Journal of Korean medical science
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Feb 2016
Sleep Patterns among South Korean Infants and Toddlers: Global Comparison.
The purpose of this study was to examine sleep patterns in a large sample of infants and toddlers (ages birth to 36 months) in Korea, and to compare sleep patterns, sleep problems, sleep ecology, and parental behaviors to global sleep data on young children in both predominantly Asian (P-A) and predominantly Caucasian (P-C) countries/regions. We additionally examined parent and child demographic information, parental behaviors, and aspects of the sleep ecology as predictors of sleep patterns among infants and toddlers in Korea. Parents/caregivers of 1,036 Korean infants and toddlers completed an expanded, internet-based version of the brief infant sleep questionnaire. ⋯ Within Korea, breastfeeding and bottle-feeding at sleep resumption were associated with increased nocturnal awakenings. Evening television viewing was associated with later bedtimes, which may have implications for sleep hygiene recommendations in clinical practice. The current study provides important information about sleep/wake patterns, parental behaviors, and aspects of the sleep ecology for infants and toddlers for physicians to support healthy sleep in Korea.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Feb 2016
Isolation of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus from a Patient of the 2015 Korean Outbreak.
During the 2015 outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in Korea, 186 persons were infected, resulting in 38 fatalities. We isolated MERS-CoV from the oropharyngeal sample obtained from a patient of the outbreak. ⋯ Spherical virus particles were observed by transmission electron microscopy. Full-length genome sequence of the virus isolate was obtained and phylogenetic analyses showed that it clustered with clade B of MERS-CoV.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Feb 2016
ReviewImaging Guidelines for Enhancing Justifications for Radiologic Studies.
Justification in the field of radiology refers to the appropriate use of radiologic imaging modalities, and may be achieved by establishing clinical imaging guidelines (CIGs). Recently, CIGs have been shown to be useful in selecting the proper medical imaging modality, resulting in the reduction of inappropriate radiologic examinations, thereby enhancing justifications. ⋯ Thus, although the radiologic societies in developed countries such as the United Kingdom and USA are already developing and implementing CIGs in their clinical practices, CIGs are not yet readily available in many other countries owing to differences in medical circumstances and resources. In this review, we assess the role and limitations of CIGs by examining the current status of CIGs in developed countries, and also describe the specific efforts made to establish CIGs in Korea.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Feb 2016
ReviewGeneral Principles of Radiation Protection in Fields of Diagnostic Medical Exposure.
After the rapid development of medical equipment including CT or PET-CT, radiation doses from medical exposure are now the largest source of man-made radiation exposure. General principles of radiation protection from the hazard of ionizing radiation are summarized as three key words; justification, optimization, and dose limit. Because medical exposure of radiation has unique considerations, diagnostic reference level is generally used as a reference value, instead of dose limits. ⋯ Regulation is essential to control medical radiation exposure. Physicians and radiologists must be aware of the radiation risks and benefits associated with medical exposure, and understand and implement the principles of radiation protection for patients. The education of the referring physicians and radiologists is also important.
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Medical radiation is a very important part of modern medicine, and should be only used when needed and optimized. Justification and optimization of radiation examinations must be performed. The first step of reduction of medical exposure is to know the radiation dose in currently performed examinations. ⋯ Lastly, we talk about computerized programs that can be used in medical facilities for managing patient dose. While patient dose monitoring and management should be used to decrease and optimize overall radiation dose, it should not be used to assess individual cancer risk. One must always remember that medically justified examinations should always be performed, and unneeded examinations should be avoided in the first place.