We report a case of gastro-colic fistula caused by ectopic gastric mucosa developed at transverse colon. Fistula was detected by colonofiberscopy. And fistulous tract was proved by barium enema. Meckel's diverticulum scan finding was similar to that of GI bleeding; e.g. injected radioactivity was secreted into the lumen and moved along the lumen. There was no bleeding. And there was no diverticulum in the colon. Absence of diverticular pouch may explain this unusuaal GI bleeding-like scan finding rather than focal collection of radioactivity, which is typical of ectopic gastric mucosa found in the Meckel's diverticulum. Ectopic gastric mucosa was confirmed by colonfiberscopic biopsy. We suggest GI bleeding-like pictures should be included differential diagnosis of Tc-99m-O4 (ectopic gastric mucosa or Meckel's diverticulum) scan.
Barium ; Biopsy ; Colon ; Colon, Transverse ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Diverticulum ; Enema ; Fistula* ; Gastric Mucosa* ; Hemorrhage ; Meckel Diverticulum ; Radioactivity ; Radionuclide Imaging ; Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m*

Background: Although the orofacial-function improvement exercise (OFIE; oral exercise) was first introduced in Korea 10 years prior, it is still not covered by medical insurance, and no detailed survey on the dissemination of related programs has been conducted. Therefore, this study investigated the actual status of the education and practice of OFIE among the elderly and at elderly welfare institutions in the Seoul and Gyeonggi Provinces. Methods: Senior citizens aged more than 65 years old, public health centers (total of 69) and elderly welfare institutions (including nursing homes and elderly welfare centers, total of 56) per administrative area in the Seoul and Gyeonggi Provinces were targeted. We analyzed 200 elderly people and 93 institutions who agreed to participate in the survey. For the elderly, general characteristics, experience and route, current practice, and necessity regarding OFIE were investigated. For institutions, the history and plan of education programs on OFIE were investigated. Results: Regardless of the general characteristics, both the rate of experience and practice for OFIE were low overall; moreover, although they felt it was necessary, they had insufficient motivation for its implementation. Moreover, only a few institutions which were operating the education about OFIE regardless of the COVID-19 situation. Conclusion Although OFIE is necessary for the elderly, its distribution remains insufficient. Therefore, further efforts are needed to expand the education and raise the awareness of oral exercise among elderly individuals and senior welfare institutions.

No abstract available.

PURPOSE: This study was purposed to survey pain, efficacy, and comfort during the first stage of labor and to identify correlations among them. METHOD: The subjects were 116 laboring women who were admitted to a baby-friendly hospital recommended by UNICEF for breast feeding. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire composed of labor pain, labor efficacy, and labor comfort with 10 cm visual analog scale respectively. The data were analyzed by frequency, Pearson's correlation, and ANOVA. RESULT: Labor pain, labor efficacy, and labor comfort in latent phase were positive correlation with them in active phase. The more pain, the less labor efficacy and the less comfort in latent phase. and the more pain, the less comfort in active phase. Labor efficacy was positively correlated with labor comfort in both phase. Lastly, women supported by their husbands had significantly higher labor pain than women supported by their mothers. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that nurses develop a labor efficacy program for pregnant women and their mothers or spouses.
Breast Feeding ; Female ; Humans ; Labor Pain ; Mothers ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Spouses ; United Nations ; Visual Analog Scale

Objectives: Excess deaths, an indicator that compares total mortality rates before and during a pandemic, offer a comprehensive view of the pandemic’s impact. However, discrepancies may arise from variations in estimating expected deaths. This study aims to compare excess deaths in Korea during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic using 3 methods and to analyze patterns using the most appropriate method. Methods: Expected deaths from 2020 to 2022 were estimated using mortality data from 2015-2019 as reference years. This estimation employed 3 approaches: (1) simple average, (2) age-adjusted average, and (3) age-adjusted linear regression. Excess deaths by age, gender, and cause of death were also presented. Results: The number of excess deaths varied depending on the estimation method used, reaching its highest point with the simple average and its lowest with the age-adjusted average. Age-adjusted linear regression, which accounts for both the aging population and declining mortality rates, was considered most appropriate. Using this model, excess deaths were estimated at 0.3% for 2020, 4.0% for 2021, and 20.7% for 2022. Excess deaths surged among individuals in their 20s throughout the pandemic, largely attributed to a rise in self-harm and suicide. Additionally, the results indicated sharp increases in deaths associated with “endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases” and “symptoms, signs, and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified.” Conclusions Substantial variations in excess deaths were evident based on estimation method, with a notable increase in 2022. The heightened excess deaths among young adults and specific causes underscore key considerations for future pandemic responses.

