• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.37-41
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• 2004

Purpose : Raise ability cultivation in presence at a sicked business by performance management estimation of device through measurement. Also Learn a technology that measure exact tube voltage, exposure time, output dose. And it is to grasp photofluorography X-ray generator existing circumstances using at hospital. Material & Method : Investigated Photofluorography X-ray generator(inside, outside each 10) of 10 university hospitals using tube voltage, exposure time, output dose measuring instrument. Result : Photofluorography device that tube voltage correctness is incongruent by examination PAE decision came out 3, and at exposure time correctness examination 2 incongruent, Also 3 that calculate coefficient of variation about exposure in repeatability examination of exposure were incongruent. Inappropriate photofluorography device is 5 outside hospital(mobile unit) and the thing in hospital was 3 in 3 kind of efficiency test. It appeared high that photofluorography device outside hospital is more incongruent than thing in hospital. Conclusion : May ready situation that can offer patient medical service of good quality by radiation exposure reduction, image quality administration, retake decrease etc. by keeping performance of Photofluorography device. Therefore, is considered that need on-time efficiency test.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2024

Background: The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Monograph conducted a systematic review of the relationship between asbestos and ovarian cancer. However, there may have been information bias due to the undue weight given to few articles. To address this limitation, the present study performed a meta-analysis integrating studies published both before and after the 2012 IARC Monograph on Asbestos, with the aim of investigating the association between asbestos exposure and ovarian cancer. Methods: A comprehensive search of major journal databases was conducted to identify studies examining the relationship between asbestos exposure and ovarian cancer, including those featured in the 2012 IARC Monograph on Asbestos. A meta-analysis on asbestos exposure and cancer risk was performed. Results: The meta-analysis of studies published after the 2012 IARC Monograph on Asbestos found a summary Standardized Mortality Ratio (SMR) of 2.04 (95% CI: 1.03-4.05; p = 0.0123; 5 studies), with a significant degree of heterogeneity among the studies (I² = 72.99%). The combined analysis of 15 studies before and after the 2012 IARC Monograph showed an overall summary SMR of 1.72 (95% CI: 1.43-2.06; p = 0.0349; 15 studies), with a moderate degree of heterogeneity (I² = 42.99%). Conclusion: This meta-analysis provides evidence of a significant association between asbestos exposure and ovarian cancer mortality. While the possibility of misdiagnosis in earlier studies cannot be completely ruled out, recent findings suggest a robust correlation between asbestos exposure and ovarian cancer. This highlights the importance of sustained efforts to minimize asbestos exposure and protect public health.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.87 no.2
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• pp.185-193
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• 2024

Background: The mechanisms leading to lung fibrosis are still under investigation. This study aimed to demonstrate whether antacids could prevent the development of interstitial lung disease (ILD). Methods: This population-based longitudinal cohort study was conducted between January 2006 and December 2010 in South Korea. Eligible subjects were ≥40 years of age, exposed to proton pump inhibitors (PPI)±histamine-2 receptor antagonists (H-2 blockers) or H-2 blockers only, and had no history of ILD between 2004 and 2005. Exposure to antacids was defined as the administration of either PPI or H-2 receptor antagonists for >14 days, whereas underexposure was defined as antacid treatment administered for less than 14 days. Newly developed ILDs, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), were counted during the 5-year observation period. The association between antacid exposure and ILD development was evaluated using adjusted Cox regression models with variables, such as age, sex, smoking history, and comorbidities. Results: The incidence rates of ILD with/without antacid use were 43.2 and 33.8/100,000 person-years, respectively and those of IPF were 14.9 and 22.9/100,000 person-years, respectively. In multivariable analysis, exposure to antacid before the diagnosis of ILD was independently associated with a reduced development of ILD (hazard ratio [HR], 0.57; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.45 to 0.71; p<0.001), while antacid exposure was not associated with development of IPF (HR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.72 to 1.09; p=0.06). Conclusion: Antacid exposure may be independently associated with a decreased risk of ILD development.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.177-188
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• 2014

