• Title/Summary/Keyword: Life status

Search Result 5,043, Processing Time 0.037 seconds

Task Analysis of Paramedics of Korea Based on DACUM Method (DACUM 기법에 의한 1급 응급구조사의 직무분석)

  • Bae, Ki-Sook;Koh, Bong-Yeun;Lee, Jung-Eun;Lee, In-Mo;Choi, Keun-Myoung;Kim, Soo-Tae
    • The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
    • /
    • v.15 no.1
    • /
    • pp.5-23
    • /
    • 2011
  • Objective : This study grasps specific task on paramedics who plays a great role in the emergency scene, thereby eliciting definition of job called paramedics and analyzing occupation by DACUM method. Thus, the aim is to suggest working-level guidelines on the task of paramedics. Methods : It targeted paramedics who are working at hospitals, fire stations, and industries in Seoul and Gyeonggi area from Oct. 11, 2010 to Nov. 30. A total of 608 copies of questionnaire were analyzed by DACUM method. A research tool on occupational analysis consisted of 8 pieces for duty, 43 pieces for task, and 149 pieces for task elements. In order to survey performance frequency, importance, and difficulty by element, each task was developed by this research team, and each task was analyzed and finally elicited through workshop of DACUM method. Results : The occupational definition of paramedics, which was defined through this DACUM, was elicited as 'professional job of performing emergency medical care on the scene, during transferring, or within medical institution in order to maintain life and prevent wound deterioration, targeting a person who is put in emergency situation.' Task element, whose performance frequency was indicated to be the highest, was in order of checking mental status($2.76{\pm}0.497$), checking vital signs($2.70{\pm}0.578$), and airway/c-spine immobilization($2.69{\pm}.546$). Especially, defibrillation stood at $2.23{\pm}.655$ points. Task element, whose performance frequency was low, was in order of caring sexual abuse victims($1.32{\pm}0.563$), performing cricothyrotomy($1.36{\pm}0.618$), and caring cardiac arrest victims($1.40{\pm}0.636$). Importance of task was in order of airway/c-spine immobilization ($2.88{\pm}0.338$), maintenance of respiration($2.88{\pm}0.351$), caring cardiac arrest victims($2.87{\pm}0.349$), and performing CPR($2.87{\pm}0.361$). Task element, whose importance is low, was indicated to be in order of enema($2.29{\pm}0.736$), urinary catheterization($2.35{\pm}0.664$), and nasogastric intubation($2.35{\pm}0.667$). Task element, whose difficulty was shown to be the highest, was indicated to be in order of caring cardiac arrest victims during pregnancy ($2.60{\pm}0.559$), caring cardiovascular injury($2.59{\pm}0.546$), and labor management($2.53{\pm}0.533$). Conclusion : Based on the results of this study, the job performance work table(Dacom chart) of paramedics is suggested to be used, thereby being applied to development in education and curriculum of paramedics. It is necessary to evaluate usefulness of the job performance work table by estimating effect of education for paramedics based on the job performance work table of paramedics.

Predictive Factors of Health promotion behaviors of Industrial Shift Workers (산업장 교대근무 근로자의 건강증진행위 예측요인)

