BACKGROUND: An in-training examination is given annually to the all laboratory medicine residents of in Korea. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results of the in-training examinations according to the examinees' postgraduate years, a number of teaching faculty members and hospital beds, and the score of the board examination. METHODS: A total number of examinees during the 5-year period from 2001 to 2005 were 311. All residents took the same in-training examinations given each year irrespective of the postgraduate year (PGY). RESULTS: The scores of in-training examinations increased with advance in the examinees' PGY (P<0.01). The scores were not different according to the size of teaching faculty or hospital beds (P>0.05). The correlation coefficients of each PGY scores were from 0.474 to 0.755 (P<0.01). The scores of the 4th PGY were correlated with those of the board examinations (r=0.627, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the scores of the in-training examinations may be a valid measure of knowledge acquired by residents during their training years and provide a useful information for improving the laboratory medicine residency training program.
Education ; Internship and Residency* ; Korea

The aim of this study was to measure the shear bond strength (SBS) of different adhesive systems to calcium silicate-based materials (Biodentine and RetroMTA). Eighty cylindrical acrylic blocks, with a hole (5.0 mm diameter, 2.0 mm height) in each, were prepared. The holes were filled with Biodentine (BD) and RetroMTA (RMTA), and the specimens were divided into 2 groups. Each group was classified into 4 subgroups: Clearfil™ SE (CSE) ; AQ bond (AQ) ; All bond universal Self-etch (ABU-SE) ; and All bond universal Total-etch (ABU-TE). After the application of different adhesive systems, composite resin (Z350) was applied over BD and RMTA. The SBS was measured using a universal testing machine, and the data were compared using the Kruskal-Wallis test and the Mann-Whitney test. The highest and lowest values of SBS were observed for BD-ABU-SE and RMTA-AQ, respectively. No significant differences were found in the SBS between ABU-TE and ABU-SE and between ABU-TE and CSE to BD and RMTA. According to the data, BD showed a higher SBS than did RMTA when BD and RMTA are compared in the same adhesive agents. Further, among all groups, composite resin with ABU-SE showed better bond strength to BD and RMTA.
Adhesives ; Calcium

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the quality of surgical antibiotic prophylaxis (SAP) in a tertiary hospital. METHODS: Medical, anesthetic, and nursing records from the 27,320 procedures conducted in a tertiary hospital during 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. Three clinical performance indicators of SAP (selection of antibiotic, timing of the first administration, duration of prophylaxis) were included as part of the National Hospital Evaluation Program (NHEP) of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. In addition, 2 other parameters were assessed according to recent guidelines (weight-based initial dosing for obesity, intraoperative re-dosing for excessive blood loss, and prolonged duration of procedures). RESULTS: Prophylactic antibiotics were administered in 19,637 (71.8%) of 27,320 total procedures. Quality of the 3 performance indicators was higher in the types of operations included in NHEP than in other procedures. However, additional doses were administered in 15 (1.2%) of 1,299 surgical procedures that lasted more than twice the half-life of the antibiotic used, and in 9 (3.3%) of 273 procedures with excessive blood loss greater than 1,500 mL. NHEP and non-NHEP results did not differ significantly. CONCLUSION: Three SAP quality indicators showed more improvement in NHEP surgical procedures than in non-NHEP, but the other parameters did not perform well regardless of NHEP assessment. Therefore, more measures to improve the appropriateness of SAP should be developed.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Antibiotic Prophylaxis* ; Half-Life ; Insurance, Health ; Nursing Records ; Obesity ; Quality Indicators, Health Care ; Retrospective Studies ; Tertiary Care Centers*