PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the present status of falls among inpatients in general hospitals and to identify the fall risk factors that reflect the characteristics of domestic hospitals. METHODS: Data were collected between December 15, 2016 and January 15, 2017 from 32 Korean hospitals having 500 or more beds. First, 42 risk factors were extracted based on literature review and expert opinions. Then the importance of each factor was evaluated by 223 nurses from medical and surgical adult ward and intensive care units in 40 hospitals. RESULTS: The incidence rate of falls in 18 hospitals was 3.87 per 1,000 total discharged patients and 0.55 per 1,000 patient-days, and the rate of injury-related falls was 40.5%. Major risk factors for falling were identified as the following: being over 65 years of age, history of falls during admission, physical mobility disorders requiring assistance, physical factors (dizziness or vertigo, unstable gait, general weakness, walking aids, visual problems), cognitive factors (delirium, lack of understanding on limitations), neurological disease, CNS medications CONCLUSION: The findings provide information that can be in the development of a fall risk assessment tool for inpatients in general hospitals in Korea.
Accidental Falls ; Adult ; Audiovisual Aids ; Expert Testimony ; Gait ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Incidence ; Inpatients ; Intensive Care Units ; Korea ; Risk Assessment ; Risk Factors ; Vertigo ; Walking

No abstract available.
Animals ; Cricetinae* ; Mice*

We report a case of cutaneous metastasis of thymic carcinoma in Korean. A 44-year-old female, who had been diagnosed as thymic carcinoma and treated with total thymectomy and post-operative radiation therapy, presented grouped erythematous papules on the left chest. CT scans revealed metastatic lesions in the left pleura and abdominal cavity. Histopathologic examination of skin biopsy showed extensive infiltration of malignant cells in dermis and subcutis. The morphology of infiltrating cells was similar to that of tumor cells from primary thymic carcinoma specimen. The results of immunohistochemical study for skin biopsy were consistent with the features of non-neuroendocrine thymic carcinoma. Histopathologic and immunohistopathologic similarity between cutaneous lesion and previous tumor suggested that malignant cells in the skin lesion could originate from progressing thymic carcinoma.
Abdominal Cavity ; Adult ; Biopsy ; Dermis ; Female ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Pleura ; Skin ; Thorax ; Thymectomy ; Thymoma* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Pigmented fungiform papillae of the tongue(PFPT) is a rare benign pigmentary disorder of the tongue. In dark-skinned individuals, PFPT appears to be relatively common, whereas this entity is seldom reported in fair-skinned people and Asians. Although the relevance to systemic conditions has been suggested in several reported cases, the etiology and pathogenesis of this entity are not yet clearly defined. We report two cases of PFPT in young Korean females. Clinically both patients presented with asymptomatic pigmentary lesions confined to fungiform papillae of the tongue, which had been detected several months ago. Histopathologic findings revealed increased melanophages in the subepidermal area within the fungiform papillae.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Female ; Humans ; Tongue*

No abstract available.
Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome*

The purpose of this study is to compare weight gain by risperidone, clozapine and olanzapine which are atypical antipsychotic drugs with that by haloperidol which is typical antipsychotic drug. METHODS: We performed a retrospective chart review of 278 schizophrenic patients who were treated longer than 12 weeks with 4 different drugs. We measure weight gain weekly until 12th week and weight change curve over 12 weeks was drawn. Additionally, we examined any correlations of weight change with some factors. RESULTS: 1) The highest weight gains were observed in the olanzapine and clozapine groups, followed by the risperidone and haloperidol groups. 2) The haloperidol group showed a main weight gain within first 3 weeks, and patients ingested 3 atypical drugs gained weight steadily during 12 weeks. 3) The initial underweight group showed the largest weight gain. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the atypical antipsychotic drugs induced more weight gain than haloperidol. And we can expect that long-term treatment with clozapine and olanzapine would induce more severe weight gain, particularly in underweight patients.
Antipsychotic Agents* ; Clozapine ; Haloperidol ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Risperidone ; Thinness ; Weight Gain*

We describe a case of eosinophilic pustular folliculitis in a 1-month-old Korean male infant. The patient was suffering from erythematous papules and pustules affecting the scalp, trunk, and extremities, detected at birth. The flare was accompanied by leukocytosis and eosinophila. Histopathology revealed folliculitis with a predominant eosinophilic infiltrate. Lesions showed partial response to topical steroid and disappeared in four weeks. Three months after the resolution of the lesions, he presented a similar clinical picture as the previous episode.
Eosinophils* ; Extremities ; Folliculitis* ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn* ; Leukocytosis ; Male ; Parturition ; Scalp

No abstract available.
Lichen Planus ; Lichens

Curcumin, a natural compound extracted from rhizomes of Curcuma longa, has been shown to possess potent antiinflammatory and anti-tumor activity. The mechanism by which curcumin initiates apoptosis remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of curcumin on caspase-3 activity and protein expression of procaspase-3, Bcl-2, Bax, total Akt and phosphorylated Akt in SW480 human colon cancer cell. We cultured SW480 cells in the presence of various concentrations(0, 10, 20 or 30 uM) of curcumin. Curcumin inhibited colon cancer cell growth in a dosedependent manner (p < 0.05). Caspase-3 activity was significantly increased dose-dependently in cells treated with curcumin (p < 0.05), concisely procaspase-3 expression was significantly decreased. Bcl-2 levels were decreased dosedependently in cells treated with curcumin (p < 0.05), but Bax remained unchanged. In addition, phosphorylated Akt levels and total Akt levels were markedly lower in cells treated with 20 uM of curcumin treatment (p < 0.05). In conclusion, we have shown that curcumin inhibits cell growth and induces apoptosis in SW480 human colon cancer cell lines via Akt signal pathway.
Apoptosis* ; Caspase 3 ; Cell Line* ; Colon* ; Colonic Neoplasms* ; Curcuma ; Curcumin* ; Humans* ; Rhizome ; Signal Transduction

BACKGROUND: Aconitium species have been used for a material of oriental herb medicine for analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. But Aconitium species were known to have the potent poisons like aconitine, mesaconitine and hypaconitine which are of C19 diterpenoid alkaloids. The intoxication symptoms are nausea, vomiting, discomfort and cardiac arrhythmias which are well known as a main cause of death. METHOD AND MATERIALS: We obtained the specimens from the five poisoned cases and analyzed those specimens by GC/MS-SIM for 2002-2004. These cases were divided into two groups. The first group was the victims who ingested raw Aconitium roots and leaves and were all dead. The second was those who ingested processed Aconitium roots. One of them drank Aconitium root-submersed alcohol (root wine) and died. Another victim had ingested some liquid extract of herb medicine for three months but the person's symptom was manifested by jaundice and hematuria without fatality. RESULTS: Autopsy pathology on the cases of raw Aconitium ingestion and root wine drinking revealed similar gross and microscopic feature. The benzoylaconine analogues were detected in root wine (dead case) and hypaconitine, benzoylmesaconine and benzoylhypaconine were detected in herb liquid (living case). The aconitine analogues are hydrolyzed to make less toxic benzoylaconine analogues but the toxicity of hydrolyzed products and the methods of detoxification are still in controversy. CONCLUSION: We could conclude that benzoylaconine is relatively more toxic than benzoylmesaconine and benzoylhypaconitine. And the hypaconitine is relatively less toxic than aconitine and mesaconitine.
Aconitine ; Alkaloids ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Autopsy ; Cause of Death ; Chromatography, Gas ; Drinking ; Eating ; Hematuria ; Jaundice ; Mass Spectrometry ; Nausea ; Poisons ; Vomiting ; Wine