BACKGROUND: The causes of chest pain vary but the leading cause of chest pain is ischemic heart disease. Mortality from ischemic chest pain has increased more than two fold over the last ten years. The purpose of this study was to determine the data necessary for rapid treatment of patients with signs and symptoms of ischemic chest pain in the emergency department (ED). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We interviewed 170 patients who had ischemic chest pain in the emergency department of Yeungnam University Hospital over 6 months with a protocol developed for the evaluation. The protocol used included gender, age, arriving time, prior hospital visits, methods of transportation to the hospital, past medical history, final diagnosis, and outcome information from follow up. RESULTS: Among 170 patients, there were 118 men (69.4%) and the mean age was 63 years. The patients diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) were 106 (62.4%) and with angina pectoris (AP) were 64 (37.6%). The patients who had visited another hospital were 68.8%, twice the number that came directly to this hospital (p<0.05). The ratio of patients who visited another hospital were higher for the AMI (75.5%) than the AP (59.4%) patients (p<0.05). The median time spent deciding whether to go to hospital was 521 minutes and for transportation was 40 minutes. With regard to patients that visited another hospital first, the median time spent at the other hospital was 40 minutes. The total median time spent before arriving at our hospital was 600 minutes (p>0.05). The patients who had a total time delay of over 6 hours was similar 54.8% in the AMI group and 57.9% in the AP group (p>0.05). As a result, only 12.2% of the patients with an AMI received thrombolytics, and 48.8% of them had a simultaneous percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). In the emergency department 8.5% of the patients with an AMI died. CONCLUSION: Timing is an extremely important factor for the treatment of ischemic heart disease. Most patients arrive at the hospital after a long time lapse from the onset of chest pain. In addition, most patients present to a different hospital before they arrive at the final hospital for treatment. Therefore, important time is lost and opportunities for treatment with thrombolytics and/or PCI are diminished leading to poor outcomes for many patients in the ED. The emergency room treatment must improve for the identification and treatment of ischemic heart disease so that patients can present earlier and treatment can be started as soon as they present to an emergency room.
Angina Pectoris ; Chest Pain* ; Diagnosis ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Service, Hospital* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Mortality ; Myocardial Infarction ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Thorax* ; Transportation

Clincal studies were made on 166 cases of spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), were admitted to the keimyung university Dongsan hospital from January 1981 to March 1984. The age and sex distribution, causes of SAH, clinical symptoms and signs, computed tomographic (CT) findings, aneurysmal site, number and size, comparison between the highest density on CT findings and site of aneurysm confirmed by angiography,relationship between CT class and clinical grade, complication, and relationship between hospital course and clinical grade on admission were analysed. The results summarized as follow. 1. The most prevalent age group was between 41-60 years of age, and above 61 years, 31-40 years and below 30 years of age in the order of frequency. Male to female ratio was 43.4 : 56.6. 2. The most common causes of 100 cases of SAH confirmed by cerebral angiography was cerebral aneurysm (75 cases), and the other causes were unknown cause (16 cases), arteriovenous malformation (6 cases), moyamoya disease (3 cases) in the order of frequency. 3. The clinical symptoms on admission in the order of frequency were headache, nausea and vomiting, brief loss of consciousness, dizziness, seizure, and urinary incontinence. The neurological findings showed stiffneck, hemiparesis, cranial nerve palsies, papilledema and/or hemorrhage on the fundus, and Babinski sign in that order. 4. CT findings (158 cases) revealed typical high densities consistent with SAH in 125 cases (79.1%), associated with the low density (13 cases), and visible cerebral aneurysm (5 cases), while negative findings were 33 cases (20.9%). 5. The most common site of aneurysm among the 75 cases of SAH confirmed by the cerebral angiography was the region of the anterior communicating artery (AcomeA) which accounted for 30 cases (35.3%), and posterior communicating artery (PcomeA) and middle cerebral artery (MCA) 23 cases (27%), respectively, the internal carotid artery 5 cases (5.9%), the anterior ecrebral artery (ACA) 2 cases (2.4%), the posterior inferior cerebellar artery and basilar artery 1 cases (1.2%), respectively in the order of frequency. Among the 75 cases of cerebral aneurysms, single aneurysms were 67 cases (89.3%) and multiple aneurysms were 8 cases (10.7%). The most common size of the aneurysms was 6-10 mm (47 cases), and below 5 mm (30 cases), and above 10 mm (8 cases) in the order of frequency. 6. Sixteen out of 27 cases of AcomA aneurysms present the highest density on CT scan in the anterior hemispheric fissure, 9 out of 22 cases of PcomA aneurysms in syulvian fissure and 6 cases in suprasellar cistern, and all cases of MCA aneurysm (21 cases) in the ipsilateral aneurysmal site. 7. Comparison between CT grade by Davis (1980) and clinical grade by Hunt-Hesse (1968) revealed that the 93 of 94 patients (pts) with CT class 1 or 2 belong to under clinical grade 3, the 17 of 64 pts with CT class 3 or 4 belong to clinical grade IV or V, and the 17 of 18 pts with clinical grade IV or V belong to CT class 3 or 4. 8. The most common complication was the hydrocephalus (30.1%), and cerebral arterial spasm (24.1%), SIADH (8.4%), and rebleeding confirmed by lumbar puncture and/or CT (4.2%), in the order of frequency. 9. One hundred and four pts (62.7%) out of total 166 patient with SAH were improved, whereas 39 pts (23.5%) were not improved or signed out without clinical improvement, and 23 pts (13.8%) were died. The 81 (77.9%) of 104 pts who were improved belong to clinical grade I or II on admission, the 18 (78.3%) of 23 pts who were expired belong to clinical grade III or IV, and the 19 (48.7%) of 39 pts who were signed out without improvement belong to clinical grade III to V.
Aneurysm ; Arteries ; Arteriovenous Malformations ; Basilar Artery ; Carotid Artery, Internal ; Cerebral Angiography ; Cranial Nerve Diseases ; Dizziness ; Female ; Headache ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Inappropriate ADH Syndrome ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; Male ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Moyamoya Disease ; Nausea ; Papilledema ; Paresis ; Reflex, Babinski ; Seizures ; Sex Distribution ; Spasm ; Spinal Puncture ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Unconsciousness ; Urinary Incontinence ; Vomiting

