Reactions from stinging insects are significant to dermatologists because of the wide variety of clinical presentations from mild local reaction to severe anaphylactic reaction. Although ant sting commonly occurs, it has been rarely reported in the literatures. We experienced a unique case with allergic reactions by the ant of the Cremawgaster iw6w urai vagala, subfamily Myrmicinae, family Formicidea, order Hymenoptera that has not been previously reported.
Anaphylaxis ; Ants* ; Bites and Stings* ; Humans ; Hymenoptera ; Hypersensitivity ; Insects

BACKGROUND: This study was performed to determine the effect of a endotracheal intubation & induction of anesthesia using propofol 2.0 mg/kg or 2.5 mg/kg and fentanyl 2 g/kg without succinylcholine chloride. Also we have compared this method with technique using succinylcholine 1.5 mg/kg and thiopental sodium 5 mg/kg. METHODS: They were divided into 3 groups as follows: group 1, succinylcholine 1~1.5 mg/kg and thiopental sodium 5 mg/kg; group 2, propofol 2 mg/kg and fentanyl 2 microgram/kg; group 3, propofol 2.5 mg/kg and fentanyl 2 microgram/kg. Systolic arterial pressure (SAP) and diastolic arterial pressure (DAP), and heart rate (HR) were measured before induction, after induction, after tracheal intubation immediately, at 1, 2, 3, and 5min. after tracheal intubation in all patients. The incidence of adverse effects and the quality of condition for intubation were measured in all patients. RESULTS: There were significant increases in SAP, DAP, HR after intubation in group 1 but significant decreases in SAP, DAP after induction and at 5min. after intubation in group 2 and group 3. The incidence of adverse effects, and the quality of condition for intubation were no significant difference between group 1 and group 3. CONCLUSIONS: From the above result, use of propofol 2.5 mg/kg and fentanyl 2microgram/kg provided a satisfactory alternative to succinylcholine and thiopental sodium for rapid sequence induction of anesthesia.
Anesthesia ; Arterial Pressure ; Fentanyl ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intubation* ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Propofol ; Sodium* ; Succinylcholine ; Thiopental

BACKGROUND: The studies on prediction equations of pulmonary function parameters for adults in Korea have been performed in a reference population mainly consisted of young and middle ages. So they included a relatively few elderly who conducted pulmonary function test frequently in clinic. We established prediction equations of pulmonary function parameters for healthy adults over 50 years old in rural area and compared this results with those of other studies. Therefore we attempted to consider normative values of pulmonary function tests for elderly in Korea. METHOD: Five hundred thirty-three women and men over 50 years old in rural area were participated. A "healthy" subgroup of 110 women and 32 men were identified by excluding those who had conditions that negatively influenced pulmonary function. We derived prediction equations for FVC, FEV1, and FEV1% by multiple linear regression method from their age, heights and weights in each sex. RESULTS: Prediction equations for FVC and FEV1 in each sex were derived as follows Male; FVC (L) = 0.02488Height(cm) - 0.0269Age(years) + 0.493 FEV1(L) = 0.01874Weight(kg) - 0.0282Age(years) + 2.906 Female; FVC(L) = 0.02160Height(cm) - 0.0192Age(years) - 0.0125 FEV1 (L) = 0.01720Height(cm) - 0.0194Age(years) + 0.3890 Prediction equations for FEV1 % were not derived because FEV1 % didn't have statistically significant terms. Comparing Predicted values that were calculated by substitution into the equations of various studies of mean values of age, heights and weights from this study, FVC and FEV1 values in men of this study were lower than those of other studies. In women, FVC and VEV1 values of this study were as similar as or lower than those of the study conducted for healthy elderly blacks in U.S.A respectively. CONCLUSION: We have got prediction equations of pulmonary function parameters which were driven from forced expiratory spirogram in adults over 50 years old in rural area. Predicted values of this study were lower than those of other studies which were conducted in Korea. So we consider that the study for spirometry reference values for elderly Korean using the method compatible with ATS recommendation need to be conducted more frequently forward.
Adult* ; African Continental Ancestry Group ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Linear Models ; Male ; Middle Aged* ; Reference Values ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Spirometry ; Weights and Measures

OBJECTIVES: Many patients diagnosed with cancer suffer from various psychiatric symptoms such as depression, anxiety and insomnia as well as cancer itself. Patients with cancer are more vulnerable to possible adverse events of psychotropic medications. Although antidepressants are widely used among cancer patients, there is little information about tolerability of antidepressants. This study was conducted to compare tolerability of antidepressants in cancer patients referred for psychiatric consultation. METHODS: The participants were cancer patients who had been referred to psychiatrist for their psychiatric symptoms. We retrospectively analyzed the data of patients diagnosed with cancer from 9 general hospitals in Korea. The discontinuation rate for a 6 months period after treatment initiation for three antidepressants(Escitalopram, Mirtazapine, Paroxetine) were compared. RESULTS: Antidepressants were prescribed for 96.3% of subjects and Escitalopram 150(47.2%), Mirtazapine 92 (28.9%) and Paroxetine 76(23.9%) were prescribed frequently in order There were no significant differences in discontinuation rates among the three antidepressants during the 6 month period after initiation of pharmacotherapy. But there was a difference in discontinuation rates between inpatients versus outpatients(p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: In a naturalistic setting for the antidepressant treatment for cancer patients, it seems that there are no differences in discontinuation rates among these three antidepressants. It is therefore essential that such interactions are carefully considered when treating patients of antidepressants who already have cancer.
Antidepressive Agents ; Anxiety ; Citalopram ; Depression ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Korea ; Mianserin ; Paroxetine ; Psychiatry ; Retrospective Studies ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders

This correction is being published to correct the errors and to added missing contents.

We analyzed aquaporin (AQP) expression in the rat spinal cord following an electrical shock (ES) to elucidate the roles of AQP in spinal cord injury (SCI) induced by an electrical burn. In control animals, AQP1 immunoreactivity was observed in the small diameter dorsal horn fibers of laminae I and II and in astrocytes and neurons in the spinal cord. Both AQP4 and AQP9 immunoreactivity were detected in astrocytes. One week after the ES, AQP1 immunoreactivity in dorsal horn fibers was downregulated to 83, 61, and 33% of control levels following a 1-, 4-, or 6-second ES, respectively. However, AQP1 immunoreactivity in ventral horn neurons increased to 1.3-, 1.5-, and 2.4-fold of control levels following a 1-, 4-, or 6-second ES, respectively. AQP4 immunoreactivity was upregulated after an ES in laminae I and II astrocytes in a stimulus-intensity independent manner. Unlike AQP1 and AQP4, AQP9 immunoreactivity was unaffected by the ES. These findings indicate that altered AQP immunoreactivity may be involved in SCI following an ES.
Animals ; Anterior Horn Cells ; Aquaporins ; Astrocytes ; Burns ; Horns ; Neurons ; Rats ; Shock ; Spinal Cord ; Spinal Cord Injuries

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to investigate whether the charges associated with Korean Diagnosis-Related Groups for mental health inpatients adequately reflect the degree of medical resource consumption for inpatient treatment in the psychiatric ward. METHODS: This study was conducted with psychiatric inpatients data for 2014 from the National Health Insurance claim database. The main diagnoses required for admission, classification of the hospitals, and main treatment services were analyzed by examining descriptive statistics. Homogeneities of the major diagnostic criteria were assessed by calculating coefficient variances. Explanation power was determined by R2 values. RESULTS: The most frequent disorders for psychiatric inpatient treatment were alcohol-use disorder, depressive episodes, bipolar affective disorder, and dementia in Alzheimer's disease. Hospitalization and psychotherapy fees were the main medical expenses. Regardless of the homogeneity of the disease group, duration of hospital stay was the factor that most influenced medical expenses. In the psychiatric area, explanation power of Korean Diagnosis-Related Groups was 16.52% (p<0.05), which was significantly lower than that for other major diagnostic area. CONCLUSION: Most psychiatric illnesses are chronic, and the density of services can vary depending on illness severity or associated complications. The current Korean Diagnosis-Related Groups criteria did not adequately represent the amount of in-hospital medical expenditures. A novel Korean classification system that reflects the expenditures of medical resources in psychiatric hospitals should be developed in order to provide appropriate reimbursements.
Alzheimer Disease ; Classification ; Dementia ; Depressive Disorder ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis-Related Groups* ; Fees and Charges ; Health Expenditures ; Hospital Charges* ; Hospitalization ; Hospitals, Psychiatric ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Insurance, Health ; Length of Stay ; Mental Health ; Mood Disorders ; National Health Programs ; Psychotherapy

