• The Korean Journal of Pain
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.177-184
• /
• 2015

Herpes zoster (HZ) is a transient disease caused by the reactivation of latent varicella zoster virus (VZV) in spinal or cranial sensory ganglia. It is characterized by a painful rash in the affected dermatome. Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is the most troublesome side effect associated with HZ. However, PHN is often resistant to current analgesic treatments such as antidepressants, anticonvulsants, opioids, and topical agents including lidocaine patches and capsaicin cream and can persist for several years. The risk factors for reactivation of HZ include advanced age and compromised cell-mediated immunity (CMI). Early diagnosis and treatment with antiviral agents plus intervention treatments is believed to shorten the duration and severity of acute HZ and reduce the risk of PHN. Prophylactic vaccination against VZV can be the best option to prevent or reduce the incidence of HZ and PHN. This review focuses on the pathophysiology, clinical features, and management of HZ and PHN, as well as the efficacy of the HZ vaccine.

• Proceedings of the KSR Conference
• /
• 2008.06a
• /
• pp.1524-1530
• /
• 2008

Generally a road vehicle's wrong entry into level crossing gives rise to hazardous events, the eventual collision with a approaching train depends on the effective operation of safety barriers such a abnormal condition detecting or emergency braking. In this paper, the risk assessment models developed for the level-crossing accidents will be introduced. The definition of hazardous events and the related hazardous factors are identified by the review of the accident history and engineering interpretation of the accident behavior. A probability of the hazardous events will be evaluated by the FTA, which is based on the accident scenario. For the severity estimation, the critical factors which can effect on the consequence will be reviewed during the ETA. Finally, the number of casualty for the public(vehicle drivers) and the train passengers are converted into an equivalent fatality.

• Proceedings of the Korea Institute of Fire Science and Engineering Conference
• /
• 2006.04a
• /
• pp.29-40
• /
• 2006

Everybody may be vulnerable to fires depending on the time, place, and circumstances. Fire statistics show that the occurrence of fire death depends not only on the severity of a fire itself, but also largely on the conditions of occupants such as physical functions, the environment around occupants, and the type of facility where are fire occurs. The review of fire safety from the viewpoint of vulnerable populations does not simply mean additional special attention and care only to high risk groups, but instead it means significant review of fire safety design and systems for all people from a more universal standpoint. Therefore, in order to examine the strategies of a fire death-reduction program, safety measures suitable for the relevant high-risk groups considering the type of vulnerable person, the type of fire, and the type of building in residential occupancies. Solutions will require strenuous multilateral effort and flexibility.

• ETRI Journal
• /
• v.40 no.1
• /
• pp.146-155
• /
• 2018

This study aimed to examine predictors of the intention to protect personal information on Facebook. We conducted an online survey of 679 Facebook users in the Republic of Korea. The findings of this study showed that usefulness and ease of use had significant effects on attitudes toward protection behavior. The results also revealed that risk factors (privacy risk severity and vulnerability) had significant effects on protective behaviors. Based on our findings, we discussed the information protection of privacy on Facebook.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.51 no.5
• /
• pp.1289-1296
• /
• 2019

Non-functional requirements plays a critical role in designing variety of applications domain ranges from safety-critical systems to simple gaming applications. Performance is one of the crucial non-functional requirement, especially in control and safety systems, that validates the design. System risk can be quantified as a product of probability of system failure and severity of its impact. In this paper, we devise a technique to do the performance analysis of safety critical and control systems and to estimate performance based risk factor. The technique elaborates Petri nets to estimate performability to ensure system dependability requirements. We illustrate the technique on a case study of Nuclear Power Plant system. The technique has been validated on 17 safety critical and control systems of Nuclear Power Plant.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.68-74
• /
• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study is, first, to analyze the risk factors that influence the severity of injury in pediatric multiple trauma patients and, second, to present solutions for the problems related to the treatment of such patients. Our living situations are so complicated that the danger of accidents is truly open to children who are not prepared. We need to draw attention to the increased numbers of various accidents involving children. Methods: We studied patients who visited the Emergency Medical Center at Chosun University Hospital from January 1, 2006, to December 31, 2008. Using medical records, we evaluated the general characteristics: the mechanism of injury, the vital signs, the revised trauma score (RTS), the injury severity score (ISS), and the hemoglibin value, which was checked at the time of visit, and the presence or the absence of emergent on regular surgery. We divided the level of injury as follows: light level (1-8 points), mid level (9-15 points), and serious level (above 16 points). We analyzed the medical data by using SPSS 17.0 for windows. Results: The average age of the patients examined was 8.6 years. The number of 6- to 11-year-old patients was 96, which was the largest, but the degree of injury severity was the highest among infant (0-2 years), according to ISS 7.95(${\pm}6.85$). The frequency of accidents was highest on sunny days, and most accidents occurred from 16:00 to 20:00. The cause of multiple trauma for children was the greatest in the traffic accident, (95 patients, 49.0%). In addition, the trauma caused by traffic accidents showed the highest ISS value ($9.02{\pm}6.42$) and the most serious degree (P=0.004). The ISS level of injury ($8.40{\pm}6.64$) for patients moved from a secondary hospital was higher than that ($6.49{\pm}5.57$) for patients who visited the medical center directly. The severity of injury was highest for patients who used a 119 ambulance ($8.84{\pm}5.80$). According to the injured parts of body, Injuries to the arms and the feet most frequent (79 patients, 40.7%), but the level of injury was the highest for internal organs and chest, $16.42{\pm}8.56$ and $11.23{\pm}6.97$, respectively. Conclusion: We used Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) in order to examine the characteristics by injured body part for pediatric multiple trauma patients. Because the degree of injury was the highest for internal organs or the chest, we need to more seriously examine and provide for patients who are suspected of having injuries to the internal organs or the chest. We need to quickly determine the need for surgery in patients with serious injuries to the arms and the feet, which is the greatest in frequency. In particular, we need to consider the surgical care of patients who are not very high in the severity of injury to their brains.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.182-192
• /
• 2011

