• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.15-26
• /
• 2010

Due to the globalization across various industries and cultural trade among many countries, oriental concepts have been attracting world’s attentions. In fashion industry, one's traditional culture is often developed as fashion theme for designers' creation and became strong strategies to stand out among competitors. Because of the increase of preferences for oriental images, opportunities abound to introduce traditional fashion goods and expand culture based business to global fashion markets. However, global fashion brands that include Korean traditional culture are yet to be developed. In order to develop a global fashion brand with Korean taste, it is very important for native citizen to accept their own culture in domestic apparel market prior to expansion into foreign market. Loungewear is evaluated to be appropriate for adopting Korean traditional details into clothing since this wardrobe category embraces various purposes which will easily lead to natural adaptation and wide spread use. Also, this market is seeing an increased demand for multipurpose wardrobes and fashionable underwear (Park et al. 2009). Despite rapid growth in the loungewear market, specific studies of loungewear is rare; and among research on developing modernized-traditional clothing, fashion items and brands do not always include the loungewear category. Therefore, this study investigated the Korean loungewear market and studied consumer evaluation toward loungewear with Korean traditional fashion design elements. Relationship among antecedents of purchase intention for Korean traditional fashion design elements were analyzed and compared between lifestyle groups for consumer targeting purposes. Product quality, retail service quality, perceived value, and preference on loungewear with Korean traditional design elements were chosen as antecedents of purchase intention and a structural equation model was designed to examine their relationship as well as their influence on purchase intention. Product quality and retail service quality among marketing mixes were employed as factors affecting preference and perceived value of loungewear with Korean traditional fashion design elements. Also effects of preference and perceived value on purchase intention were examined through the same model. A total of 357 self-administered questionnaires were completed by female consumers via web survey system. A questionnaire was developed to measure samples' lifestyle, product and retail service quality as purchasing criteria, perceived value, preference and purchase intention of loungewear with Korean traditional fashion design elements. Also, loungewear purchasing and usage behavior were asked as well in order to examine Korean loungewear market status. Data was analyzed through descriptive analysis, factor analysis, cluster analysis, ANOVA and structural equation model was tested via AMOS 7.0. As for the result of Korean loungewear market status investigation, loungewear was purchased by most of the consumers in our sample. Loungewear is currently recognized as clothes that are worn at home and consumers are showing comparably low involvement toward loungewear. Most of consumers in this study purchase loungewear only two to three times a year and they spend less than US$10. A total of 12 items and four factors of loungewear consumer lifestyle were found: traditional value oriented lifestyle, brand-affected lifestyle, pursuit of leisure lifestyle, and health oriented lifestyle. Drawing on lifestyle factors, loungewear consumers were classified into two groups; Well-being and Conservative. Relationships among constructs of purchasing behavior related to loungewear with Korean traditional fashion design elements were estimated. Preference and perceived value of loungewear were affected by both product quality and retail service quality. This study proved that high qualities in product and retail service develop positive preference toward loungewear. Perceived value and preference of loungewear positively influenced purchase intention. The results indicated that high preference and perceived value of loungewear with Korean traditional fashion design elements strengthen purchase intention and proved importance of developing preference and elevate perceived value in order to make sales. In a model comparison between two lifestyle groups: Well-being and Conservative lifestyle groups, results showed that product quality and retail service quality had positive influences on both preference and perceived value in case of Well-being group. However, for Conservative group, only retail service quality had a positive effect on preference and its influence to purchase intention. Since Well-being group showed more significant influence on purchase intention, loungewear brands with Korean traditional fashion design elements may want to focus on characteristics of Well-being group. However, Conservative group's relationship between preference and purchase intention of loungewear with Korean traditional fashion design elements was stronger, so that loungewear brands with Korean traditional fashion design elements should focus on creating conservative consumers' positive preference toward loungewear. The results offered information on Korean loungewear consumers' lifestyle and provided useful information for fashion brands that are planning to enter Korean loungewear market, particularly targeting female consumers similar to the sample of the present study. This study offers strategic and marketing insight for loungewear brands and also for fashion brands that are planning to create highly value-added fashion brands with Korean traditional fashion design elements. Considering different types of lifestyle groups that are associated with loungewear or traditional fashion goods, brand managers and marketers can use the results of this paper as a reference to positioning, targeting and marketing strategy buildings.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• v.39 no.2
