Volume 107, Issue 10

Objective : To describe the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of young adults toward body piercing. Methods : An anonymous 30-item survey was given to 103 undergraduate students at the campus health service of a large urban university. The questionnaire collected data on students' perceptions regarding the social acceptability of body piercing, their experiences with and attitudes toward this form of body art, and their knowledge of associated health risks. Results : One hundred (97%) out of the 103 surveys distributed had sufficient data for analysis. Fifty-six percent of participants (age range, 17 to 25 years) reported having a body piercing at one time. Participants with a piercing were more likely to have a tattoo (OR, 4.13; 95% CI, 1.10-15.56; P =.04). The majority of participants (65 [78%]) reported “liking” body piercing on others, though a smaller percentage (45 [52%]) reported “liking” it on themselves ( z =3.58, P <.001). Participants estimated the chance of potential health risks as a result of body piercing as follows: bleeding (60%), infection (56%), keloid scarring (43%), bruising (41%), allergic reaction (38%), cyst or tetanus (each 24%), hepatitis B (20%), and human immunodeficiency virus (16%). Nonpierced participants assessed the probability of adverse events as a result of body piercing at 43%, whereas their pierced counterparts estimated the risk at 30% ( F 1,83 14.06, P <.001). Forty-three percent of all participants reported knowing someone (ie, other than themselves) who experienced a health problem as a result of body piercing, though few (10 of 52 [19%]) pierced participants reported similar personal experiences. Conclusions : Young adults believe that body piercing is highly acceptable among the general public. Furthermore, though they believe such body art is acceptable on others, they feel it is less acceptable on themselves. Study participants displayed a high level of awareness regarding the potential health risks of body art, and, in fact, overestimate those risks. Implications for patient education are addressed.

Bupropion hydrochloride is currently available in three formulations: immediate-release, sustained-release, and extended-release (ER). Several published reports exist concerning bupropion's history of inducing seizures in both the immediate- and sustained-release formulations. Although the potential of the ER formulation for causing seizures is noted in the drug's prescribing information, there is no previously published report of bupropion ER inducing seizures. In the case reported, a 27-year-old woman who was prescribed bupropion ER as well as clonazepam and lamotrigine (anticonvulsants), hydrocodone bitartrate (for irritable bowel syndrome), and zolipidem tartrate (for depression and associated anxiety and insomnia) experienced a grand mal seizure 6 months after beginning bupropion ER therapy. The patient was taken to the emergency department, where she had a second grand mal seizure 8 hours after the first one. Extended-release bupropion was discontinued, and the patient had not had additional seizures at 8 months follow-up.

In 1999, the American Osteopathic Association approved plans for “substantive change” to the medical curriculum at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) in Erie, Pa. In addition to the school's traditional, lecture-based curriculum, LECOM sought to create alternative—but distinct—learning pathways: independent study (described elsewhere) and problem-based learning (PBL). After selecting a long-standing, successful PBL program to guide our efforts and after a 1-year period of planning, developing, piloting, and refining the program, we introduced PBL in the 2000-2001 academic year. This learning pathway consists of carefully constructed cases that allow for progressive disclosure across group-tutorial sessions, from patient presentation to diagnosis and management. With more than 5 years of data on student performance and evaluations, LECOM can investigate the merits of its three basic science learning pathways. The description of LECOM's longitudinal database will allow program evaluators to assess and compare each of the three basic science learning pathways.