OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence of hypertension, rates of awareness, treatment modalities, and control of hypertension, and also to identify factors in rural Korea that are related to these aspects of hypertension. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey, including blood pressure(BP) measurements and interviews, investigating the variables in the health belief model was performed from August to November, 1999 on 1,426 (79.4%) study subjects out of 1,797 registered residents over 30 years old in Ibansong-Myun, Chinju City. A second survey was performed from January to March, 2000 on 376 (80.0%) subjects out of 470 hypertensive (or suspected hypertensive) subjects found in the first survey. Two BP readings were taken in each survey using a standard mercury sphygmomanometer. Hypertension was defined as either a BP reading < 140/90 mmHg in both surveys, or as subjects on oral hypertensive medication. RESULTS: Estimated hypertension prevalence was 24.9% for men, and 30.4% for women. Rates of hypertension awareness, treatment (the regular use of oral hypertensives), and control (reduction of BP to <140/90 mmHg) were 52.5%, 34.4%, and 12.9%, respectively. The factors related to lower hypertension awareness in the logistic regression analysis were male gender, farming occupation, and higher perceived barrier to medical treatment (those for whom visiting health professionals is a burden). CONCLUSIONS: To improve the low awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension, a more active and out-reaching hypertension control program, including routine BP measurements for every visitor to primary care facilities, is needed in rural Korea.
Adult ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Gyeongsangnam-do ; Health Occupations ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Korea* ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Occupations ; Prevalence* ; Primary Health Care ; Reading ; Sphygmomanometers

No abstract available.
Animals ; Horns* ; Kidney*

Gastric hemangioma in the neonatal period is a very rare cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding. We present a case of hemangioma limited to the gastric cavity in a 10-day-old infant. A huge, erythematous mass with bleeding was observed on the lesser curvature side of the upper part of the stomach. Surgical resection was ruled out because the location of the lesion was too close to the gastroesophageal junction. Medical treatment with intravenous H₂ blockers, octreotide, packed red blood cell infusions, local epinephrine injection at the lesion site, application of hemoclip, and gel-form embolization of the left gastric artery did not significantly alter the transfusion requirement. Hemostasis was achieved with endoscopic argon plasma coagulation (APC). After two sessions of APC, complete removal of the lesion was achieved. APC was a simple, safe and effective tool for hemostasis and the ablation of gastric hemangioma without significant complications.
Argon Plasma Coagulation* ; Argon* ; Arteries ; Epinephrine ; Erythrocytes ; Esophagogastric Junction ; Hemangioma* ; Hemorrhage ; Hemostasis ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn* ; Octreotide ; Stomach

PURPOSE: Undernutrition during hospitalization increases the risk of nosocomial infection and lengthens the disease courses. The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk factors of weight loss during hospitalization in children. METHODS: All the patients who were admitted in general wards between April and May 2014 were enrolled. Patients aged >18 years and discharged within 2 days were excluded. Weight loss during hospitalization was defined as a decrease in body weight of >2% in 8 hospital days or on the day of discharge. Patients who lost body weight during hospitalization were compared with patients who maintained their body weights. Significant parameters were evaluated by using the multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: We enrolled 602 patients, of whom 149 (24.8%) lost >2% of their body weight. Complaint of pain (p=0.004), admission to the surgical department (p=0.001), undergoing surgery (p=0.044), undergoing abdominal surgery (p=0.034), and nil per os (NPO) durations (p=0.003) were related to weight loss during hospitalization. The patients who had high weight-for-age tended to lose more body weight (p=0.001). Admission to the surgical department (odds ratio [OR], 1.668; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.054-2.637; p=0.029) and long NPO durations (OR, 1.496; 95% CI, 1.102-2.031; p=0.010) were independent risk factors of weight loss during hospitalization. The patients with high weight-for-age tended to lose more weight during hospitalization (OR, 1.188; 95% CI, 1.029-1.371; p=0.019). CONCLUSION: Greater care in terms of nutrition should be taken for patients who are admitted in the surgical department and have prolonged duration of nothing by mouth.
Body Weight ; Child* ; Cross Infection ; Hospitalization* ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Malnutrition ; Mouth ; Patients' Rooms ; Prevalence* ; Risk Factors* ; Weight Loss*

BACKGROUND: Patients with non-Q wave myocardial infarction tend to have smaller infarcts and less degree of ventricular function impairment initially, however, uncomplicated non-Q wave infarctions are known to be as serious as Q wave myocardal infarction due to residual myocardal ischemia and higher reinfarction rate. METHODS: Inorder to compare the clinical and coronary angiographic findings of Q wave infarction with those of non-Q wave infarction. 58 partients with acute myocardial infarction were reviewed retrospectively. Patients were classified into Q wave(n=45) and non-Q wave infarction(n=13) according to electrocardiographic findings. RESULTS: 1) There were no significant differences between the two groups in risk factors of coronary artery disease such as hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, smoking and diabets mellitus. 2) The peak myocardial enzyme levels of CPK, CPK-MB were significantly higher in the Q wave MI group, and the percentage of wall motion abnormality on two-dimensional echocardiography was significantly higher in Q wave MI than in the non-Q wave MI group. 3) The number of involved vessel, degree of stenosis and collateral circulation were not different but high degree of stenosis of infarct-related artery was more frequent in Q wave MI group. 4) There were no significant differences between the two groups in the incidence of arrhythmia and in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSION: There were some differences in clinical and angiographic findings, but in-hospital mortality was not significant different between two groups. Futher prospective studies should be performed to clarify the long term prognosis.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Arteries ; Collateral Circulation ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Echocardiography ; Electrocardiography ; Hospital Mortality ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Infarction ; Ischemia ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Ventricular Function

We report a case of borderzone infarction which was developed after the coil embolization of unruptured internal carotid-posterior communicating artery aneurysm. Post-procedural angiography and brain computerized tomographic scan did not reveal any abnormality. However, brain magnetic resonance image (MRI) showed a wedge-shaped borderzone cerebral infarction between left middle cerebral artery and left anterior cerebral artery territory. It was suspected to be a manifestation of hypoperfusion in the internal carotid artery territory, caused by hemodynamic instability during the procedure. In order to prevent this unexpected serious complication, using the continuous hemodynamic monitoring during aneurysmal coil embolization, such as transcranial doppler ultrasonography, should be considered.
Aneurysm ; Angiography ; Anterior Cerebral Artery ; Arteries ; Brain ; Carotid Artery, Internal ; Cerebral Infarction ; Embolization, Therapeutic* ; Hemodynamics* ; Infarction* ; Intracranial Aneurysm* ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial

PURPOSE: This study clarified the bacterial pathogens currently causing acute infectious enterocolitis (AIE) in children and evaluated the clinical characteristics and ultrasonographic findings according to the different pathogens. METHODS: Medical records regarding age, sex, clinical symptoms, laboratory data, identified enteropathogens, ultrasonographic findings, treatment, and outcome of 34 patients who were diagnosed with AIE via stool examination using multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or culture, were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Twenty-four patients (70.6%) were male. The mean age of the patients was 8.5±6.2 (range, 1.1–17.1) years. Six bacterial pathogens were isolated: Salmonella species (spp.) (32.4%), Campylobacter spp. (20.6%), verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (14.7%), Staphylococcus aureus (11.8%), Clostridium difficile (8.8%), and Shigella spp. (2.9%). Abdominal pain occurred in all patients regardless of pathogen. The patients infected with Salmonella were older than those infected with verotoxin-producing E. coli (p<0.05). C-reactive protein levels were higher in patients with Salmonella and Campylobacter infections than in those with verotoxin-producing E. coli infection (p<0.05), the other clinical and laboratory data were indistinguishable between pathogens. Ultrasonography demonstrated diverse involvement of bowel segments according to pathogen. Wall thickening of both the ileum and the entire colon was the most common lesion site regardless of pathogen. CONCLUSION: Various bacterial agents cause AIE and the symptoms are diverse symptoms, however, all most children recovered spontaneously. Use of multiplex PCR on stool samples warrants improvement of its sensitivity for diagnosis of enteropathogenic bacteria. Ultrasonographic examination is useful for diagnosis of AIE; it can also detect the disease extent and severity.
Abdominal Pain ; Bacteria ; C-Reactive Protein ; Campylobacter ; Campylobacter Infections ; Child* ; Clostridium difficile ; Colon ; Diagnosis ; Enterocolitis* ; Humans ; Ileum ; Male ; Medical Records ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Retrospective Studies ; Salmonella ; Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli ; Shigella ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to compare the short term clinical efficacy and complications of photoselective vaporization for benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH), which was classified by the prostate size. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The clinical data of 309 men with BPH, who had undergone photoselective vaporization for prostate(PVP) using potassium-titanyl-phosphate(KTP) laser, between January 2005 and December 2006, were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were classified into three groups by their prostate size(<40cc; group I, 40-60cc; group II, >60cc; group III). The clinical efficacy of each group was compared in terms of the International Prostate Symptom Score(IPSS), quality of life(QoL) index, changes in the maximum urinary flow rate(Qmax), postvoid residual urine(PVR), complications and postoperative outcomes. The mean follow-up period was 6.4 months. RESULTS: The postoperative parameters were significantly improved in all patients(p<0.05). With respect to each of the three classified groups, the postoperative parameters of each group were also significantly improved (p<0.05). However, in group III, the postoperative IPSS and QoL index were lower than the average value. Especially, the items for frequency, nocturia and urgency of the IPSS resulted in bad grades. The rate of complications in group III were higher than those in groups I and II, such as urinary retention, delayed hematuria, urethral stricture and bladder neck contracture. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the excellence of KTP, careful consideration must be given when the operation is performed on patients with a large prostate size.
Contracture ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Male ; Neck ; Nocturia ; Prostate* ; Prostatic Hyperplasia* ; Retrospective Studies ; Urethral Stricture ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Retention ; Volatilization*

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical features and extraintestinal manifestations (EIMs) of Crohn disease (CD) in Korean pediatric patients. METHODS: The medical records of 73 children diagnosed with CD were retrospectively reviewed. Data regarding baseline demographic and clinical characteristics, including CD phenotype at diagnosis based on the Montreal classification, and clinical features and course of EIMs were investigated. RESULTS: Fifty-two (71.2%) of the patients were males. The mean age of the patients was 12.5 years. The mean follow-up period was 3.4 years. The disease location was ileal in 3 (4.1%) of the patients, colonic in 13 (17.8%), ileocolonic in 56 (76.7%). The clinical behavior was inflammatory in 62 (84.9%) of the patients, stricturing in 8 (11.0%), and penetrating in 3 (4.1%). Perianal abscesses or fistulas were found in 37 (50.7%) of the patients. EIMs observed during the study period were anal skin tag in 25 patients (34.2%), hypertransaminasemia in 20 (27.4%), peripheral arthritis in 2 (2.7%), erythema nodosum in 2 (2.7%), vulvitis in 1 (1.4%), uveitis in 1 (1.4%), and pulmonary thromboembolism in 1 (1.4%). CONCLUSION: Perianal diseases and manifestations were present in more than half of Korean pediatric CD patients at diagnosis. Inspection of the anus should be mandatory in Korean children with suspicious CD, as perianal fistulas, abscesses, and anal skin tags may be the first clue to the diagnosis of CD.
Abscess ; Anal Canal ; Arthritis ; Child* ; Classification ; Colon ; Crohn Disease* ; Diagnosis ; Erythema Nodosum ; Fistula ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Medical Records ; Phenotype ; Pulmonary Embolism ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin ; Uveitis ; Vulvitis

Rhabdomyolysis is defined as skeletal muscle injury with release of muscle cell constituents into the plasma. Trauma and drugs are important causes of rhabdomyolysis and not rarely it is associated with metabolic disorders such as diabetic coma, severe electrolyte disturbances and myxedema coma. There are a few reports about rhabdomyolysis developed in patient with thyroid storm. which is defined as a sudden, life threatening exacerbation of thyrotoxicosis. In this report, we described the case of thyroid storm complicated by rhabdomyolysis.
Coma ; Diabetic Coma ; Humans ; Muscle Cells ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Myxedema ; Plasma ; Rhabdomyolysis* ; Thyroid Crisis* ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyrotoxicosis