PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical outcome of conventional LASIK versus wavefront-guided LASIK using the Zyoptix system. METHODS: This prospective study included 54 eyes of 27 patients in the Konyang University Hospital between January and December 2004. The treated eyes were Divided into two groups: group 1 (conventional LASIK) and group 2 (wavefront-guided LASIK). Corneal topography with Orbscan IIz, wavefront analysis with the Zywave aberrometer, UCVA, BCVA, slit lamp examination and corneal keratometry were performed preoperatively. All outcome measures assessed at 1 Day, 1 week, 1 month and 3 months postoperatively. RESULTS: There was no Difference in the refractive outcome between the two groups. High order aberration was increased in both groups, but more increased in the conventional LASIK group. Wavefront LASIK was more effective in patients with high preoperative high order aberration, high spherical equivalent and large optical zone Diameter. The mesoptic contrast sensitivity test showed a larger Decrease in the conventional LASIK group than in the wavefront-guided LASIK group, but without statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: The wavefront-guided LASIK group showed a smaller increase in high order aberration and a smaller reduction of mesoptic contrast sensitivity compared with the conventional LASIK group in patients with high preoperative high order aberration, high spherical equivalent and large optical zone Diameter.
Contrast Sensitivity ; Corneal Topography ; Humans ; Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ* ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Prospective Studies

PURPOSE: To compare the in vitro toxicity of commercial olopatadine anti-allergic ophthalmic agents on cultured rabbit's conjunctival cells according to concentrations and exposure times. METHODS: Rabbit conjunctival cells were exposed to anti-allergic olopatadine ophthalmic agents, (Patanol® [0.1% olopatadine hydrochloride; Alcon, Fort Worth, TX, USA], Pataday® [0.2% olopatadine hydrochloride; Alcon], and Pazeo® [0.7% olopatadine hydrochloride; Alcon]) at concentrations of 5%, 10%, and 15% for periods of 30 minutes, 1, 2, 3, and 6 hours, respectively. Cell proliferation and injury assays were performed using the methylthiazoltetrazolium and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage assays. We checked the composition of the three anti-allergic agents, and performed light and transmission electron microscopy to compare the morphological changes in cells. RESULTS: The conjunctival cell proliferation was inhibited after 1 hour exposure to each olopatadine ophthalmic agent, with significant cell proliferation inhibited using 15% of each drug. The proliferation of conjunctival cells was inhibited during 6 hours of drug exposure at all concentrations of Pataday® and Pazeo®. The titer of LDH increased from 3 hours after drug exposure, but 15% Pazeo® significantly increased the LDH titer at 2 hours after drug exposure. As the concentration of the drug increased, the LDH titer also significantly increased. The cellular morphological changes of conjunctival cells were in the increasing order of Pazeo®, Pataday®, and Patanol® with a high concentration of olopatadine hydrochloride. CONCLUSIONS Among the anti-allergic olopatidine ophthalmic agents, higher olopatadine concentrations in the increasing order of Pazeo®, Pataday®, and Patanol® resulted in cytoplasmic damage of conjunctival cells, but there was no severe damage to the cytoplasmic or the nuclear membranes.

There are diverse surgical methods for treating large bladder stones, such as transurethral cystolithotripsy (TUCL), percutaneous suprapubic cystolithotripsy (PCCL), open surgery, and laparoscopic methods. We report here a case of two large bladder stones treated by using a combined surgical method of a laparoscopic approach and direct visual lithotripsy.
Chimera ; Laparoscopy ; Lithotripsy ; Surgical Procedures, Minimally Invasive ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Bladder Calculi

Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis (TPP) is associated with hypokalemia and occurs sporadically and usually in young adult males. We report ten cases with TPP ; all were males, mean onset age was 32.4 years old. The duration of attack. Varied from 10 to 18 hours. The distribution of paralysis was confined to limb muscles; more severe in proximal limbs and lower extremities. Potassium levels during acute attack correlated with the severity of paralysis and ECG changes, but not with the severity of decrease in TSH level. In all cases, administration of potassium salts was successful in treatment of acute attack. A patient had further attack in spite of euthyroid state under the treatment of thyrotoxicosis for one year. Another patient was free from paralytic attacks by chronic administration of the potassium salt and acetazolamide without treatment of thyrotoxicosis.
Acetazolamide ; Age of Onset ; Electrocardiography ; Extremities ; Humans ; Hypokalemia ; Lower Extremity ; Male ; Muscles ; Paralysis* ; Potassium ; Salts ; Thyrotoxicosis ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Lesch types 2 (L2, anxiety model) and 3 (L3, depressive model) of alcoholism exhibit different responses to anti-craving agents, and most treatment guidelines provide differential treatment strategies for bipolar depression (DEP) and unipolar DEP. We compare the psychological characteristics of L2 and L3 alcoholism and between the unipolar and bipolar subgroups.METHODS: We reviewed medical records of patients who were diagnosed with alcohol use disorder using the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria and classified as L2 and L3 using Lesch Alcohol typology software. All patients completed self-report scales (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test [AUDIT], Beck Anxiety Inventory [BAI], Beck Depression Inventory-II [BDI-II], and Korean Symptom Checklist-95 [KSCL95]). The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Wilcoxon Rank-Sum test, and ANOVA.RESULTS: Of the 43 patients, 23 were assigned L2, and 20 were assigned L3. The scores for the KSCL95 subscales fell generally in the increasing order of the L2-unipolar (L2U, n=10), L2-bipolar (L2B, n=13), L3-unipolar (L3U, n=11), and L3-bipolar (L3B, n=9) types. The L3B scores were greater than the L3U scores for most KSCL95 subscales, by contrast with the DEP and BAI scores.CONCLUSION: We found psychological differences between L2 and L3 and identified the unique psychological characteristics for each subgroup by polarity. The psychological characteristics of these subgroups of alcohol use disorder may help improve the treatment success rates through individualized treatment strategies.
Alcoholism ; Anxiety ; Bipolar Disorder ; Depression ; Depressive Disorder ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Weights and Measures