  • Kim, Young-Mi
    • Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
    • /
    • v.11 no.1
    • /
    • pp.13-30
    • /
    • 2002
  • Industrial shift workers feels suffer mental stresses which are caused by unfamiliar day sleep, noisy environment, sleeping disorder by bright light, unusual contacts with family, difficulty in meeting with friends or having formal social meetings and other social limitations such as the use of transportation. Such stresses influence health of the workers negatively. Thus the health promotion policy for shift workers should be made considering the workers' ways of living and shift work specially. This study attempted to provide basic information for development of the health promotion program for industrial shift workers by examining predictive factors influencing health promotion behaviors of those workers. In designing the study, three power generation plants located in Pusan and south Kyungsang province were randomly selected and therefrom 280 workers at central control, boiler and turbine rooms and environmental chemistry parts whose processes require shift works were sampled as subjects of the study. Data were collected two times from September 17 to October 8, 1999 using questionnaires with helps of safety and health managers of the plants. The questionnaires were distributed through mails or direct visits. Means for the study included the measurement tool of health promotion behavior provided by Park(1995), the tool of self-efficacy measurement by Suh(1995), the tool of internal locus of control measurement by Oh(1987), the measurement tool of perceived health state by Park(1995) and the tool of social support measurement by Paek(1995). The collected data were analyzed using SPSS program. Controlling factors of the subjects were evaluated in terms of frequency and percentage ratio Perceived factors and health promotion behaviors of the subjects were done so in terms of mean and standard deviation, and average mark and standard deviation, respectively. Relations between controlling and perceived factors were analyzed using t-test and ANOVA and those between perceived factors and the performance of health promotion behaviors, using Pearson's Correlation Coefficient. The performance of health promotion behaviors was tested using t-test, ANOVA and post multi-comparison (Scheffe test). Predictive factors of health promotion behavior were examined through the Stepwise Multiple Regression Analysis. Results of the study are summarized as follows. 1. The performance of health promotion behaviors by the subjects was evaluated as having the value of mean, $161.27{\pm}26.73$ points(min.:60, max.:240) and average mark, $2.68{\pm}0.44$ points(min.:1, max.:4). When the performance was analyzed according to related aspects, it showed the highest level in harmonious relation with average mark, $3.15{\pm}.56$ points, followed by hygienic life($3.03{\pm}.55$), self-realization ($2.84{\pm}.55$), emotional support($2.73{\pm}.61$), regular meals($2.71{\pm}.76$), self-control($2.62{\pm}.63$), health diet($2.62{\pm}.56$), rest and sleep($2.60{\pm}.59$), exercise and activity($2.53{\pm}.57$), diet control($2.52{\pm}.56$) and special health management($2.06{\pm}.65$). 2. In relations between perceived factors of the subjects(self-efficacy, internal locus of control, perceived health state) and the performance of health promotion behaviors, the performance was found having significantly pure relations with self-efficacy (r=.524, P=.000), internal locus of control (r=.225, P=.000) and perceived health state(r=.244, P=.000). The higher each evaluated point of the three factors was, the higher the performance was in level. 3. When relations between the controlling factors(demography-based social, health-related, job-related and human relations characteristics) and the performance of health promotion behaviors were analyzed, the performance showed significant differences according to marital status (t=2.09, P= .03), religion(F=3.93, P= .00) and participation in religious activities (F=8.10, P= .00) out of demography-based characteristics, medical examination results (F=7.20, P= .00) and methods of the collection of health knowledge and information(F=3.41, P= .01) and methods of desired health education(F=3.41, P= .01) out of health-related characteristics, detrimental factors perception(F=4.49, P= .01) and job satisfaction(F=8.41, P= .00) out of job-related characteristics and social support(F=14.69, P= .00) out of human relations characteristics. 4. The factor which is a variable predicting best the performance of health promotion behaviors by the subjects was the self-efficacy accounting for 27.4% of the prediction, followed by participation in religious activities, social support, job satisfaction, received health state and internal locus of control in order all of which totally account for 41.0%. In conclusion, the predictive factor which most influence the performance of health promotion behaviors by shift workers was self-efficacy. To promote the sense, therefore, it is necessary to develop the nursing intervention program considering predictive factors as variables identified in this study. Further industrial nurses should play their roles actively to help shift workers increase their capability of self-management of health.

