Hospitalists are specialists in inpatient care who aim to improve patient safety and quality of care. Accordingly, hospitalist research focuses on patient safety and quality improvement (QI). Major hospital medicine journals publish studies on patient safety and QI. This review introduces the latest research related to patient safety and QI research in the field of hospital medicine.

This study was done to analyze the consumption patterns of health functional food (HFF) as well as to perform needs assessment for the development of web-contents on HFF according to age of adults. The subjects were 238 male and female adults, divided into 4 groups by their age. This study collected all information by self-administrated questionnaires. The awareness on HFF was high in the older adults. The younger adults showed more negative responses to reliability and safety on HFF. The main reason for the consumption of HFF was to supplement nutrients and to prevent diseases. The main types of HFF consumed by adults were nutritional supplementary food, red ginseng products, and glucosamine products. There was higher consumption of nutritional supplementary food in the younger adults and glucosamine products in the older adults. Internet users had low level of satisfaction, with tendency to complain poor contents, reliability, difficulties in searching as problems of the pre-existing HFF websites. As useful methods for provision of information on HFF, most adults wanted general information, articles written by experts and videos. They also wanted to know the safety and side effects of HFF. Requirement of contents composition were various in-depth information, clear indication of citation, fresh updated data while that of display composition was easily-findable, uncomplicated, allowing mutual exchange of communication through bulletin board. These results can be used as basic data that reflect the consumer's needs for developing HFF web-contents according to age of adults.
Adult ; Female ; Functional Food ; Glucosamine ; Humans ; Internet ; Male ; Needs Assessment ; Panax ; Surveys and Questionnaires

This study investigated the effects of freeze-dried cranberry powder on anti-inflammation and lipid profiles of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated rats fed an atherogenic diet for 6 weeks. Forty Sprague-Dawley male rats (6-weeks-old) were equally divided into the following five groups: 1) normal diet group + saline (NC); 2) atherogenic diet + saline (HFC); 3) atherogenic diet + LPS (HL); 4) atherogenic diet with 5% cranberry power + LPS (C5); 5) atherogenic diet with 10% cranberry power + LPS (C10). LPS (0.5 mg/kg) was injected into the abdominal cavities of rats 18 hours prior to sacrifice. At the end of the experimental period, we measured serum lipid profiles as well as levels of serum C-reactive protein (CRP), nitric oxide (NO), and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-6, and IL-10 as an anti-inflammatory cytokine. The mean serum high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol level in C5 rats was significantly higher than that in NC and HL rats (P < 0.05). The mean serum levels of CRP and IL-1beta were significantly lower (P < 0.05) in the cranberry powder groups compared to those in HL rats. Additionally, mean serum IL-6 levels tended to be lower in the cranberry groups than that in the HL group, whereas serum IL-10 and NO showed 29% and 88% higher mean values in the C5 group and 49% and 24% higher in the C10 group than those in the HL group, respectively. These results suggest that freeze-dried cranberry powder may have beneficial effects on cardiovascular diseases by modifying serum lipids and the early inflammatory response.
Abdominal Cavity ; Animals ; C-Reactive Protein ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cytokines ; Diet ; Diet, Atherogenic ; Humans ; Interleukin-10 ; Interleukin-6 ; Interleukins ; Lipoproteins ; Male ; Nitric Oxide ; Rats ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Vaccinium macrocarpon

PURPOSE: To assess the correlation between retinal thickness determined with a retinal thickness analyzer (RTA) and the responses of multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG) in patients with diabetic macular edema. METHODS: RTA and mfERG were performed in patients with diabetic macular edema (20eyes, 10 patients) and normal subjects (10eyes, 10 patients). The measured retina of RTA and mfERG overlapped based on the anatomical landmarks of the fundus. The center of macula was defined as "Area 1", and the central 5 degree retina including the center of macula was defined as "Area 2". The correlations between retinal thickness and the local responses in each area were assessed. RESULTS: The mean retinal thickness of patients with diabetic macular edema was significantly greater than that of normal subject, and the results of mfERG typically represented decreased amplitudes and delayed latencies. In the matching of retinal thickness and local responses in Area 2, amplitudes of N1 & P1 decreased and latency of P1 delayed as the retinal thickness increased. The correlation was prominent in patients with diabetic macular edema. CONCLUSIONS: In the matching of RTA and mfERG of patients with diabetic macular edema, retinal thickness and local responses were significantly correlated.
Humans ; Macular Edema* ; Retina ; Retinaldehyde*

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Pentoxifylline(PF) on the conventional ICSI program undergone in severe asthenozoospermia. METHOD: Total 348 cycles of ICSI programs undertaken at CHA General Hospital from January, 1996 to September, 2000, were divided into two groups - injected with pentoxifylline-treated sperm(PFT, 204 cycles) or non-treated sperm(NPFT, 144 cycles) and the clinical results of PFT group were compared with those of NPFT. RESULTS: PF-treatment on sperm increased their motility of normozoospermia and severe asthenozoospermia. Fertilization rate of PFT group was higher than those of ICSI programs undertaken using sperm of NPFT(70.6% vs. 62.9%, p<0.01). And, ET and clinical pregnancy rates of PFT were slightly higher than those of NPFT(93.1%, 44.2% vs. 90.3%, 36.2%). CONCLUSION: These results showed that treatment of pentoxifylline has a beneficial role on selection of viable sperm in severe asthenozoospermia.
Asthenozoospermia* ; Fertilization ; Hospitals, General ; Pentoxifylline* ; Pregnancy Rate ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic* ; Spermatozoa

