• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.2241-2247
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• 2012

Objective: This qualitative study retrospectively examined the experience and psychological impact of contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) among Southern Chinese females with unilateral breast cancer history who underwent BRCA1/2 genetic testing. Limited knowledge is available on this topic especially among Asians; therefore, the aim of this study was to acquire insight from Chinese females' subjective perspectives. Methods: A total of 12 semi-structured in-depth interviews, with 11 female BRCA1/BRCA 2 mutated gene carriers and 1 non-carrier with a history of one-sided breast cancer and genetic testing performed by the Hong Kong Hereditary Breast Cancer Family Registry, who subsequently underwent CPM, were assessed using thematic analysis and a Stage Conceptual Model. Breast cancer history, procedures conducted, cosmetic satisfaction, pain, body image and sexuality issues, and cancer risk perception were discussed. Retrieval of medical records using a prospective database was also performed. Results: All participants opted for prophylaxis due to their reservations concerning the efficacy of surveillance and worries of recurrent breast cancer risk. Most participants were satisfied with the overall results and their decision. One-fourth expressed different extents of regrets. Psychological relief and decreased breast cancer risk were stated as major benefits. Spouses' reactions and support were crucial for post-surgery sexual satisfaction and long-term adjustment. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that thorough education on cancer risk and realistic expectations of surgery outcomes are crucial for positive adjustment after CPM. Appropriate genetic counseling and pre-and post-surgery psychological counseling were necessary. This study adds valuable contextual insights into the experiences of living with breast cancer fear and the importance of involving spouses when counseling these patients.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.3029-3035
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• 2013

Background: Most developing countries have been unable to implement well-organized health care systems, especially comprehensive Pap smear screening-based programs. One of the reasons for this is regional differences in medical services, and a low-cost portable cervical screening system is necessary. To improve regional discrepancies in cervical screening systems, we investigated the usefulness and acceptability of cervical selfsampling by liquid-based cytology (LBC) for 290 volunteers in the Lao PDR. Materials and Methods: Following health education with comprehensive documents, cervical self-sampling kits by LBC were distributed in three provincial, district, and village areas to a total of 290 volunteers, who were asked to take cytology samples by themselves. Subsequently, the acceptability of self-sampling was evaluated using a questionnaire. Results: The documents were well understood in all three regions. Regarding the acceptability of self-sampling, the selections for subsequent screening were 62% self-sampling, 36% gynecologist-sampling, 1% either method, and 1% other methods. The acceptability rates were higher in the district and the village than in the province. For the relationship between acceptability and pregnancy, the self-sampling selection rate was higher in the pregnancy-experienced group (75%) than in the pregnancy-inexperienced group (60%). For the relationship between selection of self-sampling and experience of screening, the self-sampling selection rate was higher in the screening-inexperienced group (62%) than in the screening-experienced group (52%). Conclusions: Our data show that this new way forward, involving a combination of self-sampling and LBC, is highly acceptable regardless of age, educational background, and residence in rural areas in a developing country.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.59 no.5
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• pp.212-217
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• 2016

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical features of children who have survived a water submersion incident, and to identify risk factors for prognosis. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients who experienced submersion between January 2005 and December 2014. The patients were classified into 2 groups, according to complications, and prognostic factors were evaluated. Results: During the study period, 29 children experienced submersion (20 boys and 9 girls; mean age, $83.8{\pm}46.4$ months). Submersion occurred most commonly in the summer, with the peak incidence in August. The most frequent Szpilman clinical score was grade 5 (13 patients; 44.8%), followed by grade 6 (7 patients; 24.1%), and grades 1 or 2 (3 patients; 10.3%). Five children (17.2%) in the poor prognosis group died or had hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, and the overall mortality rate was 6.9%. Poor prognosis after submersion was associated with lower consciousness levels (P=0.003), higher Szpilman scores (P=0.007), greater need for intubation and mechanical ventilator support (P=0.001), and longer duration of oxygen therapy (P=0.015). Poor prognosis was also associated with lower bicarbonate levels (P=0.038), as well as higher sodium, aspartate transaminase (AST), and alanine transaminase (ALT) levels (P=0.034, P=0.006, and P=0.005, respectively). Szpilman clinical scores were positively correlated with consciousness levels (r=0.489, P=0.002) and serum liver enzyme levels (AST and ALT; r=0.521, P=0.004). Conclusion: We characterized the prognostic factors associated with submersion outcomes, using the Szpilman clinical score, which is comparable to consciousness level for predicting mortality.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.63 no.8
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• pp.284-290
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• 2020

