PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify the predictors of failure in medical students. METHODS: We conducted a 10-year follow-up survey of 231 medical students. The students' general characteristics, study-related factors, health-related behavior, and self-perceived health were examined using questionnaires that were given late in the first year of a premedical course. We evaluated the failure incidence of students using school records from the second year of a premedical course to the fourth year of medical school. The statistical analyses that were used were chi2-test, student t-test, and multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Sixty-five students experienced failure. Thirty-seven (56.9%) had 1 failure, 11 (16.9%) had 2 failures, 8 (12.3%) had 3 failures, 4 (6.2%) had 4 failures, and 5 (7.7%) had 5 failures. From the results of multiple logistic regression, the rates of failure were significantly higher for those whose grade point average (GPA) in the first year of a premedical course was below 2.5 (Relative Risk [RR]=6.52, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.42~29.8), who smoked more than 1 pack of cigarettes per day (RR=7.37, 95% CI: 1.23~44.07), who drank more (RR=1.16, 95% CI: 1.02~1.33), and exercised less (RR=0.997, 95% CI: 0.995~0.999). CONCLUSION: It was demonstrated that the incidence of failure in medical students was reflected in their academic records in the first year of a premedical course and by unhealthy lifestyles. This study suggests that students who have poor academic marks and unhealthy lifestyles in the first year of a premedical course should be properly guided to reduce the incidence of failure.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Life Style ; Logistic Models ; Schools, Medical ; Smoke ; Students, Medical ; Tobacco Products ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Invasive aspergillosis remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. And there has been substantial increase in the number of cases documented at autopsy in all developed nations. There are probably many factors responsible for this substantial increase, but they include the following: greater numbers of transplantation patients; more aggressive chemotherapy for such conditions as myeloma, breast cancer, and certain lymphomas; more aggressive immunosuppressive regimens for patients with autoimmune disease; and the emergence of AIDS. The use of hepafiltration and, in particular, laminar air flow reduces the risk of invasive aspergillosis. The portal of entry for Aspergillus include the respiratory tract, damaged skin or other operative wounds, the cornea, and the ear. The majority of patients (80~90%) have pulmonary disease, but some have other manifestations of disease, including aspergillus rhinosinusitis. Prognosis of invasive aspergillosis has in general relied on making a prompt diagnosis of infection, and early treatment. Unfortunately, the rapid diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis is difficult, as no rapid methods to establish definitely the diagnosis of infection are available in most clinical settings. An ELISA for detecting Aspergillus galactomannan is used to establish an early diagnosis in Western Europe. Invasive aspergillosis carries a nearly 100% mortality if untreated. There are currently two antifungal agents with activity against Aspergillus-amphotericin B and itraconazole. Several novel agents are under investigation, including Liposomal nystatin (Nyotran), Voriconazole, Posaconazole, Caspofungin. The most advanced azole is the voriconazole, which has shown good clinical efficacy and tolerability among immunocompromised patients with invasive aspergillosis.
Antifungal Agents ; Aspergillosis* ; Aspergillus ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Autopsy ; Breast Neoplasms ; Cornea ; Danazol ; Developed Countries ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Ear ; Early Diagnosis ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Europe ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Itraconazole ; Lung Diseases ; Lymphoma ; Mortality ; Nystatin ; Prognosis ; Respiratory System ; Skin ; Wounds and Injuries

No abstract available.
Chromosome Aberrations*

No abstract available.
Etodolac* ; Hypersensitivity*

OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this study were to assess the smoking status, knowledge and attitude related to smoking and smoking cessation activity of the physicians in a community, and to identify their predictors of smoking cessation activity. METHOD: All physicians employed by various health facilities in a community were surveyed using a structured questionnaire. Of the physicians surveyed, 523 (69.6%) returned completed questionnaires. RESULTS: The smoking rate of physicians was 29.3% (34.2% in males, 3.6% in females) and the knowledge and attitude scores to smoking were 22.5+/-2.4 and 65.4+/-6.9, respectively. The self-efficacy score was 3.4+/-1.0 and the smoking cessation activity score was 65.4+/-6.9. The smoking cessation activity was statistically significant with working place, specialty, knowledge and attitude to smoking and self-efficacy. In stepwise multiple regression, smoking cessation activity was predicted by doctors' working place, specialty, attitudes related to smoking issues, and self-efficacy of counseling knowledge and skills. CONCLUSION: Physicians need to participate routinely and actively in smoking cessation activity. For doctors to effectively counsel and intervene in patients regarding smoking cessation, it is essential to integrate education on smoking cessation intervention into curricula in formal education and to offer continuing education including smoking cessation intervention.
Counseling ; Curriculum ; Education ; Education, Continuing ; Health Facilities ; Humans ; Male ; Methods ; Smoke* ; Smoking Cessation* ; Smoking*

OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this study were to examine the health-related quality of life(HRQoL) and to identify its related factors for a group of rural adults. METHODS: The study subjects were 1,901 adults who were aged 40-70 years and who were living in Naju City, Jeollanamdo. The sociodemographic characteristics, health-related behavior, health status and global self-rated health were collected for statistical analysis. The healthrelated quality of life was measured by the Euroqol EQ-5D instrument. The differences on the EQ-5D index between the groups were assessed with t-test, ANOVA and hierarchical multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: Overall, the mean value of the EQ-5D index was 0.884+/-0.140 and this score was significantly different according to the socioeconomic characteristics, the healthrelated behavior, the health status and the global self-rated health. According to the results from the hierarchical multiple regression analysis, the HRQoL was significantly reduced for females, older subjects, and other subjects with no spouse and the subjects with osteoporosis, obesity, mental distress or poorer global self-rated health. CONCLUSIONS: The HRQoL for rural adults was related to the socioeconomic characteristics, the health status and the global self-rated health. A better understanding of the factors related to the HRQoL would help to improve the rural adults' quality of life.
Aged ; Female ; Health Behavior ; *Health Status ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Quality of Life ; Questionnaires ; Risk Factors ; *Rural Population ; Social Class

OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to investigate the levels of psychosocial stress and to identify its related factors in some rural residents. METHODS: The study subjects were 1,806 adults aged 40-70 years living in Naju City, Jeollanamdo. Sociodemographic characteristics, health-related behavior, social support and personality were collected for statistical analysis. The measurement instrument of psychosocial stress was psychosocial well-being index. The differences on the stress levels between groups were assessed with t-test, ANOVA and hierarchical multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: The results showed that 16.6% of subjects were categorized as high stress, 63.4% as moderate, and 20.0% as normal. Overall, the mean value of PWI was 17.2+/-9.8 and significantly different by socioeconomic characteristics, health-related behavior, social support and personality. In the case of men, the PWI was significantly deteriorated in the cases of nondrinker or other subjects with no job, lower household income, decreased positive social support, increased negative social support, type A behavior pattern, decrease of internal locus of control or poorer self-esteem. In the case of women, the PWI was significantly deteriorated in the subjects with no job, no spouse, decreased positive social support, increased negative social support, type A behavior pattern, decrease of internal locus of control or poorer self-esteem. CONCLUSIONS: The psychosocial stress for rural residents was related with social support and personality. Thus, these results should be considered to reduce stress levels in rural adults.
Adult ; Aged ; Family Characteristics ; Female ; Humans ; Internal-External Control ; Male ; Social Behavior ; Spouses ; Type A Personality

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the metabolic syndrome and alanine aminotransferase(SGPT) levels in Korean adults. METHODS: The study subjects were 4,325 adults aged > or = 19 years without an apparent cause of liver disease from the Third Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey(2005). The metabolic syndrome was defined using criteria established by the NCEP/ATP III, while abdominal obesity was assessed based on the Asia-Pacific guidelines. Subjects with SGPT > or = 40 IU/L were considered to have elevated SGPT levels. Demographic characteristics, waist circumference, blood pressure, triglyceride, HDL cholesterol, fasting blood sugar were recorded for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The prevalence of elevated SGPT levels was significantly increase with the presence of the metabolic syndrome and its components. In multiple logistic regression analyses, odds ratio for the elevated SGPT levels was significantly high in the subjects with the metabolic syndrome compared to the subjects without metabolic syndrome after adjusted for socio-demographic characteristics and health-related behavior. CONCLUSIONS: The metabolic syndrome was independently associated with SGPT levels in Korean adults.
Adult ; Aged ; Alanine ; Alanine Transaminase ; Blood Glucose ; Blood Pressure ; Cholesterol, HDL ; Fasting ; Humans ; Korea ; Liver Diseases ; Logistic Models ; Metabolic Syndrome X ; Nutrition Surveys ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Waist Circumference

Candida parapsilosis was not considered pathogenic, until it had been reported as the cause of the fatal case of infective endocarditis in intravenous narcotic addicts in 1940. More recently this species has emerged as an important nosocomial pathogen in many clinical infections, such as fungemia, endocarditis, endophthalmitis, septic arthritis, and peritonitis. Among them C. parapsilosis arthritis is still very rare, which is mainly caused by invasive procedures such as prosthetic arthroplasty, intraarticular steroid injection and contamination of hyperalimentation solutions. We experienced a 53 year-old male patient who had chronic elbow pain and was diagnosed as the first case of C. parapsilosis arthritis in Korea. Herein we report the case with a review of the literature.
Arthritis* ; Arthritis, Infectious ; Arthroplasty ; Candida* ; Elbow ; Endocarditis ; Endophthalmitis ; Fungemia ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Peritonitis

The incidence of acute cholecystitis complicating endoscopic retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is rarely reported at 0.2% but is usually associated with a cystic duct obstruction caused by gallstones, gallbladder polyps, or cancer. However, acute cholecystitis with a gallbladder perforation after ERCP without a history of cystic duct obstruction can develop very rarely and has not yet been reported in Korea. We report a case of acute cholecystitis with gallbladder perforation and aggravation of a pancreatic pseudocyst after diagnostic ERCP in a man with a pancreatic cystic lesion. He has been successfully cured using only percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage and antibiotics with no surgery.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Cholecystitis, Acute ; Cystic Duct ; Drainage ; Gallbladder ; Gallstones ; Incidence ; Korea ; Pancreatic Cyst ; Pancreatic Pseudocyst ; Polyps