• /
• pp.118-126
• /
• 2014

A survey was conducted on perceptions, knowledge, and attitudes of elementary, middle, and high school students, who will lead public opinion in the future, regarding irradiated food, nuclear power generation, and medical radiation. These topics urgently require general social acceptability among various fields in which radiation is used. Educational methods to enhance social acceptability were partially discovered. First, it is necessary to implement different strategies when designing courses for female and male students. Male students have higher levels of objective knowledge (p<0.039) of irradiated food, necessity (p<0.001) and objective knowledge (p<0.001) of nuclear power generation, approval of building a nuclear power plant in the nation (p<0.001), necessity (p<0.001) and objective knowledge (p<0.001) of medical radiation, and attitudes regarding using medical radiation (p<0.007, p<0.001). Second, the educational effect of explanations to help increase national understanding of the necessity and safety of nuclear power generation will increase if information on the necessity and safety of medical radiation is provided as well. Both male and female students perceived that medical radiation is the most necessary (p<0.001), medical radiation is the safest (p<0.001), and nuclear power generation is the least safe (p<0.013). Moreover, the correlation between medical radiation and nuclear power generation was the highest. Third, there is a need for different lectures between classes, since the patterns of perception vary according to the field of radiation use among elementary, middle, and high school students. Elementary school students had high interest in education on nuclear power generation (p<0.005), perceived that irradiated food is safe (p<0.001), and had the most positive attitude toward consuming irradiated food (p<0.001). Middle school students had high interest in education on nuclear power generation (p<0.018), perceived that nuclear power generation (p<0.001) and medical radiation (p<0.002) are safe, and had the most positive attitude toward using radiation for treatment (p<0.001). High school students had the highest level of objective knowledge on nuclear power generation (p<0.001) and medical radiation (p<0.001), and perceived that medical radiation is the most necessary (p<0.017); however, they perceived that nuclear power generation is the least safe (p<0.001). Attitudes toward irradiated food intake (p<0.001) and approving construction of a nuclear power plant in their neighborhood (p<0.001) were both low. Fourth, it is necessary to provide educational programs to change perceptions and improve attitudes rather than providing education focused on objective knowledge. There was no correlation between objective knowledge and necessity of irradiated food, objective knowledge and safety and interest in education on nuclear power generation, and objective knowledge and interest in education and information acquirement regarding medical radiation. In particular, high school students had the highest level of objective knowledge and yet had the least positive attitudes toward approving construction of nuclear power plants in their neighborhood and intake of irradiated food. Therefore, to increase the social acceptability of using nuclear energy and radiation in Korea, it is desirable to provide strategic educational programs to improve perceptions, knowledge, and attitudes regarding the necessity and safety of their use.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.61 no.3
• /
• pp.233-238
• /
• 2006

Study objectives: To determine the factors associated with mortality after an in-hospital diagnosis of tuberculosis in a region with low levels of HIV coinfection. Methods: From January 2003 to December 2004, all subjects who were > 15 years of age and had received a diagnosis of tuberculosis were registered. The clinical, radiological and laboratory aspects of the patients who died (n=27) were compared with those of an age and gender matched control population(n=54). Logistic regression analyses were carried out, which included age, gender, hospital admission source, initial site of admission, dyspnea, general weakness and initial laboratory data. Results: The mean age of the patients was $60{\pm}16$ years and male patients outnumbered female patients. Univariate analysis identified hemoglobin, blood urea nitrogen, albumin, cholesterol, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), C-reactive protein and the risk factors for tuberculosis to be significantly associated with mortality. Among the characteristics of disease presentation and treatment, emergency department admission, intensive care unit, disease severity, general weakness and dyspnea at the time of admission were associated with mortality. Multiple regression analysis revealed the initial management in the intensive care unit and lower serum albumin to be independently associated with mortality. Conclusion: The markers of disease chronicity and severity appear to be associated with in-hospital mortality. Identifying potentially reversible factors such as malnutrition and respiratory failure suggests specific intervention that might lead to an improvement in the patients' outcomes.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
