• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2007

In the United States, The concept of designation for hospital facilities that care for newborn infants according to the level of complexity of care provided was first proposed in 1976. The extent of perinatal health care regionalization varies widely from one area to the other. facilities that provide hospital care for newborn are classified into three categories on the basis of functional capabilities; level I-primary or basic care, level II-secondary or specialty care, level III-tertially or subspecialty care. These facilities should be organized within a regionalized system of perinatal care. The transport system of newborn infants should be organized for referral of high risk newborn to centers with the personnel and resources needed for their degree of risk and severity of illness. In Korea, The korean society of neonatology was established and articulated in the 1994. During the past decade, the number of neonatologist has increased and neonatal intensive care units have proliferated in Korea. However, no standard definitions exist for the graded levels of complexity of care that neonatal intensive care units provide and no uniform guideline or recommendation for regionalization and referral system of high risk neonate have been established. With the rapid changing neonatal care system in Korea, the optimal neonatal care demands regionalization of care in utilization of manpower resources and in efficient use of advanced technology and facility.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.52 no.8
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• pp.862-868
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• 2009

Since its identification in April 2009, a swine-origin H1N1 influenza A virus (S-OIV) which is a reassortment of gene segments from both North American triple-reassortant and Eurasian swine influenza has been widely spread among humans in unexpected rapidity. To date, each gene segment of the 2009 influenza A (H1N1) outbreak viruses have shown high (99.9%) neucleotide sequence identity. As of July 6, 94,512 people have been infected in 122 countries, of whom 429 have died with an overall case-fatality rate of <0.5%. Most confirmed cases of S-OIV infection have been characterized by self-limited, uncomplicated febrile respiratory illness and 38% of cases have also included vomiting or diarrhea. Standard plus droplet precautions should be adhered to at all times. Tests on S-OIV have indicated that current new H1N1 viruses are sensitive to neuraminidase inhibitors (oseltamivir). However, current less virulent S-OIV may evolve into a pathogenic strain or acquire antiviral resistance, potentially with more severe clinical consequences. Efforts to control these outbreaks would be based on our understanding of novel S-OIV and previous influenza pandemics.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.57 no.11
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• pp.472-478
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• 2014

Kawasaki disease (KD), an acute vasculitis that primarily affects young children, is the most common acquired paediatric cardiovascular disease in developed countries. While sequelae of arterial inflammation in the acute phase of KD are well documented, its late effects on vascular health are increasingly unveiled. Late vascular dysfunction is characterized by structural alterations and functional impairment in term of arterial stiffening and endothelial dysfunction and shown to involve both coronary and systemic arteries. Further evidence suggests that continuous low grade inflammation and ongoing active remodeling of coronary arterial lesions occur late after acute illness and may play a role in structural and functional alterations of the arteries. Potential importance of genetic modulation on vascular health late after KD is implicated by associations between mannose binding lectin and inflammatory gene polymorphisms with severity of peripheral arterial stiffening and carotid intima-media thickening. The changes in cholesterol and lipoproteins levels late after KD further appear similar to those proposed to be atherogenic. While data on adverse vascular health are less controversial in patients with persistent or regressed coronary arterial aneurysms, data appear conflicting in individuals with no coronary arterial involvements or only transient coronary ectasia. Notwithstanding, concerns have been raised with regard to predisposition of KD in childhood to accelerated atherosclerosis in adulthood. Until further evidence-based data are available, however, it remains important to assess and monitor cardiovascular risk factors and to promote cardiovascular health in children with a history of KD in the long term.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.406-412
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• 2002

Henoch-$Sch{\ddot{o}}nlein$ purpura(HSP) is one of the most common vasculitic diseases of childhood, referred to as a leukocytoclastic vasculitis affecting small vessels. Although HSP related gastrointestinal symptoms are seen in up to 80% of patients during acute illness, these symptoms are usually transient. However, some patients with HSP have gastrointestinal major surgical complications such as intussusception, bowel infarction, necrosis, stricture, and perforation. We experienced a rare case of HSP-related ileal perforation developed after corticosteroid treatment. We report a case with HSP-related intestinal perforation and assess the effect of corticosteroid on the outcome of abdominal pain in children with HSP.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.324-333
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• 2010

Purpose: Fever is a common symptom of illness in children that is often misunderstood and inappropriately managed by parents. The purposes of this study were to investigate perception, knowledge of childhood fever and fever management and self-efficacy in fever management by parents and to identify the relationship between knowledge of childhood fever and fever management, and self-efficacy in management of fever. Methods: A descriptive correlation study was used with 101 parents of children ages 3 months to 5 yr who were seen in a pediatric outpatient clinic. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, t-test or ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficients were used for data analysis. Results: Many parents reported a high level of fear about fever and its possible complications. Most parents used over-the-counter medications to reduce fever even when their children had mild to moderate fever. The mean correct percent on the knowledge scale was 51.0%. Most parents did not recognize the benefits of fever. There were statistically significant positive correlations between knowledge of fever and fever management and self-efficacy in management of fever. Conclusion: The results indicate a need to develop and evaluate educational programs that will provide parent education on fever and fever management.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.187-191
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• 1998

Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, a gram-negative coccobacillus, is a member of the enterobacteriaceae family, and the illness has fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea, mesenteric lymphadenitis, terminal ileitis, arthropathy, erythema nodosum. Specially in children, it is known as an important cause of acute renal failure due to acute tubulointerstitial nephritis. It has been recognized in a worldwide distribution. For the first time, the cases of acute renal failure caused by this organism were reported in Japan in 1980's. In Korea, the first case accompanying with ARF was reported in 1988. Since that, many cases have been reported in Seoul area, but no case in other places. So we report 2 cases of Y.P. infection accompanying with ARF in Pusan area, for the first time in other place than Seoul area.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2011

Asthma in childhood is a heterogeneous disease with different phenotypes and variable clinical manifestations, which depend on the age, gender, genetic background, and environmental influences of the patients. Several longitudinal studies have been conducted to classify the phenotypes of childhood asthma, on the basis of the symptoms, triggers of wheezing illness, or pathophysiological features of the disease. These studies have provided us with important information about the different wheezing phenotypes in young children and about potential mechanisms and risk factors for the development of chronic asthma. The goal of these studies was to provide a better insight into the causes and natural course of childhood asthma. It is well-known that complicated interactions between genes and environmental factors contribute to the development of asthma. Because childhood is a period of rapid growth in both the lungs and the immune system, developmental factors should be considered in the pathogenesis of childhood asthma. The pulmonary system continues to grow and develop until linear growth is completed. Longitudinal studies have reported significant age-related immune development during postnatal early life. These observations suggest that the phenotypes of childhood asthma vary among children and also in an individual child over time. Improved classification of heterogeneous conditions of the disease will help determine novel strategies for primary and secondary prevention and for the development of individualized treatment for childhood asthma.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.132-137
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• 2007

Patients with febrile illness and skin rashes need full and immediate attention. In general, these diseases show mild manifestations and good prognosis. However, causalities of some diseases with fever and rash may be life threatening or trivial. So, the differential diagnosis for those patients is extensive. A through history, a careful physical examination and close observation of clinical progress are very helpful and essential to confirming the diagnosis. Histories of recent travel, drug or specific food ingestion, exposure to human or an animal source of infection may be useful to discover the cause. Although laboratory tests can be useful in making the diagnosis, laboratory results usually are not available immediately. Knowledge and experiences of such diseases may be helpful to reduce the differential diagnosis to a few major possibilities. Rashes can be categorized as petechial, maculopapular, vesicular, urticarial and erythematous. Potential causes include infectious pathogens such as virus, bacteria, rickettsiae, spirohetes, connective tissue diseases, allergic diseases and heamto-oncologic diseases. Because the severity of these diseases can vary mild to life threatening, physicians must perform prompt management decisions regarding empirical therapies. In this article, the differential etiological diagnosis of each type rash is reviewed and discussed, and with emphasis on intensive care of life threatening febrile diseases with rashes that are seen in our country.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.72-76
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• 2006

Perinephric abscess is an accumulation of pus in the perinephric space, the area anatomically defined between the kidney and Gerota's fascia. Gram negative organisms are the most prevalent bacterial species found in perinephric abscess. Fever, flank pain, vomiting and abdominal mass are the usual presenting complaints. But with its insidious onset, variable symptoms and rue frequency in children, perinephric abscess has been a major diagnostic problem, leading to delayed diagnosis and inappropriate treatment, which increase the rate of complication and mortality. Clinical diagnosis of perinephric abscess is difficult but must always be considered in children with a febrile septicemic illness. For appropriate treatment, early detection is very important, and either ultrasonography or computed tomography(CT) facilitates the diagnosis and establishment of treatment method. We experienced a case of left perinephric abscess treated by percutaneous drainage in a 1-year 7-month old boy. Review of literature was made briefly.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.64 no.9
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• pp.459-467
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• 2021

Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) is the most common cause of childhood bacterial pneumonia. Although macrolide is known to be effective as a first-line therapy, the proportion of macrolide resistance in MP pneumonia has strikingly increased during recent 2 decades in East Asia. This is challenging to physicians since they have to decide more often whether to use secondary treatment. Diagnostic methods to detect macrolide-resistance of MP are currently not available in Korean hospitals. Even in the diagnosis of MP infection, both serologic and molecular test have limitation: inability to differentiate current illness from carriage or asymptomatic infection. Combining these 2 diagnostic methods and excluding infection caused by other respiratory pathogens allow a more reliable diagnosis. This effort is even more demanding in recent years to keep children from unnecessary exposure to secondary antibiotics. Although several observational studies have reported that tetracycline and fluoroquinolone, which are considered in the treatment of refractory MP pneumonia, have efficacy of shortening the duration of fever and respiratory symptoms, those findings need to be proven by well-designed prospective studies. The use of tetracycline and fluoroquinolone in children is generally tolerable, as supported by many observational data. However, since concerns about side effects still remain, careful consideration about benefits and risks is needed to decide their use.