No abstract available.
Gestational Age* ; Mortality

It is widely recognized that manipulation of body position takes advantage of the influences of gravity for improving oxygenation. The study aims to determine the effects of positioning(supine, prone, right lateral decubitus and left lateral decubitus positions) applied to the mechanically ventilatory acute respiratory failure patients on arterial oxygen partial pressure(PaO2), alveolar arterial oxygen tension difference(AaDO2), mean aterial pressure, peak inspiratory pressure and plateau pressure. Thirty two acute respiratory failure patients admitted to the medical intensive care unit at Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea from March 1997 to January 1998, were divided into three groups by radiographic evidence of unilateral or bilateral lung disease. In group 1 with dominant right lung disease were twelve subjects, group 2 with dominant left lung disease had eight subjects and group 3 had twelve subjects with bilateral lung disease. The variables were measured in 30 minutes after each position of supine, prone, good lung down lateral decubitus and sick lung down lateral decubitus position. The position order was done at random by Latin squre design. The results are as follows; 1) With group 1 patients, the PaO2 in the left lateral decubitus and prone position were 126.8+/-30.8 mmHg and 106.7+/-36.8 mmHg, respectively(p=0.0001). 2) With group 2 patients, the PaO2 in the prone and the right lateral decubitus position were 121.7+/-44.7 mmHg and 118.5+/-31.7 mmHg, respectively (p=0.0018). 3) With group 3 patients, the PaO2 was 143.6+/-36.6 mmHg in the prone position (p=0.0001). 4) With group 1 patients, the AaDO2 in the left lateral decubitus and the right lateral decubitus position were 178.1+/-29.7 mmHg and 233.1+/-24.4 mmHg, respectively(p=0.0001). 5) With group 2 patients, the AaDO2 in the prone and the left lateral decubitus postion were 184.0+/-39.5 mmHg and 231.0+/-23.9 mmHg, respectively(p=0.0019). 6) With group 3 patients, the AaDO2 in the prone and the supine postion were 377.1+/-35.6 mmHg and 435.7+/-13.1 mmHg, respectively (p=0.0001). 7) There were no differences among the mean arterial pressure, peak inspiratory pressure and plateau pressure for each of the supine, prone, left lateral decubitus and right lateral decubitus position. The results suggest that oxygenation may improve in mechanically ventilatory patients with unilateral lung disease when the position is good lung dependent and prone, and patients with bilateral lung disease when the position is prone without any effects on the mean arterial pressure and airway pressure. It is suggested that body positions improve ventilation/perfusion matching and oxygenation need to be specified in patient care plans.
Arterial Pressure ; Gravitation ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Korea ; Lung ; Lung Diseases ; Oxygen* ; Partial Pressure* ; Patient Care ; Prone Position ; Respiratory Insufficiency

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical features of children who have survived a water submersion incident, and to identify risk factors for prognosis. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients who experienced submersion between January 2005 and December 2014. The patients were classified into 2 groups, according to complications, and prognostic factors were evaluated. RESULTS: During the study period, 29 children experienced submersion (20 boys and 9 girls; mean age, 83.8±46.4 months). Submersion occurred most commonly in the summer, with the peak incidence in August. The most frequent Szpilman clinical score was grade 5 (13 patients; 44.8%), followed by grade 6 (7 patients; 24.1%), and grades 1 or 2 (3 patients; 10.3%). Five children (17.2%) in the poor prognosis group died or had hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, and the overall mortality rate was 6.9%. Poor prognosis after submersion was associated with lower consciousness levels (P=0.003), higher Szpilman scores (P=0.007), greater need for intubation and mechanical ventilator support (P=0.001), and longer duration of oxygen therapy (P=0.015). Poor prognosis was also associated with lower bicarbonate levels (P=0.038), as well as higher sodium, aspartate transaminase (AST), and alanine transaminase (ALT) levels (P=0.034, P=0.006, and P=0.005, respectively). Szpilman clinical scores were positively correlated with consciousness levels (r=0.489, P=0.002) and serum liver enzyme levels (AST and ALT; r=0.521, P=0.004). CONCLUSION: We characterized the prognostic factors associated with submersion outcomes, using the Szpilman clinical score, which is comparable to consciousness level for predicting mortality.
Alanine Transaminase ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Child* ; Consciousness ; Drowning* ; Female ; Humans ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain ; Immersion ; Incidence ; Intubation ; Liver ; Medical Records ; Mortality ; Oxygen ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Sodium ; Ventilators, Mechanical ; Water

