• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.115-126
• /
• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the frequency and characteristics of occupational blood and body fluid exposure for operating room personnel during surgical procedures and identify risk factors. Methods: A self-report questionnaire was used to survey 519 operating room personnel who participated in 132 surgeries in an acute care hospital in Seoul between April 12 and 20, 2006. Results: The response rate was 82% (530/646) and analyzed total 519 except for improper 11 questionnaires. Exposure rate was 45.5% (60/132) during operations and 20.4% (106/519) for operating room personnel. By job categories, the exposure rate was as follows; anesthesiologists and nurses 31.2% (44/141), operators and assistants 22.1% (32/145), circulating nurses 12.0% (11/92), scrub nurses 11.4% (14/123). The mucous membrane-eye exposure with a high risk of transmitting infection was 6.6% (7/106) and the most frequent route of exposure was blood and body fluid touching unprotected skin. In multivariate analysis, the risk factors of exposure were services, duration of operation, a patient who had a peripheral arterial catheter line, and job category. Conclusion: Educational programs and appropriate use of personal protective equipment are necessary to prevent operating room personnel from being exposed to blood and body fluid.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.34 no.1
• /
• pp.80-88
• /
• 2001

Objectives : In an epidemiologic study on the health impact of Agent Orange exposure, the valid estimation of exposure level is the most important step. Based on recent studies, we examined the correlation between exposure levels categorized by personal exposure estimates and serum 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD, Dioxin), exploring the possibility of utilizing the exposure level as a surrogate for the estimate of exposure to agent orange. Methods : During the study period (Jan 1996-Feb 1996), blood specimens of 745 subjects taken randomly among 1,329 persons and kept frozen, were analyzed for 2,3,7,8-TCDO and six other dioxin congeners. The serum dioxin and congeners were measured in 1998 by CDC, adjusted for serum lipids. We categorized the total exposure scores into five groups based on Agent Orange exposure data collected by interview and military records. Pearson and Spearman's correlation coefficients & multiple regression analysis were used to identify the relationship of the exposure level categorized with serum concentration of 2,3,7,8-TCDD, and six other dioxin congeners. Results : Dioxin and the other congeners, except 1,2,4,6,7,8-HpCDD, showed significant correlations to exposure categories (p<0.005): 2,3,7,8-TCDD and OCDD showed positive correlations, whereas the other congeners did negative. The values of 2,3,7,8-TCDD differed according to exposure category and proportionally increased from the low exposure group to the high, a dose-response relationship, even after other possible confounding variables were adjusted for. In multiple regression analysis, age$(\beta=0.033)$, dioxin$(\beta=0.433)$, 1,2,3,7,8-PeCDD$(\beta=-0.998)$, 1,2,3,4,7,8-HxCDD$(\beta=-0.773)$, 1,2,3,6,7,8-HxCDD$(\beta=0.255)$, 1,2,3,7,8,9-HxCDD$(\beta=-3.468)$, 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-HpCDD$(\beta=0.109)$ we re found to be significantly related to the total exposure score(p<0.005). Conclusion : This study demonstrated that the use of such categorizations as a surrogate measure of agent orange exposure in identifying exposure degrees in a health impact study is valid.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.26 no.1 s.41
• /
• pp.147-164
• /
• 1993

A study has been conducted on developing questionnaires to serve as on site diagnostic tools for the early detection of neuropsychiatric impairment among workers chronically exposed to low-level organic solvents. Two drafts of tentative questionnaires have been developed as follows; several question items were selected from questionnaires which were administered to workers exposed to organic solvents in previous studios and were grouped into each symptom category based on the presence of its association using Guttman scaling method, then these selected items were reviewed by neuropsychiatry specialists. The final draft of the questionnaire (total symptom score=36) was developed by selecting 33 question items which had more than a 0.88 Guttman coefficient of reproducibility in each symptom category from a pilot study in which these tentative questionnaires were administered to workers manufacturing soles. Three plants using organic solvents and one plant never using organic solvents as a control group were selected to test the reliability and validity of the developed questionnaires. The major organic solvent in the workplace environment detected by a personal air sampler and GC/MSD nab toluene. The concentration of toluene in air from the department using organic solvent was statistically different from that of the department never using organic solvent. The concentration of toluene from almost all of the workplace did not exceed the allowable level. There was no statistically significant difference between the concentration of urinary hippuric acid from the workers of the department using organic solvent and that of the department never using it. Total symptom score of the plant never using organic solvents was 9.8 and those of the three plants using organic solvents were 15.6, 14.7, and 13,7 respectively. In order to evaluate the validity of the questionnaires, the workers from two different departments of the plant in which usage of organic solvents are totally dofferemt were compared. The total symptom score was 17.8 for workers of the department using organic solvent and 13.5 for the department never using organic solvent and scores of each symptom group between exposure and non-exposure group also showed statistically significant difference. The finding that total symptom score of the exposure group increased as the duration of employment increased indirectly suggests the usefulness of the developed questionnaire to assess the health effects of chronic exposure to organic solvents. The correlation coefficient, which was calculated to evaluate the test-retest reliability, was 0.581 (p=0.001). The coefficient of Crohnbach which reflects the internal consistency of the questionnaire was 0.91. In conclusion, the reliabilty of the questionnaire was well maintained over the time lapse between the two administrations of the questionnaire and despite the seasonal difference.

• The Journal of Society for e-Business Studies
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.1-14
• /
• 2016

This research proposes a method that aims to evaluate the risk levels of websites based on exposure risks of privacy information. The proposed method considers two aspects as follows. First, we define the risk levels of each privacy information according to its own inherent risk. Second, we calculate the visiting probability of a webpage to measure the expected of the actual exposure of privacy information on that webpage. In this research, we implemented an system to prove that automatically collects websites and calculates their risk levels. For the experiments, we used a real world dataset consisting of a total of websites for 4 categories such as university, bank, central government agency, and education. The experiment results show that the websites in the bank category are relatively well managed, while the others are needed to cope with the exposure of privacy information. Finally, the proposed method in this research is expected to be further utilized in establishing a priority-based approach to alleviate of the privacy information exposure problems.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.122-134
• /
• 2024

Most gastric subepithelial tumors (SETs) are asymptomatic and are often incidentally discovered during endoscopic procedures conducted for unrelated reasons. Although surveillance is sufficient for the majority of gastric SETs, certain cases necessitate proactive management. Laparoscopic wedge resection, although a viable treatment option, has its limitations, particularly in cases where SETs (especially those with intraluminal growth) are not visualized on the peritoneal side. Recent advances in endoscopic instruments and technology have paved the way for the feasibility of endoscopic resection of SETs. Several promising endoscopic techniques have emerged for gastric SET resection, including submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection, endoscopic full-thickness resection (EFTR), laparoscopic and endoscopic cooperative surgery (LECS), and non-exposure EFTR (non-exposed endoscopic wall-inversion surgery and non-exposure simple suturing EFTR). This study aimed to discuss the indications, methods, and outcomes of endoscopic therapy for gastric SETs. In addition, a simplified diagram of the category of SETs according to the therapeutic indications and an algorithm for the endoscopic management of SET is suggested.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Military Science and Technology
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.246-254
• /
• 2018

Psychological stress and physical fatigue, such as anxiety, fear, sleep disturbance, etc., caused by exposure to the war, can lead to post-traumatic stress syndrome(PTSD) or war syndrome. The military has also prepared for drug use to minimize war syndrome and preserve combat strength. However, efforts to prevent war syndrome are still lacking. This study was conducted to identify biomarkers that can track psychophysiological changes. Psychophysiological changes associated with PTSD can be divided into four main categories. The four categories are behavioral changes, changes in brain cognition, neuroimmunological changes, and changes in innate immunity. This study suggest that biomarker profile can be made by the distance moved and the anxiety-like behavior in the open field for behavior category, brain BDNF levels in the brain cognition category, serum corticosterone in the neuroimmunology category, and inflammatory cytokine levels in the innate immunity category.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
• /
• 1995.04a
• /
• pp.396-401
• /
• 1995

Epoxy coated reinforcing steels (ECRs) were acquired from ten sources and coatings from each source were initially characterized in terms of defects, thickness, solvent extraction weight loss and hardness. Testing involved exposure in three aqueous solutions at elevated temperature (8$0^{\circ}C$) and in chloride-contaminated concrete slabs under outdoor exposure, It was found that the density and size of coating defects was the promary factor affecting ECR performance. The equivalent circuit analysis using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) data indicated that the impedance response for well-performing ECR specimens showed no signs of active degradation at the interface although diffusional processes similar to those noted for poorly performing bars occurred here. Experimental results also indicated a relationship between corrosion behavior and bar source. Weight loss upon solvent extraction correlated with impedance reduction from hot water exposure. Coating defects during most of the tests, especially in high pH solutions containing chloride ions. ECRs with excessive coating defects, either initially present or ones which developed in service, performed poorly in every test category regardless of source. Forms of coating failure were extensive rusting at defects, blistering, wet adhesion loss, cathodic delamination, underfilm corrosion and coating cracks. These occurred sequentially or concurrently, depending on the condition of the ECR and nature of the environment

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.26 no.3
• /
• pp.55-60
• /
• 2000

Wire codes, introduced by Wertheimer and Leeper, are interesting largely because several case-control studies have reported associations between them and certain types of cancers, including childhood leukemia. This paper is concerned with the reliability of wire codes as a surrogate for residential electric and magnetic field, divided into four categories based on the electrical wiring within 40m of homes. To examine the correlation between spot measurements and wire codes, EMF was measured by using HI-3604 and classified by wire codes. The correlation between long-transformed RMS of magnetic field and wire codes was 0.81. But the correlation between log-transformed RMS of electric field and wire codes was 0.27. The results led us to determine a four category from of the Wertheimer and Leeper code that 1) may be useful in domestic epidemiological studies and 2) is not suitable for electric field exposure. Thus, the critical point of exposure assessment in residential magnetic field is to classify a wire code precisely.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.40 no.5
• /
• pp.355-366
• /
• 2014

Objectives: This study seeks to evaluate the vulnerability assessment of the human health sector for $PM_{10}$, which is reflected in the regional characteristics and related disease mortality rates for $PM_{10}$ in Busan over the period of 2006-2010. Methods: According to the vulnerability concept suggested by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), vulnerability to $PM_{10}$ is comprised of the categories of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. The indexes of the exposure and sensitivity categories indicate positive effects, while the adaptive capacity index indicates a negative effect on vulnerability to $PM_{10}$. Variables of each category were standardized by the rescaling method, and each regional relative vulnerability was computed through the vulnerability index calculation formula. Results: The regions with a high exposure index are Jung-Gu (transportation region) and Saha-Gu (industrial region). Major factors determining the exposure index are the $PM_{10}$ concentration, days of $PM_{10}{\geq}50$, ${\mu}g/m^3$, and $PM_{10}$ emissions. The regions that show a high sensitivity index are urban and rural regions; these commonly have a high mortality rate for related disease and vulnerable populations. The regions that have a high adaptive capacity index are Jung-Gu, Gangseo-Gu, and Busanjin-Gu, all of which have a high level of economic/welfare/health care factors. The high-vulnerability synthesis of the exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity indexes show that Dong-Gu and Seo-Gu have a risk for $PM_{10}$ potential effects and a low adaptive capacity. Conclusions: This study presents the vulnerability index to $PM_{10}$ through a relative comparison using quantitative evaluation to draw regional priorities. Therefore, it provides basic data to reflect environmental health influences in favor of an adaptive policy limiting damage to human health caused by vulnerability to $PM_{10}$.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
• /
• v.36 no.4
• /
• pp.20-28
• /
• 2021

With an increase in the commercialization of electricity, and the development of advanced and large electric devices and various wireless radio wave services, concerns over the effects of electromagnetic fields on human health have increased. Accordingly, the World Health Organization encouraged the development of international standards by establishing the 'International Electromagnetic Fields Project' in 1996 based on studies on the harmful effects of electromagnetic fields on the human body. Moreover, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) classified electromagnetic fields as possible carcinogens under Group 2B category, even though they have been found to have a weak correlation with those effects on human health. Mid-to-large-sized electric facilities used at industrial sites mostly adopt a commercial frequency of 60 Hz, and workers handling these facilities are exposed to such extremely low frequency (ELF) fields for a long time. A previous study suggested that exposure to ELF electromagnetic fields with frequency ranges from 0 to 300 Hz, even for a short time, at densities higher than 100 μT may have harmful effects on human body as it affects the activation of nerve cells in the central nervous system by inducing an electric field and current and stimulating muscles and the nervous system in the body. Such studies, however, focused on home appliances used by ordinary people, and research on facilities utilizing high-capacity current and operated by workers at industrial sites is lacking. Therefore, in this study, a 3000 kilowatt generator, which is a high-capacity electric facility employed at industrial sites, was investigated, and the size of the magnetic fields generated during its no-load and high-load operations per distance to produce a map was measured to reveal spots deemed hazardous according to domestic and international exposure standards. The findings of this study is expected to alleviate workers' anxiety about the harmful effects of magnetic fields on their body and to minimize the level of exposure during operations.