• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.130-136
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• 2016

The aim of this study was to examine and analyze the infection management status of Jeju-area general hospitals, and in order to convey the importance of infection management, and to determine role plans of medical technologists as infection management staff, the infection management status was examined through surveys targeting 7 general hospitals located in Jeju Special Self-Governing Province. The infection management of Jeju-area medical institutions showed excellence in that all institutions operated an infection management room, there was dedicated manpower, and hospital infection management guidelines were established and executed. However most institutions were operating their infection management room with only 1 nurse, reporting many difficulties in securing dedicated manpower, microbe-related culture deciphering, frequency of multiple-resistance bacteria, infection statistics, and details on microbe testing. Accordingly, it is believed that the medical technologist who can perform the practical tasks of infection management has sufficient qualification and experience in infection management as per the medical law enforcement regulations, and in operation of an infection management room. If medical technologists (infection control microbiological technologist) with expert knowledge on microbes and infection control nurses can execute the tasks as dedicated personnel, the operation of the infection management room will be more advanced. In addition, for proper infection management in the future, the introduction of a medical system specialized in infection management and full support for infection management of vulnerable small/medium hospitals in addition to general hospitals across the country is considered important.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.37-48
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• 2006

Dental personnels faced risks of infection in the clinic. For infection control, recognition and practice of dental personnels are important factor. This study was performed to investigate the recognition and practice of dental hygiene for infection control and infection waste control. A stratified convenience sample of dental hygienists in dental health-care settings. The major finding of the present study are as follows: 1. The existence of education about Standard Precaution and low of infection waste storage was higher dental hospital than dental clinic. 2. The degree of practice in the storage of dental wastes was low in absorbent cotton and body tissue exclude damage waste. And the degree of practice in the disposal of dental wastes was high in all three. 3. Practice in the storage of dental waste was higher dental hospital than dental clinic. 4. At the conclusion of this investigation, systematic refresher training of infection control should be prepared by campaign an various media, Dental health care workers should be encouraged to practice those action items from training. For successful implementation of infection control in every dental health-care settings, it is highly demanded as well that development of effective safe-guard tools, stategic support, and standardized action items against infection problems.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.87-95
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• 2016

Purpose: Recently an experience in the MERS crisis focused on the importance of infection control in hospitals. According to Korean National healthcare-associated Infection Surveillance System (KONIS) of the KSICP, a great number of 498 people, 841 people, and 1021 people were infected by pneumonia, urinary tract infection, and bacteremia respectively from 94 hospital ICUs during the year of 2014. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the configuration and design guidelines for the ICU rooms to minimize the nosocominal infections. Methods: Based on the several infection control guidelines and revised Medical Law, consequent analyses which classified the planning and operational behavior in the ICUs of seven hospitals, were performed to reduce the cross-infection. Results: The results of this study are offering a space, configuration and design guidelines for effective infection control in the intensive care units through the unit-bed area, the bed-to-bed distance, the isolation room, etc. Implications: It is expected that this study propose the direction of architectural planning and guideline for the ICU room in order to realize the intension of revised Medical Law.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.359-369
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• 2018

An essential measure to prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAI) is to develop a consistent system of surveillance, thereby promoting a reliable situation diagnosis to perform efficient control for the problem. Patient-to-patient transmission of pathogens within the hospital plays a substantial role in the epidemiology of HAIs. Contamination of healthcare environments commonly occurs, including facilities surfaces (e.g., bed rails, bedside tables), drinking water, cooling tower water, endoscopic instruments, food, airborne, endotoxin test, sterile test and medical equipment, with pathogenic organisms. In addition, epidemiological analysis is performed by multi locus sequence tying, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis for active surveillance. Therefore, an environmental surveillance culture test for prevention improves patient safety and blocks infection agents. Effective infection control and increased safety are possible by controlling the national infection control system. In conclusion, this study contributes to an effective infection control system through the standardization of active surveillance culture laboratory and secure expertise as infection control specialist. The primary objective of the standardization is to improve the safety of the nation's healthcare system by reducing the rates of HAIs.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.6 no.5
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• pp.335-342
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• 2012

This study aims to find a way to control infection of community radiology effectively by calculating the degree of contamination, culture and identifying the flora in radiology of five general hospitals in Gyeongsangbuk-do. Staphylococcus, Micrococcus, Pseudomonas stutzeri, Pseudomonas oryzihabitans were identified as surface flora. These are know to be pathogens of hospital acquired infection and there was no radiology-specific flora. Research subject hospitals were conducting similar infection control education but degree of contamination of each hospital showed significant difference. Difference in degree of contamination according to contact sources were analyzed by Contact sources were classified into technologist-using, patients-using and common-using materials. Analysis of each hospital's degree of contamination showed that patient-using materials were significantly more contaminated than technologist-using and common-using materials (p<0.001). Devices which are similar to each other in monthly average frequency of use showed no significant difference in degree of contamination, but general X-ray devices and chest boards which are used most frequently showed higher degree of contamination than others. In addition, hospital A, B and C which have heavier monthly average caseload showed relatively high degree of contamination on irradiation devices which are used by technologists only or by technologists and patients commonly, office desks and doorpulls. Hence it is considered that intensity of infection control education should be different according to the degree of monthly average caseload. This study provided an opportunity to aware that technologists' feeling of contamination is crucial for infection control of radiology, and the Accupoint ATP public hygiene monitoring system which was used in this study for measuring the degree of contamination was proved to be an effective measuring device for hospital acquired infection management.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.30-42
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• 2013

