BACKGROUND: Along with the recent greater number of medical devices for the elderly in the market, there has been a parallel increase in the number of clinical trials for these devices. It is uncertain, though, whether the target population has the awareness and understanding of these clinical trials and the possible adverse events of the devices. METHODS: A total of 147 elderly subjects (mean age, 65.8+/-8.3 years; 39 males) responded to the questionnaire. A pilot study during the development of the questionnaire was conducted in 2009 with the actual survey taking place from June to November 2011. The questionnaire included 22 items-10 items on awareness and understanding of the clinical trial; 4 items on the understanding of adverse events; and 8 items on demographical characteristics. RESULTS: Of the responders, 62.5% had participated in at least one clinical trial and had heard about the clinical trials through a doctor, newspaper, or television. And 63.3% of the responders understood that the purpose of the trial was to show efficacy and safety for the medical device. There were significant differences on the awareness of the trial by gender and life level. However, there was no statistically significant difference in adverse events awareness. CONCLUSION: Although elderly subjects participate in clinical trials, it seems they do not receive enough information when involved in clinical trials of medical devices. In the future, before these trials are carried out, medical device companies need to ensure that they provide their elderly subjects with better education and information.
Aged ; Dietary Sucrose ; Health Services Needs and Demand ; Humans ; Hypogonadism ; Mitochondrial Diseases ; Periodicals ; Ophthalmoplegia ; Pilot Projects ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Television

The authors have studied on the effect of digital pressure on eyeball under the surface anesthesia instead of other reducing agents of intraocular pressure and retrobulbar anesthesia in order to lower the intraocular pressure as a preoperative procedure of cataract extraction in 26 eyeballs of 24 patients and following results were obtained: 1. The authors had intraocular pressure lowered till averaging 10.8 mmHg (average 13.5 ~ 8.0 mmHg) of original pressure by ocular massage. 2. Massage on eyeball was thought to be a satisfactory preoperative procedure to perform cataract extractIon. 3. In operative complications, loss of vitreous and rupture of capsule were noticed 11.5% and 60% respectively. and it was thought to be caused by technical failure in surgeons. In view of this fact we could not find that the loss of vitreous was caused by intraocular pressure below 13.5 mmHg.
Anesthesia ; Cataract Extraction* ; Cataract* ; Humans ; Intraocular Pressure ; Massage* ; Preoperative Care ; Reducing Agents ; Rupture

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the difference of outcome variables and demographic features between traumatic and non-traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) patients. METHOD: Medical records of 87 spinal cord injured patients were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into traumatic and non-traumatic groups. The etiology, level and completeness of SCI were investigated. The functional evaluation was performed by Frankel's classification, American spinal cord injury association (ASIA) motor and sensory scores, and modified Barthel scores at the time of admission and discharge. Bladder function and emptying method were also investigated. RESULTS: Spinal cord injury of non-traumatic etiology was more likely to result in a incomplete injury and more prevalent in females. At admission, the ASIA motor and sensory scores and modified Barthel index of non-traumatic spinal cord injury patient were higher than those of traumatic patients. At discharge, same results were observed for ASIA motor and sensory scores, but the modified Barthel scores showed no difference between the two groups. The changes of the scores between time of admission and discharge showed no significant difference in the two groups. There was no significant difference of bladder type and bladder emptying method. CONCLUSION: This study suggest that favorable outcome in non-traumatic spinal cord injury patients might be due to better functional status at the time of admission and not due to the degree of recovery.
Asia ; Classification ; Female ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; Spinal Cord* ; Urinary Bladder

