Background: The pediatric field in South Korea is experiencing a significant workforce crisis due to a sharp decline in pediatricians, exacerbated by a decrease in pediatric residents and a series of distressing incidents in pediatric healthcare institutions. No prior studies have explored the waning interest in pediatrics among South Korea’s medical students and interns, which our research seeks to address during a pediatric workforce decline. This study aimed to investigate the declining interest in pediatrics among medical students and interns in South Korea amidst decreasing birth rates. We conducted a comprehensive survey to identify the factors deterring young medical professionals from pursuing a career in pediatrics. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, in December 2023 we surveyed medical students and interns at Jeonbuk National University and Hospital using a 40-item electronically distributed questionnaire tailored to assess the factors influencing specialty choice, focusing on pediatrics. The participants were divided into the pre-clinical and clinical groups, allowing for analysis across educational stages. The survey covered demographics, perceptions of pediatrics, attitudes toward medical errors, and awareness of critical issues; it included a range of question types to ensure detailed and nuanced data collection. Results: Our findings revealed a clear decrease in interest in pediatrics as medical students progressed through their education, with 86.69% displaying negative views. Although a sense of mission and emotional satisfaction from patient interactions were highlighted as positive influences, they were significantly countered by worries related to declining pediatric populations, legal challenges, and interactions with patient guardians. Additionally, 95.84% of the participants recognized the critical role of vital pediatric departments; however, litigation risks and psychological burdens substantially affected their willingness to specialize in these areas. The analysis also showed an increasing awareness of pediatric incidents as students advanced through their education; however, this did not directly correlate with their choice of specialty (P = 0.090). Conclusion The results emphasize the necessity for targeted interventions to alleviate concerns and improve the attractiveness of pediatrics. These efforts are essential to counteract the declining interest and ensure a sustainable pediatric workforce for the future.

Background: The pediatric field in South Korea is experiencing a significant workforce crisis due to a sharp decline in pediatricians, exacerbated by a decrease in pediatric residents and a series of distressing incidents in pediatric healthcare institutions. No prior studies have explored the waning interest in pediatrics among South Korea’s medical students and interns, which our research seeks to address during a pediatric workforce decline. This study aimed to investigate the declining interest in pediatrics among medical students and interns in South Korea amidst decreasing birth rates. We conducted a comprehensive survey to identify the factors deterring young medical professionals from pursuing a career in pediatrics. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, in December 2023 we surveyed medical students and interns at Jeonbuk National University and Hospital using a 40-item electronically distributed questionnaire tailored to assess the factors influencing specialty choice, focusing on pediatrics. The participants were divided into the pre-clinical and clinical groups, allowing for analysis across educational stages. The survey covered demographics, perceptions of pediatrics, attitudes toward medical errors, and awareness of critical issues; it included a range of question types to ensure detailed and nuanced data collection. Results: Our findings revealed a clear decrease in interest in pediatrics as medical students progressed through their education, with 86.69% displaying negative views. Although a sense of mission and emotional satisfaction from patient interactions were highlighted as positive influences, they were significantly countered by worries related to declining pediatric populations, legal challenges, and interactions with patient guardians. Additionally, 95.84% of the participants recognized the critical role of vital pediatric departments; however, litigation risks and psychological burdens substantially affected their willingness to specialize in these areas. The analysis also showed an increasing awareness of pediatric incidents as students advanced through their education; however, this did not directly correlate with their choice of specialty (P = 0.090). Conclusion The results emphasize the necessity for targeted interventions to alleviate concerns and improve the attractiveness of pediatrics. These efforts are essential to counteract the declining interest and ensure a sustainable pediatric workforce for the future.

Background: The pediatric field in South Korea is experiencing a significant workforce crisis due to a sharp decline in pediatricians, exacerbated by a decrease in pediatric residents and a series of distressing incidents in pediatric healthcare institutions. No prior studies have explored the waning interest in pediatrics among South Korea’s medical students and interns, which our research seeks to address during a pediatric workforce decline. This study aimed to investigate the declining interest in pediatrics among medical students and interns in South Korea amidst decreasing birth rates. We conducted a comprehensive survey to identify the factors deterring young medical professionals from pursuing a career in pediatrics. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, in December 2023 we surveyed medical students and interns at Jeonbuk National University and Hospital using a 40-item electronically distributed questionnaire tailored to assess the factors influencing specialty choice, focusing on pediatrics. The participants were divided into the pre-clinical and clinical groups, allowing for analysis across educational stages. The survey covered demographics, perceptions of pediatrics, attitudes toward medical errors, and awareness of critical issues; it included a range of question types to ensure detailed and nuanced data collection. Results: Our findings revealed a clear decrease in interest in pediatrics as medical students progressed through their education, with 86.69% displaying negative views. Although a sense of mission and emotional satisfaction from patient interactions were highlighted as positive influences, they were significantly countered by worries related to declining pediatric populations, legal challenges, and interactions with patient guardians. Additionally, 95.84% of the participants recognized the critical role of vital pediatric departments; however, litigation risks and psychological burdens substantially affected their willingness to specialize in these areas. The analysis also showed an increasing awareness of pediatric incidents as students advanced through their education; however, this did not directly correlate with their choice of specialty (P = 0.090). Conclusion The results emphasize the necessity for targeted interventions to alleviate concerns and improve the attractiveness of pediatrics. These efforts are essential to counteract the declining interest and ensure a sustainable pediatric workforce for the future.