• /
• v.10
• /
• pp.63-80
• /
• 1986

The Old Testament cotains mention of the history of creation and clothing in ancient Hebrew. This study dealt with Hebrew dress customs especially aimed at the manners of their hair styles, headgears, footwear and personal ornaments. References are Korean Revised Version, English King James Version and Revised Standard Version. There is little mention of hair styles and headgears in the Old Testament. Some sort of turban was worn by priests, and soldiers protected themselves with helmets, but most Israelitish men went bareheaded except on special occasions and often wear simple headbands. It was more common for women to use headwear of some type-turbans, scarves, and veils concealing the face. The veil was the distinctive female wearing apparel. All females, with the exception of maidservants and women in a low condition of life, wore a veil. It was the custom for women to wear a veil entirely covering their head in the public. Through most of the Old Testament periods long and thick hair was admired on men and women alike. The Hebrews were proud to have thick and abundant long hair, and they gave much attention to the care of their hair. The caring of hair was deeply related to their rituals. Nazirites never took a razor to their hair during his vow-days, but instead let it grow long, as an offering to God. Men would not cut their beards, but allow them to grow long. The Israelites' standard footwear was a pair of simple leather sandals. This was one of the items of clothing not highly prized. In a colloquial saying of the time, a pair of shoes signified something of small value, and to be barefoot except in times of mourning or on holy place, was a sign either of extreme poverty or humiliation, as in the case of war prisoners. Because precious stones were not mined in the Palestine-Syria region, Hebrews imported them from foreign country. They were consumer-to a large degree limited by their very modest standard of living-but not producers. Hebrews liked the precious stones and were motivated to acquire and wear jewels. Besides their use for adornment and as gifts, the precious or semiprecious stones were regarded by Jews of property. The Hebrews were not innovators in the field of decorative arts. The prohibition of the Law against making any "graven image" precluded the development of painting, sculpture, and other forms of representational art. Jewish men did not indulge in extravagances of dress, and there was little ornamentation among them. Men wore a signet ring on their right hand or sometimes suspended by a cord or chain around the neck. The necklaces, when worn by a male, also bore any symbol of his authority. Bracelets were extremely popular with both men and women, men usually preferring to wear them on their upper arms. The girdle was a very useful part of a man's clothing. It was used as a waist belt, or used to fasten a man's sword to his body, or served as a pouch in which to keep money and other things. Men often carried a cane or staff, which would be ornamented at the top. Among the women there was more apt to be ornamentation than among the men. Hebrew women liked to deck themselves with jewels, and ornamentation of the bride were specially luxurious and numerous. They wore rings on their fingers or On toes, ankle rings, earrings, nosering, necklace, bracelets. Their shapes were of cresent, waterdrops, scarab, insect, animal or plant. Sometimes those were used as amulets. They were made of ceramics, gold, silver, bronze, iron, and various precious stones which were mostly imported from Egypt and Sinai peninsular. Hebrews were given many religious regulations by Moses Law on their hair, headgears, sandals and ornamentation. Their clothing were deeply related with their customs especially with their religions and rituals. Hebrew religion was of monotheism and of revealed religion. Their religious leaders, the prophets who was inspired by God might need such many religious regulations to lead the idol oriented people to God through them.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.40-47
• /
• 2011

Purpose : Norovirus infection, a common cause of community-acquired gastroenteritis, can also lead to severe illness in immunocompromised patients. We investigated clinical manifestations of norovirus infection in pediatric cancer patients. Methods : Stool specimens were collected from pediatric patients with gastrointestinal symptoms between November 2008 and September 2009 at Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea. Norovirus infection was identified by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). A retrospective chart review was performed in pediatric cancer patients who were diagnosed with norovirus infection. Results : Ten patients were diagnosed with norovirus infection by RT-PCR in stool samples. The median age was 0.83 years (range 0.25-5.5 years) and the male to female ratio was 1.5:1 (6 males and 4 females). Underlying diseases were hematologic malignancies (4/10, 40%), neuroblastoma (4/10, 40%), and brain tumors (2/10, 20%). Three patients were infected before hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) and four patients after HCT. All patients had diarrhea (10/10, 100%), with a median frequency of diarrhea of 8.5 times/day (range 4-22 times/day). Median virus shedding duration was 72.5 days (range 19-299 days). Four patients with pneumatosis intestinalis were conservatively treated with bowel rest and total parenteral nutrition. One patient with severe diarrhea and bloody stool had concomitant chronic gut graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Norovirus infection-related mortality was not observed. Conclusion : Norovirus infection can cause significant clinical manifestations with prolonged viral shedding in immunocompromised patients. Norovirus should be considered in pediatric cancer patients with severe gastrointestinal symptoms.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.149-167
