• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• 제29권2호
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• pp.61-69
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• 2022

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been a global pandemic for over 2 years. During the Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant-predominant period in South Korea, confirmed cases among children and adolescents surged. This review found that, although younger children may be less susceptible to COVID-19 than adolescents, more research is needed on the role of children and adolescents in the disease's spread. Detailed epidemiological information about the transmissibility of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) strain in children and adolescents is currently scarce, and more research is needed on the role of children and adolescents in disease's spread. There may be a difference in the proportion of cases with severe disease requiring hospitalization depending on the dominant mutant strain; however, COVID-19 generally presents with a mild-to-moderate course in children aged 5-11 years old.

• 대한간호학회지
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• 제35권1호
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• pp.65-76
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• 2005

Objective: The aim of this study is to explore the variation in perceptions about problem-based learning(PBL) according to the level of academic achievement and learning attitude in the nursing students of a junior college (3-year program). Method: Students (n=39) learned the respiratory and cardiac system with seven PBL packages and group-based learning for a semester in 2002. Students were asked to write reflective journals that focused on their learning perception after an experience with each learning package. A total of 208 journals were used for analysis. Result: Students positively perceived that PBL making them increase their sense of responsibility for learning and felt satisfaction with the learning process, and had a confidence in the use of clinical nursing interventions. On the other hand, they negatively perceived that PBL was a burden because it took more time than traditional learning tasks, and they experienced an anxiety about regular tests and felt conflicts and diffidences in the learning process. The negative perceptions were expressed more often from students with a low academic achievement and low learning attitude compared to others. Conclusion: Students perceived the PBL as effective in understanding the learning concepts in the clinical practice environment. PBL need to be supplemented by feedback-based lecture and facilitative strategies for academically low-achieved students.Objective: The aim of this study is to explore the variation in perceptions about problem-based learning(PBL) according to the level of academic achievement and learning attitude in the nursing students of a junior college (3-year program). Method: Students (n=39) learned the respiratory and cardiac system with seven PBL packages and group-based learning for a semester in 2002. Students were asked to write reflective journals that focused on their learning perception after an experience with each learning package. A total of 208 journals were used for analysis. Result: Students positively perceived that PBL making them increase their sense of responsibility for learning and felt satisfaction with the learning process, and had a confidence in the use of clinical nursing interventions. On the other hand, they negatively perceived that PBL was a burden because it took more time than traditional learning tasks, and they experienced an anxiety about regular tests and felt conflicts and diffidences in the learning process. The negative perceptions were expressed more often from students with a low academic achievement and low learning attitude compared to others. Conclusion: Students perceived the PBL as effective in understanding the learning concepts in the clinical practice environment. PBL need to be supplemented by feedback-based lecture and facilitative strategies for academically low-achieved students.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제2권2호
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• pp.87-96
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• 2011

In 1967, the problem of occupational lead exposure came to public attention in Korea. Since then, regular progress has been made in lowering workplace lead exposures, instituting new workplace controls, and implementing health examinations of exposed workers. Past serious lead poisoning episodes made it possible to introduce biological monitoring programs on a voluntary basis in high-lead-exposure facilities in Korea. Industry-specific occupational health services for lead workers in Korea during the last 22 years can be categorized into three phases. During the first phase (1988-1993), efforts were directed at increasing awareness among workers about the hazards of lead exposure, biological monitoring of blood zinc protoporphyrin began, and a respiratory protection program was introduced. During the second phase (1994-1997), a computerized health management system for lead workers was developed, blood-lead measurement was added to biologic monitoring, and engineering controls were introduced in the workplace to lower air-lead levels to comply with air-lead regulations. Finally, during the third phase (1998-present), a new biomarker, bone-lead measurement by X-ray fluorescence, was introduced. Bone-lead measurement proved to be useful for assessing body burden and to demonstrate past lead exposure in retired workers. Occupational health service practice for lead workers, including the industry-specific group occupational health system, has brought considerable success in the prevention of lead poisoning and in reducing the lead burden in Korean lead workers during the last several decades. The successful achievement of prevention of lead poisoning in Korea was a result of the combined efforts of lead workers, employers, relevant government agencies, and academic institutes.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제83권1호
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• pp.61-70
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• 2020

