Development of Diagnostic Reference Levels Using a Real-Time Radiation Dose Monitoring System at a Cardiovascular Center in Korea

Digital cardiovascular angiography accounts for a major portion of the radiation dose among the examinations performed at cardiovascular centres. However, dose-related information is neither monitored nor recorded systemically. This report concerns the construction of a radiation dose monitoring system based on digital imaging and communications in medicine (DICOM) data and its use at the cardiovascular centre of the University Hospitals in Korea. The dose information was analysed according to DICOM standards for a series of procedures, and the formulation of diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) at our cardiovascular centre represents the first of its kind in Korea. We determined a dose area product (DAP) DRL for coronary angiography of 75.6 Gy cm² and a fluoroscopic time DRL of 318.0 s. The DAP DRL for percutaneous transluminal coronary intervention was 213.3 Gy cm², and the DRL for fluoroscopic time was 1207.5 s.     

A Korean Survey on Qualities and Definition of a Good Psychiatrist

The definition of a "good" psychiatrist has varied over the past decades due to changing roles of psychiatrists. Studies on the qualities of "good" psychiatrists have been completed in many countries. However, no such study has been undertaken in Korea. In Korea, recent growing interest in psychiatry demands the identification of qualities for a good psychiatrist. The purpose of this study was to define the qualities of a good psychiatrist in Korea, subsequently facilitating the improvement of psychiatric training programs. The questionnaire was based on a Singaporean survey with the permission from the original authors. Respondents were divided into patient group and psychiatrist group. The 40-item questionnaire contained items grouped into four themes: Professional, Personal Values, Academic Executive and Relationship. Of the four themes, both patient and psychiatrist groups considered Professional as the most important, whereas Academic Executive as the least important. The mean scores for all items of each theme in the patient group were higher than those in the psychiatrist group, reflecting higher expectations for good psychiatrist in the patient group. Patients emphasized Relationship more than psychiatrists did. It is concluded that a good psychiatrist in Korea can be defined as "a good communicator and listener with a professional manner, who respects confidentiality and has good doctor-patient relationships."

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Evaluation of factors related to glycaemic control among South Korean patients with type 2 diabetes

Aims

To examine specific self‐care behaviours, depression, and diabetes‐related stress among South Korean patients with type 2 diabetes and to evaluate whether these factors are related to glycaemic control.

Methods

This cross‐sectional study included 171 patients with type 2 diabetes who visited an endocrinology clinic. A structured questionnaire and electronic medical records were used to collect data regarding self‐care behaviours, depression, diabetes‐related distress, and glycaemic control between May 2015 and July 2015.

Results

Compared with the group with good glycaemic control, the group with poor glycaemic control had significantly lower values for medication adherence and significantly greater values for regimen‐related distress. Depression was not significantly associated with glycaemic control. In logistic regression analysis, only medication adherence was independently associated with glycaemic control.

Conclusions

Medication adherence should be continuously emphasized and monitored in clinical practice to effectively manage glycaemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, consideration of diabetes‐related distress may help improve glycaemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes.     

Evaluation of Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer in Patients with Idiopathic Optic Perineuritis using Optical Coherence Tomography

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of idiopathic Optic perineuritis on the retinal nerve fiber layer, and determine the ability of optical coherence tomography to evaluate retinal nerve fiber loss after idiopathic Optic perineuritis. Four patients were assessed in this study. In all cases, average retinal nerve fiber layer was significantly thinner in the affected eye in comparison with the normal reference value and with the value for the contralateral normal eye at 12 months after the onset of optic perineuritis. Our study revealed that retinal nerve fiber layer loss occurs in idiopathic optic nerve sheath inflammation.     

Usefulness of optical coherence tomography to detect central serous chorioretinopathy in monkeys

Many systemic drugs can induce ocular toxicity and several ocular side‐effects have been identified in clinical studies. However, it is difficult to detect ocular toxicity in preclinical studies because of the lack of appropriate evaluation methods. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is useful because it can provide real‐time images throughout a study period, whereas histopathology only provides images of sacrificed animals. Using OCT alongside histopathology, attempts were made to find effective approaches for screening of drug‐induced ocular toxicity in monkeys. Such approaches could be used in preclinical studies prior to human trials. Six male cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis Raffles) were orally administered one of six candidate MAPK/ERK kinase (MEK) inhibitors. Central serous chorioretinopathy, a known side‐effect of such inhibitors, was identified in four monkeys by OCT. Artifacts generated during tissue processing meant that histopathology could not detect edematous changes. Thus, OCT is a useful tool to detect ocular toxicity which cannot be detected by histopathology in preclinical studies. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.