PURPOSE: This study evaluated the rate of mortality and analyzed the associated risk factors in elderly patients treated with bipolar hemiarthroplaty for the hip fractures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between March 1994 and March 2010, the clinical records of 246 patients(278 cases) older than 75 years of age who underwent bipolar hemiarthroplaty after hip fractures were reviewed. The mean age of the subjects was 83.7 years(75-103 years). The relationship between the postoperative one year mortality and the related factors (age, gender, type of hip fractures, the timing of surgery, the associated medical condition, ASA grade, osteoporosis, walking ability and residence type) were analyzed. The subjects were divided into the dead group and survivor group. RESULTS: The mean postoperative mortality rate within 1 year was 17.2%(48 cases). The highest mortality rate was observed at postoperative 3 months(9.7%, 27 cases), followed in order by between 4 and 6 months(5.4%, 15 cases) and 7 and 12 months(2.1%, 6 cases). The postoperative mortality rate within 1 year was affected by the timing of the operation, ASA grade, patient's walking ability, and residence type, but there were no significant difference of the other factors, such as age, gender, osteoporosis, and type of hip fractures. CONCLUSION: The ASA grade, timing of the operation, walking ability, and residence type are factors associated with the mortality rate in elderly patients with hip fractures.
Aged* ; Hemiarthroplasty* ; Hip Fractures* ; Hip* ; Humans ; Mortality* ; Osteoporosis ; Risk Factors ; Survivors ; Walking

PURPOSE: This study was to examine the pedagogical validity for a the six-years curriculum in pharmacy education in Korea. METHODS: The focus group, composed of 5 specialists, analyzed the pedagogical validity for a six-years curriculum from the perspective of administrative policies of higher education, educational sociology, curriculum composition, and educational economy. In addition, 3 consultants advised on the main issues related to the reformation of the school system in pharmacy education. RESULTS: It is not clear that the reformation of the school system in pharmacy education is aimed at undergraduate or graduate education in view of specialization of a higher education institute. The reformation of the school system is likely to cause educational inequality since a student who lacks financial support and cultural resources might give up entering pharmacy school. It also may ignite a struggle for power between pharmacists and physicians. The six- years curriculum is supposed to offer integrated experiences with a balance of theory and practice, representing characteristics such as consistency, clarity, reliability, and legitimacy. From the educational economy view, the validity of reformation of the school system can only be secured on the premise the expected income exceeds the total costs if the age-earning profile is constant in the current situation. CONCLUSION: Prior to discussions on the reformation of the school system in pharmacy education, the quality of pharmacy education should be improved first through multifarious efforts such as curriculum development, improvement to teaching and learning, introduction to an accreditation system, revision of the license examination, and graduate and continued pharmacy education and so on.
Accreditation ; Consultants ; Curriculum* ; Education ; Education, Graduate ; Education, Pharmacy* ; Financial Support ; Focus Groups ; Humans ; Illegitimacy ; Korea ; Learning ; Licensure ; Pharmacists ; Pharmacy* ; Schools, Pharmacy ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Sociology ; Specialization

PURPOSE: Due to the complex anatomy of clavicles, clavicular plates are not always compatible with clavicular fractures. The purpose of this study was to analyze basic data on the anatomy of the clavicle in order to determine compatibility between clavicles of Korean adults and pre-contoured anatomical plates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed the anatomy of 600 clavicles of 300 patients who underwent three-dimensional (3D) computed tomography of clavicles in the emergency room of Konkuk University Chungju Hospital, between July 2010 and July 2011, using Andermahr's method; in addition, the compatibility between 3D axial images of clavicles and sectional images of pre-contoured anatomical plates was also examined using Adobe Photoshop. RESULTS: The mean length of the clavicle was 146.21+/-4.98 mm, the mean width was 9.63+/-1.67 mm, and the mean thickness was 9.54+/-1.67 mm. The location of the maximum superior bow was 36.17+/-0.60 mm from the lateral end of the clavicle and the mean magnitude was 5.88+/-0.62 mm. The mean depth of medial curvature was 15.89+/-1.33 mm, and the mean depth of the lateral curvature of the clavicle was 11.73+/-1.66 mm. The compatibility between clavicles and plates was 79% as above a fair compatibility in the 50% range of clavicles and 48% as above a fair compatibility in the 60% to 70% range of clavicles. On the contrary, in application of medial and lateral plates in the 60% to 70% range of clavicles, above a fair compatibility had increased to 67%. CONCLUSION: A more adequate pre-contoured anatomical plate is required for satisfactory improvement of the compatibility of clavicles of Korean adults.
Adult* ; Clavicle* ; Emergencies ; Humans ; Korea