Background: This study aimed to generate a Z score calculation model for coronary artery diameter of normal children and adolescents to be adopted as the standard calculation method with consensus in clinical practice. Methods: This study was a retrospective, multicenter study that collected data from multiple institutions across South Korea. Data were analyzed to determine the model that best fit the relationship between the diameter of coronary arteries and independent demographic parameters. Linear, power, logarithmic, exponential, and square root polynomial models were tested for best fit. Results: Data of 2,030 subjects were collected from 16 institutions. Separate calculation models for each sex were developed because the impact of demographic variables on the diameter of coronary arteries differs according to sex. The final model was the polynomial formula with an exponential relationship between the diameter of coronary arteries and body surface area using the DuBois formula. Conclusion A new coronary artery diameter Z score model was developed and is anticipated to be applicable in clinical practice. The new model will help establish a consensus-based Z score model.

Purpose: To introduce an intuitive method for measuring conjunctival microvascular blood flow velocity by imaging bulbar conjunctival microvessels using a slit-lamp biomicroscope equipped with a zoom lens and an ultra-high-speed camera. Methods: After obtaining consent from 10 patients (1 male, 9 females) who visited Yeouido St. Mary’s Hospital from August 21, 2020, to June 12, 2021, the patients were examined under a slit lamp microscope equipped with an ultra-high-speed camera and zoom lens. The blood flow in the conjunctival microvessels was photographed. The captured images were analyzed with ImageJ software to measure the blood flow velocity in the conjunctival microvessels, and we investigated whether the blood flow velocity correlated with the vessel diameter and age. Results: The median age of the subjects was 49.0 years. The mean conjunctival blood flow velocity in 53 microvessels was 0.786 ± 0.468 mm/s. The median conjunctival microvascular diameter was 7.06 μm (interquartile range 5.84 to 9.23 μm). The conjunctival microvascular diameter and blood flow velocity were not significantly correlated (Spearman’s p = 0.177), and the subjects’ age and conjunctival microvascular blood flow velocity were also not correlated (Spearman’s p = 0.669). Conclusions In this study, the blood flow velocity in the bulbar conjunctival microvessels could be measured easily by means of image analysis using a slit-lamp microscope equipped with an ultra-high-speed camera with a zoom lens.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the mediating effects of insecure adult attachment and tact (nunchi) on the relationship between life stress and college adjustment in Korean college students.
Methods: A total of 170 college students were recruited into this study and were asked to participate in an online survey. By using SPSS/WIN 24.0, Pearson’s correlation analysis was performed to examine the relationships among the variables. The mediating effects were examined by using PROCESS Macro for SPSS Ver. 3.14 model 6.
Results: There were significant correlations among the four main variables of this study - insecure adult attachment, nunchi, life stress, and college adjustment. Insecure adult attachment and nunchi mediated the relationship between life stress and college adjustment in college students.
Conclusion Based on the findings of this study, various evidence-based programs can be developed to improve college adjustment and decrease life stress in college students.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the mediating effects of insecure adult attachment and tact (nunchi) on the relationship between life stress and college adjustment in Korean college students.
Methods: A total of 170 college students were recruited into this study and were asked to participate in an online survey. By using SPSS/WIN 24.0, Pearson’s correlation analysis was performed to examine the relationships among the variables. The mediating effects were examined by using PROCESS Macro for SPSS Ver. 3.14 model 6.
Results: There were significant correlations among the four main variables of this study - insecure adult attachment, nunchi, life stress, and college adjustment. Insecure adult attachment and nunchi mediated the relationship between life stress and college adjustment in college students.
Conclusion Based on the findings of this study, various evidence-based programs can be developed to improve college adjustment and decrease life stress in college students.

PURPOSE: Nurses' resilience plays an important role in overcoming the challenges that nurses often encounter at clinic, and many factors have been examined which influence on nurses' resilience levels. Through this study, those factors were systematically searched and quantitatively synthesized. METHODS: In order to find relevant studies, both English and Korean academic databases were searched, and, finally, a total of 33 articles were identified and included in this analysis. RESULTS: The effect size on the protective variables was large and that of the risk variables was medium. In the protective variable group, the job variable group showed a larger effect size compared to the organizational variable group. Among the protective variables, compassion satisfaction showed the highest contribution on enhancing the resilience level of nurses. In the risk variable group, the personal variable group showed the highest effect size, which was followed by the organizational and job variables. Among the risk variables, the personal stress response showed the highest contribution to decreasing the level of resilience of nurses. CONCLUSION: This study provides a meaningful data for future studies in terms of developing evidence-based interventions to enhance the levels of resilience among Korean nurses.
Empathy ; Humans

