Background: There have been many reports on microbial contamination of antiseptics and disinfectant used in the hospitals. Mid to low level disinfectants such as chlorhexidine gluconate, quaternary ammonium, phenols and benzalkonium are reported to be the one with high risk of microbial contamination. We investigated microbial contamination of 0.05% chlorhexidine gluconate solution used in our hospital. Methods: 0,05% chlorhexidine gluconate solution and 0.05% chlorhexidine gluconate cotton balls used in the general ward and intensive care unit were randomly collected for microbial culture. Also, sterile water, 20% chlorhexidine gluconate and staining solution, which is mixed in the preparation room to make 0,05% chlorhexidine gluconate solutions, were collected for bacterial culture to evaluate the focus of microbial contamination. Results: Total of 31 chlorhexidine gluconate samples was randomly collected from general wards. intensive care unit and preparation room for microbial culture. Seven of thirteen 0.05% chlorhexidine gluconate solution and 5 of twelve 0.05% chlorhexidine soaked cotton balls kept in a canister were contaminated by Burkholderia cepacia. Sterile water used for dilution of 20% chlorhexidine gluconate to make 0.05% chlorhexidine and originally purchased 20% chlorhexidine gluconate were not contaminated by microorganism. But staining solution that is used as an additive to differentiate from other diluted disinfectants was contaminated by Bukholderia cepacia. 0.05% chlorhexidine gluconate solutions that were mixed in the preparation room were also contaminated by same organism. Source of contamination was thought to be staining solution. All the previously made chlorhexidine. solutions and staining solution were discarded. Staining solution was not used afterward. Several processes in the handling of chlorthexidine solution were corrected and no microbial contamination was found afterward. Conclusion: Diluted chlorthexidine gluconate solutions are always under a risk of microbial contamination if any of the process in the handling is overlooked. Staining solution as an additive to disinfectants should be used carefully.
Ammonium Compounds ; Anti-Infective Agents, Local ; Benzalkonium Compounds ; Burkholderia cepacia ; Chlorhexidine* ; Disinfectants ; Intensive Care Units ; Patients' Rooms ; Phenol ; Phenols ; Water

No abstract available.
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay* ; Herpes Simplex* ; Immunoglobulin G* ; Immunoglobulin M*

The purpose of this study was to compare the differences in measurements between cephalometric radiographs an digigraphs of Dolphin Imaging System. 26 Korean adult male and 24 adult female with normal occlusion were selected. For each subject lateral cephalogram was taken. Digitizing with Digigraph Work Station of Dolphin Imaging System was performed as well. 50 tracings and 50 digigraphs were analyzed with Yonsei, Ricketts, Burstone analyses. The comparable measurements between tracing group and digigraph group were statistically analyzed. The results were as follows: 1. 13 of 64 comparable measurements did not show any statistically significant difference (P>0.05) between tracing group and digigraph group. 2. Three of the measurements with FH plane as a reference plane did not show any statistically insignificant difference. All measurement with SN plane as a reference plane showed statistically significant difference(p<0.05) 3. The measurements which showed no statistically significant difference were mostly short distance linear measurements while most of the angular measurements showed statistically significant difference(p<0.05).
Adult ; Dolphins* ; Female ; Humans ; Male

No abstract available.
Female ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone* ; Injections, Subcutaneous* ; Ovulation* ; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome*

Apoptosis is a crucial mechanism for the selective elimination of mammalian cells and is involved in many physiological and pathological processes. The heightened awareness of the importance of apoptosis has increased the need for rapid and quantitative methods for measurement of apoptotic changes. Recently, 7-amino-actinomycin D (7-AAD) has been introduced as a valuable fluorescent dye for assessing apoptosis by flow cytometry. When the cells are stained with 7-AAD in the concentration of 10 - 20 ug/ml, live cells are not stained (7-AAD ) and early apoptotic cells are weakly stained (7-AAD ) while late apoptotic or dead cells are stained brightly (7-AAD). On scattergram of forward angle light scatter vs. 7-AAD fluorescence, the three populations can be discriminated not only between each other but also from cell debris or clumps. The apoptotic cells, defined as 7- AAD cells, were demonstrated as apoptotic by morphological observation of the sorted cells. The 7-AAD cell fraction was also demonstrated to be parallel with subdiploid fraction of cells stained with PL However, 7-AAD cells, whose definition is based on the alteration of membrane integrity, have never been demonstrated to be subdiploid fraction by simultaneous DNA staining. Here we directly demonstrate that 7-AAD cells, defined on the scattergram of forward angle light scatter vs. 7-AAD fluorescence, are subdiploid fraction by staining with DNA dye whose fluorescence is collected after 530/30 band pass filter (FL-1). We also demonstrate the effects of 7-AAD concentration, fixation of cells, and proliferation of cells, on the fluorescence pattern, for reference during assessment of apoptosis by simple and rapid method for flow cytometric analysis of cells stained with 7- AAD. We also present a flow cytometric analysis of cells stained with 7-AAD Eor sequential change in apoptotic fraction, with concurrent dual-color immunophenotyping.
Apoptosis* ; DNA ; Flow Cytometry* ; Fluorescence ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique* ; Immunophenotyping ; Membranes ; Pathologic Processes

