Aprotinin is a serine protease inhibitor that improves the hemostatic function and modulates the anti-inflammatory responses. Recently, aprotinin has been widely used in various surgical procedures including open heart surgery. One of the complications of aprotinin is anaphylactic reaction and the incidence increases with re-exposure. We experienced a case of anaphylactic reaction in a 5-year-old female during open heart surgery. After cardiopulmonary bypass weaning, during aprotinin i.v. infusion for reducing blood loss, sudden hypotension and bradycardia occurred. After re-institution of CPB, the patient recovered. In the post-operative review of the chart and patient, we found that this patient had been exposed to aprotinin 20 days ago. In conclusion, we recommend some preventable methods for anaphylaxis of aprotinin; aprotinin should be used after a skin test or i.v. infusion test and used by mixing with CPB priming solution.
Anaphylaxis ; Aprotinin* ; Bradycardia ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Heart* ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Incidence ; Serine Proteases ; Skin Tests ; Thoracic Surgery* ; Weaning

BACKGROUND: This study is aimed at describing the outcomes of the management of the patients, caregivers, and healthcare workers (HCWs) who are exposed to the pandemic influenza (H1N1 2009) virus and at evaluating the adequacy in exposure management and infection control. METHODS: From July 2009 to January 2010, for 7 a month period, we managed patients and healthcare workers without any respiratory protective devices, who came within 1 m distance of H1N1-positive individuals for more than 1 h and performed a 1-week follow-up. RESULTS: The total of 157 cases with exposure to pandemic influenza (H1N1 2009) virus and exposed individuals of 907 were reported. Of the exposed individuals who were under management, 15 were confirmed to be infected with the infection rate being 1.7%. The confirmed individuals did not have a secondary infection after the exposure. Rates of infection of the exposed patients and healthcare workers were 1.8% and 1.6%, respectively, and these figures were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: The exposure management results at the hospital revealed that the infection had spread by contact with individuals who were positive for the infection. The high incidence of early exposure to the virus warrants the need to ensure the use of protective equipment and the adoption of assertive teaching methods that have long lasting effects.
Adoption ; Caregivers ; Coinfection ; Delivery of Health Care ; Dietary Sucrose ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Influenza, Human ; Pandemics ; Porphyrins ; Respiratory Protective Devices ; Teaching ; Viruses

BACKGROUND: Compliance with hand hygiene protocols is one of the simplest ways to prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Hand hygiene is influenced by individual habits and beliefs, as well as by local organizational culture practices. This study was performed in order to increase the rate of compliance to hand hygiene through changes in the organizational culture. METHODS: From 2009 through 2011, this study was performed in a 2,000-bed tertiary-care university hospital with more than 6,000 employees. The program was implemented mainly by team activities, and the leadership and hand hygiene steering committee members supported them. Goals for planning, intervention, and evaluation of the compliance rate for hand hygiene were made annually in the hospital. RESULTS: The rate of compliance to hand hygiene increased significantly each year (43.8% in 2008, 75.3% in 2009, 80.7% in 2010, and 83.2% in 2011). The detection rate of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) and the incidence of healthcare-associated Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia decreased. CONCLUSION: The rate of compliance to hand hygiene was remarkably improved, and it continuously increased through systematic and continuous changes in the organizational culture. In addition, the detection rate of VRE and incidence of S. aureus bacteremia decreased. These results show that hand hygiene is an important factor for preventing HAIs.
Bacteremia ; Committee Membership ; Compliance ; Enterococcus ; Hand Hygiene ; Incidence ; Organizational Culture ; Staphylococcus aureus

