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Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate factors associated with the mortality of patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) after in-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the impact of a hospital rapid response system (RRS) on patient mortality in Korea. Materials and Methods: A prospective multicenter cohort study was done in 22 ICUs of 15 centers from July 1, 2010, to January 31, 2011. We only enrolled patients admitted to ICUs after in-hospital CPR and divided eligible patients into 2 groups-survivors and nonsurvivors. Results: Among 4617 patients, 150 patients were admitted post-CPR, 76 died, and 74 survived. At 24 hours, the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score, Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, and the best Glasgow Coma Scale were significantly lower in the nonsurvivors than in the survivors. In multivariate analysis, the Simplified Acute Physiology Score II and presence of lower respiratory infection were both independently associated with mortality. At the first hour after admission, lowest serum potassium and highest heart rate were associated with mortality. At 24 hours after admission, lowest mean arterial pressure, HCO3 level, and venous oxygen saturation level; highest heart rate; and use of vasoactive drugs were associated with mortality. The mortality of patients in hospitals with an RRS was not significantly different from that of hospitals without an RRS. Conclusion: Various physiologic and laboratory parameters were associated with the mortality of post-CPR ICU admitted patients, and the presence of an RRS did not reduce mortality of these patients in our study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

The ambrosia beetle, Platypus kortjoensis (Murayama), vectors the Korean oak wilt (KOW) pathogen, Raffaelea quercus-mongolicae K.H. Kim, Y.J. Choi, & H.D. Shin, in Korea, which is highly lethal to Mongolian oak, Quercus mongolica Fisch., and is considered a major threat to forest ecosystem health. We characterized the attack pattern of P. koryoensis along the lower trunk of 240 Mongolian oaks in relation to tree decline symptoms on Mt. Uam in Gyeonggi-Do Province, Korea during June-July 2009. For each tree, we recorded diameter at breast height (dbh) (DBH) and P. kortdoensis entrance hole density at two heights along the lower trunk (near groundline and at 1.5 m above groundline) and on opposite sides (downslope side and upslope side). Trees were assigned to one of three dieback classes: 1 ) apparently healthy, no or practically no wilted foliage, and no obvious platypodine frass near the base of the tree; 2) no or only partial wilting with obvious frass near the base of the tree; and 3) apparently recently killed by KOW with all foliage wilted and mostly retained with obvious frass near the base of the tree. As dieback class increased from 1 to 3, P. koryoeusis entrance hole density increased at all four trunk locations. Attack density was highest on the downslope side of the trunk near groundline, and principal component analysis indicated that this trunk location was the best indicator of tree dieback. In addition, DBH tended to increase with dieback class suggesting that larger trees were infested first. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...