In this paper, authors investigated the academic activities of the Korean Physiological Society for the first 50 years from its foundation in 1945 to the year 1995. Authors divided the first 50 years of the Korean Physiological Society into the 4 developmental stages such as 1) Stage of Foundation (1945-1956), 2) Stage of Reconstruction (1957-1966), 3) Stage of Adjustment (1967-1981) and 4) Stage of Promotion (1982-1995), relating to its academic activities. Each stage had its own affairs and characteristics as follows. 1) The Stage of Foundation : Foundation of the Society; Participation of the members in the joint annual academic meeting held by the Korean Medical Association 2) The Stage of Reconstruction : Having the independent annual academic meeting; Rapid increase of papers read in the meeting; Affiliation of the Society with the International Union of Physiological Sciences(IUPS) 3) The Stage of Adjustment : Foundation of the Korean Journal of Physiology 4) The Stage of Promotion : Having the spring academic meeting; Further increase of papers(oral and poster) presented in the meeting; Increase of papers in the Journal; Transformation of the Journal into the English edition; Active participation of the members in the international academic activities; Establishment of the subspecial society such as the Korean Society for Smooth Muscle Research and the Ion-channel Group

In this paper, authors investigated the academic activities of the Korean Physiological Society for the first 50 years from its foundation in 1945 to the year 1995. Authors divided the first 50 years of the Korean Physiological Society into the 4 developmental stages such as 1) Stage of Foundation (1945-1956), 2) Stage of Reconstruction (1957-1966), 3) Stage of Adjustment (1967-1981) and 4) Stage of Promotion (1982-1995), relating to its academic activities. Each stage had its own affairs and characteristics as follows. 1) The Stage of Foundation : Foundation of the Society; Participation of the members in the joint annual academic meeting held by the Korean Medical Association 2) The Stage of Reconstruction : Having the independent annual academic meeting; Rapid increase of papers read in the meeting; Affiliation of the Society with the International Union of Physiological Sciences(IUPS) 3) The Stage of Adjustment : Foundation of the Korean Journal of Physiology 4) The Stage of Promotion : Having the spring academic meeting; Further increase of papers(oral and poster) presented in the meeting; Increase of papers in the Journal; Transformation of the Journal into the English edition; Active participation of the members in the international academic activities; Establishment of the subspecial society such as the Korean Society for Smooth Muscle Research and the Ion-channel Group

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) has been suspected as a possible gene therapy candidate for orthopedic diseases. We demonstrated that the TGF-beta gene therapy can be applicable to orthopedic patients. After transfection of TGF-beta cDNA sequence to myoblasts [C2 (280)] and fibroblasts (NIH 3T3), stable cell lines with TGF-beta mRNA expression were selected by Northern analysis. To evaluate the possibility of clinical application of these cells to orthopedic diseases, the cells were injected into rabbit achilles tendon. Intratendinous injection was done to evaluate the viability of the cells and to determine the optimal concentration for in vivo expression. At 6 weeks after injection, the injected tendon was thickened with newly formed collagen. The results from this experiment indicates that these cells survived and stimulated matrix formation in rabbit achilles tendon. We concluded that TGF-beta cDNA transfected cells can be useful in the evaluation of TGF-beta biology in vivo.
Achilles Tendon* ; Biology ; Cell Line* ; Collagen ; DNA, Complementary ; Fibroblasts* ; Genetic Therapy ; Humans ; Myoblasts* ; Orthopedics ; RNA, Messenger ; Tendons ; Transfection ; Transforming Growth Factor beta*

Herein, the case of a 5-year-old boy with cytomegalovirus-induced Menetrier's disease, with peripheral eosinophilia, presenting with abdominal pain and vomiting, followed by generalized edema, is reported. The initial laboratory findings, hypoalbuminemia and peripheral eosinophilia were noted, with no evidence of renal, hepatic, cardiac or allergic diseases. Gastrofiberscopy was performed under the suspicion of eosinophilic gastroenteritis with protein losing gastropathy. The gastrofiberscopy showed the characteristic features of giant hypertrophy of the gastric rugae, with large quantities of adherent gelatinous material on the gastric fundus and body. The histological findings revealed foveolar hyperplasia, compatible with Menetrier's disease, with massive eosinophilic infiltrations. The presence of cytomegalovirus infection was identified by serology and confirmed by urine PCR. His symptoms, gastrofiberscopic findings and peripheral eosinophilia resolved spontaneously, and he has remained well for 10 months.
Abdominal Pain ; Child, Preschool ; Cytomegalovirus ; Cytomegalovirus Infections ; Edema ; Eosinophilia* ; Eosinophils ; Gastric Fundus ; Gastritis, Hypertrophic* ; Gastroenteritis ; Gelatin ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Hypertrophy ; Hypoalbuminemia ; Male ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Vomiting