• /
• 1999

To investigate the actual conditions of smoking in middle and high school students in Chinan County, I used a sturctured questionnaire for 1,579 students attending twelve middle-high schools from December 1, 1998 to December 20, 1998. I collected and data correlated the using an $SPSS-PC^+$ 1. The smoking rate of middle-high schoo1 students in Chinan County was 17.9%, relatively high. This smoking rate was different according to the gender, grade, religion, and economic situation. In mals, high school students, non-religious, students low income family students, the smoking rate was higher. The smoking rate of high school students was almost the same as the smoking rate of adults, generally higher than that of foreign teenagers. Because the smoking rat of studinets in the third grade of middle school and in the first grade of high School was six times higher, increased education should be conducted during this time in an attempt to curb the sudden increase of the smoking rate. The smoking rate of girl students was 5.0%; this has increased mor than three times from ten years ago. Consequently, counter measures should be taken against the smoking of female students as well as juvenile smoking in general. In addition, the smoking rate of middle-high school students showed interesting differences when correnated with enviornmental factors. Students with low grades, who are not satisfied with school life, who don't have both parents, who have uncaring parents who nare too strict or too arbitary, who have smoking parents, or who have experienced smoking commonly smoked. Therefore, to lower the smoking rate we should improve the school environment, improve a student's interest in school life. And parents or siblings should lead by example and quit smoking at home. Schools should educate students more effectively concerning the harmful effects of smoking and create an accurate understanding of its dancers. From the beginning, we should teach students never ever to touch cigaretts. 2. The surve discovered that most students started out of curiosity, or solicitantion from friends or elders at middle school, and had been smoking one to five cigarettes for more than a year. They obtained cigarettes at stores and most of them have friends who smoke. As a result anti-smoking education should be conducted at elementary schools prior to middle school. More than 95% of the teenagers who smoke had friends who smote and smoked out of curiosity or the recommendation of elders. Thus, we must focus on teenagers who smoke in group, rather than individually. Fuyrthermore, the strict application of the regulation of tobacco sales as well as tobacco cooperation from retailers are needed. While students did not show any mood or academic achievement difference after beginning smoking, 58.1% of the students a health situdation that was worse. Juvenile smoking is more harmful to the juvenile than adult smoking is to the adult. This should be focused on in an anti-smoking campaign. 3. Students who smoke hada more positive attitude toward smoking than students who don't smoke. Students who smoke had a tendency to have a nuetral position and are not concerned about smoking compared to non-smoking students. The survey showed that the great number of students had a nuetral position. Because this nuetrality may increase Juvenile smoking, education that provides an exact understanding of smoking should be performed to build the correct attidude toward smoking. 4. Middle school students smoke when angry, gloomy, anxious, a lone and when they have some problems to solve, on when they feel inconveniened in other wores, they smoke to reliver stress. They also smok due to addiction. Because smoking is not a praetical method to relieve stress, a program which helps to acquire positive relief stress should be provided to help reduce smoking. 5. About 65% of students who smoke want to quit smoking because of health problem, 78% of them have tried mor than once to quit but failed due to weak will power and peer pressure from friends who smoke. Juvenile smoking is group, oriented. Thus, the program that advances less smoking will be the one that focuseds on groups. 6. As for advice to students who want to quit smoking, "persuasion" was used most commonly, followed by a "presentation on how to quit smoking". Another method were severe punishment. About 70% of the students wanted the anti-smoking guide at school. 7. Most students (73.5%) had a position that more anti-smoking education at school is needed. Obriously, then, anti-smoking education at middle-high schools should be reinfoced. Although the education which explains the harmful influence of tobacco is known as an efficient way prevent smoking; it does not influence students who already smoke. Therefore, for students who smoke, multi-dimensional approaches must be attempted that include physical training, phychokogical approache, consultation and discussion, medical chek-ups, audio-visual education technigues, and professonal instructors, in addition, because smoking students have more negative on lukewarm attitude to anti-smoking education anti-smoking education should be conducted through a communicative style by dedicated teachers who care about students. In order to increase the effectiveness of this program.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.49 no.1
• /
• pp.76-81
• /
• 2006