The determination of adjustment method of urinary mercury in spot urine is one of the important issues in assessing the health risks of mercury workers. But there have been debates about whether creatinine or other forms of correction for urinary concentration are better in reducing the variation of urinary mercury. We evaluated four adjustment methods-specific gravity, creatinine, log creatinine and excretion rate-by correlation between values adjusted by the four methods and individual exposure levels which were the geometric mean of daily air mercury level for 2 or 5 days, and mercury concentrations in 24 hour urine were also investigated to compare the results of spot urine. The correlation between values of spot urine and mercury exposure level was over 0.8 in all adjustment methods for workers who worked over 1 year. All four adjustment methods for urinary mercury were found to be similar in assessing the exposure, log creatinine and excretion rate method however were not practical to use due to lack of reference values, and variable standard values of specific gravity. And the creatinine adjusted values were more sensitive in low mercury exposure level. We therefore recommend the creatinine adjustment method for adjustment of urinary mercury.
Adult ; Air Pollutants, Occupational/*urine ; Female ; Human ; Male ; Mercury/*urine ; Middle Age ; Risk Assessment ; Time Factors

No abstract available.
Carrier State*

We report a case of atypical benign partial childhood epilepsy in a 11 years old male child whose case has been followed up for 6 years. His first symptom was focal seizure of the left side of his face during a drowsy state, followed by focal seizures of left fingers and legs. At that time he had been on phenobarbital for a year without any response clinically and electroencephalographically, so he was transferred to our hospital. The EEG, which was taken at his first visit, showed continuous generalized spike-wave pattern with high amplitude through the whole record during waking, drowsy and sleeping states. The clinical and EEG findings showed no improvement for the first 2 years even though he was on combination therapy with some drugs such as carbamazepine, valproate and vigabatrin. However, he began to show some improvement after 3 years(at 8 years of age) and no seizure has been observed for the last 2 years. Also an EEG, taken 6 years after onset, showed marked improvement.
Carbamazepine ; Child ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsy* ; Fingers ; Humans ; Leg ; Male ; Phenobarbital ; Seizures ; Valproic Acid ; Vigabatrin

A combined anterior and lateral approach to the anterior cervical canal was performed on 2 patients with cervical dumbbell-shaped tumors. The procedure consists of anterior discetomy and ispsilateral uncectomy, and removal of the posterolateral corners and posterior transverse fidges of the upper and lower verterbral bodies at the tumor. In one case of a large tumor in the spinal canal, additional removal of a limited segment from the lateral part of the vertebral body was performed and the bone defect was filled with a T-shaped bone graft. The higest level of the operation was C-2 and the lowes was C-4. The authors believe that any cervical dumbbell-shaped tumor below the C-2 level can be removed via anterolateral approach as long as no more than 3 levels of the spine are involved.
Foraminotomy ; Humans ; Spinal Canal* ; Spine ; Transplants

Gastritis cystica superficialis (GCS) is a rare lesion which is characterized by glandular hyperplasia with regeneration and degeneration in the mucosa and muscularis mucosa. Recently, GCS is revealed as precancerous lesion, but most report has been associated with those found at the site of a gastroenterostomy. So, we report two cases with GCS who had not previous gastric surgery. A 45-year-old woman visited for epigastric discomfort and another 4Q-year-old woman for epigastric pain. They had not undergone any gastric surgery. The gastroscopy discovered one polyp on anterior wall of greater curvature, upper body and another polyp in the center of the fold of greater curvature, lower body. We removed it by snare polypectomy and the histologic finding showed the character of GCS.
Female ; Gastritis* ; Gastroenterostomy ; Gastroscopy ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Middle Aged ; Mucous Membrane ; Polyps ; Regeneration ; SNARE Proteins