Representations of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation on Korean Medical Dramas: Fiction Versus Reality

PURPOSE: We evaluated the differences between the clinical characteristics, procedure and results of real life cardiopulmonary resuscitation versus how CPR is portrayed in Korean medical dramas. METHODS: We watched 58 episodes of Korean television medical dramas including , and , broadcast during the period 2007 to 2010. We identified all occurrences of CPR in each episode and collected the fictional patients' age, sex, location, presumed cause of cardiac arrest, and return of spontaneous circulation rate for the CPR performed, and then compared these with actual, published resuscitation statistics. Whether or not the procedure employed in a fictional CPR scene adhered to current CPR guidelines was also evaluated. RESULTS: There were 39 occurrences of CPR in the 58 television episodes viewed, with the most common cause being cardiac arrest. The fictional ROSC rate after CPR (71.8%) differed significantly from published real life figures (p=0.072). The resuscitation process did not appear to follow current guidelines in 64.1% of the cases. Contrary to reality, the average age of patients was 41.3 years. CONCLUSION: The CPR provided to fictional patients in medical dramas televised in Korea is generally different than what would be provided to a patient in reality. In addition, the ROSC rate appears higher on television than what can be expected in the real world.

A Rare but Fatal Instance of Gastrointestinal Bleeding: Primary Aortoenteric Fistula

Primary aortoenteric fistula (PAEF) is a rare but catastrophic cause of gastrointestinal bleeding. The diagnosis of PAEF is difficult to make. The classic triad of symptoms, i.e. gastrointestinal bleeding, abdominal pain, and a pulsating abdominal mass is overemphasized, as it occurs in less than 11~25% of the patients. For two thirds of the patients, the diagnosis is made in the operating room. Endoscopic and radiographic studies are very helpful, but the absence of abnormalities can not exclude the diagnosis. PAEF is a clinical and surgical challenge associated with high mortality. A high index of suspicion, early diagnosis and prompt and appropriate surgical intervention are essential to patient survival. Two primary aortoenteric fistulas (aortoduodenal and aortoesophageal) cases are presented and the related literature are reviewed.