  • PDF

A Study on Home Economist Education with Refrence to the Business Activities in Korea (가정학교육과 취업방안연구)

  • 한상순
    • Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
    • /
    • v.27 no.2
    • /
    • pp.163-185
    • /
    • 1989
  • Korean home economics education has around 100 years history. The main aims of home economics education up 1950 had not been changed, they were mainly for the improvement of household-skill to raise both standard of living and life quality as well as womanhood. After 1960's the standard of living drastically improved and the industrialization of Korean society was quite rapidly proceeded from simple to complex one. Because of these changes, I considered that the aims and the contents of home economics education should be reexamined and reshaped. This study motivated me that especially home economics major should be trained to be competent enough to work in industrialized society as much as the input to her college education. As industialization was made progress, family member's diverse role differentiation also occurred from past simple role such as house wife or girl's high school teacher among by home economics major. In this current societal change, most of the home economics major have wish to have opportunities obtaining new kinds of employment rather than obtaining merely teaching work. With this in mind I made a study on college level home economics education of the new adjustment to current and future industrialized Korean society. (1) The full number of officially admissible home economics major in 169 Korean colleges, 70 junior colleges, and one open university were as follows, 7139, 6080, and 230 respectively. The percentages of employed of employed numbers of them for the college and junior college graduates were 26.5 and 39.0 respectively. (2) The certificate qualifications issued to college home economics major are nutritionist (1st grade and 2nd grade), clothes and textilist, home economics teacher (2nd grade for high school) and kindergartener (2nd grade), The qualifications are certified after majoring each field from major departments of college of home economics by Ministrys of Labour and Education of the Korean government. The percentages of their employment are low as mentioned earlier. (3) To find out new employment opportunity for home economics graduates in home economist in business (henceforce/HEIB) status quo of consumer division for mational enterprise was surveyed. According to govermment decree of general law of consumer protection (1980), enterprise should organize bureau (offics, subdivision) on liability to consumer's complaint. Of 89.6% of the enterprise established th subdivision in which 96.2% of employee was male (3.8% was female). Of the employee college graduate and high school graduate were 93.2% and 6.8% respectively. On the employee's major acadmic backgroud (%), economics and business administration, engineering and low-political science were 39.5, 26.2 and 11.2 respectively. (4) To study on the relation between home economics and home economist in business, the aspect of historical development of HEIB, group of HEIB employing enterprise and their nature of business were tried to find out as well as perception and evaluation by enterprise on HEIB. (a) In the united States of America employed home economics major to enterprise was organized autonomously HEIB subdivision within American Home Economics Association since 1920's and the membership of HEIB was 3,000 of the AHEA membership 50,000. (b) In Japan the Japanese founder HEIB had three times the bilateral congress with the U.S.HEIB and had 10th anniversary celebration in 1988. Japanese HEIB member are not necessary to be home economics graduates but should have certificate as consumer adviser effected by the Minister of Trade and Industry. Japanese subdivision of consumer affaire within Japanese enterprise employ the consumer adviser with the certificate. Because of this different system from the United Sates, Japanese HEIB call their title "HEEB" instead of HEIB. The Japanese consumer adviser certificate system had initiated since 1980 and it belongs to 2nd level national qualification certificate. Currently active membership of Japanese "HEEB" association had increased from 115 (in 1979) to 319 in 1988. (5) For the opening of the future new employment of home economics graduates to enterprise and qualification required for the HEIB by national enterprise in Korea, I studied on the courses which seem to be important and required by employee in the field of HEEB in the United States of America and preliminary curriculum for home economics related major student aimning to be the future "HEEB" by Japanese HEEB study group of Japanese Association of Home Economics. It is suggested that it is very important and urgent to realize as home economics educator to have common deep concern and endeavors on opening new employment for our home economics major student1), we should try to publicize strongly and let enterprise and consumer protection board realize that employee in the subdivision of consumer protection should be the one who well experienced home economics major graduates2), we, home economics educator, should try to develop actively new curriculum in line of the suggestion made earlier for our future home economics major student of open broadly their future employment opportunities3), we, home economics educators, should try to have consensus on whether we should have support from government in terms of receiving national qualification certificate on consumer pretection or not4), and I would appreciate if the Korean Home Economics Association and Korean Home Management Society paydeep and positive concern on this matter.