Oxidative stress-induced neurodegeneration is one of several etiologies underlying neurodegenerative disease. In the present study, we investigated the functional role of histone methyltransferase G9a in oxidative stress-induced degeneration in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Cell viability significantly decreased on H2O2treatment; however, treatment with the G9a inhibitor BIX01294 partially attenuated this effect. The expression of neuron-specific genes also decreased in H2O2 -treated cells; however, it recovered on G9a inhibition. H2O2 -treated cells showed high levels of H3K9me2 (histone H3 demethylated at the lysine 9 residue), which is produced by G9a activation; BIX01294 treatment reduced aberrant activation of G9a.H3K9me2 occupancy of the RE-1 site in neuron-specific genes was significantly increased in H2O2 -treated cells, whereas it was decreased in BIX01294-treated cells. The differentiation of H2O2 -treated cells also recovered on G9a inhibition by BIX01294. Consistent results were observed when used another G9a inhibitor UCN0321. These results demonstrate that oxidative stress induces aberrant activation of G9a, which disturbs the expression of neuron-specific genes and progressively mediates neuronal cell death. Moreover, a G9a inhibitor can lessen aberrant G9a activity and prevent neuronal damage. G9a inhibition may therefore contribute to the prevention of oxidative stress-induced neurodegeneration.

Oxidative stress-induced neurodegeneration is one of several etiologies underlying neurodegenerative disease. In the present study, we investigated the functional role of histone methyltransferase G9a in oxidative stress-induced degeneration in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Cell viability significantly decreased on H2O2treatment; however, treatment with the G9a inhibitor BIX01294 partially attenuated this effect. The expression of neuron-specific genes also decreased in H2O2 -treated cells; however, it recovered on G9a inhibition. H2O2 -treated cells showed high levels of H3K9me2 (histone H3 demethylated at the lysine 9 residue), which is produced by G9a activation; BIX01294 treatment reduced aberrant activation of G9a.H3K9me2 occupancy of the RE-1 site in neuron-specific genes was significantly increased in H2O2 -treated cells, whereas it was decreased in BIX01294-treated cells. The differentiation of H2O2 -treated cells also recovered on G9a inhibition by BIX01294. Consistent results were observed when used another G9a inhibitor UCN0321. These results demonstrate that oxidative stress induces aberrant activation of G9a, which disturbs the expression of neuron-specific genes and progressively mediates neuronal cell death. Moreover, a G9a inhibitor can lessen aberrant G9a activity and prevent neuronal damage. G9a inhibition may therefore contribute to the prevention of oxidative stress-induced neurodegeneration.

Nail unit melanoma is a type of acral lentiginous melanoma and requires histopathologic examination for a confirmed diagnosis. However, inadequate biopsy techniques make definitive diagnosis difficult. A 61-year-old man presented with progressive nail pigmentation for 15 years, which was clinically highly suspicious for malignancy. Acral lentiginous melanoma was not detected in punch and longitudinal biopsy specimens, but en bloc excision tissue revealed melanoma. Acral lentiginous melanoma is known to have a heterogeneous pathologic manifestation depending on the pigmented region and the time it takes to progress. In this regard, en bloc excision can be considered as a first-line biopsy technique to diagnose acral lentiginous melanoma, indolent subtype.
Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Melanoma* ; Middle Aged ; Pigmentation

OBJECTIVE: To explore accuracy and validity of a VO2max prediction equation of the multistage model using by modified Bruce protocol submaximal exercise test in healthy subjects. METHOD: Thirty three healthy subjects (age: 44.0+/-12.9) were recruited. VO2max was measured during treadmill by direct gas analysis from a maximal incremental test. VO2max was then predicted from multistage model equation with age, measured oxygen consumption and heart rate during a maximal incremental treadmill test. And the predicted VO2max values from equation were compared with the measured VO2max values. RESULTS: The predicted VO2max values and the measured VO2max values were highly correlated (r=0.9, p<0.001). The predicted VO2max values (2,285.3+/-536.0 ml/min) were not significantly different from the measured VO2max values (2,285.5+/-598.5 ml/min). CONCLUSION: In healthy subjects, the multistage model equation offers a fairly accurate VO2max prediction. Therefore the equation can be used in the estimation of VO2max at modified Bruce protocol in an aerobic exercise program.
Exercise ; Exercise Test ; Heart Rate ; Oxygen Consumption

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of dietary soluble fibers added to nasogastric tube-fed formulas and to compare the difference of the degree of diarrhea according to the amount of dietary soluble fibers in stroke or traumatic brain injury patients for comprehensive rehabilitative management. METHOD: Fifty-two stroke or traumatic brain injury patients fed by nasogastric tube due to dysphagia were included. They received fiber-free formulas for the first 30 days and then they were randomly assigned to three groups, including the control (fiber-free) group, moderate fiber (3.5 gm fiber/L) group and high fiber (7 gm fiber/L) group. Each group received their respective formulas for the next 30 days. We compared diarrhea score and frequency. RESULTS: In the control group, the degree of diarrhea was not changed with time. In the moderate and high fiber groups, daily diarrhea score and monthly diarrhea frequency were low compared to the control group (p<0.05). Also, the incidence of pseudomembraneous colitis was low in fiber groups. CONCLUSION: We concluded that adding dietary soluble fibers to nasogastric tube-fed formulas may be helpful to reduce the diarrhea and the development of pseudomembraneous colitis. The proper fiber amount will be determined through the following more case studies.
Brain Injuries* ; Colitis ; Deglutition Disorders ; Diarrhea* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Stroke*