• Journal of Technologic Dentistry
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.173-185
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• 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate dental technicians' awareness of infections and to enhance their interest and commitment towards infection prevention. Methods: A self-reported questionnaire survey was conducted among dental technicians. Total of 195 responses were used for analysis. A cross-tabulation analysis was used to compare dental technicians' awareness of infections according to their levels of education on infection prevention (α=0.05). Results: Dental technicians were educated on infection prevention (40.5%). Most participants received infection prevention education from school (29.8%). Dental laboratories had an infection control guideline (34.9%). Dental technicians were not aware of infection risks at their workplaces or believed that they were not at risk of infections at their workplaces (59.3%). Conclusion: Dental technicians must be consistently educated on infection prevention and control through systematic education at school and wider promotion through media. Research is needed to economically and efficiently improve equipment used by dental technicians and to protect them from infectious diseases. A budget for infection prevention must also be determined. Institutional measures such as providing support for dental technicians at the policy level and developing a basic infection prevention manual are necessary. Solving these issues not only protects dental technicians from infections but also allows them to provide high-quality medical services.

• Journal of East-West Nursing Research
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.21-30
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• 2022

Purpose: This research aimed to assess nursing students' knowledge, attitudes and infection prevention behaviors toward the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from September 11 through October 1, 2020, involving a total of 235 third and fourth year of nursing students enrolled in two universities in U and K city. Self-report questionnaires consisting of demographic characteristics, knowledge, attitudes and infection prevention behaviors toward the COVID-19 were administered to the participants. Results: Influencing factors for infection prevention behaviors were gender (β=0.21, p<.001), attitudes toward infection control (β=0.38, p<.001), education experience regarding COVID-19 (β=0.21, p=.004), and a visit to the hospitals or the areas where the COVID-19 case has occurred or been admitted (β=-0.18, p=.003) which explained 23.6% of the total variance. Conclusion: The results of this study provides basic information regarding nursing students' knowledge about COVID-19, attitudes toward infection control, and infection prevention behaviors during the initial outbreak of COVID-19.

• Journal of Medicine and Life Science
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.67-72
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• 2023

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) infections have increased rapidly over the past decade and are recognized as a severe health threat in Korea and worldwide. This study aimed to identify the status and characteristics of CRE infection in Jeju province and provide important basic data for the prevention and management of CRE infection. A descriptive epidemiological analysis was performed on reported cases of CRE infection in Jeju Province between 2018 and 2021 using the integrated management system for disease, an infectious disease reporting system from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The annual difference and distribution trends of CRE infection were analyzed using CRE isolates, carbapenemase-producing CREs (CP-CRE) and their genotypes, and the type of medical institution in Jeju Province. CRE infections steadily increased in Jeju from 2018 to 2021, and the proportion of CP-CRE among the CREs also showed a statistically significant increase each year. Among the CRE isolates, Klebsiella pneumoniae (KPC, 62.13%) was the most common, and among the CP-CRE genotypes, KPC (81.62%) showed the highest distribution and increased each year. As the distribution of CP-CRE in have increased over the past 4 years, measures to prevent the spread and outbreak of CRE infections are warranted. The results of this study are expected to be used as basic data for prevention and management of CRE infections in the province.

• The Korean Journal of Rehabilitation Nursing
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.64-70
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• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify awareness and knowledge about hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection among North Korean immigrants who had resided in South Korea. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, community based study. Data were collected from a convenience sample of 198 North Korean immigrants aged 18 years old through 65 years old among those who had attended community centers, local churches, and gathering places in four cities. The questionnaire included 15 items about participants' knowledge on HBV infection and its consequences, mode of transmission, and preventive measures. Results: The mean score of HBV knowledge was $6.3{\pm}3.8$ (range 0~15). The items that over 60% of the respondents checked correct answer regarding knowledge about HBV were 'There is blood screening for hepatitis B infection', 'Hepatitis B can be transmitted through sharing needles with infected person'. Multivariate analysis showed that received education for the prevention of HBV infection and disease morbidity were significantly associated with the knowledge of HBV infection. Overall, approximately 11% of total variability in the knowledge of HBV infection could be explained by the 2 variables in this model ($R^2=.109$, p<.001). Conclusion: The results showed that North Korean immigrants need more education on HBV infection and prevention to improve their knowledge about HBV.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.359-371
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the status of tuberculosis (TB) infection control in hospitals. Method: This study was a cross-sectional descriptive study in which self-administered questionnaires were used to survey 77 hospitals. Data were collected from August 12 to September 15, 2012. Results: Only 27 institutions (35.1%) were monitoring patients infected with or suspected of having TB. Most hospitals were conducting TB prevention education for patients' family and employees, and TB screening for employees along with follow-up examinations. However, private negative pressure rooms were more often available in wards and intensive care units than in outpatient departments, and in institutions with over 700 beds located in Seoul or GyeongGi Province. Most hospitals ensured that masks were placed on infected patients while transporting them. In addition, efforts to control TB infection such as placing respiratory etiquette posters in outpatient departments and airborne infection signs on the doors in the wards were also well established in most institutions. Conclusion: More efforts are needed to improve the status of TB infection control to ensure quality care, especially in terms of monitoring patients with TB infections and making private negative pressure rooms available in outpatient departments.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.108-114
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• 2022