  • PDF

Food Preferences and Nutrient Intakes of College Students in Kangwon Province (강원도 지역 대학생들의 음식 기호도 및 영양 섭취 실태 조사연구)

  • 최영심;유양자;김종군;남상명;정명은;정차권
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
    • /
    • v.30 no.1
    • /
    • pp.175-182
    • /
    • 2001
  • The main focus of this study was set to help college students in Kangwon province to improve and correct dietary habits and to maintain healthy life. The nutritional status and food preference of college students were examined from May to July, 1999. The collection of the research data has been made on the basis of questionnaries for 184 college students residing in Kangwon province. Statistical analysis of the data was performed using SAS package program for descriptive frequency and statistical significance. The meal skipping ratio of the subjects were 2% and for the reasons of meal skipping 45% responded "lack of time". As for main dishes, cooked rice turned out to be the most preferred by the subjects and the second and third favored by female students were bread and noodle respectively. Most preferred side-dishes were meat soup, kimchi, laver Kui,squid Bockeum, fried squid, beef Chon, squid Chorim, soy Namul, Dubuk Changachi and squid Muchim. Less preferred side-dishes include radish soup, white kimchi, mugwort fry, liver Bockeum, liver sheon and egg plant Kui. No one-plate food was disliked by the subjects. Male liked Manndukuk and female liked cuttle fish rice. The intakes of nutrient except for energy, iron and calcium for female students were the same or above the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for Koreans.

  • PDF

A Theory Construction on the Care Experience for Spouses of Patients with Chronic Illness (만성질환자 배우자의 돌봄 경험에 대한 이론 구축)

  • Choi, Kyung-Sook;Eun, Young
    • Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
    • /
    • v.30 no.1
    • /
    • pp.122-136
    • /
    • 2000
  • Chronic illness requiring attention and management during a long period of time puts great burden onto patients, their family and society. For patients with chronic illnesses, providing social support is the most important, and the fundamental support comes from their spouses. Amount and quality of support from spouses seems to differentiated according to the sex of patients. Female patients tend to believe that their spouses are not very supportive. Therefore, the researchers assessed the burden of husbands of female arthritis patients to discover the factors that result in greater burden. Also, they developed a theoretical model of husbands′ care for their wives through a qualitative research into husbands′ experience. Method 1: The study material was 650 female arthritis patients registered in an arthritis clinic. The questionnaire about the disease experience of female arthritis patients and the burden of husbands were sent. Returned questionnaires numbered 210(32.3%) and 27 were excluded because of inadequate answers. The remaining 183 questionnaires were analyzed. The mean age of the patients was 51 years and the mean age of spouses was 55 years. The mean marital period was 28 years. The average duration since diagnosis was 9.1 years. Education level was varied from primary school to graduate school, and average income/month was 1,517,300 won. Method 2: Initial questionnaire studies on the burden of husbands were performed. Among 183 responding husbands, 23 consented to participate for a qualitative research. Data was obtained by direct and telephone interviews. The mean age of participants was 58 years, and the educational level and socioeconomic status also varied. Result: 1. Husbands′ burden: The average burden was 57.68 with a range of 6-96. 2. Burden and general characteristics: The husband′s burden correlated with the age of the patients, numbers in the family, therapy methods, patient′s level of discomfort, patient′s disease severity, patient′s level of dependence and the husband′s understanding of the level of severity. 3. Linear correlation analysis on burden: The husbands′ burden is explained in 22.5% by husband′s recognition of level of severity and husbands′ age. 4. There were four patterns of the burden on husbands: both objectve burden and subjective burden were high(pattern I), both of objectve burden and subjective burden were low(pattern II), objective burden was high but subjective burden was low(pattern III), objective burden was low but subjective burden was high(pattern IV). The pattern was correlated with the family income, educational level of the patients and their husbands, therapy methods, patient′s level of discomfort, patient′s disease severity, patient′s level of dependence and husband′s understanding of level of severity. 5. The core category of the caring experience of the husbands with arthritis patients was "companionship". The causal factor was the patients′ experience due to symptoms : physical disfigurement, pain, immobility, limitation of house chores, and limitation of social activities. Contextural factors are husbands′ identification of housework and husbands′ concern about the disease. The mediating factors are economic problems, fear of aging, feeling of limitation and family support. The strategy for interaction is mind control and how to solve emotional stress. The "companionship" resulted from caring activities, participation of household activities, helping patients′ to coping with emotional experience. 6. Companionship is established through the process of entering intervention, and caring state of mind. Entering intervention is the phase of participation of therapy and involvement of houseworks. The caring phase consists of decision on therapy, providing therapy, providing direct care, and taking over the household role of wife. Through caring phase, the changing phase set a stage in which husbands consolidate the relationship with their wives, and are reminded of the meaning of marriage. As a result, in changing phase, husbands′ companionship is enhanced. In conclusion, nursing care of chronic illnesses should include a family member especially the spouse. All information on disease shoud be provided to patients and whole family member. Strong support should also be provided to overcome difficulties in taking over role of other sex. Then the quality of life of patients and families will be much improved.

