No abstract available.

May–Thurner syndrome (MTS) is a condition in which the left common iliac vein is irritated by chronic pulsatile compression between the right common iliac artery and the upper iliac or lumbar spine. It mainly causes swelling and pain in the left lower extremity, venous thrombosis, and repeated deep venous thrombosis. In patients with sudden swelling and pain in the left lower extremity and suspected lower extremity thrombosis, when no other obvious cause can be found, the possibility of MTS should be considered. We experienced a rare case of an older patient with atypical MTS caused by bone spur of the 4th and 5th lumbar vertebrae, which has been reported here along with a review of the literature.

PURPOSE: To investigate the utility of surgical treatment of clavicle shaft fracture using a percutaneous towel clip reduction and intramedullary fixation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted for total 16 cases of patients who had no neurovascular injury and a few comminuted bone fragment among patients with clavicle shaft fracture from January 2002 to July 2003. The method of operation was percutaneous towel clip reduction and intramedullary fixation. The clinical and radiological results were evaluated. RESULTS: Radiologically, 15 cases showed bone unions and the average time was 9.1 weeks. According to Kang's criteria clinically, there were 14 cases which were more than an excellence. One case substituted open reduction and nailing fixation due to a medial migration of K-wire and re- displacement of fracture even in 1 week. However, there wasn't any other major complication. CONCLUSION: Due to its having no additional injury to soft tissues, no scar formations, and its short operation time, percutaneous towel clip reduction and intramedullary fixation will be very useful as one of the treatments of clavicular shaft fracture if it follows correct surgical indications.
Cicatrix ; Clavicle* ; Humans

Purpose: Blood transfusion is one of the most common procedures used to treat anemia in colorectal surgery. Despite controversy regarding the adverse effects of blood products, surgeons have maintained standards for administering blood transfusions. However, this trend was restrictive during the COVID-19 pandemic because of a shortage of blood products. In this study, we conducted an analysis to investigate whether the restriction of blood transfusions affected postoperative surgical outcomes. Methods: Medical records of 318 patients who underwent surgery for colon and rectal cancer at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital between June 2018 and March 2022 were reviewed retrospectively. The surgical outcomes between the liberal and restrictive transfusion strategies in pre– and post–COVID-19 groups were analyzed. Results: In univariate analysis, postoperative transfusion was associated with infectious complications (odds ratio [OR], 1.705; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.015–2.865; P=0.044). However, postoperative transfusion was not an independent risk factor for the development of infectious complications in multivariate analysis (OR, 1.305; 95% CI, 0.749–2.274; P=0.348). In subgroup analysis, there was no significant association between infectious complications and the hemoglobin threshold level for the administration of a transfusion (OR, 1.249; 95% CI, 0.928–1.682; P=0.142). Conclusion During colorectal surgery, the decision to perform a blood transfusion is an important step in ensuring favorable surgical outcomes. According to the results of this study, restrictive transfusion is sufficient for favorable surgical outcomes compared with liberal transfusion. Therefore, modification of guidelines is suggested to minimize unnecessary transfusion-related side effects and prevent the overuse of blood products.

Background: Angiosarcoma (AS) and Kaposi sarcoma (KS) are rare malignant and borderline malignant vascular tumors that may first present to a dermatologist. There are few Korean studies that particularly focus on their survival due to low incidence. Objective: To investigate the survival and prognostic factors among patients with AS and KS, in addition to their clinical features. Methods: Between 2000∼2021, medical records of 26 AS and 26 KS patients at a single center were analyzed retrospectively. Additionally, we calculated the disease specific survival (DSS) and overall survival (OS) of two diseases. Results: The mean age of patients with AS was 72.9 years and 67.3 years for KS. The most common tumor location was the scalp in patients with AS (80.8%) and the foot (65.4%) in those with KS. In patients with AS, 1-year DSS and OS rates were 36.0% and 34.6%, respectively. Five-year DSS and OS rates were 24.0% and 20.2%, respectively. In patients with KS, the 1-year DSS and OS rates were 96.2% and 84.6%, respectively. The 5-year DSS and OS were 91.6% and 58.0%, respectively. Patients who were older or had larger lesions than average had decreased DSS and OS in AS. Among the patients with KS, immunosuppressed status, including human immunodeficiency virus infection, showed reduced OS. Conclusion Apart from confirming grave survival of AS and favorable survival of KS, patient’s age and size of lesion affect survival outcomes in patients with AS. Otherwise, immunosuppressed status affects survival outcomes in patients with KS.

