Medicolegal autopsy is a vital tool for obtaining reliable injury mortality data. This study statistically analyzed data obtained from medicolegal autopsies performed in Korea in 2013. The aim of this study was to analyze various aspects of the 4,861 deaths that were categorized as unusual in Korea in 2013. A total of 4,861 deaths were analyzed by gender, age, manner of death, and cause of death. Of the 4,861 deaths, 3,542 (73.3%) were of men and 1,302 (26.7%) were of women. With respect to the manner of death, 54.4% were recorded as unnatural deaths, 38.8% were natural deaths, and 6.9% had unknown causes. Of the 2,642 unnatural deaths, 45.0% were determined to be accidental deaths, 26.3% suicidal, 16.9% homicidal, and 11.8% undetermined. Of the total number of unnatural deaths, 42.1% were trauma-related deaths, for which falling down accounted for 33.8%. Asphyxiation accounted for 16.0% of unnatural deaths, and of these, the predominant cause was hanging (58.8%). In addition, 14.4% of deaths were due to drowning, 12.9% poisoning, 11.0% thermal injuries, 1.8% complications arising from medical procedures, and 0.8% electrocution, starvation, or neglect. Among the 1,886 natural deaths, heart diseases accounted for 52.0% and vascular diseases accounted for 16.9%. Of the 196 deaths among children under the age of 10 years, 41.8% were recorded as unnatural deaths, 45.1% were natural deaths, and 1.5% had unknown causes.
Autopsy* ; Cause of Death ; Child ; Data Interpretation, Statistical ; Drowning ; Female ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Mortality ; Poisoning ; Starvation ; Vascular Diseases

Congenital lobar emphysema has the clinical features of an air block' syndrome with- out the evidence of pulmonary infection or intrabronchial foreign body. The hyperinflated lung causes a compression of uninvolved lobes creating respiratory distress, cyanosis within the first weeks of life. We experienced a case of congenital lobar emphysema diagnosed incidentally by chest reontgenogram in an infant with frequent upper respiratory infection within a few weeks of life. Chest X-ray revealed extensive emphysematous changes in the left upper lobe, shifting of heart and medistinum to the right and compression of the right lung. Respiratory distress, cyanosis and chest wall retraction ensued and left upper lobe Lobectomy was performed successfully.
Cyanosis ; Emphysema* ; Foreign Bodies ; Heart ; Humans ; Infant ; Lung ; Thoracic Wall ; Thorax

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of the 3-item version of the Work Engagement Scale (WES-3), which is based on the Job DemandsResources (JD-R) model and was used in the 5 th Korean Working Conditions Survey (KWCS). Methods: This study used data from the 5th KWCS (n = 50,205), which was conducted in 2017 with a sample of the Korean working population. The survey gathered comprehensive information on working conditions to define workforce changes and the quality of work and life. The reliability and internal consistency of the WES-3 were assessed using the corrected item-total correlation and Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test the construct validity of work engagement. The convergent validity was assessed using the correlation with the WHO-5 well-being index. Correlations between work engagement and JD-R factors were also calculated. Results: The Cronbach's alpha for work engagement was 0.776, indicating acceptable internal consistency. The model comprising 3 work engagement and 2 burnout items showed an excellent fit (χ2 : 382.05, Tucker-Lewis index: 0.984, comparative fit index: 0.994, root mean square error of approximation: 0.043). The convergent validity was significant (correlation coefficient: 0.42). Correlations with burnout and job demands were negligible, whereas correlations with job resources and job satisfaction were weakly positive. Conclusions The results of our study confirm that the WES-3 has acceptable reliability and validity.

