PURPOSE: This study evaluated the efficacy of a communication ability enhancement program for nursing students in Korea through a systematic review of literature and meta-analysis. METHODS: The researchers searched data-bases, including the Data Base Periodical Information Academic, Research Information Sharing Service, National Digital Science Library and National Assembly Library. The key words used included ‘communication’ and ‘nursing student’. The researchers evaluated articles published up to July 2016. Out of 381 selected articles, 20 clinical trial studies were meta-analyzed. Each article was evaluated in accordance with the Checklist of Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network. The effect size of communication ability, self-efficacy and interpersonal relations were synthesized by a random effects model from analysis software (R 3.2.3). The heterogeneity of effect size was analyzed by exploratory and confirmatory moderator analysis. RESULTS: The overall effect size of the program was of a moderate level (SMD=0.78, 95% CI: 0.49~1.07) along with each outcome of self-efficacy (SMD=0.80, 95% CI: 0.23~1.37), and interpersonal relations (SMD=0.47, 95% CI: 0.14~0.80). For heterogeneity, moderator analysis was performed, by grade, and a statistically significant moderator was found. CONCLUSION: It is evident that a communication ability enhancement program for nursing students is moderately effective in improving communication ability, self-efficacy and interpersonal relations.
Checklist ; Communication* ; Humans ; Information Dissemination ; Interpersonal Relations ; Korea* ; Nursing* ; Population Characteristics ; Students, Nursing*

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The prevalence of atopic dermatitis in infants is increasing worldwide. However, the nutrient intake status of infants with atopic dermatitis has not been studied properly. This study was conducted to compare the nutrient intake status of infants in the weaning period with atopic dermatitis by feeding type. MATERIALS/METHODS: Feeding types, nutrient intake status and growth status of 98 infants with atopic dermatitis from age 6 to 12 months were investigated. Feeding types were surveyed using questionnaires, and daily intakes were recorded by mothers using the 24-hour recall method. Growth and iron status were also measured. RESULTS: The result showed that breastfed infants consumed less energy and 13 nutrients compared to formula-fed or mixed-fed infants (p < 0.001). The breastfed group showed a significantly lower intake rate to the Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans than the other two groups (p < 0.001). In addition, they consumed less than 75% of the recommended intakes in all nutrients, except for protein and vitamin A, and in particular, iron intake was very low, showing just 18.7% of the recommended intake. There was no significant difference in growth by feeding type, but breastfed infants showed a significantly higher rate of iron deficiency anemia (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Continuous management programs should be prepared for breastfed infants with atopic dermatitis, who are in a period when rapid growth takes place and proper nutrient intake is essential.
Anemia, Iron-Deficiency ; Breast Feeding ; Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Humans ; Infant* ; Iron ; Mothers ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Recommended Dietary Allowances ; Vitamin A ; Weaning

PURPOSE: Clinical competence among nurses is an essential requirement for the provision of safe and effective patient care. This study aims to classify types of professional quality of life experienced by Korean nurses, and examine the relationship between demographic and professional characteristics and clinical competence among nurses experiencing each type. METHODS: A total of 335 nurses completed questionnaires assessing professional quality of life, clinical competence, and demographic and professional characteristics. Following identification of the underlying factors of professional quality of life, we classified participants into three clusters. RESULTS: There were significant differences in age, marital status, religion, educational status, and position between clusters. Results also revealed that nurses with high compassion satisfaction and low compassion fatigue (burnout, secondary traumatic stress) tended to have higher clinical competence. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that it is possible to directly examine the relationship between professional quality of life level and clinical competence among nurses. Thus, interventions to increase nurses' compassion satisfaction and relieve compassion fatigue are needed, as professional quality of life may affect clinical competence.
Adult ; *Attitude of Health Personnel ; *Clinical Competence ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Job Satisfaction ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nurses/*psychology ; *Quality of Life ; Republic of Korea ; *Stress, Psychological ; Young Adult

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We made a mistake in presenting author affiliations.

PURPOSE: To report a rare case of optic neuropathy caused by a fungal ball in an Onodi cell. CASE SUMMARY: A 63-year-old female was referred to our clinic with relapsed visual loss and ocular pain in the right eye. She had been diagnosed as optic neuritis 14 days before and given pulse steroid therapy. She recovered to normal but relapsed 7 days before. In medical referral there was no suspected multiple sclerosis but only a few inflammation in the paranasal sinuses. On our initial examination, best corrected visual acuity was counting finger at 10 cm in the right eye, and 1.0 in the left eye, along with relative afferent pupillary defect in the right eye. The fundoscopic examinations disclosed disc swelling; nearly total visual field defect was observed on visual field examination and visual evoked potential test revealed decreased amplitude at P100 wave in the right eye. Clinical impression was relapsed optic neuritis. After the administration of pulse steroid therapy, her disc swelling was decreased and visual acuity was recovered to 0.6, however, visual acuity was exacerbated to 0.4 in 2 weeks. We checked outside brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and the result showed optic neuropathy caused by a fungal ball in an Onodi cell. The patient was referred to otorhinolaryngologist and fungal ball was removed by endoscopic sinus surgery. 3 weeks after surgery the patient's visual acuity was 0.9, no disc swelling was found and visual evoked potential was recovered to normal. CONCLUSIONS: An Onodi cell lesion should be considered in the differential diagnosis of optic neuritis, identified by imaging studies and promptly removed by surgery for visual recovery.
Brain ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Evoked Potentials, Visual ; Female ; Fingers ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Multiple Sclerosis ; Optic Nerve Diseases* ; Optic Neuritis ; Paranasal Sinuses ; Pupil Disorders ; Referral and Consultation ; Visual Acuity ; Visual Fields

PURPOSE: To report 2 cases of cytomegalovirus retinitis treated with intravitreal ganciclovir. CASE SUMMARY: A 29-year-old female (Case 1) who received immunosuppressive therapy with tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil for 3 months after pancreatic transplantation, was given an intravitreal Bevacizumab injection 4 times in each eye under the suspicion of bilateral central retinal vein occlusion. During follow-up, a new lesion with white opacification and multiple snowballs appeared in the left eye. Suspecting cytomegalovirus retinitis, we administered an intravitreal ganciclovir injection resulting in a decrease of white opacification and improvement of visual acuity. A 66-year-old male (Case 2) who was receiving treatment for general weakness and heart failure, presented with visual disturbance in both eyes. Fundoscopic examination revealed white opacification, multiple snowballs and retinal hemorrhage in the left eye; diagnostic vitrectomy was performed. Macular edema and subretinal fluid continued after the vitrectomy and the serologic testing revealed an IgG titer positive for cytomegalovirus, therefore, an intravitreal injection of ganciclovir was given. Macular edema and subretinal fluid decreased and visual acuity improved. CONCLUSIONS: Intravitreal ganciclovir can be an effective treatment option for the management of CMV retinitis.
Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized ; Cytomegalovirus ; Cytomegalovirus Retinitis ; Eye ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Ganciclovir ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Intravitreal Injections ; Macular Edema ; Male ; Mycophenolic Acid ; Retinal Hemorrhage ; Retinal Vein ; Retinitis ; Serologic Tests ; Subretinal Fluid ; Tacrolimus ; Transplants ; Visual Acuity ; Vitrectomy ; Bevacizumab

PURPOSE: This study compares the success rate of silicone tube intubation between nasolacrimal duct obstruction and stenosis according to dacryocystographic findings. METHODS: A total of 115 patients who suffered from epiphora were divided into nasolacrimal duct obstruction and nasolacrimal duct stenosis according to dacryocystographic findings. Silicone tube intubation was performed on every patient. The success rate was estimated based on functional and anatomical success. Functional success was estimated by patient's satisfaction with 'good' or 'fair' at the last visit, and anatomical success was estimated by decrease or normalization of tear meniscus height. Surgery success was defined when anatomical and functional successes were fulfilled. RESULTS: Success rate of silicone tube intubation was 75.76% for patients with nasolacrimal duct obstruction based on dacryocystography, and 86.59% for patients with nasolacrimal duct stenosis based on dacryocystography; the difference was not statistically significant (Pearson chi-square test, p = 0.693). CONCLUSIONS: Silicone tube intubation can be considered as a primary treatment option for management of epiphora in nasolacrimal duct stenosis and obstruction.
Constriction, Pathologic ; Humans ; Intubation ; Lacrimal Apparatus Diseases ; Nasolacrimal Duct ; Silicones

