No Abstract Available.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: determine the level of medical care required for mass gatherings and describe the types of medical problems encountered in a religious mass gathered ceremony. DESIGN: Standard charts and a four-tiered triage system(minor, moderate, urgent, and emergent) were developed before the event. The triage system was applied to each chart retrospectively by a single emergency physician. SETTING: Medical staff(10 physicians,13 nurses,1 pharmacist, and 54 first-aid attendants) were based in 8 advanced life support (ALS) clinics. INTERVENTIONS: First-aid attendants referred patients to the clinics, where nurses conducted initial assessments and referred patients to physicians at the venue. Three ambulances were stationed at the venues. RESULT: 22 trauma patients were developed and 183 medical complaints were encountered. Only 7 urgent medical problems were encountered.
Ambulances ; Emergencies* ; Humans ; Pharmacists ; Retrospective Studies ; Triage

No abstract available.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Spinal Cord*

BACKGROUND: Reperfusion of ischemic myocardium has been postulated to result in a specific oxygen radical mediated tissue injury. Iron may liberate during ischemia and we hypothesized that administration of the iron chelator, deferoxamine during ischemia would result in improved recovery after postischemic reperfusion. PURPOSE: To test whether iron-catalyzed processes contribute to myocardial necrosis during ischemia and reperfusion, deferoxamine was administered to block iron catalyzed hydroxyl radical formation in rabbits. METHODS: Eleven rabbits were divided into two groups: control group (n=5) and deferoxamine pretreatment group (n=6). the left circumflex coronay artery was ligated for 30 minutes and reperfused for 180 minutes. Area at risk (AR) was measured by non-stained area with ethylene blue injection into left atrium after left circumflex coronary artery ligation. Infarct size was measured by weighing after tripheyltetrazolium chloride staining. Heart rate was measured using electrocardiographic recording and systemic blood pressure was monitored by pressure transducer connected to the catheter in the left ventricle. RESULTS: 1. There was no significant difference of heart rate and blood pressure in deferoxamine pretreatment group compared with control group. 2. There was significant decrease of serum iron concentration after continuous infusion of deferoxamine compared with serum iron concentration before ligation of coronary artery (P<0.05). 3. There was no significant difference of area at risk between control and deferoxamine pretreatment group. 4. Area at necrosis to area at risk was significantly reduced in deferoxamine pretreatment group compared with control group (P<0.05) The results suggest that deferoxamine infusion prior to coronary artery occlusion has a significant benefit in reducing infarct size in this model.
Arteries ; Blood Pressure ; Catheters ; Coronary Vessels ; Deferoxamine* ; Electrocardiography ; Heart Atria ; Heart Rate ; Heart Ventricles ; Hydroxyl Radical ; Iron ; Ischemia ; Ligation ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Myocardium ; Necrosis ; Oxygen ; Rabbits ; Reperfusion ; Transducers, Pressure

Mesenteric lymphangioma was first recognized when an autopsy case was recorded in 1507 by Benevieni. It has been known clinically rare disease and probably a congenital developmental abnormality due to failure of drainage of peripheral primary lymphatic spaces. We experienced a case of abnormal rotation in intestine by mesenteric lymphangioma in a 8 years old male who showed vomiting and abdominal pain. A brief review of related literatures is also presented.
Abdominal Pain ; Autopsy ; Child ; Drainage ; Humans ; Intestines ; Lymphangioma* ; Male ; Rare Diseases ; Vomiting

Although DNA damage responses (DDRs) are reported to be involved in nitric oxide (NO) production in response to genotoxic stresses, the precise mechanism of DDR-mediated NO production has not been fully understood. Using a genotoxic agent aphidicolin, we investigated how DDRs regulate NO production in bovine aortic endothelial cells. Prolonged (over 24 h) treatment with aphidicolin increased NO production and endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) protein expression, which was accompanied by increased eNOS dimer/monomer ratio, tetrahydrobiopterin levels, and eNOS mRNA expression. A promoter assay using 5’-serially deleted eNOS promoters revealed that Tax-responsive element site, located at −962 to −873 of the eNOS promoter, was respon-sible for aphidicolin-stimulated eNOS gene expression. Aphidicolin increased CREB activity and ectopic expression of dominantnegative inhibitor of CREB, A-CREB, repressed the stimulatory effects of aphidicolin on eNOS gene expression and its promoter activity. Co-treatment with LY294002 decreased the aphidicolin-stimulated increase in p-CREB-Ser133 level, eNOS expression, and NO production. Furthermore, ectopic expression of dominant-negative Akt construct attenuated aphidicolin-stimulated NO production. Aphidicolin increased p-ATM-Ser1981 and the knockdown of ATM using siRNA attenuated all stimulatory effects of aphidicolin on p-Akt-Ser473 , p-CREB-Ser133 , eNOS expression, and NO production. Additionally, these stimulatory effects of aphidicolin were similarly observed in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Lastly, aphidicolin increased acetylcholine-induced vessel relaxation in rat aortas, which was accompanied by increased p-ATM-Ser1981 , p-Akt-Ser473 , p-CREB-Ser 133 , and eNOS expression. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that in response to aphidicolin, activation of ATM/Akt/CREB/eNOS signaling cascade mediates increase of NO production and vessel relaxation in endothelial cells and rat aortas.

