OBJECTIVES: In our studies, we have made efforts to compare illness representation among the pathological gamblers, social gamblers, the family members of gambler, the gambling industry employees, and general adults and to investigate what kinds of illness representation make an estimate of therapy intention. METHODS: 222 gambling users, 125 family members of gambler, 95 employees in gambling industry, and 1383 general adults were included in this study. Symptom representation, negative characteristic representation, negative consequence representation, internal and external attribution representation, spontaneous recovery representation, recovery representation through therapeutic help of speciality, time lapse representation were constructed and included for illness representation of pathological gambling. RESULTS: 1) Pathological gamblers had lower symptoms, negative characteristics, negative consequences and therapeutic help seeking representation than other groups, on the other hand higher external attribution representation and spontaneous recovery representation. 2) Families of problem gambler have inconsistent characteristics higher external attribution and negative consequences and lower therapeutic help seeking representation. 3) It was founded that negative consequences representation and external representation were low in gambling industry employees. 4) The more symptom representation increased and external attribution decreased, the more therapeutic intention increased in case of problem gamblers and their families. CONCLUSION: Pathological gamblers have the lowest awareness and acceptance on mental problem caused by excessive gambling. However, suggested that family members of gambler and gambling industry employees also have partially self defensive and contradicted representations. It was suggested that awareness on severity of symptom and internal attribution representation needs to be increased in order to participate therapeutic place.
Adult ; Gambling* ; Hand ; Humans ; Intention

Primary pericardial sarcomas are extremely rare. The authors report a case of a 46-yr-old woman in whom a large mediastinal mass was discovered. The patient presented with cough, dyspnea, and orthopnea. Diagnostic investigations, such as echocardiography, computed tomography, and exploratory thoracotomy provided the evidence of a large mass in the mediastinum, attached by a broad base to the superior portion of the pericardium. A excisional biopsy was performed, and histologic examination of a biopsy specimen showed undifferentiated sarcoma. However, the complete removal of the mass was impossible due to adhesion to the adjacent great vessels. After the completion of the chemotherapy the patient was completely asymptomatic. However, follow-up transesophageal echocardiography showed a residual 3x4 cm-sized mass. The patient received the radiotherapy with a total dose of 55 Gy over 6 weeks. At present, there is no evidence of disease progression.
Biopsy ; Cough ; Disease Progression ; Dyspnea ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Human ; Mediastinal Neoplasms/*diagnosis/radiography ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Sarcoma/*diagnosis/radiography ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

No abstract available.
Carcinosarcoma* ; Lung*

BACKGROUND: Although cardiopulmonary resuscitation(CPR) is a very effective therapy in cardiac arrest, it is hard to prove the true effectiveness of CPR. Several studies about out-of-hospital and emergency department CPR exist, but only a few reports about in-hospital CPR are available. This study was designed to investigate in-hospital cardiac arrest, to analyze the result of CPR, and to evaluate the problems associated with in-hospital CPR. METHODS: A clinical analysis of 71 cases of in-hospital CPR announcement from January 2000 to August 2000 was performed. The initial rhythm on cardiac arrest, return of spontaneous circulation(ROSC), and the survivals were analyzed in the case of the 46 true cardiac arrest patients. RESULTS: During 8 months, there were 71 cases of in-hospital CPR announcement. Among them, there were 46 cases of true cardiac arrest and 25 cases of non-cardiac arrest. Of the 46 true cardiac-arrest cases, 27(58.7%) experienced ROSC, 15(32.6) survived for over 24 hours, and 7(15.2%) survived to be discharged. The initial rhythms on cardiac arrest were 30 cases(65.2%) of asystole, 14(30.4%) of PEA(pulseless electrical activity), and 2(4.3%) of ventricular fibrillation, with ROSC being 17 cases(56.7%), 9(64.3%) and 1(50.0%) cases and discharged survivors being 4 cases(13.3%), 3(21.4%) and 0(0.0%) cases, respectively. CONCLUSION: Extraordinarily high proportions of asystole and PEA were seen in the initial rhythm of cardiac arrest, and those were associated with high survival rates. Although further study is needed to evaluate the course leading to this high proportion of asystole and PEA, this result suggests that if the EMS system in the hospital is activated promptly and systematically, a better outcome will be achieved in case of cardiac arrest with asystole and PEA.
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation* ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Heart Arrest ; Humans ; Peas ; Survival Rate ; Survivors ; Tertiary Care Centers* ; Ventricular Fibrillation

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The present study evaluated the results of skin prick test using 55 allergens at 20 centers in the Republic of Korea in 2006, 2010, and 2014–2015. The aim was to assess changes in the positive rate of allergens according to temporal, regional, and environmental factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In total, 20 hospitals were selected based on the population distribution in the Republic of Korea. A skin prick test panel comprising 55 aeroallergens was distributed to 18 hospitals for this prospective study. The 2006 and 2010 skin prick test results were collected and analyzed retrospectively from 20 hospitals, while the 2014/2015 skin prick test results (from June 2014 to May 2015) were collected prospectively from 18 hospitals. RESULTS: A total of 14,897 SPT test results were analyzed: 4,319 in 2006, 7,431 in 2010, and 1,852 in 2014/2015. The overall rate of skin prick test positivity to more than two allergens was significantly higher in males than females. The positive rates of alder pollens and birch, oak and ragweed pollen positivity were increased in older patients. Several positive rates were increased according to the temperature in spring. The positive rates for beech pollen, birch pollen, hazel pollen, oak pollen, Tyrophagus putrescentiae, mugwort, cat, Acarus siro, Lepidoglyphus destructor and Tyrophagus putrescentiae were significantly increased, while those of Cult rye pollen and dandelion were significantly decreased over the three test periods. The overall positive rate for allergens in Jeju province varied significantly from Seoul and other cities. CONCLUSION: Change in the positive rate of multiple aeroallergens was evaluated in the Republic of Korea over time. Our findings can be used to recommend aeroallergens suitable for inclusion in skin prick test panels in the Republic of Korea and will facilitate further investigation of changes in the patterns of allergic diseases.
Allergens* ; Alnus ; Ambrosia ; Animals ; Artemisia ; Betula ; Cats ; Demography ; Fagus ; Female ; Humans ; Korea* ; Male ; Mites ; Pollen ; Prospective Studies ; Republic of Korea ; Retrospective Studies ; Secale ; Seoul ; Skin* ; Taraxacum

Background/Aims: Besifovir dipivoxil maleate (BSV), an acyclic nucleotide phosphonate, shows potent antiviral activity against hepatitis B virus. Our previous 48-week trial revealed that BSV has comparable antiviral efficacy to tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) and better safety profiles in terms of improved renal and bone safety. This extension study evaluated the prolonged efficacy and safety of BSV in treatment-naive chronic hepatitis B patients. Methods: Patients continued to participate in an open-label BSV study after an initial 48-week double-blind comparison of BSV and TDF treatment. The antiviral efficacy and drug safety was evaluated up to 192 weeks in two groups: patients continuing BSV treatment (BSV-BSV) and patients switching from TDF to BSV after 48 weeks (TDF-BSV). Results: Among 197 patients receiving randomized treatments, 170 (86%) entered the open-label phase and 152 (77%) entered the 192-week extension study. Virological response rates over 192 weeks were 92.50% and 93.06% in the BSV-BSV and TDF-BSV groups, respectively (P=0.90). Hepatitis B envelop antigen seroconversion and alanine aminotransferase normalization rates were similar between the groups (P=0.75 and P=0.36, respectively). There were no drug-resistant mutations to BSV. Bone mineral density and renal function were well preserved in the BSV-BSV group, whereas these initially worsened then recovered after switching therapy in the TDF-BSV group. Conclusions BSV maintained potent antiviral efficacy after 192 weeks and showed no evidence of drug resistance. BSV was safe, well tolerated, and effective in patients who switched from TDF to BSV. Trial Registration Number: NCT01937806 (date: 10 Sep 2013).

Background/Aims: Besifovir dipivoxil maleate (BSV), an acyclic nucleotide phosphonate, shows potent antiviral activity against hepatitis B virus. Our previous 48-week trial revealed that BSV has comparable antiviral efficacy to tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) and better safety profiles in terms of improved renal and bone safety. This extension study evaluated the prolonged efficacy and safety of BSV in treatment-naive chronic hepatitis B patients. Methods: Patients continued to participate in an open-label BSV study after an initial 48-week double-blind comparison of BSV and TDF treatment. The antiviral efficacy and drug safety was evaluated up to 192 weeks in two groups: patients continuing BSV treatment (BSV-BSV) and patients switching from TDF to BSV after 48 weeks (TDF-BSV). Results: Among 197 patients receiving randomized treatments, 170 (86%) entered the open-label phase and 152 (77%) entered the 192-week extension study. Virological response rates over 192 weeks were 92.50% and 93.06% in the BSV-BSV and TDF-BSV groups, respectively (P=0.90). Hepatitis B envelop antigen seroconversion and alanine aminotransferase normalization rates were similar between the groups (P=0.75 and P=0.36, respectively). There were no drug-resistant mutations to BSV. Bone mineral density and renal function were well preserved in the BSV-BSV group, whereas these initially worsened then recovered after switching therapy in the TDF-BSV group. Conclusions BSV maintained potent antiviral efficacy after 192 weeks and showed no evidence of drug resistance. BSV was safe, well tolerated, and effective in patients who switched from TDF to BSV. Trial Registration Number: NCT01937806 (date: 10 Sep 2013).