BACKGROUND: Scuba diving has become increasingly popular in Korea. Medical problems are common with dives, especially decompression sickness(DCS). This study was performed to obtain an useful information of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in DCS in Korea. METHOD: We reviewed the 62 cases of Korean divers, who were diagnosed as DCS and received recompression therapy according to U.S. Navy Standard Recompression Treatment Table at Ocean and Underwater Medical Research and Training Center of ROK Navy, for 6 years from Jan. 1993 to Nov. 1998. RESULT: 1) the mean no-decompression limit excess time between type I DCS group(72.7 min.) and type II DCS group(92.8min.) showed significant difference. 2) The rate of symptoms appeared on surfacing and within 10min. after surfacing of type I and type II DCS were 41.4%and 72.7% respectively. 3) The cure late of type I and type II were 75.9%and 42.4% respectively. In type II DCS group, the cure rate of the group within 12 hour-delayed recompression treatment and the group above 12 hour-delayed treatment were 64.3%and time 26.3% respectively, and in type I DCS group, 100% and 66.7% respectively. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the education of safety, the strict observance of the standard decompression table, and the avoidance of excessive repeated diving are important for reducing the risk of diving related disease. And to offer proper management of DCS, there should be more multiplace hyperbaric oxygen chambers, the suitable transport system, and the specialist of diving medicine or hyperbaric medicine in Korea.
Decompression Sickness* ; Decompression* ; Diving ; Education ; Hyperbaric Oxygenation* ; Korea ; Oxygen ; Specialization

No abstract available.
Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroiditis*

This study evaluated the nutrient intake with increasing coffee consumption for 403 adults aged over 30 years in Korea. The 403 subjects were national health screening examinees, who visited Sahmyook Seoul Hospital's Comprehensive Check-up Center between 2017.11.01 and 2018.12.18. The subjects were asked to answer questionnaires covering a 24-hour recall fluid and dietary intake before the health examination. The research ethics council of Sahmyook University (2-7001793-AB-N-012019036HR) approved this study. Coffee consumption exceeding two servings daily was more likely in males, in those aged between 30 and 40 years, and in the smoking, drinking, non-exercise, non-breakfast groups compared to each counterpart. The correlation between the coffee consumption frequency and current nutrient density showed negative correlations in most micronutrients. The mean nutrient density decreased gradually with increasing coffee consumption (<1 serving daily, ≤1~2 servings daily, >2 servings daily) in the ANOVA analysis. Therefore, the progressive adverse health effects of excessive coffee consumption needs to be researched further, and a daily total caffeine limit should be suggested in education of the nation levels.
Adult ; Caffeine ; Coffee ; Drinking ; Eating ; Education ; Ethics, Research ; Humans ; Korea ; Life Style ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Micronutrients ; Seoul ; Smoke ; Smoking

BACKGROUND: Fast eating or overeating can induce gastrointestinal diseases such as gastritis. However, the association between gastritis and speed of eating is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine whether eating speed is associated with increased risk of endoscopic erosive gastritis (EEG). METHODS: We carried out a cross-sectional study involving 10,893 adults who underwent a general health checkup between 2007 and 2009. Two groups, EEG patients and EEG-free patients, were compared by using the t-test and the chi-square test. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the association between eating speed and EEG. RESULTS: The group with EEG had a higher proportion of males, average age, body mass index, and percentages of current smokers and risky drinkers than those without EEG. After adjusting for anthropometric, social, and endoscopic parameters, the group with the highest eating speed (<5 min/meal) had 1.7 times higher risk for EEG than the group with the lowest eating speed (> or =15 min/meal) (odds ratio, 1.71; 95% confidence interval, 1.20-2.45). CONCLUSION: High eating speed is an independent risk factor for EEG. Our results indicate the need for further studies to clarify the role of eating speed in gastritis.
Adult* ; Body Mass Index ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Eating* ; Electroencephalography ; Feeding Behavior ; Gastritis* ; Gastrointestinal Diseases ; Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Hyperphagia ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Risk Factors

We experienced a case of acute cerebral infarction during spinal anesthesia. The patient was a seventy years old male with diagnosis of right femur periprosthetic fracture scheduled for a open reduction & internal fixation under spinal anesthesia. Intraoperatively, he developed a mental confusion and his blood pressure decreased from 115/70 mmHg to 80/45 mmHg. After operation, he appeared to have left hemiparesis and left facial palsy. Angiogram revealed thrombus in superior division of the right middle cerebral artery. He expired 3 months after the surgery despite supportive measures.
Anesthesia, Spinal* ; Blood Pressure ; Cerebral Infarction ; Diagnosis ; Facial Paralysis ; Femur ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Paresis ; Periprosthetic Fractures ; Thrombosis

