OBJECTIVES: To estimate the weighting for the disability caused by major cancers in Korea using the Delphi method. METHODS: We selected 19 panelists to estimate the disability weighting of major cancers in Korea by using the Delphi method. To select the relevant kinds of cancers, we used National Death Certificate Data produced by the National Statistical Office in 1996. Then the stability of each delphi round was calculated by using the coefficient of variance. RESULTS: The disability weight of major cancers for males was pancreas cancer(0.36), liver cancer(0.35), esophageal cancer(0.30), stomach cancer(0.27), lung cancer(0.26), and colorectal cancer(0.30). The disability weight of major cancers for females was pancreas cancer(0.36), liver cancer(0.34), esophageal cancer(0.29), stomach cancer(0.28), lung cancer(0.26), and colorectal cancer(0.28). CONCLUSION: The results of this study will provide baseline data useful for the measurement of the burden of disease caused by cancers in Korea.
Death Certificates ; Female ; Humans ; Korea* ; Liver ; Lung ; Male ; Pancreas ; Stomach

The cryopreservation of Red Blood Cells has many advantages of which the most important one is that it can be stored for a long period. However, in Korea, Research regarding frozen blood is still in its early stage. We evaluated the effects of transfusion of the frozen-thawed RBCs in dogs. The whole bloods were collected from 5 dogs, and the packed RBCs were obtained by centrifugation method. We made the frozen RBCs by using 40% glycerol method and stored it in -80 degrees C refrigerate for 1 month. The frozen RBCs were thawed in the 37 degrees C water bath and washed by Cell washer according to the standard protocol, and evaluated the status of them being compared with that of the unfrozen. The majorirty of the results were satisfactory to the allowable limit except high plasma hemoglobin and potassium. The frozen-thawed bloods were transfused to the two dogs and carefully observed the effects and its complications. The results were that the average value of the hemoglobin was elevated about 0.6g/dL more after transfusion than before, and there were no significant complication related to the transfusion. Thus, The frozen thawed blood transfusions in case of the experiment with dogs were proved to be safe and as effective as fresh blood, and The above method appeared to be feasible to human blood.
Animals ; Baths ; Blood Transfusion ; Centrifugation ; Cryopreservation ; Dogs* ; Erythrocytes ; Glycerol ; Humans ; Korea ; Plasma ; Potassium ; Water

No abstract available.
Cytokines* ; Mast Cells*

OBJECTIVE: Chronic subdural hematomas (CSDH) are more common on the left hemisphere than on the right. We verified this left predilection of CSDH and tried to explain the reason for this discrepancy. METHODS: We investigated the laterality of CSDH in 182 patients who were treated from January 2005 to December 2009. We examined the symmetry of the cranium and the location of the lesion. RESULTS: CSDH was more common on the left-side. The cranium was symmetric in 63 patients, asymmetric in 119 patients. The asymmetric crania were flat on the right-side in 77 patients, on the left-side in 42 patients. The density of the CSDHs was hypodense in 29 patients, isodense 132 patients, and the others in 21 patients. Bilateral hematomas were more common in the hypodense group. In the right flat crania, the hematoma was more commonly located on the opposite side of the flat side. While in the left flat crania, the hematoma was more common on the same side. CONCLUSION: CSDHs occurred more frequently on the left side. The anatomical asymmetry of the cranium influences the left predilection of CSDH.
Craniocerebral Trauma ; Hematoma ; Hematoma, Subdural, Chronic ; Humans ; Skull

A 41-year-old female complaining of easy fatigue, headache, thickened extremities and deepened facial folds was admitted to the hospital. As early as 6 years ago, she had been told by family members that her voice was changed and both hands was thickened. Cranial plain radiography indicated ballooning of sella turcica. Sella MRI disclosed 2.2cm sized pituitary tumor with suprasellar extension. The pituitary tumor with hypothalamic extension was removed via a transsphenoidal approach. The postoperative course was uneventful until hyponatremia with sudden headache and respiratory arrest was developed. The case was due to hyponatremic encephalopathy on the basis of the clinical course and symptoms, and 3% hypertonic saline was infused for 12 hours until the hyponatremia was corrected. We have experienced a mortality case of hyponatremic encephalopathy in which surgieal removal of a pituitary tumor from a female acromegalic patient in menstruant period was followed by the sudden occurrence of hyponatremia, which in turn was later associated with marked brain edema.
Adult ; Brain Edema ; Extremities ; Fatigue ; Female ; Hand ; Headache ; Humans ; Hyponatremia ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Mortality ; Pituitary Neoplasms ; Radiography ; Sella Turcica ; Voice

Metastatic lesions in temporal bones were rare in the past, however, nowadays, they seem to be increasing. The primary sites of metastases to the temporal bones are known to be the breasts, lungs, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, prostate gland, larynx, and thyroid gland. We present a case with peripheral facial paralysis as the only symptom of a metastasis to the temporal bone in a 73 year-old woman, and that peripheral facial paralysis was the first and only metastatic symptom in that case. This patient was initially diagnosed with Bell's palsy. However, based on the pathologic findings, a further study revealed an adenocarcinoma of the lungs which spread to the temporal bone. Any metastatic diseases to the temporal bone should be considered as possible etiology in patients with a clinical history of malignant neoplasms presenting with common otologic or vestibular symptoms, especially with facial nerve paralysis.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Aged ; Bell Palsy ; Breast ; Facial Nerve ; Facial Paralysis* ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Kidney ; Larynx ; Lung ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Paralysis ; Prostate ; Temporal Bone* ; Thyroid Gland

