OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to identify the factors associated with suicidal ideation among the elderly living alone received the elderly care service in a rural area. METHODS: This study was surveyed 206 the elderly living alone who received the elderly care service in G-gun, Jeollanamdo. The collected data were socio-demographic and health-related characteristics, family support and suicidal ideation. The used methods for statistical analysis were used t-test, analysis of variance, Pearson's correlational analysis and the multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: In univariate analysis, the suicidal ideation of the elderly living alone was statistically significant associated with age, monthly income, sufficiency of sleeping, depression, stress, activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, perceived health status and family support. As a result of multiple regression analysis, the associated factors with suicidal ideation were age, depression, stress and the activities of daily living. CONCLUSIONS: The suicidal ideation of the elderly living alone in the rural area was associated with age, mental health and independency of living. It will be needed the multidisciplinary approaches to prevent the suicidal ideation and attempts of the elderly living alone.
Activities of Daily Living ; Aged* ; Depression ; Family Characteristics ; Humans ; Jeollanam-do ; Logistic Models ; Mental Health ; Suicidal Ideation*

Cytomegalovirus(CMV) infections are common in immune compromised situations such as human immunodeficiency virus infection and organ transplantation. However CMV colitis had been rarely found in immunocompetent individuals. We experienced a case of an 83-year-old female patient, initially immune competent, who developed a massive lower gastrointestinal bleeding caused by CMV colitis. Previously, multiple antibiotics were used for nontuberculous Myco- bacterium and other bacterial infections after total knee arthroplasty. Colonoscopy revealed multiple ulcerations and mucosal congestion with hemorrhage. In spite of ganciclovir therapy, our patient did not recover.
Aged, 80 and over ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Arthroplasty ; Bacterial Infections ; Colitis ; Colonoscopy ; Cytomegalovirus ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Female ; Ganciclovir ; Hemorrhage ; HIV ; Humans ; Knee ; Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous ; Nontuberculous Mycobacteria ; Organ Transplantation ; Transplants ; Ulcer

Splenic infarcts are comparatively less common lesions. Caused by the occlusion of the major splenic artery or any of its branches, they are almost always due to emboli that arise in the heart. The spleen, along with the kidneys and brain, ranks as one of the most frequent sites of localization of systemic emboli. Infarcts may be small or large, multiple or single, and sometimes involve the entire organ. Usually these infarcts are of the bland anemic type. Septic infarcts are found in vegetative endocarditis of the valves of the left side of the heart. Much less often, infarcts in the spleen are caused by local thromboses, especially in leukemia, myeloproliferative syndrome, sickle cell anemia, polyarteritis nodosa, Hodgkin's disease, and bacteremic diseases. We experienced a rather unusual splenic infarction due to lymphoma in a 80-year-old man.
Aged, 80 and over ; Anemia, Sickle Cell ; Brain ; Endocarditis ; Heart ; Hodgkin Disease ; Humans ; Kidney ; Leukemia ; Lymphoma ; Polyarteritis Nodosa ; Spleen ; Splenic Artery ; Splenic Infarction ; Thrombosis

Bleeding from esophageal and gastric varices is a life-threatening complication for patients with liver cirrhosis. Endoscopic injection of Histoacryl(R)(N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate) has been reported to be an effective therapy for variceal bleeding; however, distal embolization of unwanted areas has been described in some cases with a fatal outcome. A change in the rationale of treatment of variceal bleeding in patients with liver cirrhosis was not advocated because of the infrequency of such cases. We report two cases of splenic infarction with celiac trunk and pulmonary emboli as serious complications of Histoacryl(R) injection.
Esophageal and Gastric Varices ; Fatal Outcome ; Hemorrhage ; Hepatic Artery ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Pulmonary Embolism ; Splenic Infarction

PURPOSE: Recently multi-modal imaging system has become widely adopted in molecular imaging. We tried to fabricate animal-specific positioning molds for PET/MR fusion imaging using easily available molding clay and rapid foam. The animal-specific positioning molds provide immobilization and reproducible positioning of small animal. Herein, we have compared fiber-based molding clay with rapid foam in fabricating the molds of experimental animal. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The round bottomed-acrylic frame, which fitted into microPET gantry, was prepared at first. The experimental mice was anesthetized and placed on the mold for positioning. Rapid foam and fiber-based clay were used to fabricate the mold. In case of both rapid foam and the clay, the experimental animal needs to be pushed down smoothly into the mold for positioning. However, after the mouse was removed, the fabricated clay needed to be dried completely at 60 degrees C in oven overnight for hardening. Four sealed pipet tips containing [18F]FDG solution were used as fiduciary markers. After injection of [18F]FDG via tail vein, microPET scanning was performed. Successively, MRI scanning was followed in the same animal. RESULTS: Animal-specific positioning molds were fabricated using rapid foam and fiber-based molding clay for multimodality imaging. Functional and anatomical images were obtained with microPET and MRI, respectively. The fused PET/MR images were obtained using freely available AMIDE program. CONCLUSION: Animal-specific molds were successfully prepared using easily available rapid foam, molding clay and disposable pipet tips. Thanks to animal-specific molds, fusion images of PET and MR were co-registered with negligible misalignment.
Aluminum Silicates ; Animals ; Fungi ; Immobilization ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Mice ; Molecular Imaging ; Veins

PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of repeated photodynamic therapy (PDT) for subfoveal choroidal neovascularization secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in Korean patients. METHODS: Clinical data of patients who were treated with repeated (3 times or more) PDT for subfoveal choroidal neovascularization secondary to AMD and followed up for more than 6 months were collected from 17 hospitals around the country. Visual outcomes at 12 and 24 months, follow-up were compared between subtypes of choroidal neovascularization. The factors related to final visual prognosis and PDT-related adverse effects were evaluated. RESULTS: 244 patients (244 eyes) were recruited (male: 60%, age: 67.7+/-9.1 years). The portion of patients with predominantly classic, minimally classic, and occult without classic choroidal neovascularization was 57%, 13%, and 24%, respectively and that of patients with visual improvements or less than moderate visual loss at 24 months follow-up were 28%, 38%, 30% and 47%, 56%, and 65%, respectively. Baseline visual acuity and age were significantly related to the final visual prognosis (p<0.05). PDT-related adverse events developed in 15 (6.1%) patients, but most were mild and transient. CONCLUSIONS: Repeated PDT for subfoveal choroidal neovascularization secondary to AMD has effects comparable to those of previous prospective, controlled trials without any significant safety concerns in Korea.
Choroid* ; Choroidal Neovascularization* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Korea ; Macular Degeneration* ; Photochemotherapy* ; Prognosis ; Visual Acuity