Background: Students in the department of dental hygiene are exposed to injections and sharp instruments during clinical practice. Therefore, it is necessary to develop measures for a safe practice environment. This study aimed to investigate dental stabbing accidents caused by dental instruments during clinical practice among students in the department of dental hygiene and suggest appropriate preventative measures. Methods: This study was conducted from May 1 to June 30, 2016, with students in the department of dental hygiene located at several universities in Seoul and Gyeonggi area. The study included 339 participants. A frequency analysis was performed to determine the general characteristics of dental infection control. A cross-analysis was conducted to identify the relationship between dental infection control education, stabbing accident prevention education, and treatment after stabbing accidents with a dental instrument. Results: Among the participants, 81.1% received dental infection control education and 66.4% received stabbing accident prevention education. Only 50.9% received hepatitis B vaccinations. Conclusion: Dental infection control education and stabbing accident prevention education were shown to be effective in preventing dental instrument stabbing in students. However, post-accident processing, such as reporting to upper management and medical treatment after the accident, was insufficient. Therefore, it is necessary to present a treatment flowchart for dealing with stab accidents in clinical practice for students in the department of dental hygiene and strengthen education.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.12 no.12
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• pp.313-320
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• 2012

A dental treatment room is always exposed to diverse kinds of pathogenic bacteria, and may be a mediating place of cross-infection given being contaminated the interior of a room through several routes in the form of patient's secretion and aerosol. The main agent of preventing cross-infection is a dental hygienist in the dental treatment and the dental treatment room where are scattered about a risk of cross-infection. A dental hygienist needs to have right recognition on infection control before being active as a clinical expert. This infection-control recognition level is influenced from the clinical practice. Accordingly, to survey recognition of infection control, a self-administered questionnaire research was conducted targeting 314 students who are fixed the clinical practice as regular subject in the junior course out of curriculum for the Department of Dental Hygiene at some of 4-year universities. Data collection was performed from December 9, 2011 to February 22, 2012. Except 11 copies of questionnaire with insincere response among the collected materials, 303 copies were finally analyzed by using SPSS WIN 20.0. The following conclusions were obtained. In the infection disease section, both on and off campus showed 4.89 points from 'the importance of recognizing the infections prevention', 4.65 points from 'recognizing the compulsory preventative injection for hepatitis type B', 4.77 points from 'recognizing the necessity of the preventative injection for hepatitis type B', 4.71 points from 'whether practice the prevention in reality or not', and 4.76 points from 'the educational helps to the prevention'. In other words, the section recorded the highest and meaningful points. It is considered to be needed the development in systematic and diverse infection-control educational programs and the differentiated education depending on school year for dental hygiene students.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.6175-6179
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• 2012

Intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) are still important to the health of Thai rural residents. IPIs are the cause of many chronic diseases with, for example, opisthorchiasis resulting in progression to cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). This cross-sectional study in a prospective cohort study aimed to examine the prevalence and co-infection of intestinal parasites among Northeastern Thai rural residents, recruited into the Khon Kaen Cohort Study (KKCS), and who were residing in areas of high-risk for developing CCA. On recruitment, subjects had completed questionnaires and provided fecal samples for IPI testing using the formalin ethyl acetate concentration technique. Data on selected general characteristics and the results of the fecal tests were analysed. IPI test results were available for 18,900 of cohort subjects, and 38.50% were found to be positive for one or more types of intestinal parasite. The prevalence of Opisthorchis viverrini (O. viverrini) infection was the highest (45.7%), followed by intestinal flukes (31.9%), intestinal nematodes (17.7%), intestinal protozoa (3.02%), and intestinal cestodes (1.69%). The pattern of different infections was similar in all age groups. According to a mapping analysis, a higher CCA burden was correlated with a higher prevalence of O. viverrini and intestinal flukes and a greater intensity of O. viverrini. Both prevention and control programs against liver fluke and other intestinal parasites are needed and should be delivered simultaneously. We can anticipate that the design of future control and prevention programmes will accommodate a more community-orientated and participatory approach.

• Journal of Korean Dental Hygiene Science
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.27-36
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• 2023

Background: The purpose of the study was to investigate the level of infection control and prevention awareness among dental practitioners in Korea based on the infection control and prevention guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States. Methods: A survey was created on 'Standard and Education on CDC Infection Control Standards', 'Matters related to CDC Infection Control Prevention', and 'Characteristics of Research Subjects and Infection Control Characteristics' based on the CDC Dental Infection Control List.' A total of 222 surveys were conducted and used for frequency and cross-tabulation analyses. Results: Most research participants worked at university or general hospitals, and 93.7% had received infection prevention education within the past year. The average awareness of the CDC dental infection control standards and education was 77.2 %, which was higher than previous research results. Preventive awareness was 71.5% on average, and there was a statistically significant difference in preventive awareness between the certified and non-certified evaluation groups (p<0.001). Conclusion: The participants of this study showed a higher awareness of infection control standards, education, and prevention than those in previous studies. However, this was insufficient compared with the CDC dental infection control standard prevention guidelines. Therefore, government agencies and related organizations must establish systematic infection control systems.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.547-556
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• 2011

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the infection control education experiences of dental hygienists and the state of their infection control. Methods : The subjects in this study were the dental hygienists who worked in Seoul. The relationship of their infection control education experiences to their gender, marital status, academic credential, workplace, length of service, infection control implementation, experience of being exposed to infection, way of coping with it, hand washing, use of personal protection devices and equipment management was analyzed. Results : It is found that the variable to affect the state of infection control was educational experiences about handpiece water pipe management, ultrasonic scaler water pipe management and three-way syringe water pipe management. Conclusions : Dental hygienists who are one of major dental personnels should receive systematic education on infection control to acquire accurate knowledge to ensure the successful prevention of cross infection.