No abstract available.
Denture Liners* ; Dentures*

The present study was designed to evaluate the efficiency of total lactate dehydrogenase, total creatine kinase, LD1/LD2 ratio, CK-MB and newly developed troponin T in acute myocardial infarction. The level of troponin T was 0.010.02 pg/L in 34 healthy person, but the peak vaule of acute myocardial infarction ranged in 4.7-24.2 pg/L. Total lactate dehydrogenase was peaked in 1 to 3 days after chest pain and then progressively decreased, but LD1/LD2 ratio was persistently higher than 1.0 for 10 days in most patients. Total creatine kinase and CK-MB were peaked in 1-2 days, and normalized in 3-4 days, so they, were useful in early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction, but not for the late stages of acute myocardiz l infarction. Troponin T is early elevated and persistently high level for more than 10 days. Comparing with total lactate dehydrogenase, total creatine kinase, LD1/LD2 ratio and CK-MB, troponin-T test improves the efficiency of serodiagnostic method for the detection of ischemic myocardial damage.
Chest Pain ; Creatine Kinase ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Infarction ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase* ; Lactic Acid* ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Phosphotransferases* ; Troponin T* ; Troponin*

Assays for HBsAg, HBV DNA, anti-HBc and anti-HBs of 285 units of packed red blood cells supplied by Taegu Red Cross Blood Center were performed to evaluate the correlation between the prevalence of HBV DNA and the serologic markers for hepatitis B virus. None of 285 plasma samples was positive for HBsAg, however, HBV DNA were detected by polymerase chain reaction in 2 samples which both presented only with anti-HBc positivity.. Of 204 samples tested for anti-HBs, 96 samples(47.1%) were positive and among 216 samples tested for anti-HBc, 80 samples(37.0%) were positive. Of 193 samples tested for both anti-HBs and anti-HBc, 80(41.1%) were all negative and 48(24.9%) were positive on both tests. Those samples which showed positivity only to anti-HBc were 25(13.0%). Considering the above results, transfusion-transmitted hepatitis B virus infection could be prevented by discarding anti-HBc positive blood, however, that may bring insufficient supply of donor bloods in the country like Korea where the prevalence of anti-HBc is high. Anti-HBc positive blood unequivocally positive for anti-HBs should be considered noninfectious for HBV and should be allowed to be transfused. It would reduce the amount of discarding donor blood as the routine blood donor screening tests presently used at Korea Red Cross Blood Center supplemented by anti-HBs and anti-HBc testing.
Blood Donors ; Daegu ; DNA* ; Erythrocytes* ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B virus ; Humans ; Korea ; Mass Screening ; Plasma ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence* ; Red Cross ; Tissue Donors

Major pathogenic Gramnegative organisms such as P. aeruginosa, Serratia species, E. coli, Enterobacter species which are isolated from the specimens in large medical centers are greatly resistant to the commonly used antibiotics. Gramnegative bacilli, which had been isolated in Yeungnam Uni rersity Hospital during the period from December 1992 to April 1993 and turned out to be resistant to the primary antibiotics susceptibility test for chloramphenicoi, ampicillin, eephaiothin,- geniamicitt, tetracyclin, amikin and tobramycin, were subjected to the secondary antibiotics susceptibility test for aztreonam, ceftazidime, ciprofloxacine, cefotaxime, cefamandole, piperacillin, ticarcillin and sulfamethoxazole trimethopime. Out of 315 tested organisms, 167 organisms (53%) were resistant to all secondary antibiotics in vitro. Antimicrobial activity of ceftazidime (37.1%), aztreonam (11. %), ciprofloxacine (7.9%) against Gram negative bacilli were slightly more active than other antibiotics tested, while cefamandole was not active to all the Gramnegative bacilli tested. According to the specimens, E. coli was the most frequently resistant organisms to the primary antibiotics from urine, A. baumanii, from respiratory system and wounds, and P. aeruginosa from various specimens. In summary, Gram negative bacilli resistant to the primarily applied antibiotics also were resistant to the secondary antibiotics. Rearrangement of the antibiotics disks for the antibiotic susceptibility test should be considered.
Amikacin ; Ampicillin ; Anti-Bacterial Agents* ; Aztreonam ; Cefamandole ; Cefotaxime ; Ceftazidime ; Ciprofloxacin ; Enterobacter ; Piperacillin ; Respiratory System ; Serratia ; Sulfamethoxazole ; Ticarcillin ; Tobramycin ; Wounds and Injuries

The ESR is one of the oldest laboratory test still in use. Although it lacks specificity in diagnosis, it can be effective for monitoring disease activity and following-up. The Westergren method is used for reference method, however coefficient of variation has been described 0.8% to 22.9% according to the literature. Since the ESR was invented in 1921, measurement technique has developed and automated measurement is introduced. We analyzed one hundred forty-three patient samples using SEDIsystem' automated ESR measuring system and compared with modified Westergren and Wintrobe methods. Comparison between SEDIsystem' and modified Westergren for ESR measurement yields the following regression equation; y = 0.863x - 1.69 (r=0.830), SEDIsystem'M and Wintrobe y'= 1.14x - 14.7 (r=0.789), rcspectively. We repeated measurement to evaluate reliability, results are not significant in statistically. In conclusion, SEDIsysten' automated ESR measurement correlated with modified Westergren and Wintro" ; methods, reveal reliable results after 4 hours and can report rapidly for large samples. Thus, these results indicate that SEDIsystenT"' automated ESR measurement may be useful tool for clinical practice.
Diagnosis ; Humans ; Sensitivity and Specificity

No abstract available.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical outcomes of intrauterine insemination (IUI) according to the catheter used. MATERIALS AND METHOD: From March 1998 to September 1998, total 95 infertile patients were included in this study. Patients were randomly allocated to TomCat group (n = 39) and Mackler group (n = 56) according to the catheter for insemination. The controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) using luteal long protocol of gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) was used in all patients. Statistical analysis was performed using Student's t-test, Fisher's exact test, and x2 test as appropriate. Statistical significance was defined as p < 0.05. RESULTS: The total dose and duration of exogeneous gonadotropin required were similar between the two groups. There were also no significant differences in serum estradiol (E2) level, endometrial thickness and texture on the day of hCG administration between the two groups. However, the percentage of uterine souding due to failure of initial approach was significantly higher in TomCat group compared to Mackler group (23.1% vs. 0%, p < 0.01). The percentage of bleeding after IUI in TomCat group seemed to be higher than that in Mackler group (15.4% vs. 3.6%, p = 0.06), although there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups. There was also no significant difference in the clinical pregnancy rate per patient between the two groups. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that using Mackler catheter might be effective for IUI, especially for the patients with cervical factor infertility.
Catheters* ; Estradiol ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; Gonadotropins ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Infertility ; Insemination* ; Pregnancy Rate

We measured fasting Serum Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (SACE) in 100 healthy controls and 75 coal worker's pneumoconiosis (CWP) patients by a commercial kits (ACEcolor®, Fujirio Inc., Japan) and evaluated this manual method. The linear range extends to an activity of 80U/L. Precision on a commercial control serum (ACE control-N®, Sigma Co.) with a mean value of 9.47U/L yielded a within-run and between-run CVs are 5.6% (N=15) and 6.9% (N=14) respectively. Save in 75 CWP was 20.3±5.7U/L (mean±s.d.); higher than in healthy controls (13.4±3.9U/L, P<0.01). No correlation was found between SACE, sex, and age. The results suggest that the measurement for SACE and follow-up SACE in coal workers may be a useful diagnostic tools for CWP.
Anthracosis* ; Coal* ; Fasting ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Methods

Four subtypes of hepatitis B surface antigen are useful in the epidemiologic studies of the route of virus transmission and clinical significance of simultaneous occurance of hepatitis B surface antigen and antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen in the same serum as well as useful marker for population migration. The sera were obtained from 214 HBs Ag positive patients who are diagnosed as chronic liver disease and following up in the Yeungnam university hospital. The subtypes were determined by solid-phase sandwich EM using monoclonal antibodies. Among 214 specimens, the subtype adr was 93.9%, adw was 2.8%, ayr was 0.9%, ar was 0.9%, adwr was 1.4% and ayw was not detected. There were no correlation between subtype pattern and disease. In summary, the subtype adr was prominent in our study and the difference of subtype pattern by severity of disease was not significant. However, to determine the prognostic value of HBs Ag subtype and relationship between subtype and disease progression, long-term follow up will be needed.
Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Disease Progression ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens* ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Liver Diseases* ; Liver*

Reviewing the results of the blood cultures performed at Yeungnam University Hospital during 4-year-period through January, 1, 1984 to December 31, 1987, the following results were obtained. 1) Out of 8083 blood specimens cultured microorganisms grew in 582 specimens with positivity rate of 7.20%. Polymicrobial bacteremia was found in 16 patients. 2) Among 582 positive specimens, Gram-positive cocci grew in 189 specimens, and Gram-negative bacilli, in 393 specimens. Clinically significant microorganisms consisted of 82 Staphylococcus aureus, and 20 Streptococcus species in Gram-positive cocci group, 80 Salmonella typhi, 72 Escherichia coli, 72 Salmonella paratyphi A in Enterobacteriaceae, and 46 Pseudomonas cepacia, and 16 Pseudomonas aeruginosa in glucose non-fermenting microorganisms. 3) Increasing incidence of Serratia, Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas species as major nosocomial infection source is noteworthy. They showed increased tendency from 6.3% of 1984 to 17.7% of 1987 of total positive blood cultures. 4) High isolation rate of Pseudomonas species and Aeromonas hydrophila was noted in summer, while Salmonella typhi showed high prevalence from May to September and in January. 5) In susceptibility tests of isolated organisms, staphylococcus aureus was sensitive to basic antimicrobial agents except for ampicillin. The glucose non-fermenting microorganisms showed high resistance to basic antimicrobial agents in 32.2%. In conclusion, considering the relatively higher incidence of growth of Staphylococcus epidermidis than ideal level indicates that sampling technique should be improved. Secondly, all the hospital staffs in cooperation with Hospital Infection Committee are desirable to pay efforts to decrease the nosocomial infection.
Acinetobacter ; Aeromonas hydrophila ; Ampicillin ; Anti-Infective Agents ; Bacteremia ; Burkholderia cepacia ; Cross Infection ; Enterobacteriaceae ; Escherichia coli ; Glucose ; Gram-Positive Cocci ; Humans ; Incidence ; Prevalence ; Pseudomonas ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; Salmonella paratyphi A ; Salmonella typhi ; Serratia ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Staphylococcus epidermidis ; Streptococcus