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to investigate the relationship between age, sex and alterations in levels of % carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (%CDT) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) in patients admitted with alcohol dependence. METHODS: The study retrospectively enrolled 187 patients who were diagnosed with alcohol dependence according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth edition (DSM-IV) and were admitted into a closed ward in Hallym University Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital from 2009 to 2012 and Hallym University Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital from 2012 to 2017. Demographic factors (age, sex) and biochemical markers [%CDT, GGT, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), aspartate transferase (AST), alanine transferase (ALT)] were collected by reviewing medical records. Alterations in the levels of %CDT and GGT in different groups for each demographic factor were compared after correcting for confounding variables (age, initial %CDT, GGT, MCV, AST, ALT). RESULTS: Decreased %CDT and GGT were observed during the period of abstinence after admission. The normalization period for %CDT increased with age, while the normalization period for GGT was longer in female patients. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that alcohol-dependent patients that vary in age have different alterations in %CDT, while different sexes have different alterations in GGT. Age and sex can be potential indicators of treatment response after abstinence in patients with alcohol dependence. Further studies are needed to evaluate the relationship between these factors with regards to physiological and hematological changes in alcohol dependence.
Alanine ; Alcoholism ; Aspartic Acid ; Biomarkers ; Confounding Factors (Epidemiology) ; Demography ; Erythrocyte Indices ; Female ; Heart ; Humans ; Inpatients* ; Medical Records ; Retrospective Studies ; Transferases* ; Transferrin*

Objective: The objective of the present study was to explore causal pathways to understand how second traumatic experiences could affect the development of emotional exhaustion and psychiatric problems. Methods: A total of 582 workers who had jobs vulnerable to secondary traumatic experiences were enrolled for this study. Emotional exhaustion, secondary trauma, resilience, perceived stress, depression, anxiety, and sleep problems were evaluated. A model with pathways from secondary traumatic experience score to depression and anxiety was proposed. The participants were divided into three groups according to the resilience: the low, middle and high resilience group. Results: Resilience was a meaningful moderator between secondary traumatic experiences and psychiatric problems. In the path model, the secondary trauma and perceived stress directly and indirectly predicted perceived stress, emotional exhaustion, depression, anxiety, and sleep problems in all three groups. Direct effects of perceived stress on depression and anxiety were the largest in the low resilience group. However, direct effects of secondary trauma on perceived stress and emotional exhaustion were the largest in the high resilience group. Conclusion Understanding the needs of focusing for distinct psychological factors offers a valuable direction for the development of intervention programs to prevent emotional exhaustion among workers with secondary traumatic experiences.

OBJECTIVES: Antidepressants are frequently used for treatment of psychological distress among cancer patients. The aim of this study is to investigate the characteristics of psychiatric consultations and antidepressant use for cancer patients. METHODS: Participants in the study included cancer patients who had been referred for psychiatric consultation. A total of 488 patients were recruited from nine general hospitals in Korea. Questionnaires based on medical records, including antidepressants prescribed, were investigated by psychiatrists. RESULTS: The most common psychiatric diagnosis of subjects was depressive disorders (72.4%), followed by anxiety disorders (13.0%), and adjustment disorders (7.3%). Antidepressants were prescribed for 96.3% of subjects and escitalopram, mirtazapine, and paroxetine were prescribed frequently, in order. Anxiolytics and hypnotics were used for 58.2% of the subjects, for which lorazepam and alprozolam were preferred. During the study period, 226 (46.8%) subjects discontinued treatment and the most common cause was improvement of symptoms (123, 54.4%). CONCLUSION: Our results showed a tendency of prescription of antidepressants and anxiolytics and common psychiatric problems in Korean cancer patients. We suppose that these data would be helpful to clinicians who manage psychiatric symptoms of cancer patients.
Adjustment Disorders ; Anti-Anxiety Agents ; Antidepressive Agents ; Anxiety Disorders ; Citalopram ; Depressive Disorder ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Hypnotics and Sedatives ; Korea ; Lorazepam ; Medical Records ; Mental Disorders ; Mianserin ; Paroxetine ; Prescriptions ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Referral and Consultation