The purpose of this study is to examine the possibility of medical humanities from the perspective of death literature and to explore educational possibilities. In this study, the possibility of medical humanities from the perspective of death literature was considered by dividing it into the effect of death education in poetry, the effect of death education in novels, and the effect of death education in essays. As a result, the possibility of death education using poetry seems to be key to triggering the imagination related to the experiences of students through the medium of death poetry implied in symbolic language. The possibility of death education using novels seems to be meaningful in indirectly experiencing life and death by using the characteristics of transitional experience of novels and having them worry about the true meaning and value of life. The possibility of death education using essays is that they can utilize the characteristics of empathic experiences of essays. Essays contain actual events rather than fiction and are expected to be effective in education on death because they present the author's direct experience and accompanying emotions. In conclusion, this study is meaningful in suggesting the application of medical humanities education that integrates and improves the direction of death education as human-centered medicine based on clinical and medical science as a humanistic understanding of death.

Objective: The 2019 Korean Emergency Medicine Residents Survey (KEMRS) is the first survey by the Korean Society of Emergency Medicine (KSEM) on the comprehensive satisfaction of their residents. Satisfaction is important not only for the personal well-being of the residents but also for patient safety. Methods: A total of 622 emergency medicine residents were surveyed, using both a paper and email questionnaire from May to August of 2019. Factors related to satisfaction were analyzed. Results: Of the responders, 66% said they would reapply for the emergency specialty and 51% said that they would reselect the same training hospital. The group of residents who said they would choose emergency medicine again felt that their expectations had been met and that they were comfortable with the choice of the specialty. They felt that the factors of satisfaction with their shift schedule and personal health played a more important role in their reselection of the training hospital than the workload. Conclusion The satisfaction levels of the Korean emergency residents were low. Thus, training hospitals should provide a reasonable working environment to increase their satisfaction. Also, it is important to create an environment where residents can feel rewarded and proud of the work they do.

Objective: The 2019 Korean Emergency Medicine Residents Survey (KEMRS) is the first survey by the Korean Society of Emergency Medicine (KSEM) on the comprehensive satisfaction of their residents. Satisfaction is important not only for the personal well-being of the residents but also for patient safety. Methods: A total of 622 emergency medicine residents were surveyed, using both a paper and email questionnaire from May to August of 2019. Factors related to satisfaction were analyzed. Results: Of the responders, 66% said they would reapply for the emergency specialty and 51% said that they would reselect the same training hospital. The group of residents who said they would choose emergency medicine again felt that their expectations had been met and that they were comfortable with the choice of the specialty. They felt that the factors of satisfaction with their shift schedule and personal health played a more important role in their reselection of the training hospital than the workload. Conclusion The satisfaction levels of the Korean emergency residents were low. Thus, training hospitals should provide a reasonable working environment to increase their satisfaction. Also, it is important to create an environment where residents can feel rewarded and proud of the work they do.

Purpose: The effects of dexmedetomidine on locomotor function and thermal hyperalgesia in sciatic nerve crush injury (SNCI) were investigated using rats. Methods: After exposing the right sciatic nerve, the sciatic nerve was crushed for 1 minute by a surgical clip. One day after nerve injury, dexmedetomidine (5, 25, and 50 µg/kg) was directly applied to the injured sciatic nerve once a day for 14 days. Walking track analysis was used to assess locomotor function and plantar test was conducted to assess thermal pain sensitivity. Immunohistochemistry was performed to determine the expression of c-Fos in the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG) and paraventricular nucleus (PVN). Western blot was used to evaluate the expression level of nerve growth factor (NGF) and myelin basic protein (MBP) in the sciatic nerve. Results: SNCI resulted in deterioration of locomotor function and increased thermal pain sensitivity. The level of c-Fos expression in the PVN and vlPAG was increased and the level of NGF and MBP expression in the sciatic nerve was enhanced by SNCI. Dexmedetomidine treatment improved locomotor function and upregulated expression of NGF and MBP in the sciatic nerve of SNCI. Dexmedetomidine treatment alleviated thermal hyperalgesia and downregulated expression of c-Fos in the vlPAG and PVN after SNCI. Conclusions Dexmedetomidine may be used as a potential new treatment drug for recovery of locomotion and control of pain in peripheral nerve injury.