To evaluate the effect of allergic parameters, such as serum IgE, eosinophil, and skin test on the bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) in patients with chronic airflow obstruction, we performed methacholine bronchial provocation test, pulmonary function test, skin prick test, and measured blood eosinophil counts and serum IgE level from seventy-nine patients who showed persistent fixed airflow obstruction, less than 75% of predicted value in FEV~ and FEV1/FVC, despite of conventional treatment without steroid therapy for more than 3 months. The results were as follows 1) There were 53 patients with BHR and 26 patients without BHR. There were no statistically significant differences in sex, age, and smoking duration between positive BHR group and negative BHR group (p>0.05). 2) There was no statistically significant difference in absolute and predicted value of FVC(p>0.05). But there were significantly lower absolute, predicted value of FEV1 and FEV1/FVC% in positive group compared with negative group (p<0.05). 3) There was somewhat higher trend of serum IgE level in positive group. Skin test was not significantly different between two groups (p > 0.05 ). 4) Blood eosinophil count was significantly higher in positive group than in negative group(p<0.05). Conclusion of this study is that increased bronchial responsiveness in patients with chronic airflow obstruction is inversely related to the level of pulmonary function and significantly associated with blood eosinophilia.
Bronchial Provocation Tests ; Eosinophilia ; Eosinophils ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Methacholine Chloride ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive* ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Skin ; Skin Tests ; Smoke ; Smoking

This article describes the normal range of orbital linear dimensions (eq. orbital breadths, orbital height, orbital depth, interorbital breadths and biorbital breadth) and orbital indicies. One hundred and eighty-seven Korean skulls from grown-up individuals are studied with analysis for the purpose of evaluating anthropometric characteristics of Korean orbits. The results are compared to previously published data for modern Korean skulls. The width of the orbit is larger on the right side than the left and sexual difference was also shown. On the other hand, the heights of both orbits are much the same. Consequently, there is a slight tendency that chamaeconch is met with more frequently on the right side, whilst hypsiconch on the left side. The orbital depth is larger on the right side, however, depth index did not show any side difference. There are sexual differences on the biorbital breadth and upper facial breadth but not on the interorbital breadth on the basis of dacryon. These results represent the asymmetry of Korean orbit and that measurement on both sides must be necessary for anthropological comparison.
Adult* ; Hand ; Humans ; Orbit* ; Reference Values ; Skull*

The occurrences of thyrotoxicosis in patients with myasthenia gravis have been reported before the knowledge of the pathogenesis of the two disease. Thytotoxicosis is known to occur in 3 to 6 percent of patients with myasthenia gravis and myasthenia gravis occurs in only a fraction of 1 percent of the thyrotoxic populatian. Myasthenia gravis is currently considered as a systemic autoimmune disorder of acetylcholine receptor and often presented with other autoimmune diseases such as SLE, Rheumatoid arthritis. We experienced a 18-year-old woman who presented with graves disease and isolated ocular myasthenia gravis. Chest CT didnot reveal enlarged thymus. The usual treatement of myasthenia gravis associated with thymtoxicosis consists of medical control of the thyrotoxicosis, then thymectomy and later subtotal thyroidectomy. Her ptosis and thyrotoxicosis have improved after the medicatian of anticholinesterase and propylthiourecil. A case of ocular myasthenia gravis with Gravesdisease was experienced, so we reported the case with a brief review of literature.
Acetylcholine ; Adolescent ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Female ; Graves Disease ; Humans ; Myasthenia Gravis ; Thymectomy ; Thymus Gland ; Thyroidectomy ; Thyrotoxicosis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

PURPOSE: To estimate the arrival-to-patient contact delays when accessing patients in high-rise buildings and evacuating them to the hospital, compared with accessing patients in ground-level premises. METHODS: This was a prospective study carried out, between 20 and 31 October, and between 30 November and 7 December, 2008, on emergency calls received at the Bun-dang fire station. The first thirty-five consecutive cases were enrolled in two groups where appropriate: evacuations in high-rise buildings, and evacuations in ground-level premises, respectively. Cases of road traffic accidents and road calls were excluded because they did not entail crew entering into buildings. The times were clocked using a stopwatch by an emergency medicine resident riding with the paramedics. We set forth to determine whether the intervals, recorded in the high-rise group, between: 1) time when the ambulance arrived at the scene and time of arrival at the patient's side; 2) time of leaving the premises with the patient and time when the ambulance starts its journey to the hospital, would differ significantly from that recorded in the ground-level group. RESULTS: 35 runs were analyzed in each group. The median value from arrival to patient contact was 0.34 minutes for the ground-level group compared with 2.08 minutes for the high-rise group (95% CI: p=0.000). The median value from the time of leaving the building with the patient to the time when the ambulance turned its engine on to start its journey to the hospital were 1.00 minutes and 3.08 minutes for the ground-level and high-rise groups, respectively (95% CI: p = 0.000). CONCLUSION: There were significant delays when accessing and evacuating patients in high-rise buildings. We suggest modifications to buildings and elevators to help minimize these delays.
Accidents, Traffic ; Allied Health Personnel ; Ambulances ; Elevators and Escalators ; Emergencies ; Emergency Medical Services ; Emergency Medicine ; Fires ; Humans ; Korea ; Prospective Studies ; Reaction Time