OBJECTIVE: Respiratory viral infection of the neonatal period is highly contagious. Rapid and accurate diagnosis is important for proper treatment and prevention. However, the existing diagnostic method, respiratory virus cell culture, takes a long time to diagnose. Recent development of rapid diagnostic methods such as multiplex reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) enable early detection and effective treatment of respiratory viral infections. We compared the efficiency of multiplex RT-PCR and R-mix virus culture for rapid detection of respiratory viruses. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical features and results of R-mix virus culture and multiplex RT-PCR with nasopharyngeal aspiration specimens in 117 newborns admitted to neonatal intensive care unit suspected of infectious diseases. RESULTS: R-mix virus culture was positive in 29 cases (24.8%) and RT-PCR in 86 cases (73.5%). R-mix virus culture and multiplex RTPCR were identical in 54 cases (positive 26 cases, negative 28 cases). Among 75 cases that showed different results, 60 showed negative result in R-mix virus culture and positive result in multiplex RT-PCR, and three showed positive result in R-mix virus culture and negative result in multiplex RT-PCR. Different viruses were detected in the remaining 12 cases by both methods. CONCLUSION: Multiplex RT-PCR is faster than R-mix virus culture and has the advantage of identifying new respiratory viruses. On the other hand, Multiplex RT-PCR is more susceptible to false positives and mixed infections than R-mix virus culture, so more attention is required when interpreting test results.
Cell Culture Techniques ; Coinfection ; Communicable Diseases ; Diagnosis ; Hand ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Methods ; Retrospective Studies ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase*

Small bowel obstruction (SBO) is a common complication after abdominal surgery, and can occur due to many reasons. However, cryptorchidism can cause SBO in patients with no history of abdominal surgery. We report the case of a 67-year-old man with SBO caused by adhesions between an undescended testis and the terminal ileum.
Adult* ; Aged ; Cryptorchidism* ; Humans ; Ileum ; Intestinal Obstruction ; Male

Background: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between exercise and depression based on responses to 2016 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) and the Patient Health Questionairre-9 (PHQ-9). Specifically, this study examined which physical activities have the greatest effects in combating depression. Methods: This study was based on data from 2016 KNHANES and responses to the PHQ-9 questionnaire on physical activity. We selected 2,245 people of age >19 years, who completed the surveys. Physical activity variables included number of days of walking, duration of walking, days of strength training, and aerobic physical activity. These variables subdivided into aerobic and muscle strengthening activities and their effects on depression were examined. Results: All the variables, except duration of walking, were negatively correlated with the PHQ-9 scale scores. However, of the physical activity variables included in the hierarchical regression analysis, only the number of days of walking over 1 week had a statistically significant negative effect on the PHQ-9 scores. Conclusion For adults, aerobic activity (walking) had a greater effect on reducing depression than muscle strengthening activity. The frequency and consistency of walking had a greater impact than the duration of walks. These results suggest that regular walking is a better form of physical activity than strength training for its effect on mood and it assists in overcoming depression.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the results of the medial gastrocnemius muscle flap to cover the wound necrosis and dehiscence caused by repeated surgery in the reconstruction of infected total knee arthroplasty (TKA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Out of forty three reconstructions of infected TKA performed between 1995 and 2002, eleven cases (25.6%)underwent medial gastrocnemius flap to cover the anterior skin defects at the time of reimplantation in two cases and in an average 3.3 weeks after reimplantation in seven cases. Two cases which refused reimplantation were treated by arthrodesis and delayed flap coverage and by flap surgery only resulting in pseudarthrosis respectively. They were five male and six female patients of 61 years (range, 56-77 years)of age in average. Clinical and radiological assessments were done for minimum two years of follow-up. RESULTS: Nine cases (81.8%)maintained TK prostheses with less range of motion (77 degrees in average)than ordinary TKAs of primary healing. Two patients refused TKA which resulted in one arthrodesis and one pseudarthrosis. There was no case of recurrence of wound dehiscence or infection. CONCLUSION: Medial gastrocnemius flap can salvage the prostheses by providing good soft tissue coverage for compromised operative wounds caused by infected TKA and repeated surgical interventions.
Arthrodesis ; Arthroplasty* ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Knee* ; Male ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Necrosis ; Prostheses and Implants ; Pseudarthrosis ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Recurrence ; Replantation ; Skin ; Wounds and Injuries

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the relationships between participative decision-making, psychological empowerment, and organizational citizenship behavior of nurses working in hospitals; moreover, we verified the moderated mediating effect of power distance orientation in these relationships. Methods: A total of 201 nurses working at a university hospital in South Korea responded to the survey. Self-report surveys were used to gather data from July 15-August 15, 2021. SPSS 22.0, AMOS 22.0, and SPSS PROCESS macro were used for data analysis. Results: Psychological empowerment significantly mediated the relationship between participative decision making and organizational citizenship behavior. Moreover, the moderating effect of power distance orientation on the relationship between participative decision making and psychological empowerment was also significant when the power distance orientation was at a low and average levels. However, the moderated mediating effect of power distance orientation on the relationship between participative decision making, psychological empowerment, and organizational citizenship behavior was insignificant. Conclusion Involving nurses with lower power distance orientation in decision making is crucial to elicit positive work performance and different strategies are necessary for those with higher power distance orientation. Finally, further studies are needed to understand the power distance orientation and positive work outcomes of nurses.