BACKGROUND: The zoonotic disease Q fever is caused by Coxiella burnetii and usually affects high-risk human populations. We conducted a serological survey of dairy cattle farmers in Korea to determine seroreactivity and identify risk factors for C. burnetii infection. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 1,824 of 7,219 dairy cattle farms (25.3%) in the study region. The selected dairy cattle farmers visited the nearest public health centers or branches with completed questionnaires. Serum samples from the farmers were tested using an indirect immunofluorescence assay to detect phase II C. burnetii immunoglobulin (Ig) G or M antibodies. RESULTS: A total of 1,222 dairy cattle farmers from 784 dairy cattle farms (43.0%) participated in this study, and 11.0% (134/1,222) exhibited seroreactivity, defined as a phase II antigen IgG or IgM titer ≥ 1:16. In the multivariate analysis, male sex, residence in Gyeonggi Province, a larger herd size, and ocular/oral contact with birth products during calf delivery were significantly associated with a higher risk of C. burnetii infection. Furthermore, the risk was significantly lower among farmers who always wore protective gloves while cleaning cattle excretion, compared to those who sometimes or rarely wore protective gloves. CONCLUSION: Dairy cattle farmers should exercise caution by avoiding ocular/oral contact with birth products during calf delivery and by using protective equipment (including gloves).
Agriculture ; Animals ; Antibodies ; Cattle* ; Coxiella burnetii* ; Coxiella* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Farmers* ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect ; Gloves, Protective ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Immunoglobulins ; Korea* ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Parturition ; Public Health ; Q Fever* ; Risk Factors* ; Serologic Tests ; Zoonoses

PURPOSE: Fire suits are very important protective equipment for firefighters. In fire scene, radiant heat and warmed water invade into conventional protective clothing gap. The safety of firefighters has long been a hot topic in Korea. Nevertheless, there are still lack of researches and investigations for safety of firefighters. We revealed the characteristics of the burn site and the hospitalization of injured firefighters according to the wearing of the conventional and special protective clothing. METHODS: This study analyzed the data obtained from the online survey (ko.surveymonkey.com) from September 19, 2016 to October 21, 2016 for nationwide firefighters who are cooperating with the National Security Agency. 4,891 firefighters responded to the questionnaire and 424 burn victims were reported. The analysis was conducted with 322 except 102 incomplete responders. The obtained data was analyzed with Chi-square test (P<0.05). RESULTS: The most common site of burn injury during firefighting was hand 166 (51.6%) followed by face 79 (24.5%), neck 55 (17.1%) and wrist 49 (15.2%). The number of people wearing conventional protective clothing was 81 (25.2%) and the number of people wearing special protective clothing was 20 (6.2%). The number of people wearing protective gloves was 247 (76.7%). In terms of protective clothing in injured firefighters, special protective clothing showed lower hospitalization rate comparing with conventional protective clothing (24.7% vs. 5.0%, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The most common site of burn injury in Firefighters is hand. The special protective clothing showed lower hospitalization rate comparing with conventional protective clothing.
Burns* ; Firefighters* ; Fires ; Gloves, Protective ; Hand ; Hospitalization* ; Hot Temperature ; Human Body* ; Humans ; Korea ; Neck ; Protective Clothing* ; Security Measures ; Water ; Wrist

OBJECTIVES: Nail salon owners in New York City (NYC) are required to provide their workers with gloves and it is their responsibility to maintain healthy, safe working spaces for their employees. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency with which nail salon workers wear protective gloves. METHODS: A Freedom of Information Law request was submitted to New York Department of State's Division of Licensing Services for a full list of nail salons in Manhattan, NYC. A sample population of 800 nail salons was identified and a simple random sample (without replacement) of 30% (n=240) was selected using a random number generator. Researchers visited each nail salon from October to December of 2015, posing as a potential customer to determine if nail salon workers were wearing gloves. RESULTS: Among the 169 salons in which one or more workers was observed providing services, a total of 562 workers were observed. For 149 salons, in which one or more worker was observed providing services, none of the workers were wearing gloves. In contrast, in six of the salons observed, in which one or more workers was providing services, all of the workers (1 in 2 sites, 2 in 1 site, 3 in 2 sites, and 4 in 1 site) were wearing gloves. Almost three-quarters of the total number of workers observed (n=415, 73.8%) were not wearing gloves. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study indicate that, despite recent media attention and legislation, the majority of nail salon workers we observed were not wearing protective gloves when providing services.
Freedom ; Gloves, Protective* ; Jurisprudence ; Licensure

It is believed that surgery on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients is dangerous and should be avoided due to the possibility of postoperative infection of the patients or HIV occupational transmission to the medical staff. We discuss here the preparations and measures needed to conduct surgery safely on HIV-positive patients, based on our experience. We performed sex reassignment surgery on two HIV-positive patients from January 2013 to January 2015. Both of them were receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy and were asymptomatic, with a normal CD4 count (>500 cells/microL). The HIV-RNA was undetectable within the bloodstream. All the staff wore protective clothing, glasses, and three pairs of protective gloves in the operating room because of the possibility of transmission. Prophylactic antibiotics were administered to the patients, and antiviral therapy was performed during their perioperative course. Neither of the patients had postoperative complications, and none of the medical staff experienced accidental exposure. Both patients had satisfactory surgery outcomes without complications. HIV-positive patients can undergo surgery safely without increased risk of postoperative complications or HIV transmission to the staff through the proper use of antibiotics, active antiretroviral therapy, and supplemental protective measures with post-exposure prophylaxis for the staff in case of HIV exposure.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active ; CD4 Lymphocyte Count ; Eyeglasses ; Glass ; Gloves, Protective ; HIV ; HIV Infections ; Humans* ; Medical Staff ; Operating Rooms ; Post-Exposure Prophylaxis ; Postoperative Complications ; Protective Clothing ; Sex Reassignment Surgery*

PURPOSE: We review the literature and describe our technique for laparoendoscopic single-site orchidopexy using a glove port and rigid instruments. We assessed the feasibility and outcomes of this procedure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the case records of all children who had undergone laparoendoscopic single-site orchidopexy by use of a surgical glove port and conventional rigid instruments for a nonpalpable intraabdominal testis between January 2013 and September 2014. RESULTS: Data from a total of 20 patients were collected. The patients' mean age was 18 months. All cases had a nonpalpable unilateral undescended testis. Fourteen patients (70%) had an undescended testis on the right side and six patients (30%) had an undescended testis on the left side. Seventeen patients underwent primary orchidopexy. Three patients underwent single-port laparoscopic Fowler-Stephens orchidopexy for the first and the second stage. Average operating time was 57 minutes (range, 40 to 80 minutes). No patient was lost to follow-up. At follow-up, 2 testes were found to have retracted out of the scrotum and these were successfully dealt with in a second operation. One testis was hypoplastic in the scrotal pouch. There were no signs of umbilical hernia. CONCLUSIONS: Single-port laparoscopic orchidopexy using a glove port and rigid instruments is technically feasible and safe for various nonpalpable intraabdominal testes. However, surgical experience and long-term follow-up are needed to confirm the superiority of this technique.
Cryptorchidism/pathology/*surgery ; Equipment Design ; Feasibility Studies ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gloves, Surgical ; Humans ; Infant ; Laparoscopy/instrumentation/methods ; Male ; Orchiopexy/*instrumentation/methods ; Retrospective Studies

Single-incision laparoscopic surgery has gained increasing attention due to its potential to improve the benefits of laparoscopic surgery. However, inconvenience remains for inexperienced surgeons during surgery when instruments conflict with each other, and a glove port is used hesitantly for such diagnosis related groups (DRG) because of its high cost. Authors made a new glove port by an odd surgical gloves and one wound protectors. This glove port is ease to make besides being convenient to us, and inexpensive. This new glove port has the benefit of easy utilization and cost effectiveness for surgeons performing single-incision laparoscopic surgery.
Cost-Benefit Analysis ; Diagnosis-Related Groups ; Gloves, Surgical ; Laparoscopy ; Wounds and Injuries

PURPOSE: To assess the frequencies and sites of surgical glove perforations in lower extremity fracture surgery and hip joint replacement (HJR) surgery. Additionally, we also studied the usefulness of an indicator system glove. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We assessed surgical glove perforations in 30 cases of lower extremity fracture surgery and 18 cases of HJR surgery conducted by one right handed 1st operator from April 2013 to July 2013. We assessed frequencies and sites of perforation in 152 gloves; 95 used in lower extremity fracture surgery and 57 used in HJR surgery. We studied the perforation rates and sites according to participants and operation types. Using the Biogel indicator system glove, which is well known as a fast indicator of glove perforation, we were also able to assess the time difference between operative participant detection of perforation and inspector nurse detection while observing in the operative field. RESULTS: There were 18 of 30 cases in lower extremity fracture surgeries and 12 of 18 cases in HJR surgeries which had more than one surgical glove perforation event. Of all 152 gloves used, perforation occurred in 15 of 57 gloves (26.3%) in HJR surgery and 23 of 95 gloves (24.2%) in lower extremity fracture surgery. Perforation occurred more frequently in operators than assistant doctors or scrub nurses. The most frequent perforation site was the second digit of the left hand. On average, the time difference between operative participant notice of perforation and inspector nurse notice of perforation was 20.6 seconds. CONCLUSION: The perforation of surgical gloves happened in approximately one out of every four persons. Importantly, we noted a 37.0% prevalence of glove perforation in 1st operators. Considering that glove perforation is a critical factor responsible for intra-operative infection, surgeons must be conscious of the risk of surgical glove perforation and use double gloving regularly. Furthermore, indicator double gloving is recommended for fast detection of outer glove perforation.
Gloves, Surgical* ; Hand ; Hip Joint* ; Humans ; Lower Extremity* ; Prevalence