BACKGROUND: Numerous studies of safe, long term preservation for lung transplantation have been performed using ex vivo models or in vivo single lung transplantation models. However, a safe preservation time which is applicable for clinical use is difficult to determine. We prepared LPDG solution for lung preservation study. In this study we examined the efficacy of LPDG(low potassium dextran glucose) solution in 24-hour lung preservation by using a sequential bilateral canine lung allotransplant model. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Seven bilateral lung transplant procedures were performed using weight-matched pairs(24 to 25kg) of adult mongrel dogs. The donor lungs were flushed with LPDG solution and maintained hyperinflated with 100% oxygen at 10C degrees for a planned ischemic time of 24 hours for the lung implanted first. After sequential bilateral lung transplantation, dogs were maintained on ventilators for 3 hours: arterial resistance were determined if the recipients hourly after bilateral reperfusion and compared with pretransplant-recipient values, which were used as controls. After 2hours of reperfusion, the chest X-ray, computed tomogram and lung perfusion scan were performed for assessmint of early graft lung function. Pathological examinations for ultrastructural findings of alveolar structure and endothelial structure of pulmonary artery were performed. RESULT: Five of seven experiments successfully finished the whole assessments after bilateral reperfusion for three hours. Arterial oxygen tension in the recipients was markedly decrased in immediate reperfusion period but gradually recovered after reperfusion for three hours. The pulmonary artery and pulmonary vascular resistance showed singificant elevation(p<0.05 versus control values) but also recovered after reperfusion for three hours(p<0.05 versus immediate period value). The ultrastructural findings of alveolar structure and endothelial structure of pulmonary artery showed reversible mild injury in 24 hours of lung perservation and reperfusion. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that LPDG solution provides excellent preservation in a canine model in which the dog is completely dependent on the function of the transplanted lung.
Adult ; Animals ; Dextrans ; Dogs ; Humans ; Lung Transplantation ; Lung* ; Organ Preservation ; Oxygen ; Perfusion ; Potassium ; Pulmonary Artery ; Reperfusion ; Thorax ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants ; Vascular Resistance ; Ventilators, Mechanical

Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause myelopathy of subacute combined degeneration of lateral and dorsal column in spinal cord. When combined with compressive myelopathy, symptoms and signs of vitamin B12 deficient myelopathy could be masked. We experienced a case of forty-one year old man suffered from gait disturbance and decreased proprioception. Initially surgeons concluded his weakness resulted from myelopathy by C5-6 centrally herniated disk based on MRI and surgical decompression was performed. Gait disturbance slightly improved but decreased proprioception did not improve. Vitamin B12 deficiency was found and high signal intensity lesions were found in dorsal and lateral spinal column with review of pre-op MRI. After administration with vitamin B12 supplements, weakness and sensation of proprioception improved and follow-up MRI showed decreased signal intensity. We concluded the cause of his symptoms was combination of compressive myelopathy and vitamin B12 deficient myelopathy.
Decompression, Surgical ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gait ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; Masks ; Proprioception ; Sensation ; Spinal Cord ; Spinal Cord Compression ; Spinal Cord Diseases ; Spine ; Subacute Combined Degeneration ; Vitamin B 12 ; Vitamin B 12 Deficiency ; Vitamins

We describe a case of spontaneous bleeding from a branch of the right internal pudendal artery that resulted in massive scrotal swelling in a patient who had underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention with the use of abciximab concurrent with conventional anticoagulation and dual antiplatelet therapies for the treatment of acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. This unusual complication was promptly identified by percutaneous peripheral arteriography and successfully treated with gel-foam embolization.
Angiography ; Arteries* ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention*

We experienced a case of partial anomalous pulmonary venous return from righ lung to inferior vena cava, which combined with Scimitar sign in 18 years old female patient. Diagnostic procedures were simple chest x-ray chest CT, and cardiac catheterization. We redirected the anomalous venous flow from inferior vena cava to left atrium through the intracardiac tunnel which was made with autologous pericardium. Postoperative course was not eventful.
Adolescent ; Cardiac Catheterization ; Cardiac Catheters ; Female ; Heart Atria ; Humans ; Lung ; Pericardium ; Scimitar Syndrome ; Thorax ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Vena Cava, Inferior

BACKGROUND: Porokeratosis is a rare group of disorders of epidermal keratinization which is histologically characterized by the presence of cornoid lamella. The malignant potential of porokeratotic lesions is well recognized. Recently, frequent p53 overexpression has been reported and might be related to the carcinogenic potential of porokeratosis. OBJECTIVE: To compare previous foreign results of p53 overexpression in porokeratosis with Korean cases, we studied 24 Korean cases of porokeratosis(7 of Porokeratosis of Mibelli, 14 of DSAP, 2 of Linear Porokeratosis, and 1 of PPPD). METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining was done on the paraffin sections using a labelled streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase complex method with primary antibodies against p53 protein and Ki-67. RESULTS: The epidermis central to cornoid lamellae was positive for p53 protein in 15 of the 24 cases. The epidermis beneath the cornoid lamellae was positive in 3 of the central positive 15 cases and the peripheral epidermis was positive in 1 of the central positive 15 cases. Staining for Ki-67 antigen was increased above background levels in 9 of 24 specimens. No correlation was detected between p53 protein expression and Ki-67 antigen expression. CONCLUSION: The p53 overexpression was observed in Korean cases of porokeratosis but, the expression rate of p53 in Korean cases of porokeratosis was relative less than previous foreign reports.
Antibodies ; Epidermis ; Ki-67 Antigen* ; Paraffin ; Porokeratosis*

Progressive cribriform and zosteriform hyperpigmentation(PCZH) is a pigmentary disorder of the skin which is a distinctive clinical entity first described by Rower et al. in 1978. It is characterized clinically by a single area of uniformly tan cribriform macular pigmentation in a zosteriform distribution without preceding history of skin rash, injury or inflammation and histopathologically by a mild increase of melanin pigment in the basal cell layer and complete absence of nevus cells. We report herein three cases of PCZH. The age at onset ranged from 30 to 39 years. The lesions were unilateraly distributed. The lesions of two cases were on left lower extremity and the lesions of another case were on right flank and right thigh. Histopathologic examination of the lesions showed a mild increase in melanin pigment in the basal cell layer with absence of nevus cells.
Exanthema ; Hyperpigmentation* ; Inflammation ; Lower Extremity ; Melanins ; Nevus ; Pigmentation ; Skin ; Thigh ; Triacetoneamine-N-Oxyl

STUDY DESIGN: The authors retrospectively analysed the recovery of clinical symptoms after surgical treatment of lumbar HIVD. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the incidence of clinical symptoms, the recovery rate and time after surgical treatment and the difference between L4-5 and L5-S1 lesion. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: There are many reports concerning the clinical result of surgical treatment for the HIVD. They usually describe the result as excellent, good, fair and poor. We can't get any information about the recovery rate and recovery time of each clinical symptom from the reports . MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-eight patients were treated by one level open discectomy from march 1991 to december 1995, The clinical symptoms and signs including SLR, motor deficit, sensory deficit, change of DTR and severity of radiating pain were periodically followed up on the predesigned protocol. RESULTS: In preoperative examination, SLR was positive in 82%, motor deficit in 76%, sensory deficit in 74%, DTR change in 50%, and radiating pain in 100%. The recovery rate of SLR was 96.8%, motor deficit ; 93.6%, sensory deficit ,78.6%, DTR change ; 21% and radiating pain ,84.2%. The average recovery time of SLR was 3.4 months, motor deficit ; 1.9 months, sensory deficit ; 5.3 months, DTR change ; 4.1 months and radiating pain ; 3.2 months. Motor and sensory deficit was more frequent in L4-5 lesion but DTR change was usually noted in L5-S1 lesion. The recovery rate and time showed no great difference between the two level. CONCLUSIONS: The recovery rate was higher in SLR, motor deficit and radiating pain rather than sensory deficit and DTR change. The recovery time was fastest in radiating pain but variable nature was noted in sensory deficit. Above results may be helpful to explain the prognosis of the lumbar HIVD.
Diskectomy ; Humans ; Incidence ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies