• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.51-60
• /
• 2021

Purpose: Tuberculosis(TB) care unit in public health center should be carefully considered to be re-designed as an infection safety environment for both patient and healthcare workers. So, for the enhancement, this study analyses the facility requirements for co-using the screening clinic as a TB and other respiratory disease care unit. Methods: Not only screening clinic facility guidelines from "A Study for Standard Triage Design and Construction Document" but also the guidelines of TB care and related medical facility are reviewed; KDCA, CDC, ECDC and WHO as a TB care, and FGI and NHS for facility. The facility requirements are summarized space, approach, and mechanical requirement in order. By comparing the summary and screening clinic facility guidelines, supplementations are proposed for TB care unit setting. Results: The result of this study shows that both the space program and mechanical requirement of the screening clinic and that of TB care unit are almost identical and could be share, which include direct airflow or negative air pressure in an exam room. To increase functional and economical efficiency, however, it is necessary to consider a multi-functional negative pressured room, So care process may be re-designed based on a room type; face-to-face room or glass wall inbetween. Implications: The facility guidelines for TB care unit of a public health center should be developed to build a safe environment for infection control by reflecting its medical plan and budget.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.14 no.11
• /
• pp.6925-6928
• /
• 2013

Background: Despite numerous useful anticancer properties of curcumin, its utility is limited due to its hydrophobic structure. In this study, we investigated the comparative antiproliferative effect of PAMAM encapsulating curcumin with naked curcumin on the T47D breast cancer cell line. Materials and Methods: Cytotoxic effects of PAMAM dendrimers encapsulating curcumin and curcumin alone were investigated by MTT assay. After treating cells with different concentrations of both curcumin alone and curcumin encapsulated for 24h, telomerase activity was determined by TRAP assay. Results: While PAMAM dendrimers encapsulating curcumin had no cytotoxicity on cancer cells, they decreased the $IC_{50}$ for proliferation and also increased the inhibitory effect on telomerase activity. Conclusions: Considering the non-toxicity in addition to effectiveness for enhancing curcumin anticancer properties, dendrimers could be considered good therapeutic vehicles for this hydrophobic agent.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.13
• /
• pp.5579-5582
• /
• 2015

Background: Sale of single cigarettes is an important factor for early experimentation, initiation and persistence of tobacco use and a vital factor in the smoking epidemic in India as it is globally. Single cigarettes also promote the sale of illicit cigarettes and neutralises the effect of pack warnings and effective taxation, making tobacco more accessible and affordable to minors. This is the first study to our knowledge which estimates the size of the single stick market in India. Materials and Methods: In February 2014, a 10 jurisdiction survey was conducted across India to estimate the sale of cigarettes in packs and sticks, by brands and price over a full business day. Results: We estimate that nearly 75% of all cigarettes are sold as single sticks annually, which translates to nearly half a billion US dollars or 30 percent of the India's excise revenues from all cigarettes. This is the price which the consumers pay but is not captured through tax and therefore pervades into an informal economy. Conclusions: Tracking the retail price of single cigarettes is an efficient way to determine the willingness to pay by cigarette smokers and is a possible method to determine the tax rates in the absence of any other rationale.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.1201-1206
• /
• 2015

Background: Tobacco is consumed in both smoking and smokeless forms in India. About 35-40% of tobacco consumption in India is in the latter. The study objective was to describe the association between chewing tobacco and adult mortality. Materials and Methods: A case-control study was conducted in urban (Chennai city) and rural (Villupuram district) areas in Tamil Nadu state in South India. Interviewed in 1998-2000 about 80,000 families (48,000 urban and 32,000 rural) with members who had died during 1995-1998. These were the cases and their probable underlying cause of death was arrived at by verbal autopsy. Controls were 600,000 (500,000 urban, 100,000 rural) individuals from a survey conducted during 1998-2001 in the same two study areas from where cases were included. Results: Mortality analyses were restricted to non-smoking non-drinkers aged 35-69. The age, sex, education and study area adjusted mortality odds ratio was 30% higher (RR:1.3, 95%CI:1.2-1.4) in ever tobacco chewers compared to never chewers and was significant for deaths from respiratory diseases combined (RR:1.5, 95%CI:1.4-1.7), respiratory tuberculosis (RR:1.7, 95%CI:1.5-1.9), cancers all sites combined (RR:1.5, 95%CI:1.4-1.7) and stroke (RR:1.4, 95%CI:1.2-1.6). Of the cancers, the adjusted mortality odds ratio was significant for upper aero-digestive, stomach and cervical cancers. Chewing tobacco caused 7.1% of deaths from all medical causes. Conclusions: The present study is the first large study in India analysing non-smoking non-drinkers. Statistically significant excess risks were found among ever tobacco chewers for respiratory diseases combined, respiratory tuberculosis, stroke and cancer (all sites combined) compared to never tobacco chewers.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.10
• /
• pp.4447-4450
• /
• 2015