PURPOSE: This clinical study evaluated the feasibility of needlescopic appendectomy (NA) in young patients with acute appendicitis, and we compare the outcome of this new technique with that of conventional laparoscopic appendectomy (LA). METHODS: Two groups of young patients who underwent laparoscopic appendectomy at Sanggye Paik Hospital between January 2009 and December 2009 were studied. In the first group, a 2-mm instrument appendectomy was performed in 13 patients. These patients were compared with the second group, which were 21 patients who underwent conventional laparoscopic appendectomy. Statistical significance was set at p values<0.05. RESULTS: The patient demographics and operative findings were similar in both groups. There was no conversion to open appendectomy in either group. Postoperative ileus was occurred in 3 patients who underwent LA, but there was no statistical difference between the both groups (p=0.154). The needlescopic group had a shorter mean operative time (p=0.65), but there was no statistically significance. The mean hospital stay was significantly shorter (p=0.026) in the needlescopic group than that in the conventional laparoscopic group. CONCLUSION: According to our experience, needlescopic laparoscopic appendectomy is a safe and feasible procedure as compared with that of conventional laparoscopic appendectomy in young patients.
Appendectomy ; Appendicitis ; Child ; Demography ; Humans ; Ileus ; Length of Stay ; Operative Time

Lingual thyroid is a rare clinical entity that is due to the failure of the thyroid gland to descend early in the course of embryogenesis. It may be present with symptoms of dysphagia and upper airway obstruction. We report here on the case of a 63-year-old female who was scheduled for an operation for lumbar disc herniation and she could not be intubated. The cause of the airway obstruction was an ectopic thyroid at the base of the tongue, which made visualization of the glottis impossible. Several attempts at endotracheal intubation were unsuccessful. Fortunately, the patient was mask ventilated. We awakened the patient and consulted an otolaryngologist, and she was diagnosed with lingual thyroid. After a week, she was operated on using spinal anesthesia.
Airway Obstruction ; Anesthesia, Spinal ; Deglutition Disorders ; Embryonic Development ; Female ; Glottis ; Humans ; Intubation* ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Lingual Thyroid* ; Masks ; Middle Aged ; Pregnancy ; Thyroid Dysgenesis ; Thyroid Gland ; Tongue

Hypoglossal nerve palsy is a rare complication after general anesthesia with orotracheal intubation. It can present with symptoms of tongue deviation, dysarthria and swallowing difficulties. We report 33-year-old female who was scheduled to undergo surgery for a nasal bone fracture under general anesthesia, using orotracheal intubation. After surgery, she complained right side tongue deviation and, dysarthria, and was diagnosed with right hypoglossal nerve palsy. The cause of the hypoglossal nerve palsy was assumed to be a complication of the orotracheal intubation. Fortunately, the patient fully recovered 2 weeks after surgery.
Adult ; Anesthesia, General ; Deglutition ; Dysarthria ; Female ; Humans ; Hypoglossal Nerve Diseases* ; Hypoglossal Nerve* ; Intubation ; Nasal Bone ; Tongue

BACKGROUND: The optimal extent of thyroid resection in Graves' disease has not been clearly determined. A significant proportion of patients experience recurrence of the disease after subtotal thyroidectomy. Total thyroidectomy can eliminate the source of the disease. However, many surgeons are reluctant to conduct a total thyroidectomy because it has been known to be associated with increased postoperative morbidity. METHODS: Thirty-six patients underwent subtotal thyroidectomy (ST, n=19) or total/near total thyroidectomy (T/NT, n=17) for Graves' disease after treatment with antithyroid drugs. Relapse of the hyperthyroidism, surgical complications, and serum calcium levels were evaluated. RESULTS: Operation time was not prolonged by the extent of thyroidectomy (ST: 106+/-32.1 min., T/NT: 118+/-34.3 min.). Transient hypocalcemia was observed in 5 patients (29.4%) after a total or a near total thyroidectomy, whereas 3 patients (15.7%) experienced transient hypocalcemia after a subtotal thyroidectomy. All patients showed normal serum calcium level 1 month after the operation and had become free of hypocalcemic symptoms. No patient had injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve, regardless of the extent of the surgery. Recurrence of the hyperthyroidism was observed in 3 patients who had undergone a subtotal thyroidectomy. CONCLUSIONS: Total thyroidectomy can be conducted safely in patients with Graves' disease without any increase in postoperative complications, such as hypoparathyroidism or injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve. Therefore, total thyroidectomy appears to be an effective alternative treatment modality for Graves' disease.
Antithyroid Agents ; Calcium ; Graves Disease* ; Humans ; Hyperthyroidism ; Hypocalcemia ; Hypoparathyroidism ; Postoperative Complications ; Recurrence ; Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroidectomy*

Malignant ovarian lymphoma is a very rare entity and has a poor prognosis. A 32-year-old woman visited Taejon St, Mary`s hospital due to abdominal discomfort and pelvic mass. Under the impression of ovarian malignancy, total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingpo-ophorectomy, lymph node biopsy was done. Histopathologic and immunohistochemical study demonstrated the tumor to be Burkitt`s lymphoma of the ovary with involvement of the uterus, tubes, and bone marrow. Now she got one cycle of CHOP(cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, vincristine, prednisolone) chemotherapy and then follow up via OPD. We have reported a case of Burkitt`s lymphoma of the ovary with a brief review of literature.
Adult ; Biopsy ; Bone Marrow ; Daejeon ; Doxorubicin ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphoma* ; Ovary* ; Prognosis ; Uterus ; Vincristine