PURPOSE: Sleep deprivation induces depressive symptoms. Dexmedetomidine is a α2-adrenoreceptor agonist and this drug possesses sedative, anxiolytic, analgesic, and anesthetic-sparing effect. In this study, the action of dexmedetomidine on sleep deprivation-induced depressive behaviors was investigated using mice. METHODS: For the inducing of sleep deprivation, the mice were placed inside a water cage containing 15 platforms and filled with water up to 1 cm below the platform surface for 7 days. One day after sleep deprivation, dexmedetomidine at the respective dosage (0.5, 1, and 2 μg/kg) was intraperitoneally treated into the mice, one time per a day during 6 days. Then, forced swimming test and tail suspension test were conducted. Immunohistochemistry for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT; serotonin), tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) and western blot for D1 dopamine receptor were also performed. RESULTS: Sleep deprivation increased the immobility latency in the forced swimming test and tail suspension test. The expressions of TPH, 5-HT, and D1 dopamine receptor were decreased, whereas, TH expression was increased by sleep deprivation. Dexmedetomidine decreased the immobility latency and increased the expressions of TPH, 5-HT, and D1 dopamine receptor, whereas, HT expression was decreased by dexmedetomidine treatment. CONCLUSIONS: In our results, dexmedetomidine alleviated sleep deprivation-induced depressive behaviors by increasing 5-HT synthesis and by decreasing dopamine production with up-regulation of D1 dopamine receptor.
Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Depression ; Dexmedetomidine* ; Dopamine ; Hindlimb Suspension ; Immunohistochemistry ; Mice* ; Physical Exertion ; Receptors, Dopamine ; Serotonin ; Sleep Deprivation ; Tryptophan Hydroxylase ; Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase ; Up-Regulation ; Water

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the sonographic features of invasive apocrine carcinoma (IAC) of the breast. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included five pathologically proven cases of IAC, and their sonographic features were retrospectively analyzed according to the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) lexicon. RESULTS: All five lesions involved the left breast and were seen as irregularly shaped masses. All lesions, except one, had a parallel orientation to the chest wall. All five lesions showed noncircumscribed margins and heterogeneous echotexture; however, they showed various posterior features. One lesion had edema as an associated feature. Sonographic assessments were classified as BI-RADS category 4 in all five cases. CONCLUSION: Invasive apocrine carcinoma sonographic findings are difficult to differentiate from those of invasive ductal carcinoma of no special type.
Aged ; Apocrine Glands/pathology/ultrasonography ; Breast Neoplasms/*diagnosis/pathology/ultrasonography ; Carcinoma/*diagnosis/pathology/ultrasonography ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Receptor, ErbB-2/metabolism ; Receptors, Estrogen/metabolism ; Receptors, Progesterone/metabolism ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/metabolism

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare the film thicknesses of several resin cements as a function of time after mixing and to examine the effect of working time on the film thicknesses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The film thickness (microm) of 4 resin cements (n=10), 1 composite resin (Panavia F 2.0), 3 self-adhesive resin (Clearfil SA luting, Zirconite, RelyX U200) cements was measured at 20-second intervals after mixing of the cements up to 200 seconds under a load of 50 N. Linear regression was fitted to verify the effect of working time on the film thickness of each cement. Data were compared to the working time recommended by manufacturers using Wilcoxon test (alpha=.05). RESULTS: All of the materials showed a positive linear correlation between the film thickness and working time. There was no statistically significant difference between the working time based on our results and the values recommended by the manufacturers even though there was a discrepancy between those two values. CONCLUSION: The film thickness of resin cements could increase with the increase of working time. Working time to meet the ISO standard of 50-microm maximum film thickness could be different from the manufacturer's recommended value.
Linear Models ; Resin Cements ; Resins, Synthetic*

