No abstract available.
Humans ; Hypertension* ; Perindopril*

BACKGROUND: Drug-induced Parkinsonism(DIP) is the second commonest cause of Parkinsonism, after idiopathic Parkinson's disease(IPD). DIP is frequently produced by antipsychotic drugs. But the clinical characteristics of DIP did not get attention by neurologist. So we studied the clinical profiles of DIP patients. METHODS: We studied the clinical profiles of thirthone patients who showed parkinsonism after antipsychotic drug treatment. We compared the score of motor part of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale(UPDRS) between trihexyphenidyl(n=15) & amantadine(n=16) monotherapy group(initial & 4 week after treatment). RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 45 years. Bradykinesia was the 1st symptom in 26 patients(94%), tremor in 5 patients(6%). In 25 patients(81%), the first symptom appeared within 1 week after sntipsychotic treatment. There was a statistical significant negative correlation between the dosage of antipsychotic drug and the symptom-onset interval following treatment with antipsychotic drugs(simple correlation analysis, p>0.01). Bradykinesia and rigidity were appeared in all DIP patients, symmetric distribution was more common(94%, 87%) Tremor occurred in 27 patients (87%). In patients with tremor, postural or action tremor was dominant in 15 patients(56%) asymmetric distribution was more common(16/27, 59%). There are no statistical difference in motor score of UPDRS between trihexyphenidyl & amantadine monotherapy group(student t-test, p<0.05) CONCLUSIONS: Bradykinesia was the most common 1st symptom in DIP patients. Asymmertrical postural or action tremor was relativelly common in DIP. Amantadine showed the same efficacy in the treatment of DIP compared to anticholinergics.
Amantadine ; Antipsychotic Agents ; Cholinergic Antagonists ; Humans ; Hypokinesia ; Parkinson Disease ; Parkinsonian Disorders* ; Tremor ; Trihexyphenidyl

PURPOSE: It is widely known that allergic diseases progress through a sequential course known as the allergic march. However, there have been no recent reports in Korea regarding the progress of allergic diseases based on the medical claim data of the National Health Insurance Corporation. METHODS: Medical claim data of 2005 and 2008 from the National Health Insurance Corporation were used. Data was classified according to the administrative districts of metropolitan cities and provinces, and divided according to age in increments of 5 years. RESULTS: According to the nationwide survey on the prevalence of allergic diseases according to region, the prevalence of allergic diseases increased in 2008 compared to 2005. Especially, the prevalence of allergic rhinitis significantly rises in all regions. When comparing the prevalence of allergic diseases according to age, there was no significant difference in the prevalence of atopic dermatitis and asthma between 2005 and 2008. In contrast, allergic rhinitis demonstrated a rise of more than 5% in all age groups. CONCLUSION: According to the nationwide survey on the prevalence of allergic diseases using the medical claim data from the National Health Insurance Corporation, the prevalence of allergic rhinitis had significantly increased in 2008 compared to 2005. More survey studies should be conducted in the future using the medical claim data of the National Health Insurance Corporation.
Asthma ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Korea ; National Health Programs ; Prevalence ; Rhinitis ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial

PURPOSE: A conventional thyroidectomy requires a wide transverse incision on the anterior neck, which can cause significant scaring. We developed an endoscopic thyroid lobectomy using the breast approach and a low carbon dioxide pressure in order to produce better cosmetic results. We reports the clinical analysis of endoscopic thyroid lobectomy and compare the result with those from a conventional thyroid lobectomy. METHOD: From July 2003 and December 2004, 55 consecutive patients with benign thyroid nodules, who underwent endoscopic thyroid lobectomy, and 51 consecutive patients with benign thyroid nodules, who underwent a conventional thyroid lobectomy, were retrospectively reviewed. The preoperative diagnosis of the thyroid nodules was performed using high-resolution ultrasonography and fine- needle aspiration cytology. The clinical results of endoscopic thyroid lobectomy were analyzed and compared with those from a conventional thyroid lobectomy. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of the patients' gender, size of tumor, preoperative diagnosis (follicular tumor/adenomatous nodule), postoperative diagnosis (cancer/benign), level of postoperative discomfort, length of hospital stay. The patients who underwent endoscopic thyroidectomy were significantly younger than those underwent conventional thryoidectomy (37.4+/-10.3 years vs. 48.8+/-13.0 years; P<0.001). The operation time for the endoscopic group was significantly longer than that for the conventional group (171.9+/-35.6 min vs. 92.5+/-26.5 min; P<0.001). The length of closed drainage in the endoscopic group was longer than that in the conventional group (2.8+/-0.8 days vs. 1.4+/-1.3 days; P<0.001). However, these factors did not affect the length of the hospital stay, and the number of intraoperative complications. CONCLUSION: Endoscopic thyroid lobectomy using the breast approach and a low carbon dioxide pressure has cosmetic benefits and is a feasible and safe procedure.
Breast ; Carbon Dioxide ; Diagnosis ; Drainage ; Humans ; Intraoperative Complications ; Length of Stay ; Neck ; Needles ; Retrospective Studies ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Nodule ; Thyroidectomy ; Ultrasonography

PURPOSE: Coloanal anastomosis (CAA) following ultralow anterior resection became more popular techniques for preservation of anal sphincter in distal rectal cancer. The purpose of this study is to evaluate a functional and oncologic safety of patients who underwent ultralow anterior resection and coloanal anastomosis for distal rectal cancer. METHODS: Forty-eight patients underwent coloanal anastomosis following ultralow anterior resection between January 1988 and January 1998. Main operative techniques were total mesorectal excision with autonomic nerve preservation. Colonic J pouch was made 8 cm in length with GIA 95. All patients were followed up for fecal or gas incontinence, frequency of bowel movement and local or systemic recurrences. RESULTS: Mean tumor distance from anal verge was 4.0 cm. Postoperative complications were transient urinary retention (N=7), anastomotic stenosis (N=3), anastomotic leakage (N=3), rectovaginal fistula (N=2), cancer positive margin (N=1; patient refuses reoperation). Overall recurrences occurred in 7/48 (14.5%). Local recurrence (N=1) and systemic recurrence (N=1) in Astler-Coller stage B2, local recurrence (N=1), systemic recurrence (N=2) and combined local and systemic recurrence (N=2) in Astler-Coller stage C2. Mean frequency of bowel movement were 6.1 per day at 3 month, 4.4 at 1 year and 3.1 at 2 years. Kirwan grade for fecal incontinence were 2.7 at 3 months, 1.8 at 1 year and 1.5 at 2 years. CONCLUSIONS: With careful selection of patients and good operative techniques, CAA can be performed safely in distal rectal cancer. Normal continence and acceptable frequency of bowel movements can be obtained at 1 year after operation without compromising the rate of local recurrence.
Anal Canal ; Anastomotic Leak ; Autonomic Pathways ; Colon ; Colonic Pouches ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Fecal Incontinence ; Humans ; Postoperative Complications ; Rectal Neoplasms* ; Rectovaginal Fistula ; Recurrence ; Urinary Retention

OBJECTIVES: The clinical manifestations of gout in Korea would be changed lately according to the rapid economical development and the development of diagnostic methods. This study was done to reveal the late clinical features of gout in Korea. METHODS: A retrospective study was done for the 90 gout patients who had been treated in Seoul Paik Hospital from March 1974 to August 1994. Age of onset, sex, duration of disease, serum uric acid level, uric acid concentration of 24 hour urine, joint of first attack, recurrently involved joints, X-ray of involved joint, frequency of tophi, renal ultrasonography, and associated diseases were analyzed. The uric acid levels of the 808 civilians who visited our hospital for the periodic health examination were used as a control value. RESULTS: 1) The serum uric acid level in Korean adults was 5.2+/-1.1mg/dL in male, 3.8+/-0.7mg/dL in female, and 4.7mg/dL in general. The serum uric acid concentration of the gout patients was 8.6+/-2.2mg/dL in male, 6.1+/-2.1mg/dL in female, and 8.5+/-2.3mg/dL in general. The age of onset was 46.4+/-12.9 years old and male to female ratio was 44: 1 2) The renal excretion of uric acid was 470+/-173 mg/day in gout patients. 3) The sites of first attack were first MTP joint(76%), tarsal joint(13%), knee(5%), and other MTP joints(5%) 4) The involved joints during the repeated attacks were first MTP joint(84%), tarsal joint(23%), and fingers(23%), The duration of disease was significantly longer and the serum uric acid concentration was higher in the patients with tophi than they are in the patients without. 5) The 4l% of patients showed hone change in X-ray. 6) The renal ultrasound examinations were abnormal in 42% of the patients and the serum uric acid concentrations were significantly higher. 7) Obesity was found in 68% of patients, hypertension in 39%, hyperlipidemia in 16%, and chronic renal disease in 12%. CONCLUSION: The clinical features of gout in our study were similar to those of others done in and out of Korea, except that the frequency of hypertringlyceridemia was much lower than that of the foreign countries.
Adult ; Age of Onset ; Arthritis, Gouty ; Female ; Gout* ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; Hypertension ; Hyperuricemia ; Joints ; Korea* ; Male ; Obesity ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul ; Ultrasonography ; Uric Acid

Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning has increased rapidly in South Korea and may cause a variety of clinical effects. The most common complications are neurologic and neuropsychological disturbances. However, in rare cases, CO poisoning may also be associated with acute kidney injury and non-traumatic rhabdomyolysis. Here, we report a case of acute kidney injury and rhabdomyolysis complicating CO poisoning. A 32-year-old woman was admitted to our emergency department with dyspnea and confused consciousness after exposure to CO during a suicide attempt involving charcoal briquettes. Laboratory findings revealed a carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) level of 44.8%, a blood urea nitrogen level of 20.5 mg/dL, a serum creatinine level of 1.4 mg/dL, and a creatine phosphokinase level of 8,688.3 IU/L. Acute kidney injury and rhabdomyolysis complicating CO poisoning were diagnosed. This case was managed with normobaric oxygen therapy and hydration. The patient recovered completely with respect to renal function and muscle enzyme level, and COHb level returned to 0%.
Acute Kidney Injury* ; Adult ; Blood Urea Nitrogen ; Carbon Monoxide Poisoning* ; Carbon Monoxide* ; Carbon* ; Carboxyhemoglobin ; Charcoal ; Consciousness ; Creatine Kinase ; Creatinine ; Dyspnea ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Oxygen ; Poisoning ; Rhabdomyolysis* ; Suicide

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to investigate trends in admission to the emergency department and the use of invasive or surgical procedures during hospitalization for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in Korea. METHODS: The National Health Insurance (NHI) claims database between 2007 and 2011 was used. We identified all admission claims that included codes from the tenth revision of the International Classification of Diseases beginning with I21 as the primary or secondary diagnosis. Information about the admission route, admission date, discharge date, and whether coronary artery angiography, angioplasty, or bypass surgery was performed was also obtained from the NHI database. RESULTS: Of the 513,886 relevant admission claims over the five years encompassed by this study, 295,001 discrete episodes of admission for AMI were identified by analyzing the date and length of each admission and the interval between admissions. The number of AMI admissions gradually decreased from 66,883 in 2007 to 47,656 in 2011. The number and proportion of admissions through the emergency department also decreased from 38,118 (57.0%) in 2007 to 24,001 (50.4%) in 2011. However, during the same period, admissions in which invasive or surgical procedures were performed increased from 15,342 (22.9%) to 17,505 (36.7%). CONCLUSIONS: The reported numbers of emergency department visits and admissions for AMI decreased from 2007 to 2011. However, only a small portion of the patients underwent invasive or surgical procedures during hospitalization, although the number of admissions involving invasive or surgical procedures has increased. These findings suggest that simply counting the number of admission claims cannot provide valid information on trends in AMI occurrence.
Angiography ; Angioplasty ; Coronary Vessels ; Diagnosis ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Hospitalization* ; Humans ; International Classification of Diseases ; Korea ; Myocardial Infarction* ; National Health Programs* ; Vascular Surgical Procedures

Acute encephalopathies can be defined as an acute central nervous system (CNS) insult, due to an underlying pathology. The clinical symptoms almost always include an acute state of confusion and cognitive impairment. Toxic encephalopathies can occur acutely or chronically depending on the toxic drugs and other substances as well as the individual metabolism of the drug. The organs acutely affected include the heart, lung and kidneys. However, the brain, spinal cord and sympathetic nerves can be affected chronically. If the toxic substance passes through the bloodbrain barrier into the hypothalamus and the posterior pituitary gland, the result can be diabetes insipidus. If the substance affects the anterior pituitary gland, the result can include hormone dysfunction, impaired immune function and altered cognition or personality. We report a patient that developed acute toxic encephalopathy after the prescribed dose of oxycodone was exceeded.
Brain ; Central Nervous System ; Cognition ; Diabetes Insipidus ; Heart ; Humans ; Hypothalamus ; Kidney ; Lung ; Neurotoxicity Syndromes ; Oxycodone ; Pituitary Gland, Anterior ; Pituitary Gland, Posterior ; Spinal Cord

PURPOSE: To investigate the association between concentrations of air pollutants and the prevalence of allergic diseases/pulmonary function among elementary school students. METHODS: There were 1,262 students in the second grade of 11 elementary schools in Incheon. At each school, 5-year mean concentration of carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, sulfur dioxide and PM10 (particulate matter with diameter < or =10 microm) were calculated via the Geographic Information System through the database of the National Institute of Environmental Research. The association was compared by two ways of grouping. First, the schools were classified into adjacent and nonadjacent schools by whether the school was located within or away 1 km from air pollutant-emitting facilities. Second, the schools were divided into 2 groups: those with relatively high concentrations of air pollutants based on the median level of 5-year mean concentrations and those with low concentrations. RESULTS: The concentrations of air pollutants except ozone were higher in adjacent schools than nonadjacent schools. The students of adjacent schools showed a lower level of forced expiratory volume in one second and peak expiratory flow, and higher prevalence of 'difficulty of speaking due to dyspnea, within the last year' than those of nonadjacent schools. The prevalence of this speaking difficulty was higher in schools with relatively high concentrations of nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and PM10 groups than in those with low concentrations of them. The relatively high level of PM10 group increased the prevalence of allergic rhinitis than the low level of PM10 group. CONCLUSION: Air pollutants may influence an increase in the prevalence of allergic diseases, especially allergic rhinitis, and a decrease in the pulmonary function in students.
Air Pollutants ; Asthma ; Carbon Monoxide ; Dyspnea ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Geographic Information Systems ; Humans ; Nitrogen Dioxide ; Ozone ; Prevalence ; Rhinitis ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; Sulfur Dioxide