BACKGROUND: Smoking is a well-known risk factor of cancer, chronic disease, and cerebrovascular disease. Hospital admission is a good time to quit smoking but patients have little opportunity to take part in an intensive smoking cessation intervention. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors of successful smoking cessation among stroke patients who undergo an intensive cessation intervention during the hospitalization period. METHODS: Thirty-nine male smokers who were admitted with stroke were enrolled in the study. They participated in a smoking cessation intervention during hospitalization. Smoking status was followed up by telephone 3 months later. Nicotine dependence, sociodemographic factors, and other clinical characteristics were assessed. RESULTS: After 3 months post-intervention, the number of patients who stopped smoking was 27 (69.2%). In addition, there was no significant difference in nicotine dependence, sociodemographic factors, and clinical characteristics. Only the stages of readiness for smoking cessation were a significant predictor (odds ratio, 18.86; 95% confidence interval, 1.59-223.22). CONCLUSION: This study shows that a patient's willingness to quit is the most significant predictor of stopping smoking after Inpatient cessation Intervention for stroke Patients.
Chronic Disease ; Counseling ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Inpatients* ; Male ; Risk Factors ; Smoke* ; Smoking Cessation* ; Smoking* ; Stroke* ; Telephone ; Tobacco Use Disorder

Uterine papillary serous carcinoma (UPSC) has been recognized as an aggresive tumor with early and deep myometrial invasion, frequent lympho-vascular space involvement, and a high relapse rate. It has also been shown that deep myometrial invasion cannot predict the risk of extrauterine disease. UPSC accounts for 2-10% of all endometrial cancer and generally occurs in postmenopausal women (mean age 66 years) who usually present with abnormal vaginal bleeding. Obesity, diabetes, hypertension, or a history of previous hormone replacement treatment, known as risk factors of endometrial cancer, are not usually seen in women with UPSC. In this paper, we present a case of uterine papillary serous carcinoma with obesity, hypertension, diabetes. The initial endometrial biopsy showed an endometrioid adenocarcinoma but the result of postoperative pathologic finding revealed UPSC with extension to less than half thickness of the muscle layer and involvement of pelvic lymph node.
Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Endometrioid ; Endometrial Neoplasms* ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Lymph Nodes ; Obesity ; Recurrence ; Risk Factors ; Uterine Hemorrhage

Takayasu's arteritis is one of the most important causes of the renovascular hypertension in orientals. Among the multiple treatment modalities, percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty(PTRA) has become the treatment of the choice for major renal artery stenosis and is a safe, repeatable, effective procedure for the treatment of renovascular hypertension due to Takayasu's arteritis. We experienced a case of percutaneous transluminal balloon angioplasty of Takayasu's arteritis involving the proximal left renal artery. After PTRA, clinical and angiographical improvements were achieved.
Angioplasty* ; Angioplasty, Balloon ; Hypertension, Renovascular ; Renal Artery Obstruction* ; Renal Artery* ; Takayasu Arteritis*

The aim of this study is to determine whether the posterior cervical fusion methods with the plate-screw system applied to the lateral mass of cervical spine are radiologically safe to patients. The lateral cervical X-rays and CT scans were done on 40 normal adults without cervical problem. Based on Roy-Camille and Magerl's method, the theological trajectory of screw was shown on films and the parameters were measured. The study based on Roy-Camille's method showed less than one percent chance of injury on the facet joint and the mean depth of the screw to be 10.5+/-1.4mm. On the other hand, Magerl's method showed the mean depth of screw to be 11.9+/-1.5mm which is slightly larger than that of Roy-Camille's method and no chance of facet injury occurred. A reduced lateral angle of screw (19.6+/-3.5 degrees) performed with the concept based on Magerl's method resulted a longer depth of screw (13.5+/-2.1mm). Both Roy-Camille and Magerl's methods seemed to be radiologically safe to normal persons. However, the authors recommend the reduced lateral angle (19.6+/-3.5 degrees) of screw based on the Magerl's method more than an original Magerl's methods.
Adult ; Bone Plates ; Bone Screws ; Cervical Vertebrae/*radiography/*surgery ; Female ; Human ; Male ; *Spinal Fusion ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/*methods