This study was performed to investigate the status of food restriction and the list of restricted foods in children with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (AD), and to find out the effect of food restriction on the changes in nutrient intake and the severity of the disease. Sixty two patient children aged 12 months to 13 years presenting AD with a SCORing of Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) index between 20 and 50 were enrolled. The presence of food limitation, and list of restricted foods were surveyed through the caretakers and the patients were divided into 3 groups by the number of restricted food: non-restricted group, one to three restricted group, and more than three restricted group. Dietary intake was assessed for 3 months using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Half of the subjects restricted foods. The restriction was higher in the order of soda, food additives, walnut, peanut, and other nuts as a single food item; and shellfish and crustacean group, processed foods, nuts, milk & dairy products, and meats as a food group. More than three restricted group ingested more fruits and less fish and meats, resulting in high consumption of vitamin C (p = 0.027). No significant difference in the ratio of nutrient intake by the number of restricted foods was observed in other nutrients. Significant improvement of AD symptom was observed in non-restricted group (p = 0.036) and one to three restricted group (p = 0.003). It is necessary to provide proper nutrition information and systematic and continuous nutrition management for balanced nutrient intake and disease improvement in children with AD.
Ascorbic Acid ; Child* ; Dairy Products ; Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Food Additives ; Fruit ; Humans ; Juglans ; Meat ; Milk ; Nuts ; Shellfish ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVES: Tricalcium phosphate and calcium hydrogenorthophosphate are high production volume chemicals, mainly used as foodstuff additives, pharmaceuticals, lubricants, synthetic resin, and disinfectants. Phosphate has the potential to cause increased algal growth leading to eutrophication in the aquatic environment. However, there is no adequate information available on risk assessment or acute and chronic toxicity. The aim of this research is to evaluate the toxic potential of phosphate compounds in the aquatic environment. METHODS: An aquatic toxicity test of phosphate was conducted, and its physico-chemical properties were obtained from a database recommended in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) guidance manual. An ecotoxicity test using fish, Daphnia, and algae was conducted by the good laboratory practice facility according to the OECD TG guidelines for testing of chemicals, to secure reliable data. RESULTS: The results of the ecotoxicity tests of tricalcium phosphate and calcium hydrogenorthophosphate are as follows: In an acute toxicity test with Oryzias latipes, 96 hr 50% lethal concentration (LC50) was >100 (measured:>2.14) mg/L and >100 (measured: >13.5) mg/L, respectively. In the Daphnia test, 48 hr 50% effective concentration (EC50) was >100 (measured: >5.35) mg/L and >100 (measured: >2.9) mg/L, respectively. In a growth inhibition test with Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, 72 hr EC50 was >100 (measured: >1.56) mg/L and >100 (measured: >4.4) mg/L, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results of the ecotoxicity test of phosphate using fish, Daphnia, and algae, L(E)C50 was above 100 mg/L (nominal), indicating no toxicity. In general, the total phosphorus concentration including phosphate in rivers and lakes reaches levels of several ppm, suggesting that phosphate has no toxic effects. However, excessive inflow of phosphate into aquatic ecosystems has the potential to cause eutrophication due to algal growth.
Calcium ; Daphnia ; Disinfectants ; Ecosystem ; Eutrophication ; Lakes ; Lubricants ; Oryzias ; Phosphorus ; Resins, Synthetic ; Risk Assessment ; Rivers ; Toxicity Tests ; Toxicity Tests, Acute