Purpose : This study evaluated the clinical characteristics of brain tumors in children according to their location, the parental delay and the doctor's delay between the onset of symptoms and the diagnosis of a pediatric brain tumor. In addition, this study compared the relationship between the pre-diagnostic symptomatic interval and the tumor location. Methods : A retrospective study was undertaken of 45 children with primary brain tumors admitted to Inha Hospital from July, 1986 to June, 2004. A diagnosis of the tumor location was made using brain MRI. Results : The male to female ratio was 1 : 0.67. The median age at diagnosis was 6.0 years in supratentorial tumors, 7.0 years in infratentorial tumors. Twenty four cases(53.3 percent) were located in the supratentorial area, 21 cases(46.6 percent) were located in the infratentorial area. The distribution of supratentorial tumors were 14(58.3 percent) in the cerebral hemisphere and temporal lobe, seven (29.1 percent) in the suprasellar area, and three(12.5 percent) in the pineal gland and posterial lateral ventricle. The distributions of the infratentorial tumors were 12(57.1 percent) in the cerebellar vermis and fourth ventricle, four(19.1 percent) in the brain stem, and five(23.8 percent) in the cerebellar hemisphere. The most common initial symptom was seizure(37.5 percent) in the supratentorial tumor and headache(38.0 percent) in infratentorial tumors. The median pre-diagnostic symptomatic interval (PSI) was 21 days(range 0-240 days). The median PSI with a parental delay in supratentorial tumor was six days(range 1-240 days), and 30 days(range 1-40 days) in the infratentorial tumor. We immediately diagnosed most cases after visiting the hospital. There was no significant relationship between the tumor location and the pre-diagnostic symptomatic interval. Conclusion : The most common symptom of supratentorial tumors and infratentorial tumors was seizure and headache, respectively. Although, the median pre-diagnostic symptomatic interval was shorter than in previous studies, a detailed medical history and a correctly interpreted neurological examination should lead to an earlier diagnosis of pediatric brain tumors.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.32 no.6
• /
• pp.556-560
• /
• 1999

Background: The cause of spontaneous pneumothorax is not yet but it is certain that intrathoracic air comes from ruptured bulla. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery(VATS) or open thoracotomy is recommended for thoracic incision in recurrent pneumothorax. However, recurrent rate after bullectomy with the VATS is very high compared to mini-thoracotomy, 3% to 20% and below 2%, respectively. Material and Method: This retrospective analysis was performed on 16 re-operated cases among 446 surgically treated pneumothorax of the 737 cases of spontaneous pneumothorax diagnosed at Yongdong Severance Hospital from Nov. 1992 to June 1997. Result: Among the 446 surgically-treated patients in 737 case of spontaneous pneumothorax, 16 patients underwent re-operation, showing a 3.5% re-operation rate. Male-to-female ratio was 15 to 1 and mean age at initial attack was 20.2 years(ranging from 15 to 50). Mean hospital stay was 6.34 days(ranging from 2 to 20 days) and mean chest tube indwelling period was 4.2 days(ranging from 1-10 days). Median follow-up was 46 months(range 10-66 months). Three different surgical methods were applied : video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery(VAST) in 281 cases, of whom 2 underwent local anesthesia; subaxillary mini-thoracotomy in 159 cases and limited lateral thoracotomy in the remaining 6 cases. Three different re-operative surgical methods were applied ; video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VAST) in 6 cases, subaxillary mini-thoracotomy in 9 cases, and limited lateral thoracotomy in the remaining 1 case. The underlying etiological factors of the recurrent pneumothorax after bullectomy were o erlooking type(9) and new growing type(7). Mean recurrent period from previous operation was 1 month for overlooking type and 18 months for new growing type. Conclusion: The underlying etiological factors of recurrent pneumothorax lead to re-operation were new-growing and over-looking type. We need additional treatments besides resecting blebs of prevent the recurrence rate and more gentle handling with forceps due to less damage to the pleura.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.5-27
• /
• 1987

It is widely recognized that primary health care in the community is one of the most important and effective health measures in these days. However, it is reality that unsatisfactory health care system, ineffective utilization of health care by the community people in the rural area are hampering better understanding for primary health care. Therefore promoting health for the rural people and increasing understanding about primary health care, the baseline survey in the community focused in examination for safe community water supply was carried out. The survey was conducted through August 25-31, 1986 in order to find out health problems and relevant factors and to define the demographic characteristics of $^*$Sanpuk village, Kumsa-Myun, Yuju-Gun, Kyunggi-Do, Korea. Household survey was carried out for every home by trained interviewers. The major results are found out as follows : 1) 84.2%(400 houses) of total households were surveyed because 15.8%(75 houses) were unable to survey due to either refusal against interview or absence of family. These 400 households were composed of 1,697 residents(male:830, female 867). Educational level of respondents showed 34.1% as elementary school graduated. Religion distribution showed Buddism(23.8%) as the most dominant. 