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have examined the association between alcohol consumption and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in adults, but studies in the elderly are lacking. We examined the relationship between high-risk alcohol consumption and MetS in elderly Korean men using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) questionnaire from the 2010–2012 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. METHODS: Among 25,534 subjects, 2,807 were men >60 years of age; after exclusions, we included 2,088 men in the final analysis. We categorized the study participants into three groups according to AUDIT score: low risk (0–7), intermediate risk (8–14), and high risk (≥15 points). RESULTS: Among the study population, 17.0% of the men were high-risk drinkers, who had the highest mean waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and triglyceride (TG) levels. The overall prevalence of MetS was 41.9% in the elderly men, and it was significantly higher in the group with high (48.3%) versus low (31.9%) AUDIT scores. The prevalence of MetS components (elevated BP, high FPG, high TG, and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) was associated with a high AUDIT score. The odds ratios (95% confidence interval) of the high-risk group for MetS, elevated BP, and high TG were 1.40 (1.03–1.89), 1.82 (1.28–2.60), and 1.77 (1.30–2.41) after adjustment for confounding variables. CONCLUSION: AUDIT score was correlated with most MetS components in elderly Korean men.
Adult ; Aged* ; Alcohol Drinking ; Blood Glucose ; Blood Pressure ; Confounding Factors (Epidemiology) ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Drinking* ; Fasting ; Humans ; Lipoproteins ; Male ; Nutrition Surveys* ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Triglycerides ; Waist Circumference

BACKGROUND: It is important that hospitals conduct disaster drills to ensure prompt response in case of a pandemic and thereby prevent a biological disaster. METHODS: In a university hospital of Seoul, a drill was arranged by the members of the drill preparation team who were a part of the response team for infection control of novel influenza A (H1N1). The drill preparation team designed the scenario for the drill, made plans to resolve the potential problems that could occur during that scenario, and organized a survey team and a survey methodology. The scenario consisted of 2 modules: (1) for an intensive care unit and (2) for an emergency care center. The surveyors and field participants were evaluated after the drill exercise. RESULTS: This drill was conducted to improve the response to outbreaks of new infectious diseases. The drill event showed that the communication among the members responsible for the infection control was effective. However, the drill revealed certain drawbacks in the process; this drawbacks involved availability of adequate quarantine space, education on using personal protective equipments, assignment of medical and nonmedical staff, management of visitors, and installment of air-conditioners, heaters, and ventilation units in the areas with H1N1 outbreak. CONCLUSION: This drill helped to improve the process of infection control and overcome the drawbacks in the current process, and thereby helped in achieving positive outcome during the actual pandemic situation when the number of hospital visits and admissions because of H1N1 pandemic had rapidly increased. Although disaster plans and drills are not actively performed, the drill for infection control is essential because the risk for an outbreak of a new infectious disease is increasing.
Communicable Diseases ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Dietary Sucrose ; Disasters ; Disease Outbreaks ; Emergency Medical Services ; Humans ; Infection Control ; Influenza, Human ; Intensive Care Units ; Mandrillus ; Pandemics ; Quarantine ; Ventilation

BACKGROUND: Prescription of inappropriate medicine to elderly patients is a major public health care concern. The Beers criteria have been commonly employed as a screening tool to identify the use of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs). The present study investigated the prevalence of PIM use according to the Beers criteria as well as factors related to PIM use. METHODS: Data obtained from a retrospective survey included 25,810 outpatients aged ≥65 years from a university medical center in Seoul, Korea. PIMs were defined using the Beers criteria. Factors associated with PIM use were evaluated using multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: Of all participants, 7,132 (27.6%) were prescribed at least one PIM. The most commonly prescribed PIMs were alprazolam (11.2%), clonazepam (10.8%), zolpidem (8.7%), quetiapine (8.4%), and hydroxyzine (5.4%). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, having five or more prescription medicines (odds ratio [OR], 11.32; 95% confidence interval [CI], 9.38 to 13.66) and five or more prescribing doctors (OR, 4.40; 95% CI, 3.59 to 5.39) were strongly associated with PIM. In a likelihood ratio test for trend, an increasing number of medications and prescribing doctors were both significantly associated with PIM. CONCLUSION: At a university medical center, the number of medications and the number of prescribing doctors was associated with PIM in older outpatients.
Academic Medical Centers ; Aged ; Alprazolam ; Beer* ; Clonazepam ; Humans ; Hydroxyzine ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Mass Screening ; Outpatients* ; Potentially Inappropriate Medication List* ; Prescriptions ; Prevalence* ; Public Health ; Quetiapine Fumarate ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors* ; Seoul