  • PDF

Exploring Changes in College Students' Perceptions of Science and Scientists through a Documentary Focused on Their Daily Lives and Research (과학자들의 일상과 연구과정을 다룬 다큐멘터리를 통한 대학생들의 과학 및 과학자에 대한 인식변화 탐색)

  • Lee, Hyunok;Mun, Jiyeong
    • Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
    • /
    • v.38 no.2
    • /
    • pp.293-304
    • /
    • 2018
  • In spite of a growing number of recent studies that indicate students are coming to view scientists with more varied images, the stereotypical image of scientists remains in many students' minds. In this study, the authors explore how college students change their perceptions of science and scientists through the use of a documentary that focuses on scientists' daily lives, including laboratory life, and their emotional ups-and-downs. We analyzed 109 college students' essays on perceptions about scientists after watching the documentary. As a result, 64.2% of the college students declared that there was a change in their perception of scientists. The students' new perceptions of science and scientists are as follows: 1) scientists undergo emotional ups-and-downs just like any normal person; 2) scientists experience numerous failures while researching; 3) science does not have a fixed answer and scientists undertake research with creativity; 4) scientists conduct research in collaboration, but also in highly competitive environments; 5) scientists are often frustrated with their socio-economic status. The students' previous perceptions on science and scientists were mainly stereotypical ones that have been reported in previous studies. In addition, of the other college students who did not change their perceptions, the majority declared that they have new perceptions such as 1) - 5). Only a small percentage of students (7.3%) had unchanged stereotypical perceptions. These results are interpreted as that college students relatively easily change their stereotypical images of scientists after watching the documentary but, alternatively, the results can be interpreted that the most stereotypical images of college students are not perceptions that form a deep impression, but rather they are simply depictions of representative images of scientists given from outside sources (e.g. the mass media and school).

Clinical Experience of Long-term Home Oxygen Therapy (재택산소요법을 받고 있는 환자들에 대한 임상 관찰)