50.7% of respondents married in the area. 2) Most households(91.5%) have lived in their own house in Sanpuk area. Average family size showed 4.3. More than half of residents(64.2%) have used public supplied water tap. Only 1.5% of the households had a flush toliet. The rest of households have still used primitive insanitary latrines. 3) 32.5% of residents have used gas burner for cooking and for heating in the house, and the coal briquet were used for boiler. Lack of convenient public transportation was the chief complaint for their day life. 4) Each household occupied 1,990 pyungs of rice paddy and 1,170 pyungs of ordinary field in average. Beside farming products, mushroom was the highest product. 5) Sixth percent of households in the survey area regularly participated in community meeting one hand and on the other hand 39.5% never participated. Most of respondents closely contacted with their neighbours and they seemed very friendly each other. 6) The prevalence rate of illness and injury during recent 15 days showed 48.3 per 1,000. The prevalence rate of chronic illnesses during the past one year showed 74 per 1,000. Injury and accident lead the higher portion(22.0%) in the former and in the latter pain(arthritis, back-pain) showed 27.0% as the dominant sickness. 87.8% of the ill residents in the former received medical treatment. As the most frequently utilized medical facility, the clinic or hospital were counted. Among the residents suffering from chronic illnesses, 77.3% in Sanpuk area get some kind of medical treatments and they rarely utilized the clinic or hospital. The reason why the patient did not receive any medical care was found out the fact that symptoms of illness was light or mild and economic problems was serious. 7) Average age of marriage showed 21.6 years old in the women and the average duration of marital period was shown for 15.1 years. The married woman in reproductive age in Sanpuk area had experienced pregnancies 4 times in the aver-age including 0.7 time of pregnancy in average were interrupted by induced abortion and 0.3 time by spontaneous abortion respectively. The practicing rate of the family planning of the married woman during reproductive ages showed 70.7% and the tuballigation was found out as the most frequently used contraceptives. 8) Among woman who has children under 2 years old, 70.0% had received the prenatal care for the last pregnancy. However, the average number of prenatal care visitis per woman showed 3.3 times. Fifty-two % of woman who received the postnatal care for the last delivery showed only 37.5%. 9) Immunization rate of the children under 2 years old showed relatively high and looked successful. The breast feeding for these children showed dominantly in the most. Most of the mothers in Sanpuk area had started the supplementary diet during weaning period of their infants of 6th and 7th month after birth. * : Sanpuk area is a demstration area for community development which has been supported by the Community Development Foundation during the part 10 years. The village is relatively closer to urban area such as Seoul, However, it has a similar characteristics shown as a remote village because of geographical location and inconvenient transportation at present.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.54 no.3
• /
• pp.283-294
• /
• 2003

Introduction : Rapidly growing nontuberculous mycobacteria (RGM) can produce numerous types of manifestations including a pulmonary infection. Managing a pulmonary infection due to RGM is unusually difficult to treat because the organism is invariably resistant to traditional antituberculous drugs and has a varying susceptibility to other antibiotics. The experiences of treatments for a RGM pulmonary infection with various antibiotics are also limited. This study evaluated the clinical manifestations, treatment, and the therapeutic outcomes of a RGM pulmonary infection. Subjects and method : Fifty-four cases with RGM from respiratory specimens were identified between November of 1996 and September of 2002 in the Asan medical center. The medical records and radiographic findings in 20 patients who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) pulmonary disease by ATS guidelines. The clinical, laboratory, and radiological parameters between subgroups. Results : Of the 20 patients, 15 were female. The mean age was 57.7 yrs (${\pm}7.5$), and all of the patients had a history of pulmonary tuberculosis. Most (90%) had an underlying lung disease. The majority of the isolates (80%) were M. abscessus. Chest radiography showed bilateral involvement in 80% of the patients. Bronchiectasis and multiple nodules were the main findings. Cavitation was present in 35% of the patients. Even though 70 % of the patients received antituberculous drugs prior to the correct diagnosis, all of the patients eventually received antibiotics. A mean of 3.5 antibiotics were given for an average of 439 days(${\pm}168$). After completing treatment, nine patients showed improvement after a mean 591(${\pm}311$) days of treatment, whereas the antibiotic treatment was unsuccessful in 2 patients. Conclusion : Many patients with a RGM pulmonary infection show an atypical pattern of radiological findings (bronchiectasis and multiple centrilobular nodules). It is very important to differentiate between M. tuberculosis and NTM and to identify the causative organisms among the NTM because a misdiagnosis can lead to an inappropriate and prolonged treatment. Combined antibiotic treatment yielded promising results, and is recommended for treating patients with a RGM pulmonary infection.