PURPOSE: To report the surgical results of unilateral pediatric cataracts from uncertain causes in relatively older children and to identify factors related to better visual outcomes. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated the medical records of 39 patients who underwent surgery between the ages of 3 and 10 years for unilateral pediatric cataracts of no known cause. All patients underwent primary intraocular lens implantation and postoperative amblyopia treatment. A postoperative final visual acuity better than 20 / 30 was considered to be a good visual outcome. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 6.0 ± 1.8 years at the time of surgery. The mean preoperative visual acuity was 1.07 ± 0.71 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (range, 0.15 to 3.00), while the mean final postoperative visual acuity was 0.47 ± 0.54 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (range, 0.00 to 2.00). Of 39 patients, 18 (46.2%) achieved a good visual outcome. Only the preoperative visual acuity maintained a significant association with a good visual outcome according to our multivariate analysis (p = 0.040). A preoperative visual acuity of 20 / 100 or better was found to increase the chance of achieving a good visual outcome by 13.79-fold (95% confidence interval, 1.13 to 167.58). CONCLUSIONS: The visual outcome of unilateral pediatric cataract surgery for cataracts with no specific cause identified in patients after three years of age could be satisfactory, especially with a preoperative visual acuity of 20 / 100 or better.
Amblyopia ; Cataract* ; Child ; Humans ; Lens Implantation, Intraocular ; Medical Records ; Multivariate Analysis ; Phacoemulsification ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Visual Acuity

No abstract available.
Humans ; Pregnancy ; Scrub Typhus

No abstract available.
Humans ; Pregnancy ; Scrub Typhus

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that hemoglobin concentration after return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) is associated with neurologic outcome after cardiac arrest in patients treated with targeted temperature management. METHODS: We studied consecutive adult patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest treated with targeted temperature management between January 2009 and December 2015. We investigated the association between post ROSC hemoglobin concentrations and good neurologic outcome (defined as Cerebral Performance Category of 1 and 2) at hospital discharge using multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 246 subjects were ultimately included in this study. The mean age was 54 years (standard deviation, 17); 168 (68%) subjects were male. Eighty-seven (35%) subjects had a good neurologic outcome at hospital discharge. Hemoglobin concentrations were higher in the good outcome group than in the poor outcome group (14.4±2.0 vs. 12.8±2.5 g/dL, P < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that hemoglobin concentrations were associated with good neurologic outcome at hospital discharge after adjusting for other confounding factors (adjusted odds ratio, 1.186; 95% confidence interval, 1.008 to 1.395). CONCLUSION: In post ROSC patients, hemoglobin concentrations after ROSC were associated with neurologic outcome at hospital discharge.
Adult ; Heart Arrest* ; Humans ; Hypothermia, Induced ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Odds Ratio ; Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

Fourteen African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks occurred in the pig farms in the northwestern region of South Korea, near the border with North Korea, from September 16, 2019 to October 9, 2019. Active and passive surveillance on the ASF-infected farms indicated that the infection was limited only to pigsties where the infected pigs were detected on the farm for the first time before further transmission to other pigsties and farms. This early detection could be one of the pivotal factors for the prompt eradication of ASF in domestic pig farms within 1 month in the northwestern region of South Korea.

Fourteen African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks occurred in the pig farms in the northwestern region of South Korea, near the border with North Korea, from September 16, 2019 to October 9, 2019. Active and passive surveillance on the ASF-infected farms indicated that the infection was limited only to pigsties where the infected pigs were detected on the farm for the first time before further transmission to other pigsties and farms. This early detection could be one of the pivotal factors for the prompt eradication of ASF in domestic pig farms within 1 month in the northwestern region of South Korea.

BACKGROUND: Occasionally, combinations of antibiotics are used for the treatment of scrub typhus. However, the effectiveness of such combined therapies has rarely been evaluated. To date, no experimental studies have been performed; only 1 clinical study has assessed the efficacy of combined doxycycline and rifampin therapy. To elucidate the efficacies of other antibiotic combinations, we performed an experiment to evaluate the in vitro efficacy of antibiotic combinations against Orientia tsutsugamushi. MATERIALS AND METHODS: O. tsutsugamushi strain Boryong was inoculated into the ECV304 cell line. The infected cells were cultured in antibiotic-containing media for 3-5 days and stained with FS15, a monoclonal antibody reacting against the linear epitope on the 56-kDa major outer membrane protein of O. tsutsugamushi. Thereafter, antimicrobial susceptibility was measured by flow cytometry and expressed as a growth index (total mass of Orientia). The growth indices of doxycycline (0.1 microg/mL), azithromycin (0.1 microg/mL), rifampin (0.0125 microg/mL), cefotaxime (2 and 20 microg/mL), and their various combinations (doxycycline+cefotaxime, doxycycline+rifampin, azithromycin+cefotaxime, and rifampin+cefotaxime) were measured. The above mentioned antibiotic concentrations, except for that of cefotaxime, represent the minimal inhibitory concentrations of each antibiotic. RESULTS: The growth indices of doxycycline (4.67% and 0.52%), rifampin (2.35% and 0.26%), and azithromycin (7.54%) were within the range of full suppression of O. tsutsugamushi; in contrast, cefotaxime (87.60%) was in effective. The growth indices of doxycycline+rifampin were 0.10% and 0.10%, which were similar to those obtained with doxycycline or rifampin alone. The growth indices of doxycycline+cefotaxime were 3.99% and 3.65% in low-dose cefotaxime (2 microg/mL), and 3.69% and 4.40% in high-dose cefotaxime (20 microg/mL). The growth indices of rifampin+cefotaxime (2.19% and 2.19% at 2 microg/mL; 1.84% and 2.04% at 20 microg/mL cefotaxime) were similar to those obtained with rifampin alone (2.35% and 0.26%). Azithromycin+cefotaxime (11.06-14.63%) showed higher growth indices than azithromycin alone; this suggests that this combination may be antagonistic. Conclusions: The anti-Orientia efficacies of doxycycline+rifampin, doxycycline+cefotaxime, and rifampin+cefotaxime were not antagonistic. The efficacy of the azithromycin+cefotaxime combination needs to be confirmed by more sensitive methods to exclude the possibility of antagonistic interactions between the antibiotics.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Azithromycin ; Cefotaxime ; Cell Line ; Doxycycline ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Flow Cytometry ; Membrane Proteins ; Orientia tsutsugamushi ; Rifampin ; Scrub Typhus ; Sprains and Strains

BACKGROUND: Occasionally, combinations of antibiotics are used for the treatment of scrub typhus. However, the effectiveness of such combined therapies has rarely been evaluated. To date, no experimental studies have been performed; only 1 clinical study has assessed the efficacy of combined doxycycline and rifampin therapy. To elucidate the efficacies of other antibiotic combinations, we performed an experiment to evaluate the in vitro efficacy of antibiotic combinations against Orientia tsutsugamushi. MATERIALS AND METHODS: O. tsutsugamushi strain Boryong was inoculated into the ECV304 cell line. The infected cells were cultured in antibiotic-containing media for 3-5 days and stained with FS15, a monoclonal antibody reacting against the linear epitope on the 56-kDa major outer membrane protein of O. tsutsugamushi. Thereafter, antimicrobial susceptibility was measured by flow cytometry and expressed as a growth index (total mass of Orientia). The growth indices of doxycycline (0.1 microg/mL), azithromycin (0.1 microg/mL), rifampin (0.0125 microg/mL), cefotaxime (2 and 20 microg/mL), and their various combinations (doxycycline+cefotaxime, doxycycline+rifampin, azithromycin+cefotaxime, and rifampin+cefotaxime) were measured. The above mentioned antibiotic concentrations, except for that of cefotaxime, represent the minimal inhibitory concentrations of each antibiotic. RESULTS: The growth indices of doxycycline (4.67% and 0.52%), rifampin (2.35% and 0.26%), and azithromycin (7.54%) were within the range of full suppression of O. tsutsugamushi; in contrast, cefotaxime (87.60%) was in effective. The growth indices of doxycycline+rifampin were 0.10% and 0.10%, which were similar to those obtained with doxycycline or rifampin alone. The growth indices of doxycycline+cefotaxime were 3.99% and 3.65% in low-dose cefotaxime (2 microg/mL), and 3.69% and 4.40% in high-dose cefotaxime (20 microg/mL). The growth indices of rifampin+cefotaxime (2.19% and 2.19% at 2 microg/mL; 1.84% and 2.04% at 20 microg/mL cefotaxime) were similar to those obtained with rifampin alone (2.35% and 0.26%). Azithromycin+cefotaxime (11.06-14.63%) showed higher growth indices than azithromycin alone; this suggests that this combination may be antagonistic. Conclusions: The anti-Orientia efficacies of doxycycline+rifampin, doxycycline+cefotaxime, and rifampin+cefotaxime were not antagonistic. The efficacy of the azithromycin+cefotaxime combination needs to be confirmed by more sensitive methods to exclude the possibility of antagonistic interactions between the antibiotics.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Azithromycin ; Cefotaxime ; Cell Line ; Doxycycline ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Flow Cytometry ; Membrane Proteins ; Orientia tsutsugamushi ; Rifampin ; Scrub Typhus ; Sprains and Strains

OBJECTIVES: Entrapment of the suprascapular nerve is frequently overlooked in the differential diagnosis of shoulder pain. METHODS: Suprascapular entrapment neuropathy is a well-defined clinical entity and EMG and NCV is used to confirm a diagnosis. But the diagnosis is typically not considered until patients develop severe weakness secondary to atrophy of the spinous musculature that the nerve supplies. RESULTS: A narrow suprascapular notch has rarely been reported as a work-related factor of this entrapment neuropathy. Diagnosis of suprascapular entrapment neuropathy is based on the patients' clinical course, neurologic, radiologic, and electrophysiologic findings. One of the most helpful evaluations was the anteriorposterior projection with the X-ray tube angled 15-30 degree caudally. The suprascapular entrapment neuropathy is relatively uncommon entity of shoulder discomfort (pain, weakness, and atrophy). CONCLUSIONS: If the worker who used his shoulder joint repetitiously having the shoulder pain and muscle weakness, we must rule out the suprascapular entrapment neuropathy. And it is needed to evaluate the motions which cause suprascapular entrapment neuropathy as the ergonomic factor.
Atrophy ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Equipment and Supplies ; Humans ; Muscle Weakness ; Shoulder ; Shoulder Joint ; Shoulder Pain

BACKGROUND: Research of clinical contents and proper development of education program is essential in family medicine. Therefore, this study is carried out to obtain data for residency training, and to provide references to family physicians who give primary health care in rural community by analyzing prospectively the clinical contents of new patients in a local family practice clinic. METHODS: The authors visited family practice clinic in a rural area practiced by a family physician board certified in family medicine. There were 3,126 new patients from Jan. 1996 to Dec. 1996 evenly distributed by month and area, 1,000 patients were sampled randomly and the collected data were classified according to the ICPC(International Classification of Primary Care) coding system. RESULTS: Among the selected 1,000 patients, males were 432(43.2%) and females were 568(56.8%). Age distribution was highest In the fifties(50-59 years old) (20.7%). The total number of Reason For Encounter(RFE) was 1,417, the average RFE was 1.41 per patient and the kind of RFEs was 93, among which cough was the most frequent RFE by 233 cases(16.4% ). The 87 kinds of diagnoses were used and URl(Upper Respiratory Infection) accounted for the major portion by 287 cases(21.9%). The diagnostic examination per patient was 0.42. The most frequently used test was x-ray of an extremity by 68 cases(16.1% ). Referrals to other departments were made in 3.3% of visitors of which Internal Medicine was highest(39.4%). CONCLUSIONS: The clinical contents were classified more comprehensively by using ICPC with given code RFE, care process, and diagnosis. More study on ICPC is necessary for classification to help analyze clinical contents in primary care.
Age Distribution ; Classification ; Clinical Coding ; Cough ; Diagnosis ; Education ; Extremities ; Family Practice* ; Female ; Humans ; Internal Medicine ; Internship and Residency ; Male ; Physicians, Family ; Primary Health Care ; Prospective Studies ; Referral and Consultation ; Rural Population