No abstract available.
Amnion* ; Dinoprostone* ; Humans* ; Metabolism*

Bartter's syndrome is a rare tubular disorder characterized by hypokalemic, hypochloremic metabolic alkalosis, hyperreninemic hyperaldosteronism, hyporesponsiveness to pressor agents, and juxtaglomerular apparatus hyperplasia. We report here a case of Bartter's syndrome in a 5 month-old male infant who improved with potassium supplements. In addition to a case report, brief review of related literatures was done.
Alkalosis ; Bartter Syndrome* ; Humans ; Hyperaldosteronism ; Hyperplasia ; Infant ; Juxtaglomerular Apparatus ; Male ; Potassium

BACKGROUND: Multi-organ failure from sepsis is very lethal disease entity, which is suspected to be caused by activated inflammatory cells. Inflammatory cells activated by endotoxins generate oxidants and cytokines such as TNF-alpha and IL-6, which in turn stimulate macrophages and neutrophils. Augmented inflammation makes an organ-injury deteriorate into an organ-failure, which may progress to multi-organ failure. This study is designed to evaluate the therapeutic effects of vitamin-C, a scavenger of oxidants, in sepsis. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 3 groups : a control group, a group injected intrapetoneally with LPS(lipopolysaccharide), and a group injected intraperitoneally with LPS and vitamin-C. Each eight rats were sacrified 24 hours and 48 hours after injection, and samples of the blood, the liver and the lung were obtained. Biochemical assays of TNF-alpha level in the blood and malondialdehyde(MDA) level, catalase activity and nitric oxide synthase(NOS) activity in the liver and the lung tissues were performed. RESULTS: Serum TNF-alpha level, tissue lipid peroxidation and tissue i-NOS activity were dramatically increased, and tissue catalase activity was exhausted rapidly in sepsis. High dose vitamin-C administration decreased serum TNF-alpha level, tissue lipid peroxidation and tissue i-NOS induction, and protected against catalase exhaustion. CONCLUSION: high dose vitamin-C therapy was proved to have definite antioxidant effect in septic condition.
Animals ; Antioxidants ; Catalase ; Cytokines ; Endotoxins ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-6 ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Liver ; Lung ; Macrophages ; Male ; Models, Animal* ; Neutrophils ; Nitric Oxide ; Oxidants ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sepsis* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

No abstract available.
Female ; Femur* ; Gestational Age* ; Humans ; Pregnancy* ; Ultrasonography*

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Liver Diseases* ; Liver* ; Prospective Studies*

u-Health is a good alternative in providing health care service under special situations where access to health care is limited. With the expansion of life space and the increase of travel, people are being put in danger across various situations on the sea, in the sky, disasters, and so on. It is not easy to provide health care in those situations, while people may still have high expectation to heath care. This gap can be narrowed by using u-Health, which is based on advanced information and communication technologies. The special situation for u-Health is where normal health care cannot be performed because of physical limitation and danger, which can be further broken down to five situations. The first is a situation on means of transportation such as ship and airplane. The second situation is when medical facilities are far away from life space, in places like backwoods. The third situation occurs on the place where it is difficult for patients to receive treatment due to restrained freedom, for example, a prison. The forth is the situation where the medical team is unable to approach easily, such as war zone and disaster area. The last special situation is the extreme environments like polar region. In order to make the u-health system more helpful for patients under special situations, there is a need for a research development and investment on sensors to measure accurate bio-signals, the network to transmit the data, and the technologies to analyze the data and to provide feedback. Therefore, institutional supports for technology development are required for further development of u-Health for people in great needs.
Aircraft ; Cold Climate ; Delivery of Health Care ; Disasters ; Freedom ; Health Services Accessibility ; Humans ; Hypogonadism ; Investments ; Mitochondrial Diseases ; Ophthalmoplegia ; Prisons ; Ships ; Telemedicine ; Transportation

As a series of systematic classification for Korean common liver fluke, Fasciola sp., karyotype was investigated by means of the modified air-drying technique and of the regular Giemsa staining, Also, C-staining method was applied for detailed karyological analysis from the germ cells of the fluke. The following is a brief summary of the leading facts gained through the experiment. Korean Fasciola sp. was classified into three types based on their chromosomal complements; individuals with 20 or 30 chromosomes and with a 20/30 mosaic constitution. Worms having 30 chromosomes represent a triploid form with 3 sets of 10 basic chromosomes, while those with 20 chromosomes were diploid and mosaic individuals were 2n/3n mixoploid. The frequency of the individual type calculated is as follows; 67.45% of 212 flukes examined was of diploid, 10.85%, triploid, and the rest, 21.7%, mixoploid, respectively. In many cases, two or three types were found in the peculiar bovine host while single type inhabitant was about 20% out of 52 cases. The twenty chromosomes consisted of 1 parir of large metacentrics, 4 pairs of medium-sized subtelocentrics, and 5 pairs of small submetacentrics, while constitution of the thirty chromosomes was nearly interpreted as a triploid form with 3 sets of 10 basic chromosomes. The high centromeric indexes of both types are the first pairs among all the examined, and 37.93% was of diploid and 47.93%, triploid, respectively. In mixoploid individuals, constitution of the chromosomes of diploid or triploid cells was the same as that of diploid or triploid individuals. All the chromosomes of the germ cells in both types showed C-band around the centromeic region and especially the chromosomes no's 3, 7, and 8 showed a remarkable C-band distinguished from other chromosomes. The variance for the sizes of the worms and the eggs were not parallel with three different genotypes in Korean common liver fluke.
parasitology-helminth-trematoda ; Fasciola sp. ; karyotype ; taxonomy