Background: The pediatric field in South Korea is experiencing a significant workforce crisis due to a sharp decline in pediatricians, exacerbated by a decrease in pediatric residents and a series of distressing incidents in pediatric healthcare institutions. No prior studies have explored the waning interest in pediatrics among South Korea’s medical students and interns, which our research seeks to address during a pediatric workforce decline. This study aimed to investigate the declining interest in pediatrics among medical students and interns in South Korea amidst decreasing birth rates. We conducted a comprehensive survey to identify the factors deterring young medical professionals from pursuing a career in pediatrics. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, in December 2023 we surveyed medical students and interns at Jeonbuk National University and Hospital using a 40-item electronically distributed questionnaire tailored to assess the factors influencing specialty choice, focusing on pediatrics. The participants were divided into the pre-clinical and clinical groups, allowing for analysis across educational stages. The survey covered demographics, perceptions of pediatrics, attitudes toward medical errors, and awareness of critical issues; it included a range of question types to ensure detailed and nuanced data collection. Results: Our findings revealed a clear decrease in interest in pediatrics as medical students progressed through their education, with 86.69% displaying negative views. Although a sense of mission and emotional satisfaction from patient interactions were highlighted as positive influences, they were significantly countered by worries related to declining pediatric populations, legal challenges, and interactions with patient guardians. Additionally, 95.84% of the participants recognized the critical role of vital pediatric departments; however, litigation risks and psychological burdens substantially affected their willingness to specialize in these areas. The analysis also showed an increasing awareness of pediatric incidents as students advanced through their education; however, this did not directly correlate with their choice of specialty (P = 0.090). Conclusion The results emphasize the necessity for targeted interventions to alleviate concerns and improve the attractiveness of pediatrics. These efforts are essential to counteract the declining interest and ensure a sustainable pediatric workforce for the future.

Portal vein gas and pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis are uncommon conditions and have been associated with poor prognosis. They are most commonly caused by necrotizing enterocolitis but may have other causes, and they can be associated with necrotizing and ischemic colitis, intra-abdominal abscess, small bowel obstruction, diverticulitis, colon cancer, and acute pancreatitis. With the more frequent use of computed tomography (CT) scans, portal vein gas and pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis have been increasingly detected in recent years. Because of its high mortality rate, necrotizing enteritis with portal vein gas and pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis may be treated with emergent exploratory laparotomy. We report a case of necrotizing enteritis with portal vein gas and pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis in a 47-year-old man treated with intensive medical management and delayed operation due to unstable condition and surgical mortality. He had good clinical results without complications after the delayed operation.
Abdominal Abscess ; Colitis, Ischemic ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Diverticulitis ; Enteritis* ; Enterocolitis, Necrotizing ; Humans ; Laparotomy ; Middle Aged ; Mortality ; Pancreatitis ; Pneumatosis Cystoides Intestinalis* ; Portal Vein* ; Prognosis

We evaluated the effects of eye movements on facial feature recognition and memory retrieval. Thirty-eight participants learned the faces of five men, including features of the faces (eyes, nose, and mouth), and then performed a recognition memory task for partially manipulated versions of the faces. Bilateral eye movements, recognition accuracy, and mean fixation duration were evaluated. We observed differences in fixation durations for the manipulated features of the faces (eyes, F(3,78)=11.95, P<0.001; and mouth, F(3,78)=21.38, P<0.001). These findings demonstrate that eye movements have a functional role in learning and recognizing human faces. Furthermore, fixation durations increased for the manipulated facial features, suggesting that eye movements during recognition are not simply patterns produced during learning.
Eye Movements* ; Humans ; Learning ; Male ; Memory* ; Mouth ; Nose