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of the 3-item version of the Work Engagement Scale (WES-3), which is based on the Job DemandsResources (JD-R) model and was used in the 5 th Korean Working Conditions Survey (KWCS). Methods: This study used data from the 5th KWCS (n = 50,205), which was conducted in 2017 with a sample of the Korean working population. The survey gathered comprehensive information on working conditions to define workforce changes and the quality of work and life. The reliability and internal consistency of the WES-3 were assessed using the corrected item-total correlation and Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test the construct validity of work engagement. The convergent validity was assessed using the correlation with the WHO-5 well-being index. Correlations between work engagement and JD-R factors were also calculated. Results: The Cronbach's alpha for work engagement was 0.776, indicating acceptable internal consistency. The model comprising 3 work engagement and 2 burnout items showed an excellent fit (χ2 : 382.05, Tucker-Lewis index: 0.984, comparative fit index: 0.994, root mean square error of approximation: 0.043). The convergent validity was significant (correlation coefficient: 0.42). Correlations with burnout and job demands were negligible, whereas correlations with job resources and job satisfaction were weakly positive. Conclusions The results of our study confirm that the WES-3 has acceptable reliability and validity.

A 55 yr -old female patient visited to the OPD of OS department complaining of the lumbago, the radiating pain to right thigh and the swelling of right knee and calf regions. On routine chest and abdominal X -ray and ECG, the dextrocardia was revealed. For further detail examination, Doppler US, lung perfusion scan, MRI images were obtained. As a result, the situs inversus with dextrocardia was confirmed. Other congenital anomalies or diseases were not combined. The patient was cared with conservative treatment of lowback pain via OPD. And she was recovered successfully.
Dextrocardia ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Humans ; Knee ; Low Back Pain ; Lung ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Perfusion ; Situs Inversus* ; Thigh ; Thorax

PURPOSE: An overactive bladder (OAB) may be defined as urgency that is a sudden, compelling, difficult to defer desire to pass urine that is usually accompanied by frequency and nocturia and possibly by incontinence. Obesity and old age are two factors in various causes of OAB. Several epidemiologic studies have identified positive associations among obesity, old age, urinary incontinence, and OAB. However, although exercise has been known to improve obesity and reduce incontinent urine loss, little research has been done in elderly women. Therefore, we investigated the effects of exercise on obesity-related metabolic factors, blood lipid factors, and OAB symptoms in elderly Korean women. METHODS: Twenty-one women aged between 69 and 72 years were recruited from the Seoul senior towers in Korea. All subjects worked out on a motorized treadmill and stationary cycle for 40 minutes, respectively, and performed resistance exercise for 30 minutes once a day for 52 weeks. Body composition, blood pressure, blood lipids, OAB symptom score, and King's health questionnaire were investigated and analyzed. RESULTS: Before performing physical exercise, all subjects showed increased OAB symptoms in association with enhanced body mass index (BMI), percentage fat, and blood lipid profiles. However, physical exercise for 52 weeks suppressed BMI, percentage fat, and blood lipid profiles and thus improved OAB symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that long-term physical exercise can be a valuable tool for remarkable improvement of OAB.
Aged ; Blood Pressure ; Body Composition ; Body Mass Index ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Exercise ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Nocturia ; Obesity ; Urinary Bladder, Overactive ; Urinary Incontinence

Tali are one of the essential components for weight bearing and play an important role in the foot action. The three calcaneal articular facets of the talus are believed to have diverse morphological variations. However, so far, analysis of the articular facets has not been performed in Korean. In the present study, we classified calcaneal articular facets of the talus and measured several parameters of this bone in Korean adults. Seventy six dry tali (male, 47; female, 29; right, 38; left 38) obtained from forty six (male, 28; female, 18) Korean adult cadavers were used for the investigation. The average age of the cadavers was 64-year-old. Types of calcaneal articular facets of the talus were classified as follows: Type A, a type with three separated facets; Type B, types in which anterior and middle facets are connected, but distinguished by a ridge. Type B was subdivided into B1 (having a notch that separates the two facets partially) and B2 (without a definite notch, thus the two facets appear to be continuous smoothly); Type C, a type with combined anterior and middle facets. Type B was found to be the most common type (60.5%), and the incidence of its subtype B1 (28.9%) and B2 (31.6%) was similar to each other. Type C was noted in 30.3% of the cases, and type A was ranked the lowest (9.3%). Compared to the opposite gender, type C occurred more frequently in males, while type B1 was more prevalent in females. The length of the talus was somewhat longer in males (55.9 mm) than in females (52.8 mm). However, there was no difference between the two sexes in the width of the talus. We could confirm that morphology of calcaneal articular facets of the talus is different between males and females. Also, our results indicate that characteristics of the facets of Korean differ from those of other races. The characteristics of calcaneal articular facets of the talus disclosed by the present study may provide valuable information for the understanding of motor mechanics of the foot in Korean.
Adult ; Cadaver ; Continental Population Groups ; Female ; Foot ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Mechanics ; Subtalar Joint ; Talus ; Weight-Bearing

