PURPOSE: A method detecting change of jaw or alveolar bone density may be helpful in periodontal care, implant dentistry and evaluation of bone density of whole body. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, bone density of intraoral periapical radiography using phantom-integrated XCP is compared with that of quantitative computed tomography (QCT). RESULTS: Bone density of intraoral periapical radiography and the one measured by QCT showed high correlation (correlation coefficient = 0.92, P<.001) in alveolar bone, and relatively high correlation (0.73, P<.001) in cancellous bone. CONCLUSION: This study revealed possibility of scoring of bone density by intraoral periapical radiography.
Bone Density* ; Dentistry ; Jaw ; Radiography*

PURPOSE: Status epilepticus (SE) is a neurological emergency disease because it can cause severe neurological complications. In order to avoid these complications, early diagnosis and appropriate treatment is required in SE. Febrile SE is the most common form of SE in children. We investigated the clinical characteristics and prognosis of patients with febrile SE is the first seizure of life. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients with SE as the first presentation of fever related seizures who visited our hospital from July 1996 to January 2013. Clinicodemographic characteristics, brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electro-encephalogram (EEG) findings, and anti-epileptic treatment were compared between two groups divided according to prognosis; fair vs. poor prognosis. RESULTS: Seventy-eight children were included in this study. The median age of the subjects was 20.0 months (interquartile range [IQR] 12.0–42.8). Fifty-one subjects had a fair prognosis, while twenty-seven subjects had a poor prognosis. Statistically significant differences was observed in the duration of seizure (P=0.043), the number of antiepileptic drugs (P<0.001) and the presence of abnormal EEG findings (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Children with febrile SE as the first seizure of life are likely to reveal a poor prognosis in those whose seizure last longer or are controlled only through high step anti-epileptic drugs. Thus, in order to ensuring a better prognosis for such patients, appropriate treatment is needed to stop the seizure.
Anticonvulsants ; Brain ; Child* ; Early Diagnosis ; Electroencephalography ; Emergencies ; Epidemiologic Study Characteristics as Topic ; Fever* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Medical Records ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Seizures* ; Status Epilepticus*

Objectives: Public healthcare data have become crucial to the advancement of medicine, and recent changes in legal structure on privacy protection have expanded access to these data with pseudonymization. Recent debates on public healthcare data use by private insurance companies have shown large discrepancies in perceptions among the general public, healthcare professionals, private companies, and lawmakers. This study examined public attitudes toward the secondary use of public data, focusing on differences between public and private entities. Methods: An online survey was conducted from January 11 to 24, 2022, involving a random sample of adults between 19 and 65 of age in 17 provinces, guided by the August 2021 census. Results: The final survey analysis included 1,370 participants. Most participants were aware of health data collection (72.5%) and recent changes in legal structures (61.4%) but were reluctant to share their pseudonymized raw data (51.8%). Overall, they were favorable toward data use by public agencies but disfavored use by private entities, notably marketing and private insurance companies. Concerns were frequently noted regarding commercial use of data and data breaches. Among the respondents, 50.9% were negative about the use of public healthcare data by private insurance companies, 22.9% favored this use, and 1.9% were “very positive.” Conclusions This survey revealed a low understanding among key stakeholders regarding digital health data use, which is hindering the realization of the full potential of public healthcare data. This survey provides a basis for future policy developments and advocacy for the secondary use of health data.

OBJECTIVE: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) was approved by the Food and Drug Administration to alleviate symptoms of treatment-resistant depression. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of rTMS treatment on alleviating occupational stress by evaluating clinical symptoms and quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG). METHODS: Twenty-four health care workers were randomized to receive 12 sessions of active or sham rTMS delivered to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Each session consisted of 32 trains of 10 Hz repetitive TMS delivered in 5-second trains at 110% of the estimated prefrontal cortex threshold. Before and after the intervention, the Korean version of the occupational stress inventory (K-OSI), Beck's depression inventory (BDI), and Beck's anxiety inventory (BAI) were administered and EEG was performed using a 21-channel digital EEG system. RESULTS: After TMS, the average scores for the affective responses to stressors on the personal strain questionnaire (PSQ) subscale of K-OSI and BDI decreased significantly for the active-TMS group compared to the sham-TMS group. Also, the active-TMS group showed a significantly greater decrease in relative alpha in the F3 electrode and a significantly greater increase in the F4 electrode. CONCLUSION: High-frequency rTMS on the left DLPFC had stress-relieving and mood-elevating effects in health care workers, likely by stimulating the left frontal lobe.
Anxiety ; Delivery of Health Care* ; Depression ; Electrodes ; Electroencephalography ; Frontal Lobe ; Humans ; Pilot Projects* ; Prefrontal Cortex ; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation* ; United States Food and Drug Administration

