Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) is associated with severe outcomes. We report a case of acute respiratory failure that required mechanical ventilation and was clinically and pathologically diagnosed as DAH related to exposure to organic dust. A 39-year-old man, who had visited a warehouse to grade beans for purchase, was referred to our hospital for impending respiratory failure. His initial radiographic examinations revealed diffuse bilateral ground-glass opacities in his lungs and bronchoalveolar lavage resulted in progressively bloodier returns, which is characteristic of DAH. He underwent bedside open lung biopsy of his right lower lobe in the intensive care unit. Biopsy results revealed DAH and organization with accumulation of hemosiderin-laden macrophages and a few fibroblastic foci. The patient was treated with empirical antibiotics and high-dose corticosteroids and successfully weaned from mechanical ventilation. DAH might be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with acute respiratory failure after exposure to organic particles.
Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Adult ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Biopsy ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Dust* ; Fibroblasts ; Hemoptysis ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Lung ; Macrophages ; Respiration, Artificial ; Respiratory Insufficiency*

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate students’ cheating behaviors, perceptions, and risk factors for cheating. METHODS: The author conducted a questionnaire survey of 375 undergraduate students at the Dankook University College of Dentistry in 2017. The questionnaires consisted of three parts: individual information, a moral sensitivity test, and cheating behaviors. Students rated whether they were involved in 28 cheating behaviors and their intolerant attitude for each behavior. Each student received a cheating grade of severity and diversity from 0 to 4 according to the degree of commitment in cheating behaviors. Chi-square and correlation tests were performed among cheating grades, individual factors, and moral sensitivity. RESULTS: Most students admitted having engaged in at least one cheating behavior (92.2%). School years, intolerant attitudes towards cheating, perceived prevalence, study time, and academic performance showed significant correlations with students’ cheating grades. CONCLUSION: These findings indicated that cheating behaviors were a very serious and prevalent problem at this dental college in South Korea. This is a critical issue that must be addressed. Dental school faculty members need to work together to develop policies, ethics curriculum and to improve students’ attitudes. It is also important to encourage students to learn and devote their time to study to reduce cheating behaviors.
Curriculum ; Dentistry ; Education, Dental ; Ethics ; Humans ; Korea ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Schools, Dental

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate students’ cheating behaviors, perceptions, and risk factors for cheating. METHODS: The author conducted a questionnaire survey of 375 undergraduate students at the Dankook University College of Dentistry in 2017. The questionnaires consisted of three parts: individual information, a moral sensitivity test, and cheating behaviors. Students rated whether they were involved in 28 cheating behaviors and their intolerant attitude for each behavior. Each student received a cheating grade of severity and diversity from 0 to 4 according to the degree of commitment in cheating behaviors. Chi-square and correlation tests were performed among cheating grades, individual factors, and moral sensitivity. RESULTS: Most students admitted having engaged in at least one cheating behavior (92.2%). School years, intolerant attitudes towards cheating, perceived prevalence, study time, and academic performance showed significant correlations with students’ cheating grades. CONCLUSION These findings indicated that cheating behaviors were a very serious and prevalent problem at this dental college in South Korea. This is a critical issue that must be addressed. Dental school faculty members need to work together to develop policies, ethics curriculum and to improve students’ attitudes. It is also important to encourage students to learn and devote their time to study to reduce cheating behaviors.

The tulip tree (Liriodendron chinense) has been widely cultivated in Korea as a street or garden tree for its large flowers, which have a superficial resemblance to tulips. Occurrence of anthracnose disease on the leaves of tulip trees growing on the campus of Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Korea, has been observed. Based on mycological characteristics, pathogenicity, and internal transcribed spacer sequence, the causal fungus was identified as Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. This is the first report on anthracnose disease caused by C. gloeosporioides on tulip trees in Korea.
Colletotrichum ; Flowers ; Fungi ; Korea ; Liriodendron ; Trees ; Tulipa

Stem rot was found for the first time on the Asiatic dayflower plant (Commelina communis L.) in Korea. A detailed description of this Korean specimen is given, along with its rDNA internal transcribed spacer sequence. The fungus was identified as Sclerotium rolfsii Saccardo based on mycological characteristics and molecular data.
Commelina ; DNA, Ribosomal ; Fungi ; Korea ; Plants