  • Lee, Young-Suk;Cha, Seung-Ick;Han, Chun-Duk;Kim, Chang-Ho;Kim, Yeun-Jae;Park, Jae-Yong;Jung, Tae-Hoon
    • Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
    • /
    • v.40 no.3
    • /
    • pp.283-291
    • /
    • 1993
  • Background: Long-term low flow oxygen therapy not only increases survival, but also improves the quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with chronic hypoxemia. For the assessment and improvement of the status of home oxygen therapy, we analyzed clinical experience of 26 patients who have been administered low flow oxygen at home. Method: Twenty-six patients (18 men and 8 women) who have been received long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) at home were examined. We reviewed physical characteristics, clinical history, pulmonary function test, ECG, arterial blood gas analysis, hemoglobin and hematocrit, types of oxygen devices, inhalation time per day, concentration of administered $O_2$, duration of $O_2$ therapy, and problems in the home oxygen therapy. Results: The underlying diseases of patients were COPD 14 cases, far advanced old pulmonary tuberculosis 9 cases, bronchiectasis 2 cases, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis 1 case. The reasons for LTOT at home were noted for cor pulmonale 21 cases, for dyspnea on exertion and severe ventilatory impairment 4 cases, and for oxygen desaturation during sleep 1 case. The mean values of aterial blood gas analysis before home oxygen therapy were $PaO_2$ 57.7 mmHg, $PaCO_2$ 48.2 mmHg, and $SaO_2$ 87.7%. And the mean values of each parameters in the pulmonary function test were VC 2.05 L, $FEV_1$ 0.92 L, and $FEV_1$/FVC% 51.9%. Nineteen patients have used oxygen tanks as oxygen devices, 1 patient oxygen concentrator, 2 patients oxygen tank and liquid oxygen, and other 4 patients oxygen tank together with portable oxygen. The duration of oxygen therapy was below 1 year in 3 cases, 1~2 years in 15 cases, 3~5 years in 6 cases, 9 years in 1 case, and 10 years in 1 case. All patients have inhalated oxygen with flow rate less than 2.5 L/min. And only 10 patients have inhalated oxygen more than 15 hours per day, but most of them short time per day. Conclusion: For the effective oxygen administration, it is necessary that education for long-term low flow oxygen therapy to patients, their family and neighbor should be done, and also the institutional backup for getting convenient oxygen devices is required.

  • PDF

Early Response of Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test in Patients with Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treated with Systemic Chemotherapy (국소진행성 폐암환자에 대한 전신항암화학요법이 운동부하 심.폐기능에 미치는 영향 : 초기변화를 중심으로)

  • Shin, Kyeong-Cheol;Chung, Jin-Hong;Lee, Kwan-Ho
    • Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
    • /
    • v.53 no.4
    • /
    • pp.369-378
    • /
    • 2002
  • Background : The effects of chemotherapy on pulmonary function are mainly a reduced diffusion capacity and a restrictive ventilatory impairment. Exercise can expose cardiovascular and pulmonary abnormalities not evident at rest. Exercise related cardiopulmonary function is important in patients with malignant disease as a determinant of quality of life. We performed this study to evaluate the changes of body composition and cadiopulmonary exercise perfoemance of patients with locally advanced, non-small cell, lung cancer (NSCLC) before and after chemotherapy. Methods : We evaluated resting pulmonary function, body composition, physiologic performance status, and cardiopulmonary exercise function in 11 patients with locally advanced NSCLC, at diagnosis and prior to the fourth cycle of chemotherapy. Results : After chemotherapy, 4 patients (36.4%) showed partial response and 7 (63.4%) had stable disease. After chemotherapy, diffusion capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide was reduced ($89.7{\pm}34.1%$, vs. $71.9{\pm}20.5%$) but not significantly. There were no significant changes in body composition or the state of physiologic performance after chemotherapy. There was a significant impairment of cardiopulmonary exercise tolerance in patients with NSCLC, evidenced by a reduction of maximal oxygen uptake ($VO_2$max, ml/kg/min, $17.9{\pm}2.6$ : $12.6{\pm}6.1$, <0.05) and $O_2$pulse ($O_2$ pulse, ml/beat, $7.0{\pm}1.7$, $5.2{\pm}2.1$, <0.05). Conclusion : Systemic chemotherapy resulted in a loss of cardiopulmonary exercise function in patients with locally advanced NSCLC within the short-term period, but not a physiologic change of body composition within the same period.