BACKGROUND: Variable-number tandem repeat (VNTR) typing is a promising method to discriminate the Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates in molecular epidemiology. The purpose of this study is to determine the optimal VNTR combinations for discriminating isolated M. tuberculosis strains in Korea. METHODS: A total of 317 clinical isolates collected throughout Korea were genotyped by using the IS6110 restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), and then analysed for the number of VNTR copies from 32 VNTR loci. RESULTS: The results of discriminatory power according to diverse combinations were as follows: 25 clusters in 83 strains were yielded from the internationally standardized 15 VNTR loci (Hunter-Gaston discriminatory index [HGDI], 0.9958), 25 clusters in 65 strains by using IS6110 RFLP (HGDI, 0.9977), 14 clusters in 32 strains in 12 hyper-variable VNTR loci (HGDI, 0.9995), 6 clusters in 13 strains in 32 VNTR loci (HDGI, 0.9998), and 7 clusters in 14 strains of both the 12 hyper-variable VNTR and IS6110 RFLP (HDGI, 0.9999). CONCLUSION: The combination of 12 hyper-variable VNTR typing can be an effective tool for genotyping Korean M. tuberculosis isolates where the Beijing strains are predominant.
Discrimination (Psychology)* ; Korea* ; Methods ; Minisatellite Repeats ; Molecular Epidemiology ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Tandem Repeat Sequences ; Tuberculosis

Herein, we describe cases of pulmonary acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) in two patients occurring after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) due to precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia in a 6-year-old patient and in acute myeloid leukemia in a 14-year-old boy. In both cases, chest CT revealed confluent ground-glass attenuation along the bronchovascular bundles, as well as some bronchial dilatation. Microscopically, in both cases we noted a characteristic bronchiolocentric pattern and bronchiolar epithelial changes, which included denudation of the bronchiolar epithelium, regenerating atypical cells, and wall thickening with subepithelial or transmural fibroblast proliferation, along with some lymphocytic infiltration. One patient died on day 86 after allogeneic HSCT due to sudden acute respiratory distress syndrome, and the other patient currently remains alive without active aGVHD. The authors' experiences in these two cases demonstrate that intense awareness of the pathologic findings of GVHD is mandatory after allogeneic HSCT.
Adolescent ; Child ; Dilatation ; Epithelium ; Fibroblasts ; Graft vs Host Disease ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; Humans ; Leukemia ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; Lung ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; Precursor Cells, B-Lymphoid ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult ; Thorax

Proton beam therapy (PBT) is one of the advances in radiotherapy techniques, which enables dose escalation with lower probability of radiation-induced liver or gastrointestinal injuries. However, the chest wall proximal to the tumor can be affected by high dose irradiation. Here, we report on a 58-year-old male patient who presented with huge hepatocellular carcinoma, received treatment with transarterial chemoembolization and PBT, and developed severe chest wall pain due to radiation-induced myositis. The patient's symptoms were controlled by oral steroids.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Humans ; Liver ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myositis ; Proton Therapy ; Protons ; Radiotherapy ; Steroids ; Thoracic Wall

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the status of children's favorite foods intake and the relationship with the policy environment based on the Special Act on Safety Control of Children's Dietary Life for suggesting a supportive policy strategy. METHODS: The subjects were 4th grade students (n=1,638) in elementary school from 45 schools collected from seven areas (Seoul, Daegu, Daejeon, Gyeonggi, Chungnam, Jeonbuk, and Gyeongnam). The children participated in a self-administered questionnaire survey in class under the supervision of the teacher. The questionnaire consisted of items, such as social demographic characteristics, frequency of intake of the children's favorite foods, and policy cognition. A t-test and ANOVA were applied to explore the relationship between the frequency of children's favorite foods intake and policy cognition. The survey was implemented from August 2016 to September 2016. RESULTS: For the boys, the frequency of ‘high-calorie low nutrient foods intake’ (HCLN) was significantly higher than that of the girls (p<0.01). For the children who received information on their favorite foods from the internet, the frequency of HCLN was higher than the other sources (p<0.01). The time of TV viewing and computer usage, and smartphone usage was associated with a higher frequency of HCLN, and a lower healthy favorite food intake (all p<0.001). The intake frequency of healthy favorite foods indicated a positive correlation with the policy cognition, including policy perception, usefulness, necessity and buying intention, and educational experience. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed a correlation with the frequency of children's favorite foods intake and policy. In particular, the frequency of children's healthy favorite foods intake indicated a meaningful relationship with the policy than the frequency of HCLN. This study also found that the consumption of children's healthy favorite foods was positively correlated with the educational experience. To develop a supportive policy for a good dietary environment for children, there is a need to focus on how to collaborate with multiple levels of influences, such as the national level, school level, and family.
Child ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Cognition ; Daegu ; Eating ; Female ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Intention ; Internet ; Jeollabuk-do ; Organization and Administration ; Smartphone