Korea currently has the world's lowest birth rate but a rapidly inreasing number of preterm infants. The Korean Neonatal Network (KNN), launched by the Korean Society of Neonatology under the support of Korea Centers for Disease Control, has collected population-based data for very low birth weight infants (VLBWIs) born in Korea since 2013. In terms of the short-term outcomes of VLBWIs born from 2013 to 2016 registered in the KNN, the survival rate of all VLBWIs was 86%. Respiratory distress syndrome and bronchopulmonary dysplasia were observed in 78% and 30% of all VLBWIs, respectively. Necrotizing enterocolitis occurred in 7%, while 8% of the VLBWIs needed therapy for retinopathy of prematurity in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Sepsis occurred in 21% during their NICU stay. Intraventricular hemorrhage (grade ≥III) was diagnosed in 10%. In terms of the long-term outcomes for VLBWIs born from 2013 to 2014 registered in the KNN, the post-discharge mortality rate was approximately 1.2%-1.5%, mainly owing to their underlying illness. Nearly half of the VLBWIs were readmitted to the hospital at least once in their first 1-2 years of life, mostly as a result of respiratory diseases. The overall prevalence of cerebral palsy was 6.2%-6.6% in Korea. Bilateral blindness was reported in 0.2%-0.3% of VLBWIs, while bilateral hearing loss was found in 0.8%-1.9%. Since its establishment, the KNN has published annual reports and papers that facilitate the improvement of VLBWI outcome and the formulation of essential healthcare policies in Korea.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.78-84
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• 2018

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Folic acid supplementation before pregnancy is known to reduce the risk of neural tube defects. The purposes of this study were to investigate the awareness, knowledge, and use of folic acid supplements along with their associated factors among non-pregnant Korean women of childbearing age. SUBJECTS/METHODS: From August 2012 to March 2013, 704 women aged 19-45 years completed a self-administered questionnaire regarding their awareness, knowledge, and use of folic acid as well as questions to identify risk of inadequate folate intake. RESULTS: Approximately 67% of women reported that they had heard of folic acid, and 23.7% had knowledge of both the role of folic acid in preventing birth defects and appropriate time for taking folic acid supplements to prevent birth defects. However, only 9.4% of women took folic acid supplements at the time of the survey. Women aged 19-24 years, unmarried women, and women who had never been pregnant were less likely to be aware and knowledgeable of folic acid or take folic acid supplements. In addition, women at high risk of inadequate folate intake were less likely to take folic acid supplements. In a multivariate analysis, women aged 19-24 years, women with a high school diploma or lower education level, and unmarried women were less likely to be aware and have knowledge of folic acid. The percentage of women taking folic acid supplements was significantly higher among knowledgeable women than among unknowledgeable women. CONCLUSIONS: These results support our hypothesis that women with knowledge of folic acid are more likely to take folic acid supplements. Therefore, educational programs or campaigns to improve knowledge regarding the importance of folic acid and to promote consumption of folic acid supplements as well as folate-rich foods are needed to target young, less educated, and unmarried women.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.615-626
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate caregiver burden and health related quality of life (HRQoL) among male spouses who cared for partners with a stroke. Methods: The subjects were spouses of 121 female patients who visited the neurology outpatients department in one tertiary hospital located in Seoul between February and April in 2011. Results: The mean age of the male caregivers was $71.25{\pm}5.51$ years. The mean score of caregiver's burden was moderate ($63.28{\pm}9.85$). The average reported caregiving time was $58.48{\pm}5.51$ min/day with the male spouses spending more time in house-working than with caregiving activities. The reported depression and care giving time, plus the cognitive status and functional dependencies of the spouse were significantly related to male caregiver's burden. The mean scores of 'physical health' and 'mental health' for quality of life for the male caregivers was moderate (47.49 and 47.33 respectively). Overall, caregiver's burden has a negative effect on the HRQoL of male spouses. Conclusion: Caregiver's burden and HRQoL are important problems which are in need of nurses' attention. It is suggested that intervention programs for male spouses be developed with a focus on emotional and social support as well as education about the caregiving role.