PURPOSE: To determine the degree of control-grade of exotropia and related clinical factors in patients diagnosed with intermittent exotropia. METHODS: One hundred seventy-six patients with a diagnosis of intermittent exotropia were evaluated for control of their deviation. The relationship to age at onset and diagnosis, time interval between the onset and diagnosis, refractive error, visual acuity, near stereopsis, angle of deviation, type of exotropia, accompanied hypertropia, oblique overaction and AV pattern were investigated. RESULTS: Mean control grade is 2.76+/-1.56 point and 114 (65%) were within range of grades from excellent to fair. Poor control of exotropia was significantly correlated with poor near stereopsis (p=0.000), long time interval (p=0.033), binocular amblyopia (p=0.000), large angle of exodeviation (p=0.028), convergence insufficiency type (p=0.017), accompanied hypertropia (p=0.008), AV pattern (p=0.003), and oblique overaction (p=0.000). Among these factors, the influences of stereopsis, hypertropia, oblique overaction, convergence insufficiency type were statistically significant when multiple linear regression analysis was performed (p=0.000, 0.026, 0.044, 0.011 respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The factors of near stereopsis, accompanied hypertropia, oblique overaction and convergence insufficiency type correlated significantly with control of exotropia which may interfere with fusion and contribute to the prognosis of intermittent exotropia.
Amblyopia ; Depth Perception ; Diagnosis ; Exotropia* ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Ocular Motility Disorders ; Prognosis ; Refractive Errors ; Strabismus ; Telescopes ; Visual Acuity

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Diagnosis*

No abstract available.
Diagnosis, Differential*

No abstract available.
Sparganosis*

The lateral margin of the psoas muscle, contrasted by retroperitoneal fat, is usually visualized o plainabdominal radiography. Failure to visualize all or segment of lateral margin of the psoas muscle, so called psoassing, has been emphasized as reliable finding of retroperitoneal pathology. But the significance of psoas sign hasbeen controversial. The authors reevaluated ‘psoas sign’ by comparing 160 abdominal radiography with CT. Theresults were as follows: 1. In 160 supine radiographys, good visualization was present in 106 cases(66.3%), faintvisualizatin in 24(15.0%), segmental nonvisualization in 18(11.3%), and completer nonvisualization in 12(7.5%). In113 erect radiographs, good visualization was present in only 36 cases(31.9%). 2. Asymmetric visualization waspresent in 84 out of 160 cases. In patient with scoliosis, lateral margin of convex side was seen more clearlythan concave side, and this finding was statistically significant (p<0.005). 3. Ascites did not directly influenceto psoa visualization contrary to common belief. 4. In 54 cases of faint or nonvisualization, normal was16(29.6%), intraperitoneal pathology was 16(29.6%), and retroperitoneal pathology was 22(40.7%). 1) In normalpatient, psoas contact with kidney or intestine and deformed psoas muscle were responsible for poor visualization. 2) The major cause of poor visualization in intraperitoneal pathology were psoas contact with displaced kidney byhepatomegaly, ascites with scanty retroperitoneal fat and derformed psaos muscle. 3) The major cause of poorvisualization in retroperitoneal pathology were psoas invasion by tumor or inflammation, psoas conntact withenlarged kidney or perirenal lesion. 5. In summary, the mechanism of faint or nonvisualization of psoas marginwere: 1) psoas contact with normal or pathologic organs 2) psoas invasion by tumor or inflammation 3) deformedpsoas muscle 4) scanty retroperitoneal fat
Ascites ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Intestines ; Intra-Abdominal Fat ; Kidney ; Pathology ; Psoas Muscles ; Radiography ; Radiography, Abdominal ; Scoliosis

Pasteurella multocida, a Gram-negative coccobacillus, is part of the normal oral flora of many types of animals, including domestic dogs and cats. It is the etiologic agent of a variety of infectious diseases, such as hemorrhagic septicemia in cattle or fowl cholera in chiken. Although this is a primary pathogen in the animal world, infection due to Pasteurella multocida in man has been described with increasing frequency recently. The majority of individuals with pasteurella multocida pulmonary infection possess some underlying pulmonary diseases, most commonly bronchiectasis or COPD. With review of literature, We report a young man who developed the empyema caused by Pasteurella multocida.
Animals ; Bronchiectasis ; Cats ; Cattle ; Cholera ; Communicable Diseases ; Dogs ; Empyema ; Empyema, Pleural* ; Hemorrhagic Septicemia ; Lung Diseases ; Pasteurella multocida* ; Pasteurella* ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of LH receptor in folliculogenesis, we confirm the expression level of LH receptor (LH-R) mRNA in human granulosa cells (GCs) and its expression levels were analyzed by comparison to embryo developmental rate and pregnancy rate. MATERIALS AND METHODS: GCs were obtained at the time of oocyte retrieval from the patients undergoing IVF-ET program. The patients were divided into two groups: Group I (n=20) is poor responder (retrieved oocyte(s)< or =3ea), Group II (n=80) is normal responder (retrieved oocytes>3ea). After the extraction of total RNA, semiquantitative RT-PCR was performed and the expression level of LH-R mRNA was normalized by beta-actin. Statistical analysis was performed by using Chi(2) test, Student's t-test and Pearson correlation. RESULTS: In Group II, the relative values of LH-R mRNA (0.680 vs. 0.463, p<0.005) and pregnancy rate (54.7% vs. 23.1%, p<0.05) were significantly higher than in Group I. Number of retrieved oocyte(s) was gradually increased when the expression of LH-R mRNA was increased (p<0.05). But the quality of retrieved oocyte and transferred embryo were not related with the expression of LH-R mRNA. When the pregnancy rate was compared with FSH only group and FSH combined with hMG group in the ovarian stimulation protocol, FSH combined with hMG group was significantly higher than FSH only group in Group I (37.5% vs. 0%), and the expression of LH-R mRNA was significantly higher in hMG combined group than FSH only group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Expression level of LH-R mRNA has important role in ovarian function related with the response to gonadotrophin in human folliculogenesis. Furthermore these data might provide the evidence that additional use of hMG is helpful to poor responders.
Actins ; Embryonic Development ; Embryonic Structures ; Female ; Granulosa Cells ; Humans ; Oocyte Retrieval ; Oocytes ; Ovulation Induction ; Pregnancy Rate ; Pregnancy* ; Receptors, LH* ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger

BACKGROUND: Patients diagnosed as an advanced cancer and families need accurate information about the length of survival in order to plan for and to make the best use of the time that remains. The health care of that patient can then be redirected toward palliation and mobilizing resources to ensure a comfortable life. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the prognostic value of performance status plus some physical symptoms and some biological indices and there fore to assist in planning appropriate palliative care. METHODS: This study was performed on 161 patients, who had been diagnosed as advanced cancer in Korea University Guro Hospital from July 1999 to July 2000. : We requested Karnofsky performance status scale, mental status, jaundice, severity of pain, anorexia, voiding difficulty, dyspnea and dry mouth We assessed the biological indices by leukocyte count, plasma albumin, proteinuria. RESULTS: We could confirm 82 patients' death(54.37) of 151 patients. Univariate analysis showed that Karnofsky performance status scale, mental status, jaundice, severity of pain, anorexia, voiding difficulty, dyspnea, dry mouth, leukocyte count, albumin and proteinuria demonstrated a statistically significant predictive prognosis. Multivariate analysis using Cox's proportional hazard model showed that age, performance status, albumin, proteinuria were independent predictors of survival and severity of pain had the borderline value. CONCLUSION: Age, performance status, albumin and proteinuria were the independent prognostic factors for patients with advanced cancer.
Anorexia ; Delivery of Health Care ; Dyspnea ; Humans ; Jaundice ; Karnofsky Performance Status ; Korea ; Leukocyte Count ; Mouth ; Multivariate Analysis ; Palliative Care ; Prognosis ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Proteinuria ; Serum Albumin