Disseminated Staphylococcus aureus infection and acute bacterial pericarditis: a case report / 고신대학교의과대학학술지

We experienced a case of disseminated Staphylococcus aureus infection with bacterial pericarditis that progressed to septic shock and multiorgan failure despite pericardiocentesis and surgical removal of the original abscess with intensive antibiotic therapy. We report this case because of the patient’s very rare and remarkable echocardiographic findings and highly turbid pericardial effusion.

Development and Evaluation of Extracurricular Coaching Programs for Improving Communication Skills and Leadership among Nursing Students / 한국간호교육학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop extracurricular coaching programs to improve communication skills and leadership for nursing students and evaluate the effects of the programs. METHODS: The 8-week extracurricular coaching program was developed based on the Joo, Whitmore and Hong models. A quasi-experimental design was used. The subjects were selected by two full-time nursing professors training students at one university in city G. The subjects were chosen from among the advisees of these two professors. Of the students who participated in this study, 29 were in the experimental group and 27 were in the control group. Data was analyzed through t-test and Mann Whitney U-test. RESULTS: The experimental group showed significantly higher post-test scores in communication skills, communication as a nursing outcome, observation of communication, leadership, and leadership as a nursing outcome than those of the control group. However, the experimental group did not reveal significantly higher post-test scores in the number of leadership activities using a portfolio than those of the control group. CONCLUSION: This extracurricular coaching program can help cultivate important, basic grounding as well as achieve nursing student learning outcomes upon graduation.

New Reference Data on Bone Mineral Density and the Prevalence of Osteoporosis in Korean Adults Aged 50 Years or Older: The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2008-2010

This cross-sectional study was performed to investigate the reference values for bone mineral density (BMD) measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and the prevalence of osteoporosis in the Korean population by applying domestic reference data. In total, 25,043 Korean adults > or =20 yr of age (11,792 men and 13,251 women) participated in the study. The BMDs of the total hip, femoral neck, and lumbar spine were measured by DXA (Discovery-W, Hologic Inc.), and subjects with a BMD - 2.5 standard deviations or lower than the mean BMD for young adults (20-29 yr old) were considered to have osteoporosis. When applying the new reference values determined in this study from Korean subjects, the overall prevalence of osteoporosis increased in men aged > or =50 yr compared with that provided by the DXA manufacturer from Japanese subjects (12.2% vs. 7.8%, P or =50 yr (32.9% vs. 38.7%, P<0.001). According to the findings of this study, use of the reference values provided by the DXA manufacturer has resulted in the underdiagnosis of osteoporosis in Korean men and the overdiagnosis of osteoporosis in Korean women. Our data will serve as valuable reference standards for the diagnosis and management for osteoporosis in the Korean population.

Association between Nutrition Label Reading and Nutrient Intake in Korean Adults: Korea National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey, 2007-2009 (KNHANES IV) / 가정의학회지

BACKGROUND: Nutrition labels provide various information on the nutrient contents of food. However, despite the recent increase in the interest in dietary intake and expansion of related policies, studies on the association between nutrition label reading and dietary intake are lacking in Korea. METHODS: This study analyzed the 2007-2009 KNHANES (Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) data. To examine macronutrients and micronutrients intake according to nutrition label reading, analysis of covariance was used. Multiple logistic regression analysis was also used to examine the association between adherence to dietary reference intake and nutrition label reading. RESULTS: Nutrition label reading was significantly high among women, youth, and those with high education and high household income. Nutrition label reading was associated with higher intake of calcium and vitamin C in men and the lower intake of calorie, carbohydrates and higher energy ratio of protein in women. Additionally, male nutrition label readers were associated with adherence to dietary reference intake of fiber (odds ratio [OR], 2.00; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.23 to 3.26) and calcium (OR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.54). In women, there were no significant differences in the adherence to the dietary reference intake in fat, fiber, sodium, potassium, and calcium according to the nutrition label reading. CONCLUSION: In men, nutrition label reading was associated with healthier intake of several micronutrients, although this was not observed in women. Consideration for clearly reporting vulnerable micronutrients in nutrition labels is necessary.

Symptom Distress and Spiritual Well-Being in Patients with Cancer according to Illness and Treatment / 기본간호학회지

PURPOSE: This study was done to analyze symptom distress and spiritual well-being in patients with cancer according cancer diagnosis, metastasis, treatment stage, number of hospitalizations and treatment modality. METHOD: The participants, 285 patients being treated in one of ten general hospitals either as in- or out-patients, completed the McCorkle and Young (1978) Symptom Distress Scale translated and adapted by Uhm (1986) and the Spiritual Well-Being Scale by Paloutzian and Ellison (1982) translated by Choi (1990). Data collection was done from June 19 to September 30, 2006. RESULTS: For symptom distress, there were significant differences for cancer diagnosis (p=.018), metastasis (p=.000), treatment stage (p=.000), number of hospitalizations (p=.000), and treatment modality (p=.002). For spiritual well-being, the only significant difference was for cancer diagnosis (p=.002). Patients with ovarian/uterine cancer had the lowest spiritual well-being. CONCLUSION: For patients with cancer, symptom distress was significantly different for illness and treatment factors, in particular, stage of illness, while for spiritual well-being, patients with uterine ovarian cancer had the lowest spiritual level. These results indicate a need to develop nursing interventions to decrease symptom distress in patients according to treatment stage and to promote spiritual well-being, particularly in women with ovarian/uterine cancer.