Objectives: This study was intended to check if the "Creating Clean Wards" project, which is an innovative reinforced campaign activity targeting infection control strategies and active surveillance cultures for VRE (vancomycin resistant enterococci) high-risk patients to be admitted in the NS (neuro-surgery) wards, would be reduced the incidence rates of VRE acquisition, transmission rates. Methods: 75 subjects of the VRE high-risk patients were surveyed by carrying out active surveillance cultures of VRE colonization 11 times from January to March, 2012. And the retrospective study was conducted dividing them into two groups. Results: The incidence rates of VRE acquisition was reduced to 3.67 cases per 1,000 patients day in the control group and to 2.88 cases in experimental group, which was not statistically significant (p = .753). VRE transmission rates of 0.0015 per day before the project tended to increase to 0.0019, although not statistically significant (p = .650). As a result of multivariate analysis with regard to using glycopeptide antibiotics in order to find out risk factors of VRE colonization, the patients who had been treated with glycopeptide until VRE colonization showed 274.41 times higher rate. Conclusion : For effective VRE infection control in NS wards, We should carry out active surveillance culture regularly, especially patient of using glycopeptide. And block the spread of VRE by strengthening infection control through the strict isolation and the changed mind-set of members motivated by the "Creating Clean Wards" campaign.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.677-688
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• 2019

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the perception of dental hospital accreditation and the awareness and practice of infection control in dental hygienists. Methods: A self-reported questionnaire was completed by 238 dental hygienists working at dental hospitals in Gwangju Jeonnam and analyzed from October 24, 2016 to September 22, 2017. Data were analyzed with the independent t-test, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson's correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software, version 21.0. Results: Compared to non-accredited dental hospitals, all three variables were high for accredited dental hospitals. In accredited dental hospitals, healthcare accreditation expectancy effects correlated to awareness (r=0.407) and practice (r=0.533) of infection control, and awareness of infection control correlated to its practice (r=0.725). In non-accredited dental hospitals, healthcare accreditation expectancy effects correlated to awareness of infection control (r=0.239), and awareness of infection control correlated to its practice (r=0.481). Accredited dental hospitals showed healthcare accreditation expectancy effects (${\beta}=0.258$) and awareness of infection control (${\beta}=0.556$), and non-accredited dental hospitals were influenced by the number of employees (${\beta}=0.567$) and awareness of infection control (${\beta}=0.376$). Conclusions: It is necessary to develop efficient and systematic infection control programs to improve the awareness and practice of infection control in dental hygienists and patient's safety in the clinical field.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.33-49
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• 2015

Objectives : This study was conducted to measure the effects of healthcare accreditation (HA) on the changes in infection control (IC). Methods : Questionnaires were e-mailed to 60 hospitals from 23 October to 23 December, 2011. Data were analyzed by SPSS 12.0. Results : Finally 50 hospitals (83.0%) were enrolled in the study: Seoul area (40.0%), tertiary (76.0%), and >500 beds (98.0%). Nine hospitals (18.0%) had a full time infection control nurse[ICN] with 300 beds. Among various factors, ICN (36.0%), hospital facilities (66.0%), instruments (32.0%) and supplies (88.0%) all improved. Hand hygiene increased (53.1% vs 83.2%, p<.001), but it was continued only in 34.1% of hospitals. Healthcare-associated infection (68.4%), multi drug resistant organisms (42.1%) and outbreaks (26.3%) decreased. Reasons for difficulties in satisfying the HA standards were inadequate support which included hospital facilities, instruments, budget, and a shortage of ICNs and healthcare workers (HCWs). Conclusions : HA had effects on the IC, but they were transient. Staffing in ICN and HCW staffing, hospital facilities, instruments, and supplies all need to be improved.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.392-402
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• 2014

Purpose: This study was done to investigate the status of disinfection and sterilization in healthcare facilities. Method: A survey of 193 Korean healthcare facilities was conducted from February 8 to March 7, 2013. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, ${\chi}^2$ test, Fisher's exact test, one-way ANOVA, Scheffe with SPSS WIN 18.0. Results: Of the healthcare facilities 93.2% had specific guidelines for disinfection/sterilization, but only 47.9% had a committee on disinfection/sterilization for decision-making, less than half (42.7%) conducted regular monitoring of actual practices, while 83.9% had established procedures for recovery in case of problems with the disinfection process and 89.0% kept records and archives of disinfection practices. Cleaning process, selection of chemical disinfectants and process of disinfection and sterilization were found to be inadequate in some healthcare facilities. Perception score for adequacy of medical instruments was 8.10, environmental disinfection was 7.20, and sterilizer management was 8.45 out of a possible 10. Conclusion: Compared to larger institutions, smaller healthcare facilities had less effective disinfection and sterilization management systems, while some facilities showed inadequate practices for medical equipment and general sterilization. Better academic and state-level support is recommended for smaller facilities in order to establish a better system-wide management system.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.42-50
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• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the influence of Vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) knowledge and awareness with VRE infection control in compliance with VRE infection control among nurses in intensive care units. Method: Participants (N=154) were recruited in B city from August 2007 to October 2007. Data were analyzed with SPSS PC+. Result: The degree of VRE knowledge of the participants was 12.41 out of the total score, 17; that of awareness with VRE infection control was 3.87 out of the total score, 4; that of compliance with VRE infection control 3.75 out of the perfect score, 4. A significantly positive relationship between awareness of VRE infection control and compliance with VRE infection control has been observed. Awareness with VRE infection control and type of intensive care unitpredicted 21.1% of the variance in compliance with VRE infection control. Conclusion: The study indicated that awareness with VRE infection control has the most important impact on the compliance with VRE infection control for the participants. Based on the finding, a suggestion is made to continue the research on VRE knowledge and nosocomical infection on the subject of nurse and nurse managers who are responsible for infection control in a medical institution.