PURPOSE: Simple instructional systems design (ISD) model is based on a fast development, usability test, and continuos feedback, which are necessary for educational program development in medical school. This study aims to figure out the usability of Simple ISD model for a medical ethics education program by describing a developmental details of each phase and its evaluation results. METHODS: Research has been conducted in two steps. First, while researchers participated in the program development by using Simple ISD model, we collected empirical data of each development activities. Second, the developed program was evaluated by students' web-based usability test, a 8-students' focus group interview and 5 faculty members' individual interviews in 4 domains; learning contents, instructional methods and strategies, achievement evaluation, and self-evaluation. RESULTS: Following the circular process of analysis, design, development, and usability test of Simple ISD model, a 10-week medical ethics program covering 9 instructional topics was developed. The average points of response on the developed medical ethics program in 2008 and 2009 are increased from 3.96 to 4.59 and 4.41, respectively. The prospects and limitations of the program are discussed. CONCLUSION: From a development study of the medical ethics program by using Simple ISD model, we could implement a more usable medical ethics program, and found 4 different usability of the Simple ISD model; the rapid development of educational program, program improvement by continuous feedback, faculty members' engagement in instructional design, and professional development of the faculty members.
Achievement ; Ethics, Medical ; Focus Groups ; Learning ; Program Development ; Schools, Medical

This study explores the phenomenon of learner reflection in writing. Sixty-nine reflection logs were submitted by students after medical interview role plays. Using thematic analysis methodology, the following three steps were carried out: (1) the entire contents of the logs were analyzed and coded, (2) the coded contents were reclassified and categorized into higher themes, and (3) all reflection logs were re-analyzed to derive the frequency according to their classifications. The learners’ reflection contents were classified into ‘preparation,’ ‘experience,’ and ‘future plan.’ The levels of reflection were ‘simple information and appreciation,’ ‘acquisition and application of knowledge,’ and ‘analysis and criticism.’ The types of reflection were identified only at the level of ‘analysis and criticism’ and could be classified into ‘relativization,’ ‘objectification,’ and ‘internalization.’ Students’ reflection levels were highest in the levels of ‘acquisition and application of knowledge’ (49.3%), and ‘analysis and criticism’ (37.7%). A total of 14.5% of the students showed ‘internalization.’ In order to enable internalized reflection at a critical level, instructional strategies to induce and promote reflection are needed.
Classification ; Humans ; Writing

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies with vascular thrombosis or increasing pregnancy-related morbidity. The risk of thrombotic events, including cerebral arterial thrombosis, is increased in patients who test positive for lupus anticoagulants. The presentation of neurologic symptoms without a cerebral thromboembolic event is rarely reported in APS. Here, we report a case of primary APS presenting as Bell palsy without cerebral arterial thrombosis. After administration of an anti-viral agent and high-dose steroid therapy, the patient successfully recovered without neurologic complications.
Antibodies, Antiphospholipid ; Anticoagulants ; Antiphospholipid Syndrome* ; Bell Palsy* ; Humans ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Thrombosis*