• Journal of mucopolysaccharidosis and rare diseases
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.2-4
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• 2015

Though the rate of incidence of each rare disease, including mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS), is low, this is not the case if they are taken as a whole. Rare diseases often have genetic causes and vary in type. However, the signs and symptoms vary greatly by disease, making it difficult to make accurate diagnoses and conduct necessary research, which is why we believe it is a field that deserves more attention and research. It is important to establish an infrastructure of experts in each country and promote cooperation within the Asia-Pacific region in order to improve specialist training and communication. Given the need for a system of cooperation, the Asia Pacific MPS Network (APMN) was established by several MPS experts in South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan in January 2013. Thereafter, the Asia Pacific MPS Registry (APMR), an electronic remote data system, was established by the APMN. Then, the Association for Research of MPS & Rare Diseases (ARMRD), an academic society that supports research on MPS and other rare diseases, was established by President Dong-Kyu Jin in April in 2015. The main task of the ARMRD is to support APMN-related work. The ARMRD published a uniform guideline that reflects the characteristics and circumstances of local patients through the Korean MPS Expert Council. Now, the APMN, APMR, and the annual Korean MPS Symposium are supported by ARMRD. Organizations like the APMN and APMR are necessary because international cooperation and collaboration are needed to conduct clinical trials on those diseases. ARMRD members hope to encourage the interest of experts and researchers of MPS & rare diseases as well as active participation in the research and treatment of patients suffering from rare diseases, including MPS, to ultimately improve the quality of life of the patients as well as their families.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.1128-1140
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• 2009

In this paper, we present a patient real-time vital sign information transmission system to effectively support developing real-time communication service by using a real-time object model named TMO (Time-Triggered Message-Triggered Object). Also, we describe the application environment as the ICU(Intensive Care Unit) to guarantee real-time service message with TMO structure in distributed network systems. We have to design to obtain useful vital sign information, which is generated at parsing data receiver modulor of HIS with TMO structure, that is offered by the central monitor. Vital sign informations of central monitor is composed of the raw data of several bedsite patient monitors. We are willing to maintain vital sign information of real time and continuity that is generated from the bedsite patient monitor. It is able to apply to remote medical examination and treatment. we proposed integration method between a vital sign database systems and hospital information systems. In the real time simulation techniques based on TMO object modeling, We have observed several advantages to the TMO structuring scheme. TMO object modeling has a strong traceability between requirement specification and design.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2008.10a
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• pp.357-360
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• 2008

Vital sign monitoring system using IEEE 502.IS.4 based wireless sensor network(WSN) is designed and developed on mobile environment and sensor node platform. WSN and CDMA are integrated to create a wide coverage to support various environments like inside and outside. We developed query processor to use selective any devices(ECG, Blood pressure and sugar module) and control of the self-organizing network of sensor nodes in a wireless sensor network. Vital sign from wireless medical any devices are analysed in cell phone first for real time signal analyses and the abnormal vital signs are sent and save to hospital server for detail signal processing. wireless signal traffic in wireless sensor network environment or data communication inside the cell phone is reduced.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2007.10a
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• pp.469-472
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• 2007

The telemedicine system provide an efficient means to monitor the status of health and measure bio-information even though the limitation of distance and time. The telemedicine system can be divided into two categories. The first one is Remote Support Service which can monitor the patient including home environments and give those diagnosis information to medical office. and the other one is Alarm Service that can be used for tile emergency status. For the convenience of the patient we will design and implement portable healthcare device and the telemedicine system under the wireless ZigBee network environments.