Purpose: Bowel dysfunction commonly occurs in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer treated with a multimodal approach of chemoradiation therapy (CRT) combined with sphincter-preserving rectal resection. This study investigated the decline in anorectal function using sequential anorectal manometric measurements obtained before and after the multimodal treatment as well as at a 1-year follow-up. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study conducted in a single center. The study population consisted of patients with locally advanced mid- to low rectal cancer who received the preoperative CRT followed by sphincter-preserving surgery from 2012 to 2016. The anorectal manometric value measured after each treatment modality was compared to demonstrate the degree of decline in anorectal function. A generalized linear model of repeated measures was performed using the manometric values measured pre- and post-CRT, and at 12 months postoperatively. Results: Overall, 100 patients with 3 consecutive manometric data were included in the final analysis. In the overall cohort study, the mean resting and maximal squeezing pressures showed insignificant decrement post-neoadjuvant CRT. At a 1-year postoperative follow-up, the maximal squeezing pressure significantly decreased. The maximal rectal sensory threshold demonstrated significant reduction consecutively after each following treatment (P<0.001). Conclusion The short-term effect of neoadjuvant CRT on the anal sphincters was relatively trivial. The following sphincter-saving surgery resulted in a profound disruption of the anorectal function. Patients with rectal cancer should be consulted on the consequence of multimodal treatment.

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) can present with various symptoms including optic neuritis, transverse myelitis, and area postrema syndrome. However, acute memory loss is an uncommon clinical presentation of NMOSD. We report a patient with NMO-IgG-antibody-positive NMOSD presenting with only acute memory loss, which suggested the presence of bilateral thalamic lesions. This case indicates that NMOSD needs to be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute memory loss.
Area Postrema ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Memory Disorders* ; Memory* ; Myelitis, Transverse ; Neuromyelitis Optica* ; Optic Neuritis

PURPOSE: Presenteeism is a relatively new concept in nursing describing the condition within which registered nurses (RNs) come to work while they are sick. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe presenteeism experiences among RNs in South Korea. METHODS: In this constructivist grounded theory study, a focus group interview (FGI) technique was utilized for data collection. A total of 20 RNs at one hospital in Chuncheon city joined in three different FGIs. Semistructured questions were asked in reference to their sickness experience in the workplace. Data analysis was conducted according to the constructivist grounded theory methodology. RESULTS: All participants had experiences of presenteeism. The overriding theme was "having no caring for nurses leads to losing one's nursing mind". The participants reported that due to either their personal preference or peer pressure they showed up to work, but they felt sad and their pride was hurt by the fact that there was no caring for them from other nurses. This emotional exhaustion often led to the loss of compassion and the resignation of nursing staff. CONCLUSIONS: Care for nurses in the workplace is necessary for RNs to make their presenteeism experience positive and even effective.
Adult ; *Attitude of Health Personnel ; Female ; Grounded Theory ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nursing Staff, Hospital/*psychology ; *Presenteeism ; Qualitative Research ; Republic of Korea ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Workplace/*psychology

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the learning curve for C-arm cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) virtual navigation-guided percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy (PTNB) and to determine the amount of experience needed to develop appropriate skills for this procedure using cumulative summation (CUSUM). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 2042 CBCT virtual navigation-guided PTNBs performed by 7 novice operators between March 2011 and December 2014. Learning curves for CBCT virtual navigation-guided PTNB with respect to its diagnostic performance and the occurrence of biopsy-related pneumothorax were analyzed using standard and risk-adjusted CUSUM (RA-CUSUM). Acceptable failure rates were determined as 0.06 for diagnostic failure and 0.25 for PTNB-related pneumothorax. RESULTS: Standard CUSUM indicated that 6 of the 7 operators achieved an acceptable diagnostic failure rate after a median of 105 PTNB procedures (95% confidence interval [CI], 14–240), and 6 of the operators achieved acceptable pneumothorax occurrence rate after a median of 79 PTNB procedures (95% CI, 27–155). RA-CUSUM showed that 93 (95% CI, 39–142) and 80 (95% CI, 38–127) PTNB procedures were required to achieve acceptable diagnostic performance and pneumothorax occurrence, respectively. CONCLUSION: The novice operators' skills in performing CBCT virtual navigation-guided PTNBs improved with increasing experience over a wide range of learning periods.
Biopsy, Needle ; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Learning Curve ; Learning ; Lung ; Needles ; Pneumothorax ; Retrospective Studies