Single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) has become popular due to the advantage of minimizing surgical. We report on two cases of simultaneous appendectomy and cholecystectomy using a single-incision laparoscopic technique. The patients were 49- and 50-year old females diagnosed with acute appendicitis with concomitant cholelithiasis. Body mass indices of the patients were 22.3 and 26.0. A 3 cm abdominal incision was made via the umbilicus, and a single port platform was created using a small wound retractor (ALEXIS(R) wound retractor S, Applied Medical, Santa Margarita, CA, USA) and a surgical glove. Cholecystectomy was performed first, followed by the appendectomy. The operation times were 165 and 280 minutes, and blood loss was 50 and 150 cc, respectively. The postoperative hospital stays were five and seven days, and one patient had a wound seroma as a surgical complication. We believe that SILS for simultaneous appendectomy and cholecystectomy is a feasible and safe minimally invasive procedure.
Appendectomy* ; Appendicitis ; Cholecystectomy* ; Cholelithiasis ; Female ; Gloves, Surgical ; Humans ; Laparoscopy* ; Length of Stay ; Seroma ; Umbilicus ; Wounds and Injuries

Single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) has become popular due to the advantage of minimizing surgical. We report on two cases of simultaneous appendectomy and cholecystectomy using a single-incision laparoscopic technique. The patients were 49- and 50-year old females diagnosed with acute appendicitis with concomitant cholelithiasis. Body mass indices of the patients were 22.3 and 26.0. A 3 cm abdominal incision was made via the umbilicus, and a single port platform was created using a small wound retractor (ALEXIS(R) wound retractor S, Applied Medical, Santa Margarita, CA, USA) and a surgical glove. Cholecystectomy was performed first, followed by the appendectomy. The operation times were 165 and 280 minutes, and blood loss was 50 and 150 cc, respectively. The postoperative hospital stays were five and seven days, and one patient had a wound seroma as a surgical complication. We believe that SILS for simultaneous appendectomy and cholecystectomy is a feasible and safe minimally invasive procedure.
Appendectomy* ; Appendicitis ; Cholecystectomy* ; Cholelithiasis ; Female ; Gloves, Surgical ; Humans ; Laparoscopy* ; Length of Stay ; Seroma ; Umbilicus ; Wounds and Injuries

PURPOSE: Acute appendicitis is a type of abdominal disease that requires emergency surgery. Over the past three decades, laparoscopic appendectomy has become the standard operation for acute appendicitis. The aim of this paper is to compare the methods of single port appendectomy and conventional appendectomy and to illustrate the advantages of single port appendectomy. METHODS: The first group of patients underwent single port appendectomy using a surgical glove (Group 1), and those in the second group underwent surgery using the TriPort system (Group 2). The third group of patients underwent conventional three port surgery (Group 3). Questionnaires regarding patient satisfaction with scars were administered via telephone interview. Patient characteristics, histopathological data, postoperative data, and satisfaction score were analyzed by t-test and Pearson chi2 test. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference in satisfaction scores was observed among the three groups. Overall, patients in the single port group using a surgical glove would be more likely to recommend the procedure to friends and family than would patients in the other two groups. Better cosmetic results were achieved for both groups of patients who underwent laparoscopic single port appendectomy, compared to those who underwent conventional three port laparoscopic appendectomy, with statistically significant difference. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic single port appendectomy using a surgical glove is a feasible and safe procedure and shows no differences in terms of risk, such as postoperative complication, compared to a conventional three-trocar technique. Use of this method resulted in better satisfaction compared with the other two groups, illustrating its cosmetic improvement.
Appendectomy ; Appendicitis ; Cicatrix ; Cosmetics ; Emergencies ; Friends ; Gloves, Surgical ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Patient Satisfaction ; Postoperative Complications ; Surveys and Questionnaires