Purpose : Atopic findings may be associated with severity of pneumonia in 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) infection, which could suggest a possible association between atopic findings and the severity of viral infections. Thus, we studied association between atopic findings and severity of disease in children with H1N1 influenza infection. Methods : A retrospective study was performed in 74 children admitted in a single tertiary institute and confirmed as H1N1 patients by reverse transcriptase (RT) - polymerase chain reaction (PCR). They were divided into 2 groups according to the severity of pneumonia. We evaluated whether the atopic finding is risk factor between the two groups. Results : Children with severe pneumonia had higher percentages of serum eosinophilia (88% vs 40%, P <0.001), asthma (65% vs 35%, P =0.011), allergic rhinitis (71% vs 40%, P =0.009), and IgE level (P =0.007). We found positive correlations between aeroallergen sensitizations and severity of pneumonia (82% vs 53%, P =0.007). Conclusion : Among patients with H1N1 pneumonia, asthma and atopic findings are risk factors for severity of pneumonia.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.276-284
• /
• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the factors related to blood-borne infection prevention behaviors based on the risk perception of the health belief model among operating room nurses. Risk perception factors included perceived susceptibility, barriers, benefits, and perceived severity. Methods: Data were collected from 121 operating room nurses working in four different hospitals in Daejeon and Seoul from June 30 to May 11, 2016. Results: The mean age was 31.2 years, and the average years of clinical experience in operating room was 7.9 years. The mean score of knowledge was 13.15. The mean score of perceived susceptibility, barrier, benefit, and perceived severity were 3.76, 3.70, 3.95, and 4.64, respectively. Blood-borne infection prevention behaviors had positive correlation with perceived benefits (p=.010), but negative correlation with sensitivity (p=.009) and barrier (p=.012). The hierarchical regression model on infection prevention behavior was statistically significant (F=4.85, p<.001). The sixteen percent of variance in behavior was explained by age (${\beta}=.18$, p=.038), perceived benefit (${\beta}=.20$, p=.030), perceived susceptibility (${\beta}=-.25$, p=.005), and perceived barrier (${\beta}=-.18$, p=.042). Conclusion: In order to increase infection prevention behaviors among operating room nurses, there is a need for developing specific education program focusing on appropriate management of equipment, instruments, and environment in operating room. In addition, support from the hospital organization level need to be provided as well.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.50 no.5
• /
• pp.346-354
• /
• 2017

Background: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a common disease that may contribute to morbidity and mortality among trauma patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). This study evaluated the associations between trauma factors and the development of VAP in ventilated patients with multiple rib fractures. Methods: We retrospectively and consecutively evaluated 101 patients with multiple rib fractures who were ventilated and managed at our hospital between January 2010 and December 2015, analyzing the associations between VAP and trauma factors in these patients. Trauma factors included sternal fracture, flail chest, diaphragm injury, traumatic aortic dissection, combined cardiac injury, pulmonary contusion, pneumothorax, hemothorax, hemopneumothorax, abbreviated injury scale score, thoracic trauma severity score, and injury severity score. Results: Forty-six patients (45.5%) had at least 1 episode of VAP, 10 (21.7%) of whom died in the ICU. Of the 55 (54.5%) patients who did not have pneumonia, 9 (16.4%) died in the ICU. Using logistic regression analysis, we found that VAP was associated with severe lung contusion (odds ratio, 3.07; 95% confidence interval, 1.12 to 8.39; p=0.029). Conclusion: Severe pulmonary contusion (pulmonary lung contusion score 6-12) is an independent risk factor for VAP in ventilated trauma patients with multiple rib fractures.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.187-195
• /
• 2018

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify associations among the sleep disturbance, fatigue, job stress, and blood and body fluid (BBF) exposure of shift-work nurses. Methods: A total of 299 shift-work nurses from two tertiary hospitals were enrolled in this study. We used the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), and the Korean Occupational Stress Scale-Short Form (KOSS-SF) to evaluate sleep disturbance, fatigue, and job stress, respectively. The data were analyzed using t-test or chi-squared test and Logistic regression analysis using the SPSS 23.0 program. Results: We found that 43.8% of participants reported BBF exposure over the past year. Splash or exposure to broken skin of BBF were most frequent (56.9%), and followed by needlestick injuries (30.4%) and sharp injuries (12.8%). Age, hospital, working period, level of stress, sleep disturbance ($ISI{\geq}15$), fatigue (FSS $score{\geq}4$), job demand and organizational climate subset in KOSS-SF were significantly associated with BBF exposure in shift-work nurses. In multivariate analysis after adjusting age and hospital, the risk factors of BBF exposure in shift-work nurses were the level of stress and fatigue (FSS $score{\geq}4$). Conclusion: Fatigue and job stress were related to BBF exposure in shift-work nurses. Our results suggest that management of sleep disturbance, fatigue, and high job stress in shift-work nurses is needed to reduce risk of BBF exposure.