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify factors influencing endoscopy nurses' protective behavior against radiation exposure. Methods: Data were collected using self-report questionnaires from 122 endoscopy nurses in 21 hospitals located in Seoul, Gyeonggi province and six metropolitan cities in Korea. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS 18.0 program and included multiple regression analysis. Results: 1) There were significant relationships between protective behavior and protective environment (r=.74, p<.001), number of education sessions on radiation protection (r=.32, p<.001), number of protective devices (r=.28, p=.002), number of fellow nurses (r=.27, p=.003), and protective attitude (r=.18, p=.048). 2) Protective environment (${\beta}=0.79$, p<.001), type of hospital foundation (${\beta}=0.18$, p=.011) and marital status (${\beta}=-0.13$, p=.040) significantly predicted endoscopy nurses' protective behavior against radiation exposure (adjusted R square=.58, p<.001). The most powerful predictor for protective behavior against radiation exposure was a protective environment. Conclusion: Effective protective behavior of endoscopy nurses from radiation exposure requires improvement in their protective environment. Hospital administrators and managers should make efforts to increase protective facilities in endoscopy departments and provide endoscopy nurses with regular education on radiation protection.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.801-803
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• 2013

Intraduction: There is known to be a relationship between vitamin D level and more aggresive breast cancer subtypes, especially triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). It was reported that sunlight exposure has an effect on the prognosis of patients with cancer, possibly related to the conversion of vitamin D to its active form with sunlight. We aimed to evaluate the effect of sunlight exposure on patients with TNBC. Materials-Methods: A total of 1,167 patients with breast cancer from two different regions of Turkey (Antalya and Kayseri, regions having different climate and sunlight exposure intensity over the year) were analysed retrospectively. The ratio of patients with TNBC was identified in those two regions. Results: The ratio of patients with TNBC was 8% and 12% for Kayseri and Antalya regions, respectively, and this difference between the two groups was statistically significant (p=0.021). Discussion: Sunlight exposure may be associated with more prevalent TNBC. This finding should be investigated with a prospective study.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.209-215
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• 2012

Objectives: Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of healthcare providers related to occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens were assessed in a tertiary-care hospital in Middle East. Methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken using a self-administered questionnaire based on 3 paired (infectivity known vs. not known-suspected) case studies. Only 17 out of 230 respondents had an exposure in the 12 months prior to the survey and of these, only 2 had complied fully with the hospital's exposure reporting policy. Results: In the paired case studies, the theoretical responses of participating health professionals showed a greater preference for initiating self-directed treatment with antivirals or immunisation rather than complying with the hospital protocol, when the patient was known to be infected. The differences in practice when exposed to a patient with suspected blood pathogens compared to patient known to be infected was statistically significant (p < 0.001) in all 3 paired cases. Failure to test an infected patient's blood meant that an adequate risk assessment and appropriate secondary prevention could not be performed, and reflected the unwillingness to report the occupational exposure. Conclusion: Therefore, the study demonstrated that healthcare providers opted to treat themselves when exposed to patient with infectious disease, rather than comply with the hospital reporting and assessment protocol.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.75-80
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• 2011

Purpose: Europe and U.S use multi-bed therapy rooms. Hereupon, this study aims to examine the safety when current one-bed therapy rooms in Seoul National University Hospital is changed into two-bed ones. Materials and Methods: This study evaluated external exposure by gamma radiation emitted from other patients and internal and external exposure caused by pollutions from other patients in case that Seoul National University Hospital installs a shielding wall between beds in existing therapy rooms. Results: When internal and external exposure was evaluated to evaluate safety of two-bed hospital rooms, 'isolation amount of patients' 5mSv exposure or below is received according to the Atomic Energy Act. Conclusion: With the increasing number of patients with thyoid cancer, patients using therapy rooms are on the rise. Therefore, improving one-person therapy rooms to two-person ones in line with international trend would increase cost reduction and management efficiency, and patients' alienation and isolation can be reduced to increase healing effects.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.313-320
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• 2020

Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate the association between vibration exposure and skeletal muscle mass index through a single university health check-up. Methods: We used data from 134,067 male subjects who received a general health check-up or vibration exposure health check-up out of the 1,515,322 people who underwent medical check-up at a local university hospital from 2002 to 2018. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted for comparing the association between skeletal muscle mass index and demographic and hematological variables in both groups. Mixed linear model analysis after controlling demographic and hematological variables was used to analyze the differences in skeletal muscle mass index between groups at every visit over 10 years. Results: In the Pearson correlation test, the variables that showed different results when comparing the two groups were C-reactive protein (p=0.001) and glycated hemoglobin (p=0.002) in the vibration exposure group and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (p<0.001) and vitamin D (p<0.001) in the general group. After the adjustment of demographic and hematologic variables, the skeletal muscle mass index at every visit was markedly decreased in the vibration exposure group (p<0.001). Conclusions: In the vibration exposure group, the skeletal muscle mass index showed a tendency to decrease markedly over time compared to the general health check-up group, which showed that C-reactive protein and glycated hemoglobin would have an influence on skeletal muscle index in male workers exposed to vibration.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.73-80
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• 2020

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate radiation exposure to the eye and thyroid in pain physicians during the fluoroscopy-guided cervical epidural block (CEB). Methods: Two pain physicians (a fellow and a professor) who regularly performed C-arm fluoroscopy-guided CEBs were included. Seven dosimeters were used to measure radiation exposure, five of which were placed on the physician (forehead, inside and outside of the thyroid protector, and inside and outside of the lead apron) and two were used as controls. Patient age, sex, height, and weight were noted, as were radiation exposure time, absorbed radiation dose, and distance from the X-ray field center to the physician. Results: One hundred CEB procedures using C-arm fluoroscopy were performed on comparable patients. Only the distance from the X-ray field center to the physician was significantly different between the two physicians (fellow: 37.5 ± 2.1 cm, professor: 41.2 ± 3.6 cm, P = 0.03). The use of lead-based protection effectively decreased the absorbed radiation dose by up to 35%. Conclusions: Although there was no difference in radiation exposure between the professor and the fellow, there was a difference in the distance from the X-ray field during the CEBs. Further, radiation exposure can be minimized if proper protection (thyroid protector, leaded apron, and eyewear) is used, even if the distance between the X-ray beam and the pain physician is small. Damage from frequent, low-dose radiation exposure is not yet fully understood. Therefore, safety measures, including lead-based protection, should always be enforced.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.74-95
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• 2021

Background: A job-exposure matrix (JEM) is an important surrogate indicator to evaluate past exposure levels. Although a Korean asbestos JEM has been constructed previously, this JEM includes only a few industrial and occupational groups. This study aimed to reconstruct the JEM by integrating the latest organized data to improve its utility. Methods: We used recent Korean standard industry and occupation codes and extracted 36 articles from a systematic literature review to initiate the reconstruction of the previous Korean asbestos JEM. The resulting data consisted of 141 combinations of industrial and occupational groups. Data from the Netherlands's JEM were also reviewed and categorized into 70 industrial and 117 occupational groups by matching with the Korean data. We also utilized Germany's data, which consisted of 10 industrial and 14 occupational groups. Results: The reconstructed Korean asbestos JEM had 141 combinations of industries and occupations. The time periods are from the 1980s to the 2000s in 10-year intervals. Most of the data were distributed between the 1990s and the 2000s. Occupations with high exposure to asbestos included knitting and weaving machine operators, automobile mechanics or assemblers, ship mechanics or assemblers, mineral ore and stone products processing mechanics, and metal casting machine operators or mold makers. Conclusions: The reconstructed Korean asbestos JEM has expanded the type and duration of the occupational groups of the previous JEM and can serve as an important reference tool for evaluating asbestos exposure and designing compensation and prevention policies in Korea.