BACKGROUND: HBsAg carriers are 6-12% of population in Korea. The patients knowledge on hepatitis B and regular follow-up tests are important, because HBsAg carriers have infectivity and the disease may progress without symptoms. We surveyed their knowledge on the hepatitis B and the frequency of follow-up blood test and sonogram. METHODS: From March 1993 through September 1994, 630 patients who were diagnosed as HBsAg positive and Anti-HBs negative in a health promotion center of college hospital were surveyed by mailing questionnaire. The questionnaire included the result of HBV viral marker test, transmission routes, complications, and prevention methods of Hepatitis B, frequency of follow-up test, and doctors recommendation. RESULTS: Of the 490 questionnaires excluded the 140 questionaires returned due to wrong address, 100 were answered, making the reply rate 20.4%. As for the result of HBV marker test, 64% answered their HBV marker as HBsAg positve, 10% answered HBsAg negative, and 26% answered I dont know. 65% answered that they are HBV carrier. As for the mode of transmission, 59% answered that HBV is transmitted by blood, 57% from carrier mother at birth, 29 % by sexual intercourse. 76% of responders know that vaccination is needed for preventing vertical transmission. When making score on their knowledge, significant differences were showed according to education, income and doctors recommendation about regular follow-up test. The number of persons who took regular blood test every 6 to 12 months were 56(56%), and the number of persons who took regular abdominal ultrasonogram were 39(39%). The number of patients who were recommended regular follow-up by doctor was 76%. In this group, 51 persons(67.0%) took regular blood test and 35 persons(35%) took regular sonogram so this frequency is significantly higher than the other group(each 20.8%, 16.7%). CONCLUSIONS: The knowledge on hepatitis B in HBsAg positive patients is relatively low and the frequency of regular follow-up test is significantly higher in the group who took doctors recommendation. So it is very important that HBsAg carriers must be educated about the infectivity, preventive methods, and regular follow-up for early detection of complication like hepatocellular cancer.
Biomarkers ; Coitus ; Education ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Health Promotion ; Hematologic Tests ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B* ; Hepatitis* ; Humans ; Korea ; Liver Neoplasms ; Mothers ; Parturition ; Postal Service ; Ultrasonography ; Vaccination ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Vertigo, a definite rotational sensation, consists of a variety of syndromes. The purpose of this study was to accumulate information on various aspects of vertigo or dizziness. We performed a retrospective study about vertigo patients, who had admitted to our hospital for recent 2 years. From January 1994 to December 1995, 214 patients with the complaints of 'vertigo' and 'dizziness', who admitted to the department of Neurology, Ewha Womans University Hospital, were accepted for this study. All data were recorded on computer-oriented questionnaires in digital forms. The study forms consisted of five parts; (1) history and associated symptoms, (2) physical, neurologic and bedside examinations, (3) laboratory and brain imaging studies, (4) special tests including brainstem auditory evoked potentials and (5) clinical diagnosis. Of these 214 patients, secure diagnosis could be made in 186 patients or 86.9%. Of these, 92 patients had peripheral causes of vertigo, and 94 had central causes. Vestibular disorders accounted for the largest proportion of complaints of vertigo(48/92 or 52%). Of 94 patients with central causes of vertigo, vertebrobasilar insufficiency was the leading cause(25/94 or 27%). The most common site of the brain lesion proved by MRI was cerebellum(23/94 or 25%). BAEP study revealed abnormal findings in 6 cases of the 16 patients with central causes. This study not only offered a clinical information about vertigo, but also could be beneficial for further researches.
Brain ; Diagnosis ; Dizziness ; Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neuroimaging ; Neurology ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensation ; Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency ; Vertigo

Photoastigmatic refractive keratectomy (PARK) using VISX 20/20 B excimer laser with version 4.01 software was performed in 205 consecutive eyes of compound myopic astigmatism to assess the efficacy, predictability, and safety of excimer laser treatment of compound myopic astigmatism between September 1994 and June 1996. The mean preoperative manifest spherical equivalent refraction was -6.95+/-2.52D (range -1.13 to -15D) and the mean preoperative manifest cylindrical refraction was -1.25+/-0.76D (range -0.5 to -4.50D). The patients were followed from 6 months to 1 year (mean 9.19 months). At 1 year, 82(75.2%) of all 109 eyes receiving PARK were within 1D of plano refraction, and 88(80.7%) of all 109 eyes achieved uncorrected visual acuity of 20/30 or better. Postoperative refractions were stable after 3 months without significant early overcorrection. Mean postoperative astigmatism was -0.29+/-0.40D at 6 months and -0.24+/-0.42D at 12 months. Overall improvement of astigmatism was 75% at 6 months and 82% at 12 months by vector analysis using Alpins` method. In conclusion, PARK using VISX 20/20 B VisionKeyTM excimer laser with version 4.01 software appears to be effective in the treatment of compound myopic astigmatism with a relatively high degree of accuracy and safety. The predictability and stability of the postoperative refraction during the first 12 months seem to be quite reliable.
Astigmatism ; Humans ; Lasers, Excimer* ; Visual Acuity

