• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.43-46
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• 2007

Purpose : Neonatal bacterial meningitis has been known that its mortality and morbidity is high and its neurologic complications are common. This study was performed to review of the etiology of neonatal bacterial meningitis in Busan, Korea. Methods : We retrospectively analyzed 21 medical records of patients who were diagnosed neonatal bacterial meningitis in four university hospitals in Busan from January 1997 to December 2005. We analyzed age at onset of symptoms, symptoms at admission, causative organisms, and complications. Results : There were 11 male patients and 10 female patients. One premature neonate was included. 7 patients had symptoms at 2-3 weeks after birth and 6 patients at 1-2 weeks after birth. 18 cases had fever, 8 cases had seizure and some had poor feeding, lethargy and irritability. The most common organism causing neonatal bacterial meningitis was Group B streptococcus (GBS). 11 cases were due to GBS, 3 cases due to E. coli, 3 cases were due to Klebsiella pneumoniae, and 2 cases due to Streptococcus pneumoniae. one Listeria monocytogenes and one Enterobacter cloacae were included. 18 patients were alive and 3 patients died. Mental retardation, developmental delay and epilepsy occurred in a living patient. Conclusions : Although this was a retrospective study, we found that Group B streptococcus (GBS) was the most common organism causing neonatal bacterial meningitis and this data is nearly same as others in the world.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.209-218
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• 1999

Objectives : The aims of this study were to discriminate the clinical differences, to measure the estrogen and homovanillic acid levels, to evaluate a correlation between estrogen and homovanillic acid, and to identify an association of cognitive deficit with estrogen and homovanillic acid among male and female schizophrenics. Methods : In addition to the structured interviews, the plasma estrogen levels by radioimmunoassay and the homovanillic acid levels by HPLC were measured in 20 male and 21 female schizophrenics as well as 10 healthy male and 9 female controls. Results : 1) The plasma estrogen levels were higher in females than males, and significantly higher in female schizophenics than female controls. The homovanillic acid levels were higher in female schizophrenics than female controls, and were lower in male schizophrenics than male controls. 2) The onset age seemed to be earlier in male schizophrenics, and the frequency of admission, duration of antipsychotic drug administration, dosage of antipsychotics and duration of illnesses were more in males. The estrogen and homovanillic acid levels were significantly higher in female schizophrenics. 3) The estrogen levels had a significant positive correlation with sex, age and onset age, while the homovanillic acid levels did with sex. However, estrogen were not correlated with homovanillic acid levels. 4) The estrogen and homovanillic acid levels were not significantly different between male and female schizophrenics with cognitive deficits. In the schizophrenic patients without cognitive deficits, the estrogen levels were significantly higher in females, while there were no significant sex differences in homovanillic acid. 5) In the male and female schizophrenics predominantly with negative symptoms, there were no significant differences in estrogen and homovanillic acid levels. In those predominantly with positive symptoms, the estrogen levels were significantly higher in females, while there were no sex differences in homovanillic acid levels. 6) In schizophrenics with undifferentiated subtype, the estrogen and homovanillic acid levels were significantly higher in females. In those with paranoid or disorganized subtypes, the estrogen levels were significantly higher in females, while there were no sex differences in the homovanillic acid levels. 7) The mean values of PANSS-negative, PANSS-total, PANSS-CF, MMSE-K and estrogen levels were significantly higher in male schizophrenics with cognitive deficits. The mean values of illness duration, CGI, PANSS-positive, PANSS-negative, PANSS-total, PANSS-CF and MMSE-K were significantly higher in female schizophrenics with cognitive deficits. 8) The variables which showed significant correlation with cognitive deficits were PANSS-negative, PANSS-total, PANSS-CF, MMSE-K and estrogen levels in male schizophrenics. The variables which showed significant correlation with cognitive deficits were subtypes, onset age, illness durataion, CGI, PANSS-positive, PANSS-negative, PANSS-total, PANMSS-CF and MMSE-K in female schizophrenics. The estrogen levels were significantly correlated with admission frequencies, history of antipsychotic administration, duration of antipsychotic administration and cognitive deficits in male schizophrenics, while age were not correlated with in females. The homovanillic acid levels had a significant correlation with subtypes and onset age in male schizophrenics, while there were no correlation among variables in females. Conclusions : Although the plasma concentrations of estrogen and homovanillic acid in female schizophrenics were significantly higher than males, we could not find an association between them. Furthermore, the various factors affecting on the cognitive deficits, estrogen and homovanillic acid levels seemed to be somewhat different according to sex.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.200-209
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• 2017

Objectives : The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between depressive symptoms and sociodemographic factors associated with geriatric depression and insomnia and to examine the effects of these factors on depression. Methods : The severities of insomnia and depression in elderly aged 60 and older lived in Gwangmyeong city were evaluated and the related sociodemographic factors were investigated. From April 20, 2016 to December 1, 2016, Gwangmyeong city Mental Health Sevices consignment by department of psychiatry of a university-affiliated general hospital conducted surveys and interviews for total 837 elderly peoples lived in Gwangmyeong city by visiting welfare center and wards located in the city. Structured interviews were conducted using Insomnia Severity Index(ISI) and Short form-Geriatric Depression Scale(S-GDS) to examine the relationship between sociodemographic factors and the severities of insomnia and depression. Results : There were significant differences in S-GDS mean scores and age(below 70 years old, 70s, 80s, above 90 years old), type of health care(health insurance, medical aid), type of residency(own, not own) and marital status(single, married, divorced or widowed).There was a significant difference in education level, especially between not educated(and/or) elementary graduates and college graduate(F=3.227, p=0.012). Also, there were significant differences in age, type of health care, type of residency, number of household on divided S-GDS score above and below 10 scores(p<0.05). Insomnia measured by ISI was not significantly associated with sociodemographic factors(p>0.05), but was significantly associated with depressive symptoms(p<0.05). These findings suggest more severe insomnia symptom indicated the higher probability of depression and elderly with depressive symptoms had more severe insomnia. Conclusions : Geriatric depression has significant relationships with age, type of health care, type of residency, marital status, education and number of households. In addition, insomnia which is main symptom of depression in elderly, has important role in predicting the severity and diagnosis of depression.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.269-276
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• 1996

A theroretical study was made on the psychodynamism of somatoform disorder. Somatoform disorder is caused by a defense mechanism of somatization. Somatization is the tendency to react to stimuli(drives, defenses, and conflict between them) physically rather than psychically(Moore, 1990). Ford(1983) said it is a way of life, and Dunbar(1954) said it is the shift of psychic energy toward expression in somatic symptoms. As used by Max Shur(1955), somatization links symptom formation to the regression that may occur in response to acute and chronic conflict. In the neurotic individual psychic conflict often provokes regressive phenomena that may include somatic manifestations characteristic of an earlier developmental phase. Schur calls this resomatization. Pain is the most common example of a somatization reaction to conflict. The pain has an unconscious significance derived from childhood experiences. It is used to win love, to punish misdeeds, as well as a means to amend. Among all pains, chest pain has a special meaning. Generally speaking, 'I have pain in my chest' is about the same as 'I have pain in my mind'. The chest represent the mind, and the mind reminds us about the heart. So we have a high tendency to recognize mental pain as cardiac pain. Kellner(1990) said rage and hostility, especially repressed hostility, are important factors in somatization. In 'Psychoanalytic Observation on Cardiac Pain', psychoanalyst Bacon(1953) presented clinical cases of patients who complained of cardiac pain in a psychoanalytic session that spread from the left side of their chests down their left arms. The pain was from rage and fear which came after their desire to be loved was frustrated by the analyet. She said desires related to cardiac pain were dependency needs and aggressions. Empatic relationship and therapeutic alliances are indispensable to psychotherapy in somatoform disorder. The beginning of therapy is to discover a precipitating event from the time their symptoms have started and to help the patient understand a relation between the symptom and precipitating event. Its remedial process is to find and interpret a intrapsychic conflict shown through the symptoms of the patient. Three cases of somatoform disorder patients treated based on this therapeutic method were introduced. The firt patient, Mr. H, had been suffering from hysterical aphasia with repressed rage as ie psychodynamic cause. An interpretation related to the precipitating event was given by written communication, and he recovered from his aphasia after 3 days of the session. The second patient was a dentist in a cardiac neurosis with agitation and hypochondriasis, whose psychodynamism was caused by a fear that he might lose his father's love. His symptom was also interpreted in relation to the precipitating event. It showed the patient a child-within afraid of losing his father's love. His condition improved after getting a didactic interpretation which told him, to be master of himself, The third patient was a lady transferred from the deparment of internal medicine. She had a frequent and violent fit of chest pains, whose psychodynamic cause was separation anxiety and a rage due to the frustration of dependency needs. Her symptom vanished dramatically when she wore a holler EKG monitor and did not occur during monitoring. By this experience she found her symptom was a psychogenic one, and a therapeutic alliance was formed. later in reguar psychotherapy sessions, she was told the relaton between symptoms and precipitating events. Through this she understood that her separation anxiety was connected to the symptom and she became less terrifide when it occurred. Now she can travel abroad and take well part in social activities.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.111-131
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• 2002

Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) received a great deal of attention from the Orient and West as a tonic agent, health food and/or alternative herbal therapeutic agent. However, controversy with respect to scientific evidence on pharmacological effects especially, evaluation of clinical efficacy and the methodological approach still remains to be solved. Author reviewed those articles published since 1980 when pharmacodynamic studies on ginseng have intensively started. Special concern was paid on metabolic disorders including diabetes mellitus, circulatory disorders, malignant tumor, sexual dysfunction, and physical and mental performance to give clear information to those who are interested in pharmacological study of ginseng and to promote its clinical use. With respect to chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, malignant disorders, and sexual disorders, it seems that ginseng plays preventive and restorative role rather than therapeutics. Particularly, ginseng plays a significant role in ameliorating subjective symptoms and preventing quality of life from deteriorating by long term exposure of chemical therapeutic agents. Also it seems that the potency of ginseng is mild, therefore it could be more effective when used concomitantly with conventional therapy. Clinical studies on the tonic effect of ginseng on work performance demonstrated that physical and mental dysfunction induced by various stresses are improved by increasing adaptability of physical condition. However, the results obtained from clinical studies cannot be mentioned in the indication, which are variable upon the scientist who performed those studies. In this respect, standardized ginseng product and providing planning of the systematic clinical research in double-blind randomized controlled trials are needed to assess the real efficacy for proposing ginseng indication. Pharmacological mode of action of ginseng has not yet been fully elucidated. Pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic researches reveal that the role of ginseng not seem to be confined to a given single organ. It has been known that ginseng plays a beneficial role in such general organs as central nervous, endocrine, metabolic, immune systems, which means ginseng improves general physical and mental conditons. Such multivalent effect of ginseng can be attributed to the main active component of ginseng,ginsenosides or non-saponin compounds which are also recently suggested to be another active ingredients. As is generally the similar case with other herbal medicines, effects of ginseng cannot be attributed as a given single compound or group of components. Diversified ingredients play synergistic or antagonistic role each other and act in harmonized manner. A few cases of adverse effect in clinical uses are reported, however, it is not observed when standardized ginseng products are used and recommended dose was administered. Unfavorable interaction with other drugs has also been suggested, which the information on the products and administered dosage are not available. However, efficacy, safety, interaction or contraindication with other medicines has to be more intensively investigated in order to promote clinical application of ginseng. For example, daily recommended doses per day are not agreement as 1-2g in the West and 3-6 g in the Orient. Duration of administration also seems variable according to the purpose. Two to three months are generally recommended to feel the benefit but time- and dose-dependent effects of ginseng still need to be solved from now on. Furthermore, the effect of ginsenosides transformed by the intestinal microflora, and differential effect associated with ginsenosides content and its composition also should be clinically evaluated in the future. In conclusion, the more wide-spread use of ginseng as a herbal medicine or nutraceutical supplement warrants the more rigorous investigations to assess its effacy and safety. In addition, a careful quality control of ginseng preparations should be done to ensure an acceptable standardization of commercial products.

• Journal of Korean Society of Disaster and Security
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.53-62
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• 2016

This paper is shown the new method using LED Light, which the light environment is upgraded the natural LED light in the area of Disaster Prevention and Safety Management (PDSD), which the events of deaths is reduced on the Suicide, the Infectious diseases, the safety accidents, the Traffic Accident, the crime, the fire, the Nature Disaster, and which the health and the environment and the safety is implemented using the value of the color LED Light. Research findings include,during 3 weeks in the November 2016, in the ten residents (average living 28.7 years, age 67.5 years) with depressive symptoms in the northern part of Seoul, according to the request of the user, the PDSD natural light LED lighting was installed in the home bedroom or the living room, expectations for the ability to restore physical and mental stability were high (88%), in the same way, after 1 week and 3 weeks, the physical and mental changes were compared and the results,84% in the first week and 90% in the third week and thereafter, the effect of relieving depression was high. We conclude that patients with depression have a good sleep, an uneasy feeling, a sense of security, a good night's sleep, and a good feeling. The PDSD LED Light is expected to contribute in the various areas, which reduced the suicides, which give increased immunity from infectious diseases, which give a crash to reduce accidents caused by negligence, which improve the safe operation of heavy vehicles in which a traffics accident incidence installed on the highest point, which improve the safety function on the 'safety way home' for the safety of the community, which due to fire gives alleviate the emotional anxiety of firefighters, which improve the environment for long-term control room working during decision making caused by natural disasters.

