process, avoiding many invasive procedures, avoiding antibiotics such as vancomycin and third generation cephalosporin are important for preventing the emergence and spread of VRE colonization in the NICU.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Birth Weight ; Central Venous Catheters ; Colon ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Korea ; Medical Records ; Parturition ; Prevalence ; Respiration, Artificial ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Thorax ; Vancomycin ; Vancomycin Resistance

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of use of a horticultural program on the cognitive function, activities of daily living, and hand grip strength of institutionalized dementia patients. METHOD: Twenty three study participants completed a five week protocol comprised of one week of baseline and four weeks of treatment. The study design was a one group repeated measurement study. For the first and fifth week of the study period, data was collected with 3 instruments: Korean Version of Hasegawa Dementia Scale (HDS-K), Katz's ADL index, hand grip strength. Data analysis was conducted by SPSS version 10.0. RESULTS: Total HDS-K score(p=.000), Activities of daily living(p=.013) and hand grip strength(p=.001) was significantly improved after treatment compared to the baseline. CONCLUSION: The horticultural program was effective for improving cognitive function, ADL and hand grip strength of the dementia patients. Repeated studies utilizing a control group are needed, using various durations, plants and processes, to confirm these results and to standardize the horticultural program protocol.
Activities of Daily Living ; Cognition ; Dementia* ; Hand Strength* ; Hand* ; Humans ; Statistics as Topic

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of use of a horticultural program on the cognitive function, activities of daily living, and hand grip strength of institutionalized dementia patients. METHOD: Twenty three study participants completed a five week protocol comprised of one week of baseline and four weeks of treatment. The study design was a one group repeated measurement study. For the first and fifth week of the study period, data was collected with 3 instruments: Korean Version of Hasegawa Dementia Scale (HDS-K), Katz's ADL index, hand grip strength. Data analysis was conducted by SPSS version 10.0. RESULTS: Total HDS-K score(p=.000), Activities of daily living(p=.013) and hand grip strength(p=.001) was significantly improved after treatment compared to the baseline. CONCLUSION: The horticultural program was effective for improving cognitive function, ADL and hand grip strength of the dementia patients. Repeated studies utilizing a control group are needed, using various durations, plants and processes, to confirm these results and to standardize the horticultural program protocol.
Activities of Daily Living ; Cognition ; Dementia* ; Hand Strength* ; Hand* ; Humans ; Statistics as Topic

The purpose of this study was to assess the perceived exercise self-efficacy and exercise benefits/barriers of Korean adults with chronic diseases, and the relationship between the two variables. For the study, 249 Korean adults with chronic diseases with ages ranging from 18 to 79 years were recruited from hospitals or health centers in five Korean cities and surrounding rural areas. The research instruments were the scales that researchers psychometrically verified the Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale, developed by Bandura (1997), and the Exercise Benefits/ Barriers Scale, developed by Sechrist, Walker, and Pender(1987). Results of descriptive analysis showed that Korean adults with chronic diseases perceived relatively low exercise self-efficacy and relatively high exercise benefits/ barriers. Exercise self-efficacy was significantly correlated with gender, education, regular exercise, and exercise benefits/barriers was significantly correlated with gender, regular exercise. Pearson correlation coefficient showed the significant relationship between the two variables. Further researches, which are a study to evaluate a causal structure for Pender's Health Promotion Model and an intervention study to increase physical activity of chronic patients, are recommended.
Adult* ; Chronic Disease* ; Education ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Motor Activity ; Weights and Measures

Heterotopic pregnancy is the coexistency of intrauterine and extrauterine pregnancy. The incidence of heterotopic pregnancy is about 1 to 30,000 pregnancy in a natural cycle. However, the frequency of heterotopic pregnancy has steadily increased because of rising incidence of pelvic inflammatory disease, pelvic surgery and the development of ovulation induction and assisted reproduction. Because heterotopic pregnancy is difficult to diagnose and it has high morbidity and mortality rate, one should always take this into consideration and should conduct careful and thorough gynecologic evaluation. We have experienced a case of heterotopic pregnancy in a 29-year old woman who presented with acute abdominal pain in a natural cycle and report this case with a brief review of literature.
Abdominal Pain ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mortality ; Ovulation Induction ; Pelvic Inflammatory Disease ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Heterotopic* ; Reproduction