Authors found a case of anti-Wr(a) with anti-E antibody in 67 years old female patient. Anti-Wr(a) in Korea was reported for the first time in 2005. Anti-Wr(a) has been associated with hemolytic transfusion reaction (HTR) and hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN). It is necessary to study the incidence of Wr(a) antigen and anti-Wr(a) in Korea.
Aged ; Blood Group Incompatibility ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn ; Korea

OBJECTIVE: It has been suggested that elevated cardiac troponin T (cTnT) level is a marker of increased risk of mortality in acute ischemic stroke and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). However, the association of serum cTnT level and prognosis of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) has been sparsely investigated. The aim of this study was to identify the relationship between cTnT level and the outcome in patients with spontaneous ICH. METHODS: We retrospectively investigated 253 patients identified by a database search from records of patients admitted in our department for ICH between January 1, 2003 and December 31, 2007. The patients were divided into 2 groups; the patients in group 1 (n=225) with serum cTnT values of 0.01 ng/mL or less, and those in group 2 (n=28) with serum cTnT values greater than 0.01 ng/mL. RESULTS: The serum cTnT level was elevated in 28 patients. There were significant differences in sex, hypertension, creatine kinase-myocardial band, midline shift, side of hematoma, and presence of intraventricular hemorrhage between the 2 groups. Logistic regression analysis identified the level of consciousness on admission, cTnT and midline shift as independent predictors of hospital mortality. CONCLUSION: Theses results suggest that increased serum cTnT level at admission is associated with in-hospital mortality and the addition of a serum cTnT assay to routine admission testing should be considered in patients with ICH.
Cerebral Hemorrhage ; Consciousness ; Creatine ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; Hematoma ; Hemorrhage ; Hospital Mortality ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Logistic Models ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Stroke ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ; Troponin ; Troponin T

PURPOSE: To report a case of Chrysosporium parvum endophthalmitis after trauma. METHODS: A 42-year-old healthy woman visited our hospital complaining of ocular pain after trauma sustained with a wire used to tie grapes. She showed corneal laceration and iris prolapse of the right eye on slit lamp examination. She underwent primary suture of the corneal laceration. Two days later, she presented with hypopyon of the anterior chamber. She was treated with topical antibiotics and a topical steroid. On follow-up examination, she again presented with hypopyon of the anterior chamber. She was admitted for microbiologic examination and was again treated with topical antibiotics and a topical steroid. Unfortunately, no organisms were identified by culture. Later, she reported a recurrent history of the inflammation. After 9 months, she presented with increased hypopyon of the anterior chamber and was treated with anterior chamber irrigation and intracameral antibiotics injection on two different occasions. But, still no organisams were identified. After one year, the patient visited our clinic with ocular pain and decreased visual acuity. Her intraocular pressure was 72 mmHg and there was whitish infiltration and hypopyon around 360 degrees of the anterior chamber and angle. At the same time, the intraocular pressure and inflammation were uncontrolled. Ultimately, microscopic examination of specimens obtained directly from tissue after enucleation identified the organism as Chrysosporium parvum. CONCLUSIONS: We experienced a case of Chrysosporium parvum endophthalmitis after trauma. To our knowledge, this was the first report of a case of Chrysosporium parvum endophthalmitis in the world.
Adult ; Anterior Chamber ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Chrysosporium* ; Endophthalmitis* ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Intraocular Pressure ; Iris ; Lacerations ; Prolapse ; Sutures ; Visual Acuity ; Vitis