• The Korean Nurse
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.51-69
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• 1992

Grief that is not acknowledged and worked through may manifest itself in some emotional, mental or physical problem. In recent years much has been learned about coping with grief which the hospice program can utilize to help family members cope with their grief. This study was carried out to determine the helpfulness of the bereavement care of Severance Hospice and to learm more about the grief response of the bereaved. The tools used to collect data were an assessment form used in the bereavement program and the Grief Experience Inventory developed by Sanders and revised and translated 'by the researcher. Data was obtained from bereaved family members(54 for the final grief assessment and 39 for the grief response assessment) receiving bereavement follow-up, from July 1989 to March 1991. Results of the study were as follows: 1. Final Grief Assessment Regarding the resolution of their grief the majority of the bereaved accepted the reality of the death of their family member, while slightly more than three-quarters were able to express their feelings toward their loss. A large majority had returned to activities of daily living well or fairly well and had reinvested their energy in a person other than the deceased. In addition, the physical condition of the majority was good or fairly good. A majority of the bereaved considered the bereavement care to be helpful and almost three-quarters were not considered to be in need of more follow-up. 2. Grief Response Assessment Age was found to have a modoerately positive correlation to appetite disturbance(r=.41, P<.Ol) and loss of vigor(r=.37, P<.Ol) A moderately positive correlation was found between the number of contacts and sleep disturbance(r=2.38, P<.01) Significant differences were found between men and women in regard to guilt(t=2.38, P<.05), social isolation(t=2.44, P<.05) and depersonalization(t=2.07, P<.05) with men having the more intense grief. Significant differences were found in the grief responses of somatization(F=5.82, P<.001), physical symptoms(F=5.87, P<.OOl), appetite disturbance(F=4.40, P<.Ol), despair(3.79, P<,Ol), anger(Fp2.83, P<.05), social isolation(F=3.61, P<.05), guilt(F=3.62, P<.05) and depersonalization (F = 2.58, P <.05). In the first six of these grief responses mothers scored highest, followed by husbands and then wives, In the grief response of guilt, daughters scored highest and on the grief response of depersonalization sons scored highest. Only one grief response, that of sleep disturbance(t= -2.19, P<.05) was found to be statistically significant, with those family members who died at home having the higher scores. Based on the results of this study several suggestions are presented as follows: 1. Since unresolived grief can have a detrimental effect on the bereaved person's mental and phys. ical health it would be good for the nurse, to include questions related to death of family members and the bereaved person's response to the grief, in her nursing assessment. And in the case of unresolved grief the nurse should encourage the person to talk with a trusted friend or counselor and express their fellings of grief. 2. A study to determine the degree of resolution of the grief of those in the bereavement program could be carried out by use of the Grief Experience Inventory early in their bereavement and again 13 months after the death of their family member. 3. A comparison of the grief response of the bereaved in the bereavement program and bereaved not in the program could be carried out using the Grief Experience Inventory. 4. After bereavement programs have been started in other hospice programs it would be good to carry out a joint study of bereavement outcomes of those in the bereavement programs.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.24-33
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• 2009

Objectives: In September 2008, an outbreak of diarrhea occurred among students attending Y school in Yeongcheon-si. Shigella sonnei was cultured from some of the rectal swabs. An epidemiological investigation was carried out to determine the source of the infection and the mode of transmission of the shigellosis outbreak. Methods: The index case lived in the D rehabilitation facility in Gyeongsan-si and an additional epidemiological investigation was carried out there. The cases could not be questioned due to their mental handicaps. The teachers were interviewed instead. A patient case was defined as a resident with diarrhea more than one time a day from September 18 to September 26, 2008 or a resident with confirmed Shigella sonnei at the Y school or the D rehabilitation facility. Results: The attack rate was 1.2% (8 persons) among 659 persons in the Y school and D rehabilitation facility. Five persons were microbiologically confirmed to have the infection and three persons were diagnosed on the basis of symptoms. Shigella sonnei was cultured from five of the 659 rectal swabs. However, 80 environmental specimens including drinking water, preserved foods, and cooking utensils were negative. All eight patients were Y school students and had been living in group boarding and lodging. Six of them lived in the D rehabilitation facility and two lived in the dormitory at the Y school. Five cases showed pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns that were identical for Shigella sonnei. Conclusions: The results of this study showed that the infection source of the shigellosis outbreak, in the two places, were identical. It is likely that the infections initially spread from a teacher or volunteer and then among the students.