PURPOSE: This study aimed to explore the relationship between students' seating preferences and academic achievement in medical school. METHODS: The subjects of this study were 109 second-year students in C medical school. The pattern of seat selection of 109 students was surveyed by participant observation for 48 days, and a questionnaire was administered to determine the factors that were considered by students. Using SPSS version 12.0, we analyzed the factors that students considered with regard to seat selection and seat preference and the frequency of seat movements between areas. We performed one-way ANOVA to analyze the differences in academic achievement between students who moved seats versus those who did not. RESULTS: The most common reasons for seat selection were to focus better on the lecture (60 students), to focus better on lecture, and to feel familiar with the same seat (60 students). Students' preferred seats were in rows A4, A7, A5, and A3 (in descending order), which are primarily the central sections, and columns B15, B1, B14, B19 (in descending order), which are primarily both ends of the division. The difference in academic achievement between students who moved seats and those who did not was not significant (p>0.05). Among students who did not move seats, the difference in academic achievement between 9 seating areas was not significant in 6 subjects (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that we should reconsider a professor's general perception regarding academic achievement according to seat location.
Achievement ; Humans ; Schools, Medical ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVE: It is well-known that antipsychotics are widely used in the treatment of bipolar disorder. So, the aim of this study was to examine the subjective response to antipsychotics in acute manic patients. METHODS: Data were gathered through the study for feasibility testing of Korean Medication Algorithm for Bipolar Disorder (KAMP-BP), which 17 nationwide clinical centers were entered into the study. A total 126 bipolar patients were enrolled and then 92 were treated according to the treatment algorithm. The data of 58 patients were completely recorded from baseline to 2 weeks of treatment and were entered into analysis. Drug Attitude Inventory-10 (DAI-10) was used for evaluating patient's subjective response to antipsychotics and patients were grouped as subjective non-dysphoric and dysphoric as the total score of DAI-10. For assessing the clinical status, Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), Clinical Global Impression- Severity scale (CGI-S), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D), Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) and Liverpool University Neuroleptic Side-Effect Rating Scale (LUNSERS) were used. RESULTS: Dysphoric group was younger and has more females in sex distribution than non-dysphoric group. YMRS and CGI-S were severer in dysphoric group. The prescription patterns were not different between two groups: Combinations of mood stabilizers and antipsychotics were administered to all patients and atypical antipsychotics were prescribed over 90% of the patients. At 2 weeks of treatment, more patients were turned into remission in non-dysphoric group. Dysphoric patients showed more changes of positive subjective response in DAI-10 from baseline and more patients turned toward the non-dysphoric group. CONCLUSION: Although the subjective response to antipsychotics using DAI-10 was not typically characterized in acute manic patients, it seems that atypical antipsychotics may have a role in determining the subjective feelings of the acute bipolar manic patients.
Antipsychotic Agents* ; Bipolar Disorder ; Depression ; Female ; Humans ; Prescriptions ; Sex Distribution

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to monitor changes of prescription patterns for bipolar disorder in clinical settings during the last five years in four psychiatric treatment centers. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of data of 601 patients with bipolar disorder was performed between January 2001 and December 2005 from four psychiatric centers in Seoul and GyeongGi-Do. Data on demograpnic variables, clinical characteristics, and the types and dosages of mood stabilizers and antipsychotics, and the patterns of prescriptions over the five-year period were analyzed. RESULTS: The use of valproate has increased, whereas the percentage of lithium use has decreased. The combined prescription of valproate and lithium remained constant at 12% over the five-year period. The prescription of newer-class of mood stabilizers such as lamotrigine and topiramate was few. Most of the patients in our study were on more than two psychotropic agents, with the most common discharge medication being a combination of a mood stabilizer and an antipsychotic (81.9%). The use of atypical antipsychotics has increased its share from 71.4% in 2001 to 92.3% in 2005. Among the atypical antipsychotics, Quetiapine use showed the most rapid increase since year 2001 and ranked as the most frequenctly used antipsychotics for bipolar disorder in 2005 (38.5% of antipsychotics). Especially, in those without psychotic features, quetiapine was the most frequently used antipsychotics (51.2% in 2005). In those with psychotic features, risperidone (39.1%) was more frequently used than quetiapine (28.3%). CONCLUSION: The present study showed that significant changes have occurred in the prescription patterns of mood stabilizers and antipsychotics and the rate of combination therapy for patients with bipolar disorder in the last five years. These results seem to reflect the introduction of new agents and the accumulating evidencebased data for the treatment of bipolar disorder, and will provide the useful information to clinicians for the establishment of better treatment guidelines for patients with bipolar disorder.
Antipsychotic Agents ; Bipolar Disorder* ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Inpatients* ; Lithium ; Prescriptions* ; Retrospective Studies ; Risperidone ; Seoul ; Valproic Acid ; Quetiapine Fumarate

PURPOSE: The most common cause of death in massive burn patients is burn wound sepsis. Therefore we have been using allograft skin for preventing burn wound sepsis. METHODS: Included in this study were 71 subjects who had sustained extensive burns from December 2003 through February 2006. 1. Early selective Escharectomy was performed for full thickness burn areas. 2. Allograft skins were grafted on excision area. 3. An autograft was performed for areas with a formation of granulation tissue after the allograft skin had come away. 4. A modified sandwich grafting technique (1 : 4 ~ 6 meshed autograft with Cultured Epithelial Autografts) was performed in large sized burns. 5. Acellular dermal substitute was concurrently used to prevent burn scar contraction on joint areas. RESULTS: Seventy one subjects were included (Fresh allograft: 9 cases, Cryo-preserved allograft: 42 cases, Glycerol preserved allograft: 20 cases). The average burn area was 41.8 (20 ~ 92) %TBSA (Total Body Surface Area). The mean area of the allograft skin used was 26.9 (8 ~ 70) %TBSA. The grafted allograft skins usually came away 3 weeks later. Four cases of initial take failure were occurred. All of these cases were pediatric patients using cadaver skin. Nine patients were dead from heart failure, severe inhalation, respiratory failure, pneumonia in old age, renal failure etc. There was no definite wound sepsis. Cultured Epithelial Autografts (CEAs) were used in fourteen cases. In twenty- five cases, acellular dermal substitute was simultaneously used. CONCLUSION: Early selective escharectomy, allograft skin coverage, acellular dermal substitutes and wide meshed autograft with CEA application would be immensely helpful techniques in patients with extensive burns.
Allografts* ; Autografts ; Burns* ; Cadaver ; Cause of Death ; Cicatrix ; Glycerol ; Granulation Tissue ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Joints ; Pneumonia ; Renal Insufficiency ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Sepsis ; Skin* ; Transplants ; Wound Infection ; Wounds and Injuries