Cinnabar is the mineral with mercury in combination with sulfur, and it has been used to make charms in China and Korea. If cinnabar is overheated, mercury vapor that is extremely hazardous or sometimes fatal can be released. We experienced 5 patients of a family who were exposed to mercury vapor when they burnt charms. One of them developed severe acute respiratory failure and the patient needed mechanical ventilation and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Despite treatment with cortiocosteroid, D-penicillamine, ECMO and plasmapheresis, the radiologic findings of a patient worsened and he died.
Burns ; China ; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Korea ; Mercury Compounds ; Penicillamine ; Plasmapheresis ; Respiration, Artificial ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Sulfur

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the factors affecting long-term prognosis for dysphagia in tonsil cancer patients, after treatment. METHOD: This was a retrospective study of subjects who underwent a videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) following treatment for stage 3 or 4 tonsil cancer. Data including sex, age, cancer characteristics, and methods of cancer treatment were collected. To evaluate the swallowing-related outcome, we collected data including findings regarding the last VFSS, method of feeding, and history of aspiration pneumonia requiring in-patient care. We evaluated the correlation between these data and the characteristics of cancer and treatment methods. RESULT: Among 32 subjects included in this study, eight had aspiration or penetration confirmed by the last VFSS. There were no significant differences in swallowing-related factors according to the presence of aspiration or penetration in the last VFSS. Patients who underwent curative tonsillectomy retained more residues on the last VFSS than those who did not. CONCLUSION: Among subjects with tonsil cancer, history of curative tonsillectomy was correlated with more pharyngeal residue. However, other cancer- or treatment-related factors did not affect the outcome of swallowing.
Deglutition ; Deglutition Disorders ; Humans ; Methods ; Palatine Tonsil ; Pneumonia, Aspiration ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Tonsillar Neoplasms ; Tonsillectomy

OBJECTIVES: This purpose of this paper is to introduce the status of the Asan Medical Center (AMC) medical information system with respect to healthcare quality improvement. METHODS: Asan Medical Information System (AMIS) is projected to become a completely electronic and digital information hospital. AMIS has played a role in improving the health care quality based on the following measures: safety, effectiveness, patient-centeredness, timeliness, efficiency, privacy, and security. RESULTS: AMIS consisted of several distinctive systems: order communication system, electronic medical record, picture archiving communication system, clinical research information system, data warehouse, enterprise resource planning, IT service management system, and disaster recovery system. The most distinctive features of AMIS were the high alert-medication recognition & management system, the integrated and severity stratified alert system, the integrated patient monitoring system, the perioperative diabetic care monitoring and support system, and the clinical indicator management system. CONCLUSIONS: AMIS provides IT services for AMC, 7 affiliated hospitals and over 5,000 partners clinics, and was developed to improve healthcare services. The current challenge of AMIS is standard and interoperability. A global health IT strategy is needed to get through the current challenges and to provide new services as needed.
Decision Support Systems, Clinical ; Delivery of Health Care ; Disasters ; Electronic Health Records ; Electronics ; Electrons ; Hospital Information Systems ; Information Systems ; Monitoring, Physiologic ; Privacy ; Quality of Health Care

Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is a rare disorder characterized by the triad of microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and acute renal failure. HUS arises from a wide spectrum of conditions, and chemotherapeutic agents have been reported to be associated with HUS, including Mitomycin, Cisplatin, Bleomycin, and Gemcitabine. A 76-year-old man treated with Gemcitabine due to non-small cell lung cancer developed clinical and laboratory findings compatible with HUS. Gemcitabine was ceased and hemodialysis and plasma exchange were utilized and he recovered. A high level of suspicion for HUS is necessary when cancer patients are treated with Gemcitabine, and prompt recognition and treatment are also essential.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Aged ; Anemia, Hemolytic ; Bleomycin ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; Cisplatin ; Deoxycytidine ; Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome ; Humans ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Mitomycin ; Plasma Exchange ; Renal Dialysis ; Thrombocytopenia