Background: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are frequently detected in patients with advanced-stage malignant tumors and could act as a predictor of poor prognosis. However, there is a paucity of data on the relationship between CTC number and primary tumor volume in patients with lung cancer. Therefore, our study aimed to evaluate the relationship between CTC number and primary tumor volume in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. Methods: We collected blood samples from 21 patients with treatment-naive lung adenocarcinoma and 73 healthy individuals. To count CTCs, we used a CTC enrichment method based on fluid-assisted separation technology. We compared CTC numbers between lung adenocarcinoma patients and healthy individuals using propensity score matching, and performed linear regression analysis to analyze the relationship between CTC number and primary tumor volume in lung adenocarcinoma patients. Results: CTC positivity was significantly more common in lung adenocarcinoma patients than in healthy individuals (p<0.001). The median primary tumor volume in CTC-negative and CTC-positive patients was 10.0 ㎤ and 64.8 ㎤, respectively. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the number of CTCs correlated with primary tumor volume in lung adenocarcinoma patients (β=0.903, p=0.002). Further subgroup analysis showed a correlation between CTC number and primary tumor volume in patients with distant (p=0.024) and extra-thoracic (p=0.033) metastasis (not in patients with distant metastasis). Conclusion: Our study showed that CTC numbers may be associated with primary tumor volume in lung adenocarcinomas patients, especially in those with distant metastasis.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제78권3호
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• pp.227-231
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• 2015

Background: Diagnostic methods for pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) have recently advanced. The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in TB diagnostic tests that prompted the initiation of anti-TB treatment over time in South Korea, an industrialized country with an intermediate TB burden. Methods: Patients diagnosed with pulmonary TB in the first halves of 2005 and 2013 at a tertiary referral hospital were included. Diagnostic methods that prompted the initiation of anti-TB treatment were compared between the 2 groups of patients. Results: A greater proportion of patients were diagnosed with pulmonary TB using bronchoscopy in 2013 than in 2005 (26.7% vs. 6.6%, respectively; p<0.001), while the proportion of patients clinically diagnosed with pulmonary TB was lower in 2013 than in 2005 (24.7% vs. 49.0%, respectively; p<0.001). Additionally, more patients started anti-TB treatment based on positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) results for Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA in 2013 than in 2005 (47.3% vs. 7.9%, respectively; p<0.001). Conclusion: The initiation of treatment for pulmonary TB in South Korea has become more frequently based on PCR and the use of bronchoscopic specimens.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제73권3호
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• pp.143-150
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• 2012

Background: The release of interferon-gamma (IFN-${\gamma}$) by T lymphocytes increases after rechallenge with Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen, especially, at a localized site of tuberculosis (TB) infection. We aimed to compare the clincial efficacy of two commercial IFN-${\gamma}$ release assays from pleural fluid for the diagnosis in tuberculous pleurisy. Methods: We performed T-SPOT.TB and QuantiFERON-TB Gold tests simultaneously on pleural fluid and peripheral blood samples from patients with pleural effusion, in South Korea, an area with intermediate TB burden. Results: Thirty-six patients were enrolled prospectively, and tuberculous pleurisy was found in 21 patients. Both the numbers of IFN-${\gamma}$ secreting T cells and the concentration of IFN-${\gamma}$ were greater in the pleural tuberculous group, comparing with the non-tuberculous group. Moreover, in the tuberculous group, there was a significant difference in IFN-${\gamma}$ producing spot-forming cells using the T-SPOT.TB method between pleural fluid and peripheral blood. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, was the greatest for pleural fluid T-SPOT.TB test, followed by peripheral blood T-SPOT.TB test, peripheral blood QuantiFERON-TB Gold test, and pleural fluid QuantiFERON-TB Gold test (area under the ROC curve of 0.956, 0.890, 0.743, and 0.721, respectively). The T-SPOT.TB assay produced less indeterminate results than did QuantiFERON-TB Gold assay in both pleural fluid and peripheral blood. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the pleural fluid T-SPOT.TB test could be the most useful test among the IFN-${\gamma}$ release assays for diagnosing tuberculous pleurisy in an area with an intermediate prevalence of TB infection.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제81권4호
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• pp.274-280
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• 2018

Background: The risk of tuberculosis (TB) infection among health care workers (HCWs) is higher than as noted among workers in the general population. The prevalence and risk factors of TB infection among HCWs were assessed in a tertiary hospital in South Korea, resulting in a conclusion of an intermediate TB burden within the country. Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled HCWs who underwent a QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-GIT) test to detect the presence of a latent TB infection (LTBI), in patients admitted to a tertiary hospital in South Korea in 2017. The departments of the hospital were divided into TB-related and TB-unrelated departments, which were based on the risk of exposure to TB patients. In this sense, the risk factors for LTBI, including current working in the TB-related departments, were analyzed. Results: In this case, a total of 499 HCWs (54 doctors, 365 nurses and 80 paramedical personnel) were enrolled in this study. The median age of the subjects was 31 years (range, 20-67 years), 428 (85.8%) were female, and 208 (41.7%) were working in the TB-related departments. The prevalence of LTBI was 15.8% based on the QFT-GIT. Additionally, the prevalence of experience of exposure to pre-treatment TB patents was higher among HCWs working in the TB-related departments, than among HCWs working in the TB-unrelated departments (78.8% vs. 61.9%, p<0.001). However, there was no significant difference in the prevalence of LTBI between the two groups (17.3% vs. 14.8%, p=0.458). On a review of the multivariate analysis, only the factor of age was independently associated with an increased risk of LTBI (p=0.006). Conclusion: Broadly speaking, the factor of age was associated with an increased risk of LTBI among the HCWs in South Korea. However, those workers current working in the TB-related departments was not associated with an increased risk of LTBI.

