• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.727-733
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• 2013

Despite the existence of effective anthelmintics, parasitic infections remain a major public health problem in Southeast Asia, including Thailand. In rural communities, continuing infection is often reinforced by dietary habits that have a strong cultural basis and by poor personal hygiene and sanitation. This study presents a survey of the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections among the people in rural Thailand. The community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in villages in Khon Kaen Province, northeastern Thailand, from July to August 2013. A total of 253 stool samples from 102 males and 140 females, aged 2-80 years, were prepared using formalin-ethyl acetate concentration methods and examined using light microscopy. Ninety-four individuals (37.2%) were infected with 1 or more parasite species. Presence of parasitic infection was significantly correlated with gender (P=0.001); nearly half of males in this survey (49.0%) were infected. Older people had a higher prevalence than younger members of the population. The most common parasite found was Opisthorchis viverrini (26.9%), followed by Strongyloides stercoralis (9.5%), Taenia spp. (1.6%), echinostomes (0.4%), and hookworms (0.4%). The prevalence of intestinal protozoa was Blastocystis hominis 1.6%, Entamoeba histolytica 0.8%, Entamoeba coli 0.8%, Balantidium coli 0.4%, Iodamoeba b$\ddot{u}$tschlii 0.4%, and Sarcocystis hominis 0.4%. Co-infections of various helminths and protozoa were present in 15.9% of the people. The present results show that the prevalence of parasitic infections in this region is still high. Proactive education about dietary habits, personal hygiene, and sanitation should be provided to the people in this community to reduce the prevalence of intestinal parasite infections. Moreover, development of policies and programs to control parasites is needed.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.271-277
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• 2013

The subjects of this study were the patients of H Dental Hospital in Busan, who visited for the purpose of treatment in patients over 18 years of age and 151 patients, analyzed the data of the results of the selection criteria of the dental health care consumer. The gender of the subjects by cross-analysis, importance order of selection criteria for dental hospital were cleanness and hygiene(78.1%), equipment and facilities(60.9%), career and word-of-mouth(57.6%), staff kindness(57.6%), ease of use(32.5%) and scale of dental hospital(22.5%), it was appeared similar in comparison of cross-analysis and average-analysis. Major consideration of the study subjects to select criteria for dental hospital was pain control(31.8%), infection control(30.5%), cost(29.8%), time(7.9%) respectively. Gender as a primary consideration to the part of a man in pain control(39.2%), women cost(39.1%) was most common (p<0.001). In dental health care consumer to select criteria, clean hygiene and infection control at the heavily appeared to affect the direction of change in the consciousness of consumers seeking and it is necessary to improve hospital services for the dental care of their qualitative changes.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.253-257
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• 2014

Background Although the utility of flaps for the treatment of sternal wound infections following median sternotomy has been reported for 30 years, there have been few reports on the risk factors for complications after reconstruction. The objective of this investigation was to identify factors related to complications after the reconstruction of sternal wound infections. Methods A retrospective analysis of 74 patients with reconstructive surgery after sternal wound infection over a 5-year period was performed. Clinical data including age, sex, body mass index (BMI), comorbidities, bacterial culture, previous cardiac surgery, wound depth, mortality rate, type of reconstructive procedure, and complication rate were collected. Results The patients' BMI ranged from 15.2 to $33.6kg/m^2$ (mean, $23.1{\pm}3.74kg/m^2$). Wound closure complications after reconstructive surgery were observed in 36.5% of the cases. The mortality rate was 2.7%. Diabetes mellitus significantly affected the rate of wound closure complications (P=0.041). A significant difference in the number of complications was seen between Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and coagulase-negative Staphylococci (P=0.011). There was a correlation between harvesting of the internal thoracic artery and postoperative complications (P=0.048). The complication rates of the pectoralis major flap, rectus abdominis flap, omentum flap, a combination of pectoralis major flap and rectus abdominis flap, and direct closure were 23.3%, 33.3%, 100%, 37.5%, and 35.7%, respectively. Conclusions Diabetes mellitus, S. aureus, harvesting of the internal thoracic artery, and omentum flap were significant factors for complications after reconstruction. The omentum flap volume may be related to the complications associated with the omentum flap transfer in the present study.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.237-245
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical efficacy of latex cover developed for dental handpiece on contamination of microorganisms during dental treatment and to determine whether it can be an alternative to conventional sterilization such as autoclaving. E. fecaelis was used as a experimental microorganism instead of oral flora. Experimental bowl with 2 cm of rectangular cavity was fabricated for handpiece operating instead of oral cavity. Latex covers ($Orokeeper^{(R)}$, Orobiotech Co., Korea) and several handpieces were used after sterilization by autoclave. Four experiments were performed to evaluate bacterial contamination related with (1) various parts of dental handpiece, (2) swabbing time with alcohol sponge, (3) postoperative air-water spraying time and (4) consecutive use of latex covers without autoclaving. The results show that face of handpiece uncovered with latex cover was severely contaminated than the covered area and that most bacteria were removed by swabbing face and head area of dental hand-piece and by air-water spraying more than 15 seconds nearly up to the level of sterilization. Conclusively it can be suggested that use of latex cover for handpiece during dental procedure, swabbing with alcohol sponge is air-water spraying for more than 15 seconds after use of dental handpiece should be very useful and practical for prevention of cross infection and should be an alternative method for the sterilization of dental handpiece under some difficult situations not being able to sterilize a handpiece with autoclave.

• The Journal of Advanced Prosthodontics
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.84-88
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• 2012

PURPOSE. To evaluate the efficacy of sodium hypochlorite (1 : 10) and iodophor disinfectants on alginate impressions along with their effect on the survived bacterium count on the gypsum cast. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Four alginate impression on each dentate patients were made, of which Group I were not washed or disinfected, Group II impressions were merely washed with water, Group III were disinfected by spraying with sodium hypochlorite (1 : 10), Group IV were disinfected with iodophor (1 : 213). Gypsum cast (type III) were made from all the impression. Impressions and gypsum cast were swabbed in mid palatal region for bacterial culture. Bacterial colony counting done after 3 days of incubation at $37^{\circ}C$ in blood agar media. The data obtained was analyzed by one way ANOVA test at a significant difference level of 0.05. RESULTS. Group I and Group II showed significantly more bacteria compared to Group III and Group IV. Bacterial colonies on the alginate impression and gypsum cast in group disinfected with Sodium hypochlorite (1 : 10) were 0.18, 0.82 respectively compared to group treated with iodophor (1 : 213). There was an increase in bacterial count on dental cast compared to source alginate impressions. CONCLUSION. Sodium hypochlorite (1 : 10) was found to be better disinfectant for alginate impression. There was an indication of increase in number of bacteria from alginate impression to making of dental cast. Additional gypsum cast disinfectant procedures need to be encouraged to completely eliminate cross infection to dental laboratory.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.620-629
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• 1989

A clinical analysis of 138 cases of ventricular septal defect operated on from 1983 to June 1988 at the department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, School of Medicine, Chung-nam National University was done. The following results were obtained. 1. The VSD were 27.6 % and 41.0 % respectively of 500 open heart surgery cases and 334 congenital heart disease. 2. The range of age when the VSD was repaired was 3 months to 45 years, the mean age was 10.4 years and the 53.6 % of patients were under 7 years. The sex ratio was 6:4 in males favor. 3. The two common symptoms were frequent upper respiratory infection and dyspnea whose frequency was 62.5 % and 58.7% respectively. 4. 52% of the patients was below 25 percentile of the standard body weight. 5. The most common chest PA findings were cardiomegaly and increased pulmonary vascularity. 6. On anatomical classification, perimembranous type was most common [65.5%], subpulmonary arterial type was 27.6 %, perimembranous plus subpulmonary arterial type was 3.4 % multiple VSD was 0.8 % and LV-RA defect was 2.6 %. 7. Associated cardiac anomalies were founded in 39 cases [35.5 %] and PDA and aortic valve prolapse were most common associated anomalies and extracardiac anomalies were founded in 6.7 % of patients. 8. Mean extracorporeal circulation time was 68 min. and mean aortic cross-clamping time was 42 min. 9. The postoperative complications developed in 26 % of patients and the most common one was minor wound infection. 10. Right bundle branch block developed in 54.8% of the patients who had right ventriculotomy, 40.0% of the patients who had right atriotomy and 10.5% of the patients who had pulmonary arteriotomy. 11. The overall operative mortality was 5.1 % and the operative mortality of the patients who body weigh under 10 Kg was 23.8%.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.47-52
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• 1988