Objective: This study classified patients with acute pharmaceutical drug poisoning who visited the emergency department (ED) to identify clinical characteristics that could be used as the foundation for poisoning prevention programs. Methods: Adult patients aged ≥19 years who visited one of the 23 EDs in South Korea between 2011 and 2018 with pharmaceutical drug poisoning were analyzed retrospectively by sex. The data were sourced from in-depth survey data and the ED patient surveillance system managed by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. Results: A total of 21,620 cases were analyzed. The sample had more female cases, 15,057 (69.6%); the mean age was 48.3±18.7 years for men and 44.7±17.2 years for women. The onset time was mostly between 18:00 and 24:00 hours; most patients visited the ED via 119 or private vehicles; 5,498 (83.8%) men and 13,070 (86.8%) women reported intentional poisoning; the cause being an intention to commit suicide, though most patients had no history of previous suicide attempts. The frequency of intensive care unit admission and mortality were higher in males than females. When a comparison of the type of drug by sex was carried out, it was observed that analgesic and anti-inflammatory drug poisoning were more frequent in females. On the other hand, cardiovascular drug poisoning was more frequent in males. Conclusion There were more women than men among patients with pharmaceutical drug poisoning. Severity was found to be higher in men than women. In most cases, the poisoning was intentional, and the cause of poisoning was a suicide attempt. Sedatives and antipsychotic drugs were the most commonly used drugs in both groups.

No abstract available.
Female ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced* ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second*

Henoch-Schonlein purpura is a condition of unknown origin probably related to an autoimmune phenomenon involving an IgA immune complex disorder. Henoch-Schonlein purpura is a rare cause of intramural hematoma of the duodenum. We herein report a case of intramural hematoma of the duodenum and duodenal obstruction associated with Henoch-Schonlein purpura in a 14-yearold boy. On admission, the patient presented with hematemesis due to duodenal ulcer bleeding. Three days later, he developed both forearm and calf purpurae, fever and severe bile juice vomiting. An endoscopy revealed a luminal obstructing erythematous mass with bulging nature at the third portion of the duodenum. Abdominal CT scan and hypotonic duodenography showed intramural hematoma in the third portion of the duodenum and luminal obstruction. Hematoma removal was performed for the correction of intestinal obstruction. Increased awareness of the gastrointestinal manifestations of Henoch-Schonlein purpura should aid in the recognition of this disorder.
Antigen-Antibody Complex ; Bile ; Duodenal Obstruction ; Duodenal Ulcer ; Duodenum ; Endoscopy ; Fever ; Forearm ; Hematemesis ; Hematoma* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin A ; Intestinal Obstruction ; Male ; Phenobarbital ; Purpura* ; Purpura, Schoenlein-Henoch ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Vomiting

The participation of activated leukocytes and subsequent production of chemical mediators has been well accepted in the pathophysiology of hypoxic-ischemic injury. This study was performed to see the effects of leukocytes on hippocampal neuronal damage in transient global ischemia induced by 10-min occlusion of bilateral common carotid arteries (CCAs) with reperfusion for various times, and in complete unilateral ischemia induced by 24-hr ligation of left CCA. Leukopenia was induced by intraperitoneal injection of cyclophosphamide for 4 days. The results showed that hippocampal neuronal damages were worse at 6-hr reperfusion in leukopenic experimental group than in the control group. In comparison, 24-hr and 3-day reperfusion leukopenic groups showed less numbers of damaged neurons and milder changes. The 5-day reperfusion group showed inconsistent changes. Unilateral CCA occlusion showed extensive infarction in 83.3% of gerbils in the control group, compared to 25% of gerbils in the experimental group (p<0.05). These results strongly suggest that the number of peripheral leukocytes were closely related to the development of delayed neuronal damage of hippocampus in transient global ischemia and the incidence of infarction induced by 24-hr unilateral CCA ligation.
Animal ; Cerebral Infarction/pathology* ; Female ; Gerbillinae ; Hippocampus/pathology* ; Leukocyte Count ; Leukocytes/physiology* ; Male ; Neurons/pathology* ; Reperfusion Injury

There are considerable in vitro and in vivo evidences for remineralization and demineralization occurring simultaneously in incipient enamel caries. In order to "heal"the incipient dental caries, many experiments have been carried out to determine the optimal conditions for remineralization. It was shown that remineralization is affected by different pH, lactic acid concentrations, chemical composition of the enamel, fluoride concentrations, etc. Eighty specimens from sound permanent teeth without demineralization or cracks, 0.15 mm in thickness, were immersed in lactic acid buffered demineralization solutions for 3 days. Dental caries with a surface zone and subsurface lesion were artificially produced. Groups of 10 specimens were immersed for 10 or 12 days in lactic acid buffered remineralization solutions consisting of pH 4.3 or pH 6.0, and 100, 50, 25, or 10 mM lactic acid. After demineralization and remineralization, images were taken by polarizing microscopy (x100) and micro-computed tomography. The results were obtained by observing images of the specimens and the density of the caries lesions was determined. 1. As the lactic acid concentration of the remineralization solutions with pH 4.3 was higher, the surface zone of the carious enamel increased and an isotropic zone of the subsurface lesion was found. However, the total decalcification depth increased at the same time. 2. In the remineralization solutions with pH 6.0, only the surface zone increased slightly but there was no significant change in the total decalcification depth and subsurface zone. In the lactic acid buffer solutions with the lower pH and higher lactic acid concentration, there were dynamic changes at the deep area of the dental carious lesion.
Dental Caries ; Dental Enamel ; Fluorides ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Lactic Acid ; Microscopy ; Tooth

There are multiple causes of acute parotid swelling, including viral and bacterial infections, duct obstruction, neoplasms and enlargement accompanying connective tissue disease. Another possible cause of parotid swelling is pneumoparotid. Patients with pneumoparotid typically present with painless swelling in the parotid region with crepitus on palpation. We present a rare case of pneumoparotid with initial presentation of viral parotitis in the epidemic area of mumps.
Bacterial Infections ; Connective Tissue Diseases ; Humans ; Mumps ; Palpation ; Parotid Region ; Parotitis