BACKGROUND: The most consistent chromosomal abnormality in ependymomas, is loss of 22q (17-75%) and gain of 1q (0-50%). However, significance of this abnormality is uncertain. METHODS: Genomic imbalances in 27 Korean ependymomas, including 21 low grade ependymomas, 4 anaplastic and 2 myxopapillary ependymomas, were analyzed by degenerate oligonucleotide primed-PCR-comparative genomic hybridization. RESULTS: Common gains were found in 17 (63%), 20q (59%), 9q34 (41%), 15q24-qter (33%), 11q13 (30%), 12q23 (26%), 7q23-qter (26%), 16q23-qter (30%), 19 (26%), and 1q32-qter (22%). DNA amplification was identified in 12 tumors (44%). Chromosomal loss was a less common occurrence in our study, but was found in 13q (26%), 6q (19%), and 3 (11%). CONCLUSION: The recurrent gains or losses of the chromosomal regions which were identified in this study provide candidate regions that may be involved in the development and progression of ependymomas.
Chromosome Aberrations ; Comparative Genomic Hybridization ; DNA ; Ependymoma* ; Nucleic Acid Hybridization* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction

PURPOSE: The resuscitation room is the hub of intensive care and focused management within the emergency department (ED). For patients with life-threatening conditions, immediate triage and proper treatment using the resuscitation room is important. This study was conducted to assess the epidemiology of patients using the resuscitation room in an emergency department. METHODS:This was a retrospective observational study. Eligible subjects were enrolled through the National Emergency Department Information System from July 2007 to September 2008. All subjects came through a single regional emergency center that logs more than 45,000 patients annually. Pediatric patients less than 15 years of age and those who were dead on arrival at the ED were excluded. The Emergency Severity Index (ESI) version IV was used as a triage tool, and characteristics and ESI levels of patients using or not using resuscitation rooms were compared. RESULTS: The total number of eligible subjects was 40,926 and the male-female ratio was 1:0.92. The numbers of patients using the resuscitation room was 1,050 (2.99%). Patients using the resuscitation room were older than the patients not using the resuscitation room, were more likely to have used an ambulance to visit the ED, and had a higher mortality rate and a higher admission rate. A majority of staff members had the authority to put patients in the resuscitation room. Among them were professors 18.19%, emergency residents 11.43%, certified emergency nurses 40.57%, emergency nurses 19.43%, emergency medical technicians 2.86%, and paramedics 6.19%. Critical care was done in the resuscitation room for cardiopulmonary resuscitation 11.66%, intubation 26.33%, ventilation 1.71%, defibrillation 5.73%, and other 54.57%. The most frequent ESI levels of patients using the resuscitation room was 1 (57.89%); an ESI score of 3 (72.01%) was the most frequent value for patients not using the resuscitation room. CONCLUSION: Patient using the resuscitation room were older, more likely to have used an ambulance, and had a higher mortality rate, admission rate and ESI level.
Allied Health Personnel ; Ambulances ; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation ; Critical Care ; Emergencies ; Emergency Medical Technicians ; Humans ; Information Systems ; Critical Care ; Intubation ; Porphyrins ; Resuscitation ; Retrospective Studies ; Severity of Illness Index ; Triage ; Ventilation

BACKGROUND: The family medicine residency program consists mainly of clinical rotations in other specialties and the family medicine-specific training. We conducted this study to investigate how family medicine residents evaluated their training program that include family-oriented medicine, clinical preventive medicine, behavioral science and research in primary care. METHODS: In 2009, third-year residents of 129 training hospitals in Korea were surveyed to investigate the current state and their expectation of the residency program. The contents of questionnaires included training periods, conferences, procedures, interview techniques, outpatient and inpatient consultations, and written thesis. RESULTS: Total 133 out of 142 residents (93.7%) responded that 3 years of training is ideal or pertinent. Residents responded that the types of conference that they need most are journal review (81%), staff lecture (73.2%), and clinical topic review (73.2%), in that order. Procedures and interview techniques that the residents want to learn most were gastroscopy (72.5%), abdominal ultrasonography (65.2%), and pain management (46.4%). Hospitals where family medicine residents do not see hospitalized patients or patients in the outpatient clinic were 7.9% and 6.5%, respectively, whereas hospitals that maintain continuous family medicine outpatient clinics were only 40.8%. Education in outpatient clinic and articlewriting seminars was done less frequently in the secondary hospitals than in the tertiary hospitals. CONCLUSION: Evaluation and quality improvement of family medicine training program as well as specialty rotations should be considered in order to foster better family physicians. The efforts have to be made to minimize the difference in quality of each family medicine residency program.
Ambulatory Care Facilities ; Behavioral Sciences ; Clinical Medicine ; Congresses as Topic ; Family Practice ; Gastroscopy ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Internship and Residency ; Korea ; Outpatients ; Pain Management ; Physicians, Family ; Preventive Medicine ; Quality Improvement ; Referral and Consultation