PURPOSE: This study aimed to compare the possible standard-setting methods for the Korean Radiological Technologist Licensing Examination, which has a fixed cut score, and to suggest the most appropriate method. METHODS: Six radiological technology professors set standards for 250 items on the Korean Radiological Technologist Licensing Examination administered in December 2016 using the Angoff, Ebel, bookmark, and Hofstee methods. RESULTS: With a maximum percentile score of 100, the cut score for the examination was 71.27 using the Angoff method, 62.2 using the Ebel method, 64.49 using the bookmark method, and 62 using the Hofstee method. Based on the Hofstee method, an acceptable cut score for the examination would be between 52.83 and 70, but the cut score was 71.27 using the Angoff method. CONCLUSION: The above results suggest that the best standard-setting method to determine the cut score would be a panel discussion with the modified Angoff or Ebel method, with verification of the rated results by the Hofstee method. Since no standard-setting method has yet been adopted for the Korean Radiological Technologist Licensing Examination, this study will be able to provide practical guidance for introducing a standard-setting process.
Education ; Licensure ; Methods ; Technology, Radiologic

PURPOSE: This study aimed to compare the possible standard-setting methods for the Korean Radiological Technologist Licensing Examination, which has a fixed cut score, and to suggest the most appropriate method. METHODS: Six radiological technology professors set standards for 250 items on the Korean Radiological Technologist Licensing Examination administered in December 2016 using the Angoff, Ebel, bookmark, and Hofstee methods. RESULTS: With a maximum percentile score of 100, the cut score for the examination was 71.27 using the Angoff method, 62.2 using the Ebel method, 64.49 using the bookmark method, and 62 using the Hofstee method. Based on the Hofstee method, an acceptable cut score for the examination would be between 52.83 and 70, but the cut score was 71.27 using the Angoff method. CONCLUSION The above results suggest that the best standard-setting method to determine the cut score would be a panel discussion with the modified Angoff or Ebel method, with verification of the rated results by the Hofstee method. Since no standard-setting method has yet been adopted for the Korean Radiological Technologist Licensing Examination, this study will be able to provide practical guidance for introducing a standard-setting process.

BACKGROUND: Psoriatic lesions have reduced water-holding capacity and show increased transepidermal water loss (TEWL). The effect of D-PUVA therapy, which combines topical calcipotriol and PUVA therapy, on epidermal barrier function has not yet been evaluated. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to verify the change of TEWL in lesional and normal skin according to D-PUVA therapy in psoriasis patients. METHODS: TEWL was measured consecutively by TEWAMETER TM210®, in 13 psoriasis patients who received D-PUVA therapy. Clinical grading was done according to psoriasis severity index (PSI). RESULTS: TEWL of psoriatic lesion decreased as D-PUVA continued. TEWL of normal-looking skin gradually increased, although the increase was trivial. Clinical grading of scale and in-filtration followed the pattern of PSI in the decrease of TEWL, while that of erythema did not. CONCLUSION: In psoriatic plaques, TEWL was decreased according to the improvement. In normal-looking skin, D-PUVA therapy caused only a little effect on TEWL.
Erythema ; Humans ; Psoriasis ; PUVA Therapy ; Skin ; Water*

Recently identified second messenger molecules of signal transmission were derived from inositol phospholipid and several phospholipase C(PLC) isoenzyme were reconized. But the role of PLC in embryonal organ development, differentiation and growth is not described, yet. And, Siah gene of mouse is expressed at a higher level in a restricted number of sites during development. So, it is suggested that the Siah gene plays a significant role in development of vertebrates.Therefore, this study was aimed to investigate the role of PLC isoenzymes and Siah gene during murine fetal development by use of immunehistochemistry. The results are as follow: 1. PLC-beta1 and PLC-gammal are expressed apparently at early fetal stage, PLC-betal is observed focally, whereas PLC-gamma1 is diffusely expressed. 2. PLC-delta1 is not expressed during early and mid murine fetal age but strongly expressed in placental tissue. 3. PLC-beta1 is observed mainly in neural tissues including brain at mid fetal stage. PLC-gamma1 is expressed in entire organs, especially in liver tissue, and then their expression is reduced after mid stage. 4. Siah gene product is significantly expressed in olfactory epithelium, retina, neuron of brain and choroid plexus from mid fetal stage to late gestation. These results suggest that PLC-betal play a important role in central neural development and PLC-gamma1 in entire orgaans, especially in liver development. The strong expression of PLC-deltal in placenta suggest its involvement in early development, indirectly. Siah gene product expressed at a higher levels in olfactory epithelium, retina, neuron and choroid plexus, so Siah gene may play a important role in these organ developments.
Animals ; Brain ; Choroid Plexus ; Fetal Development* ; Gestational Age ; Immunohistochemistry* ; Inositol ; Isoenzymes ; Liver ; Mice ; Neurons ; Olfactory Mucosa ; Phospholipases* ; Placenta ; Pregnancy ; Retina ; Second Messenger Systems ; Type C Phospholipases*

Methemoglobinemia is an uncommon but potentially fatal disorder. Most cases have no adverse clinical consequence and require no treatment, but methemoglobinemia is often overlooked as a cause of low oxygen saturation, and often mistaken for the more common causes of hypoxia by anesthesiologists despite simple bedside tests that indicate the presence of this treatable abnormality. We present a 68-year-old female patient who underwent gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer with bleeding. In the preoperative period, the patient showed cyanosis and oxygen saturation was 85% by pulse oximeter, but oxygen saturation by arterial blood gas analysis was 100%. After tracheal intubation, the methemoglobin level was 18.3%. Ascorbic acid and methylene blue were administered. During preanesthetic evaluation, the patient had not informed the anesthesiologist that she had been taking dapsone.
Aged ; Anesthesia, General ; Anoxia ; Ascorbic Acid ; Blood Gas Analysis ; Cyanosis ; Dapsone ; Female ; Gastrectomy ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Intubation ; Methemoglobin ; Methemoglobinemia ; Methylene Blue ; Oximetry ; Oxygen ; Preoperative Period ; Stomach Neoplasms