The intradermal(ID) test has been widely used in Korea and several reports about the results of the ID test are known. We examined the egg of Clonorchis sinensis(C. s.) by ID test in 443, stool's egg-counting technique in 79 and direct smear(cellophane thick smear technique) in 1304 subjects. The results are as follows.: 1. The positive rate of C. s. was 3.8% out of 1304 persons. 2. The sensitivity of ID test was 82.1% out of 39 persons and, the specificity was 64.6% out of 404 persons. 3. The false positive of ID test 35.4% out of 404 persons and, the false negative was 17.9% out of 39 persons. Intradermal test is a rapid, sensitive and useful supplementary diagnostic tool for the detection of Clonorchiasis infection and must be used as screening test with direct smear of stool but cross reaction with other helminth infections and moderate false reaction are the main disadvantages in its practical application.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.455-460
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• 2016

Blastocystis is a common zoonotic enteric protozoan that has been classified into 17 distinct subtypes (STs). A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence and subtype distributions of Blastocystis in villagers living along the Chao Phraya River, Ayutthaya Province, Thailand, and to assess the risk of zoonotic infection. In total, 220 stool samples were collected, and DNA was extracted. PCR and sequencing were performed with primers targeting the small-subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) genes. Blastocystis was present in 5.9% (13/220) of samples, and ST3 (5.0%; 11/220) was the predominant subtype, followed by ST2 (0.45%; 1/220) and ST6 (0.45%; 1/220). Phylogenetic trees were constructed with the maximum-likelihood method based on the Hasegawa-Kishino-Yano + G + I model, neighbor-joining, and maximum parsimony methods. The percentage of bootstrapped trees in which the associated taxa clustered together was relatively high. All the sequences of the Blastocystis-positive samples (KU051524-KU051536) were closely related to those from animals (pig, cattle, and chicken), indicating a zoonotic risk. Therefore, the villagers require proper health education, especially regarding the prevention of parasitic infection, to improve their personal hygiene and community health. Further studies are required to investigate the Blastocystis STs in the animals living in these villages.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.6115-6119
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• 2012

Introduction: Increasing prevalence of human papilloma virus (HPV) infection and its association with cervical cancer as a leading cause of death make it necessary to evaluate and improve the public knowledge, especially of university students, about this cause of disease. Methods: A cross-sectional study of knowledge and attitude of a total 669 students from Tabriz University of Medical Sciences was therefore performed with a modified validated questionnaire, arranged into 5 parts and containing 55 questions, in July 2011. Questions were directed to study socio-demographic characteristics of the participant, knowledge about HPV disease, transmission route, relationship with cervical cancer, predisposing factors, and participants attitude toward people with HPV infection. Results: All of the participants were Moslem with a mean age $25.6{\pm}5.33$ years of age. All of the participants had heard of HPV, and acquired their knowledge through university courses (90.6%); the majority of them knew that HPV is a sexually transmitted disease and a potential cause for genital warts but general knowledge about details was not high. Mean knowledge score of residents and post graduate midwifery and nursing students was high as compared to other groups (P<0.001). Statements that indicated the presence of fear to communicate with people suffering HPV and people's avoidance to rely on babysitting of these patients were observed. Educational level (${\beta}$=0.21, P<0.001), age (${\beta}$=0.18, P=0.002,) and smoking (${\beta}$=-0.11, P=0.006) were predicted to effect knowledge. Conclusions: Moderate level of knowledge about HPV among medical university students makes it necessary to set effective national public health efforts on HPV education and prevention considering he excess of young population in Iran vulnerable to cervical cancer.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.29-34
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• 2015

The aim of this cross sectional case control study was to examine the serofrequency and serointensity of Toxoplasma gondii (Tg) IgG, IgM, and DNA among patients with schizophrenia. A total of 101 patients with schizophrenia and 55 healthy controls from Sungai Buloh Hospital, Selangor, Malaysia and University Malaya Medical Center (UMMC) were included in this study. The diagnosis of schizophrenia was made based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). The presence of Tg infection was examined using both indirect (ELISA) and direct (quantitative real-time PCR) detection methods by measuring Tg IgG and IgM and DNA, respectively. The serofrequency of Tg IgG antibodies (51.5%, 52/101) and DNA (32.67%, 33/101) among patients with schizophrenia was significantly higher than IgG (18.2%, 10/55) and DNA (3.64%, 2/55) of the controls (IgG, P=0.000, OD=4.8, CI=2.2-10.5; DNA, P=0.000, OD=12.9, CI=2.17-10.51). However, the Tg IgM antibody between patients with schizophrenia and controls was not significant (P>0.005). There was no significant difference (P>0.005) in both serointensity of Tg IgG and DNA between patients with schizophrenia and controls. These findings have further demonstrated the strong association between the active Tg infection and schizophrenia.