Rhabdomyolysis is a biochemical and clinical syndrome caused by lysis of skeletal muscle cell and release of muscle cell contents into the Circulation. In addition to traumatic cause, various nontraumatic causes have been reported. Rhabdomyolysis has frequently been associated with seamy aspects of life and society: alcoholic abuse, drug addiction, sadistic drill exercise, war events and attempted suicide. The abuse of alcohol causes many hazards in many organs. One of these is acute alcoholic myopathy that may present as a fulminent syndrome of muscle pain and tenderness associated with rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure. Because the prognosis of adequately treated rhabdomyolysis is excellent, early recognition and prompt management aye essential in emergency situation. We experienced two typical cases of alcohol-induced rhabdomyolysis with acute renal failure and report these cases with literature review.
Acute Kidney Injury* ; Alcoholics ; Emergencies ; Humans ; Muscle Cells ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Muscular Diseases ; Myalgia ; Prognosis ; Rhabdomyolysis* ; Substance-Related Disorders ; Suicide, Attempted

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Tuberculous peritonitis is still a very important cause of exudative ascites in Korea. We analized the clinical features and laparoscopic findings in patients with tuberculous peritonitis diagnosed by laparoscopy. METHODS: We studied 51 patients who had tuberculous peritonitis confirmed by laparoscopic biopsy from 1980 to 2000, in retrospective method. RESULTS: The ratio of male to female was 1:2. The peak incidence was between 21 and 40 years of age. The mean duration of symptoms is 60 days. The most frequent chief complaints and physical findings was abdominal fullness (88.2%) and shifting dullness (94.1 %). Involvement of other organs included pulmonary tuberculosis (27.4%), cervical tuberculous lymphadenitis (3.9%). The mean ascitic fluid protein concentration was 4.9 gm/dL, mean WBC count 1,240/mm3 and lymphocyte dominant exudate 88.2%. AFB smear was positive only one patient (2.0%). Tuberculous nodules on laparoscopy were noted in all of the patients. Histolologic findings were caseating granuloma (72.6%), non-caseating granuloma (19.6%) and nonspecific inflammation (7.8%). Tissue AFB stain was positive 10 patients (19.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Tuberculous peritonitis shows nonspecific clinical features. Therefore, laparoscopic examination with biopsy is the most useful method to make differential diagnosis of patients who are suspected tuberculous peritonitis.
Ascites ; Ascitic Fluid ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Exudates and Transudates ; Female ; Granuloma ; Humans ; Incidence ; Inflammation ; Korea ; Laparoscopy* ; Lymphocytes ; Male ; Peritonitis, Tuberculous* ; Retrospective Studies ; Tuberculosis, Lymph Node ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common malignancies reported in Korean adult males. Hepatocellular carcinoma usually spreads to regional lymph nodes around porta hepatis via lymphatics and to distant metastasis via hematogenous spread. The lung is most common distant metastatic site, followed by the adrenal glands, local lymph nodes and bones. But metastasis to the spinal cord of hepatocellular carcinoma is very rare. Recently we experienced a patient with hepatocellular carcinoma who had suffered from lower leg weakness for 10 days. The patient was proved to have hepatocellular carcinoma with metastasis to the spinal cord. MRI showed an ovoid intracordal mass between the twelfth thoracic and first lumbar vertebra level. After emergency irradiation, the patient could recover.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/*secondary ; English Abstract ; Human ; Liver Neoplasms/*pathology ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Spinal Cord Neoplasms/diagnosis/*secondary

To evaluate appropriate diagnostic studies for renal infarction in emergency medical center, we analysed 33 patients of renal infarction treated in this hospital for last 8 years. Eleven patients, 4 trauma associated and 7 aortic disease associated patients were excluded. They are 11 males and 11 females with a mean age of 51 years. Fourteen came to the emergency medical center and seven came to the outpatient department, in the other one patient renal infarction was developed during hospitalization with other disease. On their past history they had hypertension in 9, valvular heart disease in 5, and diabetic mellitus in 4 patients. Abdominal or flank pain was noted in 17 of 22(77%). The other symptoms were vomiting, nausea, fever and so on. On microscopic examination of initial urine in hospital, 5 patients showed more than 10 red blood cells by high power field examination. The mean lactic dehydrogenase level was 1,239 I.U/L(normal range 218-4721.UA), while the mean aspartate aminotransferase and mean alanine aminotransferase were 511.U/L(normal range 13-36 I.U/L) and 44 I.U/L(normal range 5-331.U/L). Abdominal ultrasonography showed positive findings in 5 of 16(31%), of which 3 were confirmed by Doppler ultrasonography In 18, computed topography was done and all those showed positive findings of renal infarction(100%). In conclusion, it is important that identify the elevated lactic dehdrogenase level in case of any suspicion about renal infarction and confirm by computed tomography.
Alanine Transaminase ; Aortic Diseases ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Diagnosis* ; Emergencies* ; Erythrocytes ; Female ; Fever ; Flank Pain ; Heart Valve Diseases ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Infarction ; Male ; Nausea ; Outpatients ; Oxidoreductases ; Ultrasonography ; Ultrasonography, Doppler ; Vomiting