Background: Nasopharyngeal cancer is a disease with distinct ethnic and geographical distribution. The aim of this review was to describe the epidemiological characteristics of nasopharyngeal cancer in Iran from 2004 to 2009 because no systematic study has been performed to evaluate the trends of its incidence yet. Materials and Methods: The data were derived from the databases of the National Cancer Data System Registry in the period of 2004-2009. Nasopharyngeal cancers were classified according to the International Classification of Diseases for Oncology. Incidence rates and trends were calculated and evaluated by gender, age decade, and histopathology types. Results: A total of 1,637 nasopharyngeal cancers were registered in Iran from 2004 to 2009 giving an incidence of 0.38 per 100,000. The male-to-female ratio was 2.08:1. The trend of incidence was found to have increased, with a significant increase observed in males. Undifferentiated carcinoma was the most common histopathology type in all the age decades. Conclusions: Because the incidence of nasopharyngeal cancers in Iran has increased, especially in males, further studies are recommended for understanding of the etiological factors involved in the rise of the disease.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.9 no.2
• /
• pp.172-179
• /
• 2018

Background: Insufficient training in infection control and occupational health among healthcare workers (HCWs) in countries with high human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis (TB) burdens requires attention. We examined the effectiveness of a 1-year Certificate Program in Occupational Health and Infection Control conducted in Free State Province, South Africa in an international partnership to empower HCWs to become change agents to promote workplace-based HIV and TB prevention. Methods: Questionnaires assessing reactions to the program and Knowledge, Attitudes, Skills, and Practices were collected pre-, mid-, and postprogram. Individual interviews, group project evaluations, and participant observation were also conducted. Quantitative data were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Qualitative data were thematically coded and analyzed using the Kirkpatrick framework. Results: Participants recruited (n = 32) were mostly female (81%) and nurses (56%). Pre-to-post-program mean scores improved in knowledge (+12%, p = 0.002) and skills/practices (+14%, p = 0.002). Preprogram attitude scores were high but did not change. Participants felt empowered and demonstrated attitudinal improvements regarding HIV, TB, infection control, and occupational health. Successful projects were indeed implemented. However, participants encountered considerable difficulties in trying to sustain improvement, due largely to lack of pre-existing knowledge and experience, combined with inadequate staffing and insufficient management support. Conclusion: Training is essential to strengthen HCWs' occupational health and infection control knowledge, attitudes, skills, and practices, and workplace-based training programs such as this can yield impressive results. However, the considerable mentorship resources required for such programs and the substantial infrastructural supports needed for implementation and sustainability of improvements in settings without pre-existing experience in such endeavors should not be underestimated.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.68 no.3
• /
• pp.155-161
• /
• 2010

Background: The tuberculin skin test (TST) has limitations in diagnosing a latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). The interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) was introduced to middle- and high-school students since 2009 by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The aim was to evaluate the utility of IGRA in diagnosing LTBI in middle- and high-school students. Methods: From August 2007 to July 2009, among suspected LTBI students showing TST induration with a 10 mm diameter and over with a normal chest x-ray in school students of Jeju city, 341 students underwent a Quanti FERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-IT) test to confirm LTBI. Results: From 348 students showing a positive TST, a QFT-IT test was carried out on 341 students. The positive QFT-IT rate was 52.8% (=180/341). The positive QFT-IT rate was higher in high-school boys with a 15~19 mm diameter of induration in TST. Conclusion: With the introduction of IGRA for diagnosing LTBI in middle- and high-school students, approximately 47% of students who show a TST induration with a 10 mm diameter and over can avoid taking unnecessary preventive chemotherapy. These results suggest that IGRA is useful for diagnosing and controlling LTBI in Korean students.

• 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.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.17 no.6
• /
• pp.2877-2881
• /
• 2016

Background: Lung cancer is one of the most common causes of death that is rising in many countries including Iran. This study aimed to determine the impact of factors on survival of lung cancer patients at a referral center of lung diseases in Tehran, Iran. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on adult lung cancer cases admitted to a referral center for lung diseases from 2011 to 2015. Multivariate analysis was performed to determine the risk factors for all-cause mortality. Results: Of a total 933 patients with lung cancer, 53.4% died, 49.3% of them at the hospital. Overall median follow-up time was 7 months. The most common histological type of cancer was adenocarcinoma with a 13 month median survival time. Age ${\geq}55$ and smoking remained significant for all-cause mortality on Cox analysis, whereas gender was not. Conclusions: The survival of lung cancer patients is poor and the patients with history of smoking and age${\geq}55$ are at increased risk of death. Having a large hospital-based registry provides a good measurement of prognostic statistics for lung cancer. Further investigations are necessary to establish reasons for mortality.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
• /
• v.20 no.4
• /
• pp.359-371
• /
• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the status of tuberculosis (TB) infection control in hospitals. Method: This study was a cross-sectional descriptive study in which self-administered questionnaires were used to survey 77 hospitals. Data were collected from August 12 to September 15, 2012. Results: Only 27 institutions (35.1%) were monitoring patients infected with or suspected of having TB. Most hospitals were conducting TB prevention education for patients' family and employees, and TB screening for employees along with follow-up examinations. However, private negative pressure rooms were more often available in wards and intensive care units than in outpatient departments, and in institutions with over 700 beds located in Seoul or GyeongGi Province. Most hospitals ensured that masks were placed on infected patients while transporting them. In addition, efforts to control TB infection such as placing respiratory etiquette posters in outpatient departments and airborne infection signs on the doors in the wards were also well established in most institutions. Conclusion: More efforts are needed to improve the status of TB infection control to ensure quality care, especially in terms of monitoring patients with TB infections and making private negative pressure rooms available in outpatient departments.