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine nurses' sexual health care attitude and practice while caring for cancer patients. METHODS: Data were collected using a structured questionnaire from 236 nurses caring for patients with cancer from June 30, 2014 to July 6, 2014 at a University Hospital in Daegu, Korea. RESULTS: The mean score for sexual health care attitude of nurses caring for patients with cancer was 27.75+/-6.45 of a possible range 17 to 51 and the mean score for a sexual health care practice of nurses was 3.67+/-3.30 of a possible range 0 to 21. The scores of a sexual health care attitude and practice were significantly different by age, education, department, experience in gynecology or urology departments, and position. Sexual health care attitude and practice had a significantly positive correlation (r=.16, p=.015). CONCLUSION: The nurses caring for patients with cancer recognize the importance of sexual health care, but their sexual health care practice rate was very low. Therefore specific and differentiated nurse education programs designed to increase sexual health care practice are required for young nurses and staff nurses that are not practicing sexual health care often.
Daegu ; Education ; Gynecology ; Humans ; Korea ; Reproductive Health* ; Urology ; Surveys and Questionnaires

The prevalence of sleep disorder is about 30% of the population. Common sleep disorders are insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, narcolepsy, restless legs syndrome, rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder and parasomnia. These sleep disorders lead various medical and mental complications. However, most sleep disorders are underdiagnosed and not treated appropriately. Sleep medicine is important for treating these sleep disorders and maintaining general healthy conditions. Specialized and comprehensive treatments for sleep disorder are important in sleep medicine.
Narcolepsy ; Parasomnias ; Prevalence ; REM Sleep Behavior Disorder ; Restless Legs Syndrome ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive ; Sleep Wake Disorders* ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders

Cryptococcosis is an invasive fungal infection, which is more common in immunocompromised patients. However, pulmonary cryptococcosis can occur in immunocompetent patients and should be considered on a differential diagnosis for nodular or mass-like lesions in chest radiograph. Recently, we experienced a patient with pulmonary cryptococcosis, successfully treated with oral fluconazole therapy. A 74-year-old female patient was referred for an evaluation of abnormal images, a large consolidative mass with multiple nodular consolidations and small nodules that mimics primary lung cancer with multiple lung to lung metastases. Computed tomography-guided lung biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis. The follow-up image taken after 4 months with oral fluconazole treatment showed marked improvement.
Aged ; Biopsy ; Cryptococcosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Fluconazole ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Multiple Pulmonary Nodules ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Thorax

BACKGROUND: To evaluate whether Staphylococcus aureus is actually the leading cause of infective endocarditis in Korea, investigation on updated clinical pictures, treatments, and prognosis was performed. This study also aims to describe differences in clinical characteristics of infective endocarditis in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty five patients who were diagnosed with infective endocarditis, using modified Duke criteria, at 4 Soon Chun Hyang University Hospitals (located in Seoul, Bucheon, Cheonan, and Gumi) from January of 2000 to June of 2007 were enrolled. Patients were separated into two groups; those on hemodialysis and those who were not on hemodialysis (control group). Medical records and laboratory results of each patient were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: The positive rate of blood culture was 72.7%. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated in 38.2% of the patients, making it the most common causative organism of infective endocarditis. It was also the most common organism in both hemodialysis group and non-hemodialysis group. Six patients (10.9%) died while admitted to the hospital and the in-hospital death rate for hemodialysis group was significantly higher. CONCLUSION: In most parts of the world, S. aureus is increasingly becoming the principal causative organism of infective endocarditis. To our knowledge, this is the first study that shows S. aureus to be the most common causative organism of infective endocarditis in Korea, and that Korea is not except from this global epidemiology.
Endocarditis ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Korea ; Medical Records ; Prognosis ; Renal Dialysis ; Retrospective Studies ; Staphylococcus ; Staphylococcus aureus

BACKGROUND: To evaluate whether Staphylococcus aureus is actually the leading cause of infective endocarditis in Korea, investigation on updated clinical pictures, treatments, and prognosis was performed. This study also aims to describe differences in clinical characteristics of infective endocarditis in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty five patients who were diagnosed with infective endocarditis, using modified Duke criteria, at 4 Soon Chun Hyang University Hospitals (located in Seoul, Bucheon, Cheonan, and Gumi) from January of 2000 to June of 2007 were enrolled. Patients were separated into two groups; those on hemodialysis and those who were not on hemodialysis (control group). Medical records and laboratory results of each patient were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: The positive rate of blood culture was 72.7%. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated in 38.2% of the patients, making it the most common causative organism of infective endocarditis. It was also the most common organism in both hemodialysis group and non-hemodialysis group. Six patients (10.9%) died while admitted to the hospital and the in-hospital death rate for hemodialysis group was significantly higher. CONCLUSION: In most parts of the world, S. aureus is increasingly becoming the principal causative organism of infective endocarditis. To our knowledge, this is the first study that shows S. aureus to be the most common causative organism of infective endocarditis in Korea, and that Korea is not except from this global epidemiology.
Endocarditis ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Korea ; Medical Records ; Prognosis ; Renal Dialysis ; Retrospective Studies ; Staphylococcus ; Staphylococcus aureus