Purpose: This retrospective study investigated the feasibility, diagnostic, and therapeutic advantages of the gastrografin challenge on patients with adhesive small bowel obstruction (ASBO). Methods: There were 125 patients reviewed who were admitted to the Department of General Surgery at a single institution (September 2018 to August 2019) with a diagnosis related to ASBO. The study population included 100 patients (114 cases) who had received initial conservative management. Patient characteristics and operation rates were compared between the gastrografin challenge success group and failure group, and operation rates and length of hospital stay were compared between the gastrografin challenge group and “non-challenge” group. Results: During the study period, 21 patients with ASBO underwent the gastrografin challenge. The challenge was successful in 17 patients where the bowel obstruction was resolved without the need for surgery. Among patients who failed the challenge, 2 patients underwent adhesiolysis and 2 patients were able to progress their diet avoiding surgery. In patients who underwent surgery (n = 2), the length of hospital stay was significantly shorter in the gastrografin challenge group compared with the “non-challenge” group sub analysis (n = 13 cases; 10.5 vs. 20 days, p = 0.038), indicating that the gastrografin challenge assisted rapid decision-making for surgery. No adverse events were reported for the 21 gastrografin challenges. Conclusion In patients with ASBO, the gastrografin challenge is an accurate, safe method to determine the need for surgery. In addition, the gastrografin challenge may reduce the length of stay in patients who required surgery for ASBO resolution.

Purpose: This retrospective study investigated the feasibility, diagnostic, and therapeutic advantages of the gastrografin challenge on patients with adhesive small bowel obstruction (ASBO). Methods: There were 125 patients reviewed who were admitted to the Department of General Surgery at a single institution (September 2018 to August 2019) with a diagnosis related to ASBO. The study population included 100 patients (114 cases) who had received initial conservative management. Patient characteristics and operation rates were compared between the gastrografin challenge success group and failure group, and operation rates and length of hospital stay were compared between the gastrografin challenge group and “non-challenge” group. Results: During the study period, 21 patients with ASBO underwent the gastrografin challenge. The challenge was successful in 17 patients where the bowel obstruction was resolved without the need for surgery. Among patients who failed the challenge, 2 patients underwent adhesiolysis and 2 patients were able to progress their diet avoiding surgery. In patients who underwent surgery (n = 2), the length of hospital stay was significantly shorter in the gastrografin challenge group compared with the “non-challenge” group sub analysis (n = 13 cases; 10.5 vs. 20 days, p = 0.038), indicating that the gastrografin challenge assisted rapid decision-making for surgery. No adverse events were reported for the 21 gastrografin challenges. Conclusion In patients with ASBO, the gastrografin challenge is an accurate, safe method to determine the need for surgery. In addition, the gastrografin challenge may reduce the length of stay in patients who required surgery for ASBO resolution.

OBJECTIVE: The objectives of the present study were to characterize the natural course of initially non-operated traumatic acute subdural hematoma (ASDH) and to identify the risk factors of hematoma progression. METHODS: Retrospective analysis was performed using sequential computed tomography (CT) images maintained in a prospective observational database containing 177 ASDH cases treated from 2005 to 2011. Patients were allocated to four groups as followings; 136 (76.8%) patients to the spontaneous resolution group, 12 (6.8%) who underwent operation between 4 hours and 7 days to the rapid worsening group (RWG), 24 (13.6%) who experienced an increase of hematoma and that underwent operation between 7 and 28 days to the subacute worsening group (SWG), and 5 (2.8%) who developed delayed aggravation requiring surgery from one month after onset to the delayed worsening group (DWG). Groups were compared with respect to various factors. RESULTS: No significant intergroup difference was found with respect to age, mechanism of injury, or initial Glasgow Coma Scale. The presence of combined cerebral contusion or subarachnoid hemorrhage was found to be a significant prognostic factor. Regarding CT findings, mixed density was common in the RWG and the SWG. Midline shifting, hematoma thickness, and numbers of CT slices containing hematoma were significant prognostic factors of the RWG and the SWG. Brain atrophy was more severe in the SWG and the DWG. CONCLUSION: A large proportion of initially non-operated ASDHs worsen in the acute or subacute phase. Patients with risk factors should be monitored carefully for progression by repeat CT imaging.
Atrophy ; Brain ; Contusions ; Glasgow Coma Scale ; Hematoma* ; Hematoma, Subdural, Acute* ; Hematoma, Subdural, Chronic ; Humans ; Prospective Studies ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors* ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed