No abstract available.
Bile* ; Biliary Tract Diseases* ; Biliary Tract*

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Bile Ducts* ; Bile* ; Constriction, Pathologic*

BACKGROUND: Intravenous catheter-related complication among the hospitalized patients has been increasing recently in Korea, since many hospitals has tried to save expenses by replacing the foreign-made catheter with domestic-made intravenous catheter. We studied the incidence rate of catheter-related complication and compared the incidence of catheter-related complication between domestic-made and foreign-made ones. We also studied to elucidate whether the morphologic characteristics of the intravenous catheter will effect the incidence of catheter-related complication. METHOD: From July 1 to Sept 30, 1998, we surveyed the incidence rate of intravenous catheter-related complication among the hospitalized patients in the wards of Medicine. Surgery, Obstetric, and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Guro Hospital, Korea University Medical center. We also compared the incidence of complication between domestic-made catheter (catheter A) and foreign-made catheter (catheter B) of three different gages (24G, 22G and 18G). The morphologic characteristics of intravenous catheters has been studied by electron microscopy. RESULT: Complication associated with use of intravenous catheter had been occurred 263 out of 459 cases (57.3%), among those cases, non-infectious complication and infectious complication were 173 cases (37.7%) and 90 cases (19.6%), respectively. Totally, catheter A group showed higher complication than catheter B group [62.0% (160/258) vs 51.2% (103/201), P=.021]. Analysis on the incidence rate of complication according to the products did not show significant differences in the noninfectious complication in every gage groups. However the infectious complication occurred higher in the domestic-made catheter A group than among the foreign-made catheter B group [(24G: 6% vs 0%, P=.026), (22G: 25.6% vs 9.6%, P=.001), (18G: 36.8% vs 13.4%, P=.002)]. Duration of catheter life did not show the difference between catheter A group and catheter B group [48.5hrs vs 50.3hrs, P=.474]. The analysis on risk factors for complication showed that catheter A group is highly related (odd ratio 1.85). The morphologic analysis of the catheter by using electron microscopy showed that the angles in the tip of the introducing needle of catheter Aand catheter Bare 60degrees and 45degrees , respectively, and the bevel between introducing needle and catheter sheath are 50degrees and 27degrees, respectively. CONCLUSION: There was a higher incidence rate of complication related to domestic-made catheter usage, which might influence increasing the period of the hospitalization and the expenses due to the complication. The study of cost effectiveness analysis needs to be performed regarding intravenous catheter-related complication. Morphologically, catheter A showed more blunt angle in the tip and transition area of the introducing needle than the angle of catheter B, which is considered to influence the higher complication incidence. It needs to improve the quality of domestic-made intravenous catheter.
Academic Medical Centers ; Catheter-Related Infections ; Catheters ; Cost-Benefit Analysis ; Female ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Infant, Newborn ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Korea ; Microscopy, Electron ; Needles ; Obstetric Surgical Procedures ; Prospective Studies* ; Risk Factors

Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) is defined as transient, reversible bronchoconstriction that develops after strenuous exercise. If exercise is the only identified trigger for bronchoconstriction, it is called EIB. However, when it is associated with known asthma, then it is defined as EIB with asthma. The role of atopy in the pathogenesis of EIB has not been determined. In this issue of the journal, Kim et al. reported that atopy was a risk factor for EIB in young adult male patients, and sensitization to house dust mites was associated with EIB. This report shed a new light on the pathogenesis of EIB. However, additional large and confirmatory studies should be required to determine the possible association between atopy and EIB.
Asthma ; Bronchoconstriction ; Humans ; Light ; Male ; Pyroglyphidae ; Risk Factors ; Young Adult

Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) is defined as transient, reversible bronchoconstriction that develops after strenuous exercise. If exercise is the only identified trigger for bronchoconstriction, it is called EIB. However, when it is associated with known asthma, then it is defined as EIB with asthma. The role of atopy in the pathogenesis of EIB has not been determined. In this issue of the journal, Kim et al. reported that atopy was a risk factor for EIB in young adult male patients, and sensitization to house dust mites was associated with EIB. This report shed a new light on the pathogenesis of EIB. However, additional large and confirmatory studies should be required to determine the possible association between atopy and EIB.
Asthma ; Bronchoconstriction ; Humans ; Light ; Male ; Pyroglyphidae ; Risk Factors ; Young Adult

The response to drug treatment in asthma is a complex trait and is markedly variable even in patients with apparently similar clinical features. Pharmacogenomics is a study of variations of human genome characteristics as related to drug response. A traditional candidate-gene approach and genome-wide association studies have provided an increasing list of genes and variants that was associated with asthma medications. However, as phenotypic variations arises from a network of complex interactions among genetic and environmental factors, rather than individual genes, a multidisciplinary, system-level approach is required in order to understand the interrelationships among these factors. Systems biology that studies organisms as integrated and interacting networks of genes, proteins and biochemical reactions can contribute to this. It is likely that the combination of network modeling, functional validation, and integrative-Omics will be needed to move asthma pharmacogenomics closer to clinical relevance.
Asthma* ; Genes, vif ; Genome, Human ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Humans ; Pharmacogenetics* ; Systems Biology*

Asthma exacerbation (AE) usually denotes worsening of asthma symptoms that requires intense management to prevent further deterioration. AE has been reported to correlate with clinical and demographic factors, such as race, gender, and treatment compliance as well as environmental factors, such as viral infection, smoking, and air pollution. In addition, recent observations suggest that there are likely to be genetic factors specific to AE. Understanding genetic factors specific to AE is essential to develop therapy tailored for exacerbation-prone asthma. Here, we summarize the results of studies involving genetic risk factors for AE. To simplify and enhance understanding, we reviewed the studies according to the following categories: hypothesis-driven approaches, hypothesis-free approaches, gene-environment interactions, and pharmacogenetics.
Air Pollution ; Asthma* ; Compliance ; Continental Population Groups ; Demography ; Gene-Environment Interaction ; Genetics ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Humans ; Pharmacogenetics ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking