OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence and types of congenital anomalies and evaluate the efficiency of antenatal ultrasonography for detection of congenital anomalies METHODS: This was a retrospective study, undertaken on 157 cases with congenital anomalies among 5,554 delivered newborns at Chungnam National University Hospital from Jan. 1, 1998 to Dec. 31, 2002. For statistical evaluation, Chi-square test were used. RESULTS: Among the total 5,554 newborns, the overall incidence of congenital anomalies was 2.8%. The incidence of congenital anomalies in birth weights less than 2,500 gm was 9.2% which was 7.5 times higher than that of birth weights more than 2,500 gm. The incidence of congenital anomalies in stillbirth was 19.3% which was 8.2 times higher than that of the live birth. When classified according to the type of congenital anomalies, the incidence of congenital anomalies were 26.5%, 21.0%, 19.8%, 13.0%, 7.4%, 6.2%, 3.7%, and 2.5% respectively in urogenital system, central nervous system, digestive system, cardiopulmonary system, dermatologic system, musculoskeletal system, chromosomal anomaly syndrome, and fetal tumor. Among 157 cases of congenital anomaly babies, anomaly babies were detected antenatally by ultrasonographic examination in 122 cases, and then the rate of antenatal ultrasonographic detection was 77.7%. CONCLUSION: The overall incidence of congenital anomalies was 2.8%. The most common congenital anomalies were urogenital anomalies. The rate of antenatal ultrasonographic detection for congenital anomalies was 77.7%.
Birth Weight ; Central Nervous System ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Diagnosis* ; Digestive System ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Infant, Newborn ; Live Birth ; Musculoskeletal System ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Stillbirth ; Ultrasonography* ; Urogenital System

BACKGROUND: Soon Chun Hyang University Hospital emergency laboratory introduced Cobas(R) 6000 (Roche Diagnostics, Switzerland) to improve the turnaround time of emergency chemistry tests at peak time period. METHODS: For the designated period, before and after introduction of Cobas(R) 6000 the numbers of tests and test time were compared and we analyzed the process of the tests using Workflow simulator (Roche Diagnostics). RESULTS: The numbers of tests of 8 days (every Monday and Thursday) in June, 2007 and 2008 were 22,902 and 27,384. The mean test time of the 8 days in June, 2007 and 2008 were 13 min 41 sec and 12 min 22 sec. In 2007, increased mean test time was due to prolongation of waiting times in rotor within equipment for tests at peak time period. CONCLUSIONS: Using Cobas(R) 6000, the numbers of tests were increased at peak time period but mean test time was reduced, which made physicians and laboratory all satisfied.
Emergencies ; Workflow

OBJECTIVE: Endometriosis is assumed to be one of the causes of infertility, although the mechanism remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine the prognostic factors for the fertility in women with severe endometriosis. METHODS: Clinical data of 78 consecutive infertile patients who had taken surgery for stage III and IV endometriosis were retrospectively analyzed in two groups: A- pregnant after surgery (n=43, 55.1%): B- non-pregnant after surgery (n=35, 44.9%). All patients were treated with GnRHa after surgery. Each group were compared age, BMI, duration of infertility, stage of endometriosis, size and number of endometrioma, peritoneal implant outside the pelvic cavity, peritubal adhesion, ovarian adhesion and cul-de-sac obliteration. RESULTS: Among these factors, duration of infertility (p=0.03), peritoneal implant (p=0.01), tubal adhesion (p=0.04) and ovarian adhesion (p=0.02) were significantly different. However, patients' age, BMI, size and number of endometrioma, cul-de-sac obliteration and stage of endometriosis did not showed significantly different. CONCLUSION: We concluded that the duration of infertility and tubal and ovarian adhesion are important factors for predicting pregnancy after surgery in severe endometriosis.
Endometriosis* ; Female ; Fertility ; Humans ; Infertility ; Pregnancy* ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: The survival rate of infants weighing less than 1,000 g at birth(extremely low birth weight infants, ELBWI) has increased due to recent advances in perinatal and neonatal intensive care. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the survival rates of ELBWI born at Seoul National University Hospital during the last six years. METHODS: A total of 99 infants were divided into three groups(period I : 2000 to 2001, period II: 2002 to 2003, period III: 2004 to 2005) based on date of birth. We compared the survival rate of ELBWI over the three periods, using CRIB II score for adjustment for clinical severity. RESULTS: Overall survival rate of ELBWI was 74.7 percent. The survival rate of ELBWI increased over the three periods(period I: 60.7 percent, period II : 73.3 percent, period III: 85.3 percent). The threshold of viability(defined as survival of at least 50 percent of infants) was 25 weeks of gestation and 600 g at birth. The birth weight-specific survival rates increased considerably over the three periods for infants < 750 g at birth(period I: 10 percent, period II: 46.2 percent, period III: 70.6 percent). The survival rates of ELBWI over the three periods increased much remarkably after adjustment for clinical severity by CRIB II score. CONCLUSION: In our institution, survival rates of ELBWI during the last six years continued to improve, particularly for infants weighing < 750 g at birth. This increase in survival rates was not associated with the clinical severity of ELBWI.
Humans ; Infant Equipment ; Infant* ; Infant, Extremely Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Low Birth Weight* ; Infant, Newborn ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Parturition ; Pregnancy ; Seoul ; Survival Rate*

PURPOSE: Inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) has been known to improve oxygenation in newborns with persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN). This study was performed to evaluate the predictors of clinical outcome in the newborn infants with PPHN treated with iNO. METHODS: Between September 1998 and August 2002, 23 newborn infants with PPHN treated with iNO were enrolled in this study. Reduction of oxygenation index (OI) and AaDO2 to 30% or more were defined as clinical response. Accoding to the response time within or after 12 hours, the clinical response was sub-categorized as early or delayed response, respectively. RESULTS: The mean gestational age and birth weight of 23 newborn infants were 36.7+/-4.4 weeks and 2,644+/-907 g. The mean baseline OI and AaDO2 were 22.20+/-13.63 and 477.16+/-127.96. There were ten non-responsders, eight early responsders and five delayed responders. Eleven neonates showed sustained response for 24 hours. The mean AaDO2, and PaO2 were decreased after 12 hours (P<0.05), while there was no difference in oxygenation index, arteral pH and PaCO2. The mortality rates of non-responders or not- sustained responders were higher than those of responders or sustained responders (P< 0.05). The birth weight of death group was lower than that of survival group and AaDO2, and OI at 12 hours after iNO therapy in survival group were lower than those in death group. CONCLUSION: Predictors of the clinical outcome of iNO therapy were clinical response patterns after iNO therapy, time taken until clinical response, duration of response and change of oxygenation at 12 hours after iNO therapy.
Birth Weight ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Hypertension, Pulmonary* ; Infant, Newborn* ; Mortality ; Nitric Oxide* ; Oxygen ; Reaction Time

PURPOSE: Inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) has been known to improve oxygenation in newborns with persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN). This study was performed to evaluate the predictors of clinical outcome in the newborn infants with PPHN treated with iNO. METHODS: Between September 1998 and August 2002, 23 newborn infants with PPHN treated with iNO were enrolled in this study. Reduction of oxygenation index (OI) and AaDO2 to 30% or more were defined as clinical response. Accoding to the response time within or after 12 hours, the clinical response was sub-categorized as early or delayed response, respectively. RESULTS: The mean gestational age and birth weight of 23 newborn infants were 36.7+/-4.4 weeks and 2,644+/-907 g. The mean baseline OI and AaDO2 were 22.20+/-13.63 and 477.16+/-127.96. There were ten non-responsders, eight early responsders and five delayed responders. Eleven neonates showed sustained response for 24 hours. The mean AaDO2, and PaO2 were decreased after 12 hours (P<0.05), while there was no difference in oxygenation index, arteral pH and PaCO2. The mortality rates of non-responders or not- sustained responders were higher than those of responders or sustained responders (P< 0.05). The birth weight of death group was lower than that of survival group and AaDO2, and OI at 12 hours after iNO therapy in survival group were lower than those in death group. CONCLUSION: Predictors of the clinical outcome of iNO therapy were clinical response patterns after iNO therapy, time taken until clinical response, duration of response and change of oxygenation at 12 hours after iNO therapy.
Birth Weight ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Hypertension, Pulmonary* ; Infant, Newborn* ; Mortality ; Nitric Oxide* ; Oxygen ; Reaction Time

Background/Aims: The Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1 and modified RECIST (mRECIST) criteria have been used to assess treatment responses for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. We investigated which criteria provides better survival predictions in HCC patients treated with transarterial radioembolization (TARE). Methods: In total, 102 patients with unresectable intrahe-patic HCC, who were treated with TARE between 2012 and 2017, were reviewed retrospectively. The treatment response after TARE was evaluated at 1, 3, and 6 months by the mRE-CIST and RECIST 1.1. Responders were defined as patients with complete or partial responses by each criterion. Results: The median age of 83 men and 19 women was 64.3 years.The median alpha-fetoprotein and des-gamma-carboxy pro-thrombin levels were 37.1 ng/mL and 1,780.0 mAU/mL, re-spectively. The median maximal tumor size was 8.3 cm, and multiple tumors were observed in 36 patients (35.3%). Dur-ing the follow-up period (median, 20.7 months), 21 patients (20.6%) died, with a mean survival time of 55.5 months. The cumulative survival rate was 96.1% at 6 months and 89.3% at 12 months. Responders, defined by the mRECIST at 1, 3, and 6 months after TARE, showed better survival outcomes than nonresponders (hazard ratio [HR]=5.736, p=0.008 at 1 month; HR=3.145, p=0.022 at 3 months, and HR=2.887, p=0.061 at 6 months). The survival rates of responders and nonresponders defined by the RECIST 1.1 were similar (all p>0.05). Conclusions Response evaluations that use the mRECIST provide more accurate prognoses than those that use the RECIST 1.1 in HCC patients treated with TARE.