OBJECTIVES: Schizophrenia manifests a variety of interindividual differences in therapeutic response to antipsychotics. This might be attributable to dopamine and serotonin receptors that a important target for various antipsychotics, and the D3 receptor(DRD3) alleles they carry. The purpose of our study was to investigate whether the plasma levels of homovanillic acid(HVA) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid(HIAA), and the polymorphism of DRD3 can be held as a predictor of treatment response ni chronic schizophrenic patients. METHODS: Therapeutic response for 16 korean schizophrenia patient treated during 48 weeks were assessed by PANSS used as the clinical symptom rating scales. The levels of concentration of HVA and 5-HIAA were examined by HPLC at baseline and at 48 weeks. We classified the polymorphism of DRD3 receptor using amplifying by polymerase chain reaction(PCR). RESULTS: Neither concentrations of HVA and 5-HIAA nor genotype of dopamine 3 receptor were not significantly associated with the therapeutic response. But, the patients who has A1 alleles of DRD3 gene showed poor therapeutic responses. CONCLUSION: A1 allele of DRD3 gene is associated with poor prognosis of chronic schizophrenia.
Alleles ; Antipsychotic Agents ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Dopamine* ; Genotype ; Homovanillic Acid ; Humans ; Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid ; Plasma* ; Prognosis ; Receptors, Dopamine D3* ; Receptors, Serotonin ; Schizophrenia ; Weights and Measures

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) on pressure ulcers which is a major, functionally-limiting medical problem impairing quality of life for many people each year. METHOD: Seven patients who had stage 3 pressure ulcers were enrolled for the study. Each patient was treated with 6 sessions of low-energy (0.10~0.15 mJ/mm2, 1,000 impulses) ESWT. The length, width, depth and soft tissue biopsy of pressure ulcers were evaluated every 2 weeks for 6 weeks. RESULTS: The length, width and depth decreased significantly after 2 weeks of ESWT application. Healthy granulation tissue was formed. Soft tissue biopsy revealed increased the number and size of capillaries and decreased inflammatory cells in treated case. CONCLUSION: ESWT promoted wound healing and revealed favorable histological changes in pressure ulcers. We suggest that ESWT can be used for the safety and effective management of pressure ulcer.
Biopsy ; Capillaries ; Granulation Tissue ; Humans ; Pressure Ulcer ; Quality of Life ; Shock ; Wound Healing

OBJECTIVES: The research was aimed at analyzing the contents of university intranet for systematically execution of the healthy information provision and healthy consultation services from 2000 January to 2004 December. METHODS: We have analyzed 300(28.3%) the instances of accomplished health consultation cases from the whole 1,059 instances which were the replied in a university intranet. RESULTS: According to the contents of health consultation in ICPC code, a general symptom 91 cases(30.3%) was most, muscle-skeletal system 44 cases(14.7%), and digestive system 43 cases(14.3%) in order of cases of health counselling. The symptoms and complaint with 155 cases(51.7%) were most in the distribution of the health counselling contents by 17 charter of ICPC. The most common reason of counselling by 17 charter of ICPC were as follows; questions about the symptom and diagnosis(118 cases, 39.3%), the preventive and treatment methods(91 cases, 30.0%), and medical fee(20cases, 6.7%) in order. We mainly answer on the content of health counselling were as follows; make an offer of medical information and knowledge(48.3%), recommend visit clinic or hospital(23.7%), guide to treatment(12.7%), and so on. CONCLUSIONS: This research showed that the program of health counselling may not meet completely the high quality and adequate distribution of health counselling by the intranet in a university by content analysis. The finding suggests that health counselling by intranet in a university may be used to supplement of systemic improvement on the intranet Q/A format from current lack of essential health information and security for the quality of the health counselling.
Computer Communication Networks* ; Counseling* ; Digestive System

BACKGROUNDS: To investigate the physical functioning state of the rural aged people and its related factors. METHODS: 458 older people aged 65 years or older living in a rural area were interviewed fromAug. 6 to Aug. 9, 2003. Socioeconomic characteristics, structural and functional social supports, chronic disease, stress, and obesity(using body mass index) were included to explore their influencing physical functioning. Physical functioning was measured by Physical Functioning(PF) scale constructed by 2-factor(mobility and self-care). Cronbach's alpha of social support and PF scales were 0.91, 0.89 respectively. After univariate analysis, multiple regression analysis was conducted to identify major contributing factors to physical functioning. RESULTS: 1) Person of younger age, higher education level, having job, higher economic status were more likely to show a higher degree of physical functioning in both male and female. 2) In those who having spouse, the physical functioning scores were significantly higher. And the aged people with high social support got higher physical functioning score. 3) In male with diabetes, physical functioning score were significantly lower. In female with arthritis, physical functioning score were significantly lower. 4) For the aged people which having higher stress, the physical function wasn't good. 5) In multiple regression analysis, for both male and female, physical functioning of those who have no job, lower social support, higher stress was bad. In male with chronic disease and female with arthritis, the physical functional score was lower. CONCLUSION: The physical functioning of some rural aged people were affected by various factors such as social, psychological, economic and physical factors. So diverse policy and programwill be necessary for improve physical functioning of rural older people.
Arthritis ; Chronic Disease ; Education ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Spouses ; Weights and Measures

A 17-year-old male patient complained of acutely developed severe paresthesia, pain, and weakness of the right lower extremity. He fell to the ground during performance of hand-stand physical exercise. Despite administration of conservative treatment for two weeks in a private clinic, motor function of the hip flexor and knee extensor were measured as poor grade. EMG showed femoral nerve and lateral femoral cutaneous nerve injury. Findings on MRI and CT revealed a mass measuring 8x5x7 cm in the iliac fossa. After evacuation of the hematoma(400 cc), neurologic dysfunction and thigh circumference were fully recovered, compared with the contralateral side, after one and half year follow up. This condition rarely occurs in individuals without coagulopathy. We reported on a rare case of iliacus hematoma and femoral neuropathy treated by surgical decompression in a patient with no coagulopathy.
Adolescent ; Decompression, Surgical ; Exercise ; Femoral Nerve ; Femoral Neuropathy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hematoma ; Hip ; Humans ; Knee ; Lower Extremity ; Male ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Paresthesia ; Thigh

PURPOSE: Central venous catheterization is widely used to supply substantial amounts of fluids, total parenteral nutrition and hemodialysis in renal failure patients, as well as for measuring the central venous pressure. The most common complications encountered during central venous catheterization include catheter-related infections and subsequent sepsis. Therefore, when fever exists in patients with a central venous catheter, an immediate blood culture should be performed, and if the fever persists, an infection must be suspected and the catheter immediately removed; a culture of the catheter tip should also be performed. To date, no definite clinical details relating to this matter have been reported. METHODS: Between December 2002 and March 2005, a retrospective study was undertaken using the medical records of 85 patients. In those patients where a fever lasted for more than 8 hours, or when catheterization was no longer needed, the catheter tip cultures were sent to the microbiology laboratory. Blood cultures were also performed on 49 patients with a fever. The Chi-square method using the PC SPSS program, with P value less than 0.05 as statically significant. RESULTS: Of the 85 patients where the catheters were removed, significant microorganisms were detected 20 of the 49 with a fever. Only 5 of the remaining 36 patients had their catheters spontaneously removed. Moreover, 14 of the 20 patients with significant microorganisms were found to have kept their catheter in place for more than 14 days. Of the 49 patients with a fever, in who blood cultures were undertaken, 13 showed specific microorganisms, with 6 of these showing the same results for both their blood and catheter tip cultures, which enabled the definite diagnosis of the catheter-related infection and underlying sepsis. Various microorganisms were detected from the catheter tip cultures, including Staphylococcus species the CNS, with S. aureus being the most common, at 61.6%. CONCLUSION: A central venous catheter should be removed immediately when an infection is suspected, but early broad-spectrum antibiotics therapy should be commenced due to the time required to obtain the culture results. Moreover, even if a fever does not exist in patients with a catheter inserted for more than 14 days, infection and sepsis from the catheter should be of concern, with a more cautious approach being mandatory.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Catheter-Related Infections ; Catheterization ; Catheterization, Central Venous ; Catheters ; Central Venous Catheters* ; Central Venous Pressure ; Diagnosis ; Fever ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Parenteral Nutrition, Total ; Renal Dialysis ; Renal Insufficiency ; Retrospective Studies ; Sepsis ; Staphylococcus