Cystic masses of the adrenal gland are unusual in the fetus and most are secondary to hemorrhage. Cysticneuroblastoma is extremely rare, and in contrast to solid neuroblastoma, follows a benign course, is diagnosedearlier, and rarely presents with metastatic lesions(1-4). We report one case of cystic neuroblastoma diagnosedprenatally by ultrasound(US) and magnetic resonance(MR) imaging, and include a review of the literature.
Adrenal Glands ; Fetus ; Hemorrhage ; Neuroblastoma*

BACKGROUND: Bone mineral density (BMD) is influenced by many factors. Despite the reported association between body components and BMD, most of these studies investigated the relationship between absolute muscle mass or fat mass and BMD in postmenopausal women or elderly subjects. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between muscle mass deficits (MMD) estimated from bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and lumbar spinal BMD in Korean adults 20 to 49 years of age. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 1,765 men and women who visited a health promotion center for a routine checkup. The lumbar spinal BMD was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Body composition analysis was performed using BIA. RESULTS: The mean age of the subjects was 40.2±6.3 years. Ten thousand subjects (56.7%) were males and 126 subjects (7.1%) belonged to the low BMD (Z-score ≤-2.0). MMD had the strongest influence on BMD after adjusting for all covariates. The adjusted odds ratio of Group 3 (MDD >2.6 kg) for low BMD was 2.74 (95% CI, 1.46-5.15) after adjusting for age, gender, body mass index, height, and smoking. CONCLUSIONS: MMD estimated by BIA showed a significant association with BMD and could be regarded as an independent risk factor for low BMD in adults 20 to 49 years of age. These findings support that interventions such as physical activity or lifestyle changes may simultaneously modify both muscle and bone health in this age group.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Adult* ; Aged ; Body Composition ; Body Mass Index ; Bone Density* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Electric Impedance* ; Female ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Life Style ; Male ; Motor Activity ; Muscles ; Odds Ratio ; Osteoporosis ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Spine*

BACKGROUND: The effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on cerebral vessels have not been clarified until now. Thus we investigated the efficacy of omega-3 PUFAs supplementation on cerebral blood flow velocity and vascular resistance via transcranial doppler (TCD). METHODS: Consecutive twenty patients (13 male and 7 female) with at least 1 cerebrovascular risk factor or a known cerebrovascular disease were enrolled. Patients were treated with omega-3 PUFAs (1 g, two times per day) for 12 weeks. Cerebral blood flow velocity, resistance index, and pulsatile index were checked before and after 12 weeks of treatment using TCD. RESULTS: The change of resistance index in right MCA (from 0.58 +/- 0.07 to 0.55 +/- 0.07, p = 0.042) and left PCA (from 0.56 +/- 0.07 to 0.53 +/- 0.06, p = 0.037) showed significant improvement after 12 weeks of omega-3 PUFAs treatment. The changes in other vessels, however, failed to show any significant changes compared to the baseline. CONCLUSIONS: Omega-3 PUFAs treatment showed feasible efficacies for cerebral vascular resistances in this open label trial. To confirm these results, larger samples of patients and longer period of follow-up is warranted.
Blood Flow Velocity ; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis ; Risk Factors ; Vascular Resistance*

Background: In modern society, rapid changes in the medical environment have required medical staff to access various information and be competent in active and effective problem-solving through collegial interactions. In line with these changes, universities are aiming to connect education. This study aimed to provide basic data of connected-convergence education by survey the awareness and needs of college students in health-related fields. Methods: This study included 122 college students from the health field. A survey regarding “the awareness and need of connected-convergence education” was conducted and general characteristics of the participants were collected from June to July 2022. Results: The awareness of connected-convergence education was low at 19.7%, but the intention to participate was high at 74.6%. Subject requirements were 18.0% for medical psychology, 13.5% for communication and counseling, 13.5% for medical artificial intelligence technology convergence, and 10.4% for sports health management. In the group showing high satisfaction with the major curriculum, the demand for connected education was also high. For efficient operation, it was investigated that it was necessary to secure specialized training courses, recognition of liberal arts credits, the right to register for courses equal to those of major students, and secure dedicated classrooms. Conclusion Although the awareness and experience of connected-convergence education among the participants were low, the intention to participate was high. As such a plan to revitalize the university curriculum was required. It is timely to discuss the nurturing of convergence-type talents and multidisciplinary thinking skills. It is meaningful to provide basic data necessary for connected-convergence education in health-related fields at university. Universities should strive to enhance job competency in the health field by providing connected-convergence education based on student demands.

The rate of traumatic or nontraumatic optic neuropathy has increased in recent decades. High dose steroid, surgery and combined treatment are used for management of optic neuropathy. Surgical intervention using an endoscopic intranasal approach is expected to provide a safe and effective method for optic nerve decompression. We present outcomes of three patients with neuropathy who underwent endoscopic optic nerve decompression. Of the three patients, two showed improvement: from hand motion to 0.8 and 0.63, respectively. However, one patient who was not able to perceive light did not improve vision after surgery. The difference between the recovered patients and the patient who did not show improvement may be a result of initial visual acuity. Early diagnosis and prompt surgical management could increase the likelihood of improved visual performance; however, this may be limited to patients whose initial visual acuity is better than light perception.