• 한국산학기술학회논문지
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• 제18권10호
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• pp.185-196
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• 2017

본 연구의 목적은 메르스 환자 간호에 대한 간호사의 실제적인 경험을 파악하기 위함이다. 본 연구에 참여한 대상자는 S시 1개 상급종합병원에서 메르스 환자 간호에 참여한 간호사 9명이며, 자료 수집을 위해 심층 면담이 수행되었다. 자료수집 기간은 2015년 8월부터 2016년 3월까지였다. 수집된 자료는 Colaizzi의 현상학적 방법에 따라 절차에 맞게 분석하였다. 도출된 5개의 범주는 다음과 같다. '1. 신종 감염병 전염 위험성에 따른 불안과 부담', '2. 메르스 환자 간호사라는 이유로 느끼는 사회적 고립', '3. 준비되지 않은 치료환경 문제에 부딪힘', '4. 힘겨운 메르스 환자 간호과정을 이겨냄', '5. 신종 감염병 대책 마련에 대해 성찰함'이었다. 이와 같은 결과는 메르스 환자를 포함한 다양한 감염병 환자를 담당하는 간호사의 부정적 영향 뿐 아니라, 긍정적인 경험을 도출했다는데 의의가 있다. 이를 바탕으로 심리사회적 부정적 영향을 감소시키고, 긍정적인 적응을 향상시키는데 근거로 활용될 수 있을 것이며, 간호사를 포함한 보건의료 종사자가 신종 감염병 환자를 간호하기 위한 인력, 부서 및 실무지침 마련이 필요하다고 생각된다.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제81권1호
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• pp.6-12
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• 2018

The role of the treatment for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) has been underscored in the intermediate tuberculosis (TB) burden countries like South Korea. LTBI treatment is recommended only for patients at risk for progression to active TB-those with frequent exposure to active TB cases, and those with clinical risk factors (e.g., immunocompromised patients). Recently revised National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline recommended that close contacts of individuals with active pulmonary or laryngeal TB, aged between 18 and 65 years, should undergo LTBI treatment. Various regimens for LTBI treatment were recommended in NICE, World Health Organization (WHO), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, and superiority of one recommended regimen over another was not yet established. Traditional 6 to 9 months of isoniazid (6H or 9H) regimen has an advantage of the most abundant evidence for clinical efficacy-60%-90% of estimated protective effect. However, 6H or 9H regimen is related with hepatotoxicity and low compliance. Four months of rifampin regimen is characterized by less hepatotoxicity and better compliance than 9H, but has few evidence of clinical efficacy. Three months of isoniazid plus rifampin was proved equivalence with 6H or 9H regimen in terms of efficacy and safety, which was recommended in NICE and WHO guidelines. The clinical efficacy of isoniazid plus rifapentine once-weekly regimen for 3 months was demonstrated recently, which is not yet introduced into South Korea.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제28권1호
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• pp.43-50
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• 2003

본 연구는 호흡을 통해 우라늄을 만성 또는 급성섭취한 경우 생물분석 결과의 해석을 통해 예탁유효선량을 평가하는 실질적인 방법을 기술하고 있다. 인체에서의 우라늄 거동의 해석을 위해 인체의 장기를 ICRP에서 권고하는 소화기 모델, 호흡기 모델 그리고 생체역동학적 모델에 따라 일련의 수학적 격실로 구성하였다. Birchall의 알고리듬을 이용하여 각 격실에서의 균형방정식의 해석적인 해를 얻었으며 우라늄의 소변 배설함수와 폐 잔류함수를 획득하였다. 소변 중 우라늄 농도와 폐 계수기로 측정된 폐 부하량에 각각 배설 및 잔류함수를 적용하여 섭취모드에 따른 초기 섭취량 또는 총 섭취량을 계산하였다. 예탁유효선량은 ICRP 78에서 제공하는 선량 환산계수를 계산된 섭취량에 적용함으로써 평가된다.