Evaluation of the Clinical Usefulness of the Xeniss Rapid TB kit for the Diagnosis of Tuberculosis (결핵진단에서 Xeniss Rapid TB kit의 임상적 유용성)

  • Park, Seung-Kyu;Lee, Woo-Chul;Hwang, Soo-Hee;Kwon, Eun-Si;Lee, Hung-Soon;Lee, Duk-Hyoung
    • Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
    • /
    • v.53 no.4
    • /
    • pp.389-400
    • /
    • 2002
  • Background : The rapid diagnostic tests for tuberculosis are needed to facilitate early treatment of tuberculosis and prevention of Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission. The Xeniss Rapid TB kit is a rapid, card-based immunochromatographic test for the detection of antibodies directed against M. tuberculosis antigens including antigen 5(38-kDa antigen). The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of the Xeniss Rapid TB kit for the diagnosis of active tuberculosis with serums from patients, asymptomatic healthy and close contact controls. Methods : 188 patients with active tuberculosis were tested; 177 with pulmonary tuberculosis(18 with combined pleurisy), and 11 with extrapulmonary tuberculosis. The control groups were composed of 82 close contacts and 57 healthy adults. Study subject were drawn from one national tuberculosis hospital for patients and close contacts, and another private hospital for healthy adults in Masan city, Korea. The Xeniss Rapid TB kit(Xeniss Life Science Co., Ltd., Seoul, Korea) was evaluated by using serum samples according to the instructions of the manufacturer by an investigator masked to the clinical and microbiological status of the study subjects. Results : The diagnostic sensitivity of the Xeniss Rapid TB kit was 73.9% in patients and specificities were 73.2% and 93.0% in close contact and healthy adults respectively. The positive predictive value in patients was 84.2% and the negative predictive value in controls was 85.8%. Conclusion : This study shows that the Xeniss Rapid TB test is a simple and fast method to diagnose active TB. The results of the sensitivity and specificites suggest that serodiagnosis using this point of care testing(POCT) device would be valuable and advantageous for screening tuberculosis in the clinical field.

Serum Immunoglobulin levels in Coal Worker's Pneumoconiosis Patients (진폐증 환자에서의 혈청 면역 글로불린의 변화)

  • Yoo, Kwang-Ha;Ahn, Chul-Min;Kim, Hyung-Joong;Kim, Young-Ho;Lee, Yong-Kyoo;Kim, Sung-Kyu;Lee, Won-Young
    • Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
    • /
    • v.46 no.2
    • /
    • pp.165-174
    • /
    • 1999
  • Background: Coal-worker's pneumoconiosis(CWP) is radiologically divided into two major groups: simple pneumoconiosis (SP), in which small, rounded or irregular opacities smaller than 1cm are observed, and progressive massive fibrosis(PMF), which is characterized by opacities larger than 1cm. SP has a life expectancy equivalent to miners with no radiographic evidence of CWP, but PMF is associated with more obvious impairments of ventilatory capacity and premature death. But only minority of workers develop PMF when exposed to dust concentrations similar to those experienced by workers who develop only SP. In this study, immune status in patients with CWP were evaluated by measurement of the serum immunoglobulin levels between control, SP and PMF groups. Method: Coal workers selected for this study were emplyees of the Tae-Baek and Dong-Hae Hospital. All the patients were men of 45-76 years old and the mean duration of exposure to coal dust were 23.2 years. By X-ray examination, 51 patients were classified in SP, 59 in PMF category. The normal controls examined were 58 men of 26-70 years old. Serum Ig levels were estimated by using Nephelometer(Behring Nephelometer : Germany) and serum were collected 51 in SP, 49 in PMF and 57 cases in control group. Results: The levels of IgG were increased but the levels of IgM were decreased with increasing age in control groups. There were no statistical difference of immunoglobulin levels between smokers and nonsmokers in control groups. There were no statistical difference of immunoglobulin levels between Control, SP and PMF groups. Multiple regression analysis were undertaken to determine the statistical significance of the apparent trends and estimate the effects associated with age, smoking habit and radiological category of CWP. According to this analysis, the levels of IgG were decreased significantly in SP group and had decreasing tendancy, but not statistically significant in PMF group. Conclusion : From the observations described, CWP patients had decreased IgG concentration compared to control gorup. Therefore, there was some relation between CWP and immunoglobulin concentration.

  • PDF