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A survey of canine heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) infections among German shepherds in five areas of South Korea was performed from October 1994 to August 1995 using a microfilarial test (modified Knott's test) and an antigen test (DiroCHEK, Synbiotics, USA). The infection rate of 127 German shepherds (71 males and 56 females) was 10.2% (13/127) by the microfilarial test, but was 28.3% (36/127) by the antigen test, revealing that 24 of the 36 antigen-positive dogs were microfilaria negative in the peripheral blood. All dogs that were microfilaria-positive were also antigen positive. There of the microfilaria negative and antigen positive dogs contained 4.15 adult heartworms in the heart and pulmonary arteries upon necropsy. The infection rate among German shepherds was the highest in Hoengsong-gun (Kangwon-do, 84.4%), while those of Yechon gun (Kyongsangbuk-do) and Chungwon-gun (Chungchongbuk-do) areas were 20.0% and 14.3%, respectively. None of the dogs in the Kimhae-shi (Kyongsangnam-do) and Kwangju areas was heartworm positive. The infection rates of heartworm in dogs at the age of 1-3, 4-6, and 7-11 years were 6.2%, 21.4%, and 56.4%, respectively. Based on the fact that the antigen test is more accurate than the microfilarial test, this study strongly indicates that the prevalence rate of canine heartworm in Korea may be higher than previously reported (3.1 approximately 23.0%) which utilized microfilarial tests.

During the Japanese imperialism, and attempt for colonial education in the Korean peninsula was to put operation of a medical education movement. This plan was set up by the Tong-in club in 1907 and the foundations were laid in Pyong-yang and Tae-gu Tong-in hospitals. This report is a review acheiving the approach that was underplotted with the intention of the colonial education policy. Also, this report centralizes on the objectives of the Tong-in club establishment and the details of the medical education movement in the Korean paninsula. On June 16th, 1902, the Tong-a Don-mun club, Tong-a-mun club, Tong-mun medical club were established under the management of Mr. Irizawa Tatchkiji. The objectives of these clubs were to spread and popularize medical science into the Qing-Dynasty, Choson Dynasty and other countries. Tong-in club practiced modern medicine in the Korean peninsula. ...

A calf and 50 mice were infected with Cryptosporidium parvum, and their fecal materials were collected and treated with ether extraction (EE), followed by discontinuous sucrose gradients (DSG) method. EE method was to remove some of fat or lipid from feces. Sediments were washed by centrifugation (1,500 x g for 10 min., 3 times) in phosphate-buffered saline and then these washed sediments were sieved sequentially through stainless steel screens with a final mesh of 250 (61 microns porosity) to remove other debris. After sieving, the materials were suspended in 2.5% potassium dichromate solution. Oocysts were counted by using a hemocytometer and the recovery rate of pure oocysts was calculated on the basis of the count. Following centrifugation (1,500 x g for 30 min.) by DSG method, most oocysts were recovered at the interface between a gravity of 1.103 and 1.064. The recovery rates of pure oocysts from the fecal suspension of the calf (3.8 x 10(7)/ml) and the mouse (3.2 x 10(6)/ml) treated with EE method were 81.6% and 51.6%, respectively. It is suggested that the recovery rate was dependent on the number of oocysts in each suspension treated with EE method. To get the 50% recovery rate, there must be more than 2 x 10(6) oocysts per ml of the fecal suspension treated with EE method. By the combination of the two methods it was possible to isolate C. parvum oocysts from normal feces of the calf and mouse as well as from diarrheic feces.

This report was done mid way through the study "A Demonstration-Cum-Research on the Reimbursement system and cost-effectiveness of Home Health Care Program in Korea". It focused on developing an estimation of early discharge day to home health care based on analysis medical records and on an analysis of medical expenses based on a detailed statement of treatment for inpatients who were hospitalized at S General Hospital in 1991. Two research methods were adopted for estimation of the early discharge day. One was micro-analysis from the medical records and the other was macro-analysis to clarify the estimated early discharge day to home health care for patients with four diseases judged from need assessment to be candidates for this type of program, namely patients with, Cesarean Section, Hypertension, Diabetes Mellitus, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Estimation of early discharge day to home health care were developed through many aspects of analysis of the signs and symptoms by disease in a micro-analysis in addition to a decrease in the amount of treatment, drugs, tests and changes in the test consistency, drug methods, and client's condition in the macro-analysis. Accordingly, an early discharge day for inpatients was finally estimated through the analysis of the client's conditions and treatment, drugs, tests, and nursing care activities that the patient received during hospitalization. From the research findings, the following summarized conclusions have drawn. First, for patients with Cesarean Sections, after assessing each items using the two analysis methods, the mean period of hospitalization was 8.8 days, but the mean period of hospitalization was estimated at 4.1 days if early discharge to home health care could be done. Second, for patients with Hypertension, the same method as for the patients with the Cesarean Sections was used and the result was reduction from a mean period of the hospitalization of 9.9 days to a mean period of the hospitalization of 5.2 days. Third, for patients with Diabetes Mellitus there was a decrease from a mean period of the hospitalization of 11.7 days to a mean period of hospitalization of 8.4 days if early discharge to home health care could be done. Fourth, for patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, the mean period of the hospitalization was 14.3 days, but the mean period of the hospitalization could be 8.1 days if early discharge to home health care could be done.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

This study was performed to investigate experimental transmission of Cryptosporidium parvum in a calf. A 25-day-old Korean native calf was inoculated per os with 1 x 10(6) C. parvum oocysts isolated from a Korean mouse. The calf commenced oocyst discharge in feces on post-inoculation day 4, and continued until the day 11. The number of discharged oocysts peaked (4.9 x 10(5)) on post-inoculation day 6. However, the calf did not show signs of diarrhea. The present results indicate that C. parvum is cross-transmissible between the calf and the mouse.

Colorectal cancer is second only to lung cancer as a cause of death due to cancer in the United States. Studies have shown that fecal occult blood (FOB) tests are effective in detecting colorectal cancer in its early stages. To motivate worksite FOB testing, a randomized controlled trial was conducted. Employees 40 years or older from three federal agencies in Washington State were randomized to a control group (n = 139) which received a letter stating the availability of the FOB test at the worksite clinic or to an intervention group (n = 139) which received the letter about facts on colorectal cancer and a Colorectal Cancer Risk Appraisal. The Colorectal Cancer Risk Appraisal included a feedback on an individual's risk of developing colorectal cancer compared to his/her peers in terms of 'normal', 'moderate', or 'high' risk status. After 3 months, a follow-up questionnaire was sent to all participants to measure the effectiveness of the intervention. In the analysis of the three major outcomes, two possible confounding factors (dietary fat and family history of colorectal cancer) were controlled by logistic regression. Based on a review of the worksite clinic records, the intervention group had 4.3% higher compliance rate with the FOB test during the follow-up period compared to the control group (p = .10). The largest effect of the intervention was on the employees' intention to get a FOB test within the next year (62.6% in the intervention group vs. 36.2% in the control group, OR = 3.18, p less than .001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)