INTRODUCTION: Although it is well known that medical students are not getting an adequate amount of sleep, there have been only few studies on the sleep patterns of medical students in Korea. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the life style and sleep patterns of Korean medical students and the impact they have on the students' academic performance. METHODS: A questionnaire package was administered to the 3rd year medical students at the Seoul National University to examine their sleep patterns on weekdays and weekends. It consisted of questions asking about their lifestyles as well as Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) and GPA (Grade Point Average) that are considered relevant to their sleep patterns. A total of 110 students (85 males and 25 females, mean age 24.4+/-20.6) responded to the survey and the result was analyzed using the independent t-test, the chi-square test, the paired t-test, Pearson's rank correlation and ANOVA. P-values of less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant in all analyses. RESULTS: The weekend bedtime was significantly delayed (01:24 on weekday; 03:12 on weekend; t=-5.23, p<0.01), the weekend rise time was delayed (07:36 on weekday; 10:30 on weekend; t=-24.48, p<0.01) and the total sleep time was increased on weekends (5:57 on weekday; 8:17 on weekend; t=15.94, p<0.01). They wished to sleep for 7 hours 6 minutes which was different from their actual weekday total sleep time (t=-11.41, p<0.01). The poor sleeper group had lower GPAs than the good sleeper group (t=2.05, p<0.05). The GPA of medical students were negatively correlated with age (r=-0.23, p<0.05), daily amount of smoking (r=-0.78, p<0.01), total amount of smoking (r=-0.75, p<0.01), weekday sleep latency (r=-0.23, p<0.05), weekend sleep latency (r=-0.23, p<0.05) and PSQI score (r=-0.30, p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Medical students were experiencing a lack of sleep during weekdays as they have a later bedtime and earlier rise time, and consequently had more hours of sleep on weekends. Overall, the responded students were experiencing poor sleep quality, and the GPAs of the poor sleeper group were lower than those of the good sleeper group.
Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Life Style ; Male ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Students, Medical

No abstract available.
DNA* ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction*

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to develop feasible and detailed infection control guidelines (ICG) and audit protocols for health care workers and auditors in postpartum care centers (PCC). METHODS: PCC ICG and audit protocols were developed in several steps: 1) review of previous ICG for PCCs; 2) establishment of frameworks for updating guidelines and audit protocols; 3) review of new ICG, regulations, etc.; 4) drafting of PCC ICG and audit protocols and revision based on feedback from the research committee; 5) Delphi survey to solicit opinions from infection control, infant care, and maternal care professionals as well as PCC health care workers; 6) re-revision after discussion with the research committee; and 7) finalization of PCC ICG and audit protocols. RESULTS: We developed ICG with 4 categories and 26 sub-categories, and internal and external audit protocols with 163 and 85 items, respectively. CONCLUSION: The ICG and audit protocols are valid and feasible; we recommend their utilization as auditing tools, baseline data for the development of national infection control policies, and as educational materials for PCC healthcare workers.
Checklist ; Delivery of Health Care ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant Care ; Infection Control* ; Postnatal Care* ; Postpartum Period* ; Social Control, Formal

No abstract available.
Foreign Bodies* ; Granuloma, Foreign-Body* ; Lipectomy*

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the relation of onset-age and plasma level of beta-endorphin, Ethanol, beta-endorphin, cortisol and blood glucose were compared in 48 male alcoholics and 29 normal controls. METHODS: Alcoholics are divided into two groups by onset-age of alcoholism. Blood samples were obtained before and after 0.75gm/kg of ethanol consumption at the 7th admission day. RESULTS: 1) The ratio of onset-age before 25 years to after 25 years of the patients group was 2 to 3. 2) There was no significant difference in age at admission between two patient groups. 3) There was no significant difference in change of plasma ethanol levels among three groups. 4) There was no significant difference in change of plasma beta-endorphin levels among three groups. 5) There was no significant difference in change of plasma cortisol levels among three groups. 6) There was no significant difference in change of fasting blood sugar levels among two patient groups.
Alcoholics ; Alcoholism* ; beta-Endorphin* ; Blood Glucose ; Ethanol ; Fasting ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Male ; Plasma

PURPOSE: To reassess the diagnostic value of plain radiographs, compared with computed tomography, in thediagnosis of acute traumatic spinal fracture. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-six patients (total 64 cases) withacute traumatic spinal fracture were studied using plain radiographs and computed tomography. Fracture site andtype (according to the three-column theory), classification as major or minor injury, stability of fracture, andthe presence of associated soft tissue change were evaluated on plain radiographs and CT. The results of the twoimaging techniques were compared. RESULTS: Excluding eight cases of C1 and C2 fractures, 41 cases involvedfractures of the vertebral body, and 15 involved only the posterior column. Plain radiographs and CT showed,respectively, 27 and 25 cases of simple compression fracture, 13 and 16 of bursting fracture. One case ofcompression fracture was not detected on plain radiographs. The results of classification as major (43/56) orminor (13/56) injury were equivalent on plain and CT films. For the evalvation of unstable fracture, plainradiographs were superior to CT(stable fracture, 46/64; unstable fracture, 18/64), while for the evaluation ofsoft tissue change, CT was better than plain radiographs. CONCLUSION: If correct procedures are meticulouslyadhered to, plain radiographs of acute traumatic spinal injury provide good information for the diagnosis oftraumatic fracture.
Classification ; Diagnosis ; Fractures, Compression ; Humans ; Spinal Fractures* ; Spinal Injuries

Coronary spasm may be induced by a variety of physiologic and pharmacologic stimuli but specific receptor blockade has not been consistently shown to prevent the attacks. Most patients with variant angina respond well to treatment with calcium antagonists and nitrates. A small proportion of patients are refractory to this therapy. We report a case of the patient with a 9-year-history of variant angina who has been refractory to high doses of calcium antagonists and nitrates. The repeated addition of clonidine was consistently effective in abolishing both symptoms and objective evidence of myocardial ischemia in this particular patient.
Calcium ; Clonidine* ; Humans ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Nitrates ; Spasm

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND: Norwegian scabies is a highly infectious disease characterized by crust formation, different from ordinary scabies, and is caused by Sarcoptes scabiei. After the patient in our case was diagnosed with Norwegian scabies, active measures were taken to prevent its transmission within the hospital. Methods: A 66-year-old female patient was admitted to the general ward of a university hospital on January 23rd, 2008 and 6 days later, she was found to have been infected with Norwegian scabies all over the body. For epidemiological investigation, those who had been in contact with the patient were identified and interviewed. The patient was advised to follow the contact precaution, and linen the patient used was cleaned thoroughly. The surrounding environment was decontaminated by applying surface disinfectant. Preventive cream against the Norwegian scabies was distributed to staff members and patients who had been exposed to the patient, and appointed a dermatologist to educate them on how to use of medicine, what the mechanism of the disease is, what cautions must be taken, and how to write an ex post facto report. RESULTS: After the confirmation of the 1st case, no additional cases have been reported in the hospital during the ensuing 2 months. Therefore, prompt prevention and infection control activities against Norwegian scabies can be thought to have been successful. CONCLUSION: Whena patient with an uncertain skin disease is admitted, pertinent measures must be taken from the moment the patient is admitted and contact precaution should be applied both to the patients and the staff members. When a scabies patient is detected in an institution, the medical staff must enforce as much active preventive measures as possible, and by doing so, there will be a better chance to prevent the outbreak of scabies in the hospital.
Aged ; Bedding and Linens ; Communicable Diseases ; Cross Infection ; Female ; Humans ; Infection Control ; Medical Staff ; Patients' Rooms ; Sarcoptes scabiei ; Scabies ; Skin Diseases

Severe neurologic complication after epidural anesthesia is very rare. We experinced a case of cauda equina syndrome following epidural anesthesia with 2% lidocaine 20 ml, alkalinized with sodium bicarbonate and 1: 200,000 epinephrine added in female patient underwent abdominal hysterectomy. She complained hypoesthesia of buttock, perineum, left leg and weakness of left leg. She also suffered from urinary retension and defecation difficulty and abdominal discomfort 2 days after epidural block. In MRI taken 4 days after block, spinal stenosis (L4-5) and mild disc bulging (L3-4) were noted. She was treated with medication, bladder training and physical therapy and recovered slowly but gradually, finally discharged 2 months after block with mild weakeness of left leg. We suggest the causative factors are the temporary neural compression due to spinal stenosis and the spinal cord ischemia due to vascular spasm because of added epinephrine.
Anesthesia, Epidural* ; Buttocks ; Cauda Equina* ; Defecation ; Epinephrine ; Female ; Humans ; Hypesthesia ; Hysterectomy ; Leg ; Lidocaine ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Perineum ; Polyradiculopathy* ; Sodium Bicarbonate ; Spasm ; Spinal Cord Ischemia ; Spinal Stenosis ; Urinary Bladder