BACKGROUND: Endemic areas of Clonorchis sinensis are in Asia including Korea, China, Taiwan and Vietnam. Its metacercariae consumed in uncooked, or undercooked, unfrozen fish can present human a hazard. Purposes of this study are 1) to observe the effect of each food-processing method and each storage method on C. sinensis metacercariae and 2) to suggest basis to be referred as an indicator in prevention. METHODS: Live metacercariae of C. sinensis in fish collected from Nakdong River in Korea were isolated by pepsin digestion, then were injected into the center of regular-sized muscle protein (1 cm3) of flesh water fish. The sample proteins containing metacercaria were processed according to each food-processing method (heating, frying, boiling) and each storage method (chilling, freezing, pickling with vinegar, salt and soybean sauce). After these procedures, the number of dead metacercariae were counted. RESULTS: It took 10 seconds to kill all the metacercariae in muscle protein in deep frying (180 degrees C), 30 seconds in boiling (100 degrees C) and 60 seconds in dry heating. Metacercariae did not lose all the viability in 4-6 degrees C after 40 days, but lost in -10degrees C and pickling after 5 days, and in salting (salt and soybean sauce) after 3 days. CONCLUSION: These results indicated that the storing in low temperature and in such as vinegar, salt, and soybean sauce was not effective to lose the viability unless if it was kept for a long period of time. Among the food-processing methods, frying in soybean oil was the most effective method to lose the viability of metacercariae.
Acetic Acid ; Asia ; China ; Clonorchis sinensis* ; Digestion ; Freezing ; Heating ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Korea ; Metacercariae ; Muscle Proteins ; Pepsin A ; Rivers ; Soybean Oil ; Soybeans ; Taiwan ; Vietnam

PURPOSE: Little is known about outcomes in the use of third-line chemotherapy in cases of advanced gastric cancer (AGC). The primary aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate outcomes of docetaxel-based chemotherapy in patients with AGC that progressed after both oxaliplatin-based and irinotecan-based regimens. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eligible patients were those with AGC who had previous chemotherapy including fluoropyrimidine and oxaliplatin as well as fluoropyrimidine and irinotecan and who received subsequent docetaxel-based chemotherapy. Thirty-five patients were retrospectively recruited from 5 medical centers in Korea. Patients received either weekly or 3 weekly with docetaxel +/- cisplatin. RESULTS: Thirty-one out of 35 patients were evaluated for treatment response. A total of 94 cycles of chemotherapy (median, 2; range, 1 to 7) were administered. The overall response rate was 14.3%, and the disease control rate was 45.7%. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 1.9 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1 to 2.7 months). The median overall survival (OS) was 3.6 months (95% CI, 2.8 to 4.4 months). PFS and OS were significantly prolonged in patients of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, with performance status of 0 or 1 in multivariate analysis (PFS: hazard ratio[HR], 0.411; 95% CI, 0.195 to 0.868; p=0.020 and OS: HR, 0.390; 95% CI, 0.184 to 0.826; p=0.014, respectively). Four of the 35 patients enrolled in the study died due to infection associated with neutropenia. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that salvage docetaxel-based chemotherapy is a feasible treatment option for AGC patients with good performance status (PS), whereas chemotherapy for patients with poor PS (PS< or =2) should be undertaken with caution for those who previously failed oxaliplatin- and irinotecan-based regimens.
Camptothecin ; Disease-Free Survival ; Humans ; Korea ; Multivariate Analysis ; Organoplatinum Compounds ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Taxoids

Postpartum aortic intramural hematoma (IMH) is a rare but potentially lethal condition. We report a case of aortic IMH with massive hemothorax in a postpartum woman. The patient was a 31-year-old woman who had delivered twins by cesarean section. Two days after delivery, she complained of sudden-onset dyspnea. Chest computed tomography revealed a massive left hemothorax. Exploratory thoracotomy was performed, and we found a defect measuring approximately 6 mm in the adventitial layer of the thoracic aorta and an IMH. We repaired the defect primarily, and no more bleeding was observed. The patient was discharged on the 19th postoperative day without any complications.
Adult ; Aorta, Thoracic* ; Cesarean Section ; Dyspnea ; Female ; Hematoma* ; Hemorrhage ; Hemothorax* ; Humans ; Postpartum Period* ; Pregnancy ; Thoracotomy ; Thorax ; Twins