PURPOSE: Suicide is a major concern for increasing mortality in bipolar patients, but risk factors for suicide in bipolar disorder remain complex, including Korean patients. Medical records of bipolar patients were retrospectively reviewed to detect significant clinical characteristics associated with suicide attempts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 579 medical records were retrospectively reviewed. Bipolar patients were divided into two groups with the presence of a history of suicide attempts. We compared demographic characteristics and clinical features between the two groups using an analysis of covariance and chi-square tests. Finally, logistic regression was performed to evaluate significant risk factors associated with suicide attempts in bipolar disorder. RESULTS: The prevalence of suicide attempt was 13.1% in our patient group. The presence of a depressive first episode was significantly different between attempters and nonattempters. Logistic regression analysis revealed that depressive first episodes and bipolar II disorder were significantly associated with suicide attempts in those patients. CONCLUSION: Clinicians should consider the polarity of the first mood episode when evaluating suicide risk in bipolar patients. This study has some limitations as a retrospective study and further studies with a prospective design are needed to replicate and evaluate risk factors for suicide in patients with bipolar disorder.
Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Bipolar Disorder/*complications/*psychology ; Depressive Disorder/complications/*psychology ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Suicide, Attempted/*psychology/statistics & numerical data ; Young Adult

Infective endocarditis (IE) caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has become a worldwide concern. We present a case of a 12-year-old child with IE of the native mitral valve due to MRSA infection after an invasive dental procedure. Based on the clinical symptoms and the presence of cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis, the patient was initially diagnosed with presumed bacterial meningitis and treated with empiric antibiotics. On the third day of hospitalization, MRSA was cultured from the initial blood samples and vegetation was observed on the mitral valve during an echocardiogram, findings which are compatible with a diagnosis of IE. The revised guidelines for antibiotic prophylaxis for the prevention of IE advise that IE prophylaxis for dental procedures is reasonable only for patients with underlying cardiac conditions, who are at the highest risk of adverse outcomes from IE. However, in this case, the patient had no high risk factors indicative of IE prophylaxis, except for mitral valve prolapse. She had no recurrence of IE over a follow-up period of 12 months.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Antibiotic Prophylaxis ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Child ; Diagnosis ; Endocarditis* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Leukocytosis ; Meningitis* ; Meningitis, Bacterial ; Methicillin Resistance* ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus* ; Mitral Valve ; Mitral Valve Prolapse ; Recurrence ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVES: It has been reported that first episode polarity affected the course and the prognosis of bipolar disorder. However, there is remarkable paucity of information regarding first episode polarity in bipolar disorder. We investigated the clinical characteristics related to the first episode polarity of bipolar patients who had been hospitalized. METHODS: Analyses were based on the medical documents of 520 bipolar patients who had been hospitalized in 4 hospitals. We examined clinical features of the current episode, demographics, past treatment history, suicidal attempt history, family history and comorbidity. Clinical characteristics were compared between manic onset and depressive onset patients. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 36.7 years old; they had 2.1 number of admission history and 6.6 years of illness duration. The patients beginning with depressive onset was 39.4%, and they had more diagnosis of bipolar II disorder, more number of suicidal attempts and reported more depressive mood during index admission than manic onset patients. CONCLUSION: Depressive onset is a common presentation in bipolar disorder. It is necessary to give more attention to depressive episode in bipolar disorder. Prospective study needs to explore the correlation of first-episode of polarity and course of the illness in the future.
Bipolar Disorder* ; Comorbidity ; Demography ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Prognosis