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.

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

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

Purpose: This study investigated the current dental radiology reporting methods and the recording rate of 10 mandatory reporting items in Korea. Materials and Methods: An original online survey created using Google Forms was distributed to dental practitioners. The survey asked about the participants’ age, experience, workplace, use of radiologic equipment, radiology reporting methods, and recording reporting items. Results: In total, 354 responses were analyzed. Radiologic reporting in dental charts was the most commonly used method for each modality. Four out of 10 mandatory items were recorded at a high rate, but the remaining 6 items had substantially lower recording rates, often below 50%. The participants who reported radiographic findings through other separate methods had higher item scores than those who wrote findings in dental charts (P<0.05). Conclusion Radiologic societies and dental associations should encourage the use of separate reports for radiographic examinations. Education regarding radiology reports and the justification for reporting items should be reinforced in dental schools, training courses on radiology, and the continuing education curriculum.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of panoramic images compared to cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging for maxillary third molar (M3)-associated external root resorption (ERR), and to identify the risk factors of ERR on panoramic images. Materials and Methods: The study population was composed of all patients who underwent panoramic imaging at Dankook University Dental Hospital from May to October 2019. In total, 397 cases of maxillary M3s in 247 patients (147 men and 100 women) were included. The diagnostic accuracy of ERR in panoramic images compared to CBCT images was evaluated using the chi-square test. To identify risk factors for ERR, dental records and panoramic findings were evaluated by logistic regression analysis. Results: The diagnostic accuracy of ERR on panoramic images was 0.79 compared to CBCT images (P<0.05). Superimposition of M3s onto second molars (M2) was associated with an approximately 33 times higher risk of ERR than separated M3s (P<0.05). Impacted M3s showed a 5 times higher risk of ERR than erupted M3s (P<0.05). Conclusion ERR related to M3s is a common clinical condition, and superimposition of M3 onto M2 on panoramic images was the most important risk factor for ERR. It seemed that CBCT examinations for maxillary M3s might be indicated for ERR diagnosis especially if panoramic radiographs show superimposition of M3 onto M2. Impaction itself was also a risk factor, and it should be carefully examined.

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

OBJECTIVES: This study analyzed the incidence and characteristics of in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) in Korea based on a sample group of patients that is representative of the population. METHODS: The incidence of IHCA in adults was extracted from HIRA-NIS-2009, a sample of all patients using medical services in Korea. IHCA patients were analyzed according to gender, age, type of medical institute, and classification under the 6th revision of the Korean Standard Classification of Diseases (KCD-6). In addition, to assess the differences arising from the size of medical institutes, the IHCA incidence was analyzed in relation to the number of inpatient beds. RESULTS: Based on the sample data, the total incidence of IHCA in Korea was found to be 2.46 per 1,000 admissions (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.37–2.55). A higher incidence was found among men at 3.18 (95% CI, 3.03–3.33), compared to women at 1.84 (95% CI, 1.74–1.94). The incidence of IHCA was also higher in hospitals that had more than 600 inpatients beds at 5.40 (95% CI, 5.16–5.66) in comparison to those that had less than 600 inpatients beds at 4.09 (95% CI, 3.76–4.36) (p < 0.001). By primary disease, the incidence was the highest for infectious diseases. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that the IHCA incidence based on gender, age, diagnostic group, and number of beds could be analyzed using the insurance claim data from a national representative sample.
Academies and Institutes ; Adult* ; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation ; Classification ; Communicable Diseases ; Epidemiology ; Female ; Heart Arrest* ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Inpatients ; Insurance ; Korea* ; Male ; National Health Programs

BACKGROUND: Interest in pharmacist participation in the multidisciplinary intensive care team is increasing. However, studies examining pharmacist interventions in the medical intensive care unit (MICU) are limited in Korea. The aim of this study was to describe the current status of pharmacist interventions and to identify common pharmacologic problems requiring pharmacist intervention in the MICU. METHODS: Between September 2013 and August 2014, a retrospective, observational study was conducted in the 22-bed MICU at a university hospital. Data were obtained from two trained pharmacists who participated in MICU rounds three times a week. In addition to patient characteristics, data on the cause, type, related drug, and acceptance rate of interventions were collected. RESULTS: In 340 patients, a total of 1211 pharmacologic interventions were performed. The majority of pharmacologic interventions were suggested by pharmacists at multidisciplinary rounds in the MICU. The most common pharmacologic interventions were adjustment of dosage and administration (n = 328, 26.0%), followed by parenteral/enteral nutritional support (n = 228, 18.1%), the provision of drug information (n = 228, 18.1%), and advice regarding pharmacokinetics (n = 118, 9.3%). Antimicrobial agents (n = 516, 42.6%) were the most frequent type of drug associated with pharmacist interventions. The acceptance rate of interventions was 84.1% with most accepted by physicians within 24 hours (n = 602, 92.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Medication and nutritional problems are frequently encountered pharmacotherapeutic problems in the MICU. Pharmacist interventions play an important role in the management of these problems.
Anti-Infective Agents ; Humans ; Critical Care ; Intensive Care Units* ; Korea ; Nutritional Support ; Observational Study ; Pharmacists* ; Pharmacokinetics ; Retrospective Studies