Acute pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) is a major medical problem in many hospitalized patients with medical and surgical conditions, and venous thromboembolism is responsible for up to 15% of all in-hospital deaths. However, PTE complicating acute intoxication has been reported only rarely, and prophylaxis for venous thromboembolism is not routinely incorporated into the management of acute poisoning in emergency departments or general wards. We describe here a case of pulmonary thromboembolism that developed within 48 h of acute benzodiazepine overdose. A 47-year-old female patient was brought to the emergency department by ambulance. She had been found unconscious, and empty packages of medications prescribed by her psychiatrist and an empty bottle of liquor were found. The estimated drugs and amounts were alprazolam 22.5 mg, diazepam 150 mg, flunitrazepam 7.5 mg, fluoxetine 150 mg, and propranolol 600 mg. Approximately 40 hours after initial presentation, she complained of dyspnea and pulse oxymetry indicated 84%. Her arterial pH was 7.41, pCO2 41.6 mmHg, pO2 46.8 mmHg, and oxyhemoglobin saturation was 83.4%. The serum D-dimer concentration was 2.78 mcg/dL, and computed tomography of the chest showed acute PTE in the right upper lobar and segmental pulmonary arteries and both lower segmental pulmonary arteries. When caring for patients with sedative drug overdose, a high level of suspicion of PTE is required, and appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic measures might be undertaken when PTE is suspected. In addition, appropriate prophylaxis for venous thrombosis should be considered.
Alprazolam ; Ambulances ; Benzodiazepines* ; Diazepam ; Drug Overdose ; Dyspnea ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Flunitrazepam ; Fluoxetine ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Middle Aged ; Oxyhemoglobins ; Patients' Rooms ; Poisoning ; Propranolol ; Psychiatry ; Pulmonary Artery ; Pulmonary Embolism* ; Thorax ; Venous Thromboembolism ; Venous Thrombosis

Ethylene glycol (EG) poisoning is highly lethal and difficult to diagnose. EG is metabolized through enzymatic reactions, producing glycolic acid, leading to high anion gap acidosis. The authors report a case wherein EG poisoning produced a large lactate gap between the two measuring methods. A 33-year-old male presented to the emergency department with an altered level of consciousness. The lactate levels measured using a point-of-care test (POCT) revealed severe lactic acidosis. The POCT lactate level corresponded to the amount of anion gap. Follow-up tests in the intensive care unit revealed a serum lactate level of 1.91 mmol/L, while the arterial POCT test yielded 28.1 mmol/L. Based on the lactate gap observed between the two methods, the possibility of EG poisoning was re-considered. EG poisoning was later confirmed by detecting EG in the patient’s system. Thus, EG poisoning should be considered when there is a severe lactate gap between the measuring methods.

Ethylene glycol (EG) poisoning is highly lethal and difficult to diagnose. EG is metabolized through enzymatic reactions, producing glycolic acid, leading to high anion gap acidosis. The authors report a case wherein EG poisoning produced a large lactate gap between the two measuring methods. A 33-year-old male presented to the emergency department with an altered level of consciousness. The lactate levels measured using a point-of-care test (POCT) revealed severe lactic acidosis. The POCT lactate level corresponded to the amount of anion gap. Follow-up tests in the intensive care unit revealed a serum lactate level of 1.91 mmol/L, while the arterial POCT test yielded 28.1 mmol/L. Based on the lactate gap observed between the two methods, the possibility of EG poisoning was re-considered. EG poisoning was later confirmed by detecting EG in the patient’s system. Thus, EG poisoning should be considered when there is a severe lactate gap between the measuring methods.

Ethylene glycol (EG) poisoning is highly lethal and difficult to diagnose. EG is metabolized through enzymatic reactions, producing glycolic acid, leading to high anion gap acidosis. The authors report a case wherein EG poisoning produced a large lactate gap between the two measuring methods. A 33-year-old male presented to the emergency department with an altered level of consciousness. The lactate levels measured using a point-of-care test (POCT) revealed severe lactic acidosis. The POCT lactate level corresponded to the amount of anion gap. Follow-up tests in the intensive care unit revealed a serum lactate level of 1.91 mmol/L, while the arterial POCT test yielded 28.1 mmol/L. Based on the lactate gap observed between the two methods, the possibility of EG poisoning was re-considered. EG poisoning was later confirmed by detecting EG in the patient’s system. Thus, EG poisoning should be considered when there is a severe lactate gap between the measuring methods.

Ethylene glycol (EG) poisoning is highly lethal and difficult to diagnose. EG is metabolized through enzymatic reactions, producing glycolic acid, leading to high anion gap acidosis. The authors report a case wherein EG poisoning produced a large lactate gap between the two measuring methods. A 33-year-old male presented to the emergency department with an altered level of consciousness. The lactate levels measured using a point-of-care test (POCT) revealed severe lactic acidosis. The POCT lactate level corresponded to the amount of anion gap. Follow-up tests in the intensive care unit revealed a serum lactate level of 1.91 mmol/L, while the arterial POCT test yielded 28.1 mmol/L. Based on the lactate gap observed between the two methods, the possibility of EG poisoning was re-considered. EG poisoning was later confirmed by detecting EG in the patient’s system. Thus, EG poisoning should be considered when there is a severe lactate gap between the measuring methods.