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PurposeMelanoma incidence is rising worldwide along with the associated personal and socioeconomic health expenditures. We investigated the incidence and survival-rate patterns of melanoma in South Korea using nationwide data. Materials and MethodsThis retrospective cohort study included patients with melanoma between 2004 and 2017, based on National Health Insurance (NHI) claims data in South Korea. The incidence, prevalence, and survival rate were analyzed along with baseline demographic characteristics. We collected solar irradiation dose (SID) and healthcare ranking score (HRS) according to the administrative district from the Korea Meteorological Administration and Korea Health Promotion Institute. The incidence and survival rates were assessed using Pearson's correlation, the Kaplan-Meier estimation, multiple linear regression, and multiple logistic regression methods.ResultsTwenty-five thousand, five hundred ninety-one patients with melanoma were diagnosed during the study period. The age-standardized incidence of melanoma steadily increased from 2004 to 2017 from 2.6 to 3.0/100,000/yr. The incidence of melanoma increased with significantly higher income (p < 0.05). The prevalence followed a similar pattern as the incidence. According to multivariate analysis, HRS significantly influenced the incidence of melanoma in high sun-exposed sites (p < 0.001). There was no significant change in annual mortality. Women had a higher 5-year survival rate than men (78.4% vs. 72.8%). Mortality by the administrative district was highly correlated with HRS.ConclusionThe incidence of melanoma is increasing in South Korea. A low HRS is associated with both higher incidence and mortality. The findings of this study could be utilized as a guideline for treating melanoma patients.

Background: The morphology and alignment of the patellofemoral joint are crucial risk factors for patellar instability, and the incidence of acute primary patellar dislocation is the highest in women in their second decade of life. The purpose of the study was to analyze age and gender variations of the patellofemoral joint using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods: A total of 852 patients aged between 4 and 18 years with a history of knee MRI examinations were screened for eligibility and 663 patients (470 males, 193 females) were included. Patients were divided into groups according to age and sex. The age group was divided into five groups (Group 1, 4–6 years; Group 2, 7–9 years; Group 3, 10–12 years; Group 4, 13–15 years; and Group 5, 16–18 years). Three orthopaedic surgeons measured MRI parameters reflecting the patellofemoral morphology (sulcus angle, lateral trochlear inclination, trochlear facet symmetry, and femoral depth) and alignment (tibial tuberosity–trochlear groove distance, percent sulcus location, and percent tibia tuberosity location). Results: Parameters including tibial tuberosity–trochlear groove distance, sulcus angle, percent tibial tuberosity location, trochlear facet symmetry, and femoral depth showed significant differences between the age groups (p < 0.05). The sulcus angle decreased fin Group 2, and the femoral depth showed an increasing trend with aging in male patients. However, the sulcus angle in females decreased first and then increased in Group 3 as the inflection point. The femoral depth showed an opposite pattern. Conclusions: Patellofemoral morphometry showed age and gender variation. Notably, the sulcus angle and femoral depth were significantly different between males and females and changed according to the development. These findings may reflect the sex difference and peak incidence of the patellar instability risk. Understanding the morphological changes and differences of the patellofemoral joint may facilitate the diagnosis of patellofemoral pathologies.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore the patients` perspectives on nursing students` clinical practices in the wards, and to investigate their willingness for allowing students to practice on them. Methods: This was a descriptive study. 116 inpatients were recruited from the S University Hospital. A 60-item questionnaire was applied to collect the data. The participants were 19 years and older with sound judgement, and were not in special or intensive care units. Data analysis was done in SPSS/WIN 22.0 using descriptive statistics, Fishers exact test, and the ANOVA test. the participant answered to questionnaire from April 29th 2016 to May 10th. Results: 40 participants (34.5%) stated they would allow students` practice, while 72 (61.2%) said they would allow only under staff supervision. 5 participants (4.3%) stated they would not allow whatsoever. The 3 most allowed were emotional support, oral care, and vital signs measurement while the 3 least allowed were gastric feeding, intravenous catheterization, and urinary catheterization. Conclusion: Patients were more inclined to allow students to practice on them when a member of the medical team was present. A fair number of participants said they would be more inclined to allow students` practice if they felt the student was competent; hence, reinforcing simulation sessions is vital in enhancing students` competency and ultimately practice allowance.