BACKGROUND: As the number of elder patients grows, spinal anesthesia for such patients are increasing significantly. Any effort is needed to use the least anesthetic drug for maintaining the anesthesia while avoiding hazards of cardio-pulmonary complications. METHODS: American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification I and II, Forty five elderly patients (> or = 60 years) who received transurethral resection of the prostate or transurethral resection of the bladder tumor were allocated randomly into three treatment groups. The DMT 0.5 group was designed as with dexmedetomidine 0.5 microg/kg while the DMT 1.0 group has a 1 microg/kg intravenous injection over 10 min before anesthetic induction. The Control group was designed to get a normal saline. Each group was compared regarding the maximum sensory block level, extension of anesthesia, degree of motor block, level of sedation, VAS score and complications. RESULTS: There were no significant differences among the 3 treatment groups regarding the maximum level of sensory block and motor block. However, the duration of sensory block was significantly longer in DMT 1.0 group than in the control group (P = 0.045). Both DMT 1.0 group (median = 3, range = 2-6) and DMT 0.5 group (median = 3, range = 1-6) showed a mean value of 3-4 Ramsay sedation score, which resulted in more excessive sedation and significantly greater incidence of bradycardia compared to the control group. No complications such as hypotension, nausea, tremor, and hypoxia were found during this investigation. CONCLUSIONS: In elder patients, the DMT 1.0 group is effective in duration of sensory block and is superior in the aspect of prolonged duration of sensory block compared to the DMT 0.5 group.
Aged* ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, Spinal* ; Anoxia ; Appointments and Schedules* ; Bradycardia ; Classification ; Dexmedetomidine* ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Incidence ; Injections, Intravenous ; Nausea ; Prostate ; Tremor ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms

Red cells that express extremely low levels of D antigen that cannot be detected by routine serologic tests are designated as DEL. Most DEL blood donors are typed as D-negative. However, DEL red blood cells can be recognized by serological adsorption and elution test or molecular RHD genotyping. Anti-D production in patients with D-negative who received transfusion containing DEL blood has reported, therefore distinction between DEL variant and true D- negative is clinically important. This review highlights a transfusion strategy and laboratory update on the DEL variant in the Korean population.
Adsorption ; Blood Donors ; Erythrocytes ; Humans ; Serologic Tests

OBJECTIVE: Helicopter ambulance transport (HAT) is a highly resource-intensive facility that is a well-established part of the trauma transport system in many developed countries. Here, we review the benefit of HAT for neurosurgical patients in Korea. METHODS: This retrospective study followed neurotrauma patients who were transferred by HAT to a single emergency trauma center over a period of 2 years. The clinical benefits of HAT were measured according to the necessity of emergency surgical intervention and the differences in the time taken to transport patients by ground ambulance transport (GAT) and HAT. RESULTS: Ninety-nine patients were transferred to a single university hospital using HAT, of whom 32 were taken to the neurosurgery department. Of these 32 patients, 10 (31.3%) needed neurosurgical intervention, 14 (43.8%) needed non-neurosurgical intervention, 3 (9.4%) required both, and 11 (34.4%) did not require any intervention. The transfer time was faster using HAT than the estimated time needed for GAT, although for a relatively close distance (<50 km) without ground obstacles (mountain or sea) HAT did not improve transfer time. The cost comparison showed that HAT was more expensive than GAT (3,292,000 vs. 84,000 KRW, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: In this Korean-based study, we found that HAT has a clinical benefit for neurotrauma cases involving a transfer from a distant site or an isolated area. A more precise triage for using HAT should be considered to prevent overuse of this expensive transport method.
Air Ambulances* ; Ambulances ; Developed Countries ; Emergencies ; Humans ; Korea ; Neurosurgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Trauma Centers ; Triage

Infantile myofibromatosis is a rare neoplasm which occurs primarily in early infancy and arise in the various sites. A 4-year-old boy, who presented with painless soft scalp mass in the left temporoparietal region was diagnosed to have myofibromatosis and this case is presented with some literature reviews.
Child, Preschool ; Humans ; Male ; Myofibroblasts ; Myofibromatosis* ; Scalp

PURPOSE: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) has become increasingly recognized as a complication of long-term hemodialysis. This study evaluated the clinical characteristics and compared the results of carpal tunnel release for CTS patients with or without hemodialysis. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical characteristics and surgical outcomes of 49 chronic hemodialysis patients with 83 CTS hands. Also, 100 patients were selected for the control group. Patient characteristics, accompanying systemic conditions, operative outcomes were compared. RESULTS: In hemodialysis group, the mean age and hemodialysis duration were 59.5+/-10.5 years and 4.1+/-2.5 years, respectively. Of the 83 hands with CTS, 45 (54.2%) had arteriovenous fistulas, while 38 (45.7%) did not (p=0.02). Most (81.6%) of the patients reported symptom improvement after surgical treatment, and the remaining patients (18.4%) reported persistent and recurrent symptoms. Rates of remaining symptoms and reoperations were significantly higher in the CTS patients with hemodialysis group. CONCLUSION: Majority of CTS patients with hemodialysis have much improved after transverse carpal ligament release. However, they showed higher recurrence than idiopathic CTS patients. In recurrent patients, use of the extended carpal tunnel release is effective in symptom relief.
Arteriovenous Fistula ; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome* ; Hand ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Ligaments ; Recurrence ; Renal Dialysis* ; Retrospective Studies