BACKGROUND: The use of neuraxial anesthesia for Cesarean section has dramatically increased. There was little information about the relationship of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure according to the position and spinal block level in pregnant women. The aims of this study are to investigate the cerebrospinal fluid pressure according to the degree of flexion in the lateral position and block height after spinal anesthesia in pregnant women undergoing Cesarean section. METHODS: We enrolled 40 patients, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I-II, aged 22-40 years, undergoing Caesarean section under spinal anesthesia. Patients were randomly divided into two groups. In group I, patients were placed in a full flexed position, and 10 mg of 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine was injected. In group II, the same dose of bupivacaine was injected when the hip and neck was straightened slowly. Following injection, the patients were immediately placed in supine position. The level of spinal anesthesia was checked by pinprick at 5, 10, 15, and 30 min after the subarachnoid injection. RESULTS: There was significant difference in the cerebrospinal fluid pressure between full-flexed position and non-full-flexed position. The spinal block height level was T3-T5 in both groups, and there was no significant difference in the spinal block height level in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: CSF pressures according to the degree of flexion in the lateral position during the subarachnoid injection have no significant correlation with the block level in spinal anesthesia for Cesarean section.
Aged ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, Spinal ; Bupivacaine ; Cerebrospinal Fluid Pressure ; Cesarean Section ; Female ; Hip ; Humans ; Neck ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women ; Supine Position

Huntington's chorea is a rare hereditary disorder of the nervous system. It is inherited as an autosomal dominant disorder and is characterized by progressive chorea, dementia and psychiatric disturbances. The best anesthetic technique is yet to be established for these patients with increased risk of aspiration due to involvement of pharyngeal muscles and an exaggerated response to sodium thiopental and succinylcholine. The primary goal in general anesthesia for these patients is to provide airway protection and a rapid and safe recovery. We report the anesthetic management of a 51-year-old patient with Huntington's chorea admitted for an emergency operation.
Anesthesia, General ; Bronchoscopes ; Chorea ; Dementia ; Emergencies ; Humans ; Huntington Disease ; Intubation ; Nervous System ; Pharyngeal Muscles ; Sodium ; Succinylcholine ; Thiopental

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the clinical utility of adding lateral approach to conventional vertical approach for prone stereotactic vacuum-assisted breast biopsies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From April 2010 to May 2012, 130 vacuum-assisted stereotactic biopsies were attempted in 127 patients. While a vertical approach was preferred, a lateral approach was used if the vertical approach failed. The success rate of biopsies utilizing only a vertical approach was compared with that using both vertical and lateral approaches and the breast thickness for both procedures was measured and compared with that for vertical approach. In addition, pathology results were evaluated and the causes of the failed biopsies were analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 130 cases, 127 biopsies were performed and 3 biopsies failed. The success rate of the vertical approach was 83.8% (109/130); however, when the lateral approach was also used, the success rate increased to 97.7% (127/130) (p = 0.0004). The mean breast thickness was 2.7 +/- 1 cm for the lateral approach and 4 +/- 1.2 cm for the vertical approach (p < 0.0001). The histopathologic results in 76 (59.8%) of the biopsies were benign, 23 (18.1%) were high-risk lesions, and 28 (22.0%) were malignant. The causes of biopsy failure were thin breasts (n = 2) and undetected difficult lesion location (n = 1). CONCLUSION: The addition of lateral approach to conventional vertical approach in prone stereotactic vacuum-assisted breast biopsy improved the success rate of stereotactic biopsy, especially in patients with thin breasts.
Adult ; Aged ; Biopsy, Needle/*methods/utilization ; Breast Neoplasms/*diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Mammography/methods ; Middle Aged ; Reproducibility of Results ; Retrospective Studies ; Stereotaxic Techniques/*utilization