Reconstruction of partial ear defect to approximate the opposite normal ear is actually very difficult. Because the patterns of partial ear defect (site, shape and size of defect) are extremely variable, the operative method on each case should be changed. In an effort to overcome these problems, many reconstructive methods have been reported so far. We experienced 11 cases of partial ear defect from September, 1995 to August, 1996 and different reconstructive methods were applied In this study, the most common cause of partial ear defect was trauma (9 cases) and the most common site was middle part of ear helix. The defects were varying from 1x2 cm to 1.5x5 cm in size. The methods that has been used for reconstruction of ear defect include direct closure, helical chondrocutaneous advancement flap, Dieffenbach's method, retroauricular flap, tubed bipedicled flap and so on. We could get to know the merits and demerits of each method through this follow up study. So authors obtained the several basic conclusions about the merits and demerits of each method and standard of method selection in various patterns of ear defects. From analysis of the cases with review of literature, the our conclusions are as follows. 1. If the size of de(tract is small and the patient does not want to have two times of operation, direct closure can be done with good results. 2. If the defect exists on ear auricle confuted to helix and if there are no or small amount of associated cartilage defect, tubued bipedicled flap seems to be proper. 3. With the ear auricle defect confined to helix, especially helix of upper ear auricle, helical chondrocutaneous advancement flap can brought tile best result, though it has disadvantage of being decreased in its size 4. If there are extensive defect on ear auricle extending over scapha and antihelix, retroauricular flap can be done with good results. 5. In the ear auricle defect acompanying considerably large cartilage loss, Dieffenbach's method is thought to be proper.
Cartilage ; Ear Auricle ; Ear* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans

Hurthle cell tumors are an infrequent neoplasm of the thyroid gland in adults. Hurthle cell tumors represent 4. 5% to 10% of all primary thyroid epithelial neoplasms in the foreign literature. It has been known as Hurthle cell tumor since Ewing was the first to use this term in 1928. Tumor occurring in an infant was described by Symmers(1941) and Morrow(1945). The authors experienced a case of congenital Hurthle cell tumor of the thyroid gland in a 2 months old boy. He was admitted to the pediatric surgical department because of a growing mass in the neck since birth. Ultrasonogram showed a huge lobulated homogenous solid mass with medium level echogenicity in the region of the thyroid gland. Subtotal thyroidectomy of right lobe and total thyroidectomy of left lobe were done. The specimen measures 2x3x1.5 cm and 7x3x3 cm, respectively. It was an encapsulated, yellow gray firm and solid mass. The cut surface was smooth, glistening and homogenous. Microscopicully, the tumor was composed of tightly packed regular follicles lined by polyhedral, cuboidal, large cells with a granular acidophilic cytoplasms. The nuclei are vesicular, usually only a little bit larger than those of normal thyroid cells.
Infant ; Adult ; Male ; Female ; Humans

No abstract available.
Resuscitation* ; Shock, Hemorrhagic*

BACKGROUND: Pigment production and acidification of ribose are most frequently used biochemical tests for the differentiation of three enterococcal species carrying vanC genes such as Enterococcus gallinarum, Enterococcus casseliflavus, and Enterococcus flavescens. However, pigment production may occasionally be negative in E. casseliflavus, and some of E. casseliflavus may be negative or delayed reaction with ribose fermentation test. So, we performed this study to find out biochemical tests capable of distinguishing the strains possessing vanC genotypes. METHOD: A total of 17 enterococci composed of 14 clinical isolates with motility or pigment positive strains and three ATCC strains(E. gallinarum ATCC 49573, E. casseliflavus ATCC 25788, and E. flavescens ATCC 49997) Were tested by multiplex PCR of the vanC genes(vanC-1, vanC-2 and vanC-3)and various biochemical tests. RESULTS: Among the 17 isolates including three ATCC control strains, four were genotyped as VanC-1, 11 were VanC-2, one were vanC-2/3, and any of vanC genes were not detected in one clinical isolate, respectively, Among the enterococci with vanC genotype, acid production from alphaD-cyclodextrin and hippurate hydrolysis were positive only in VanC-1 gneotype(E. gallinarum), acid production from glycerol and methyl-alpha-D-mannopyranoside were positive only in vanC-2 genotype(E. casseliflavus), and acid production from rhamnose and pigment production were negative only in VanC-1 genotype. Acid production from alphaD-cyclodextrin was negative only in vanC-2 genotype. The positive rate of ribose fermentation of VanC-1, VanC-2, and VanC-2/3(E. flavescens) genotype were 100%, 82%, and 0%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Acid production from rhamnose, alphaD-cyclodextrin, betaD-cyclodextrin, glycerol and methly-alphaD-mannopyranoside, pigment production, and hippurate hydrolysis test were useful biochemical tests for differentitating E. gallinarum form E. casseliflavus. The production of acid from alphaD-cyclodextrin, glycerol, methyl-alpha-D-mannopyranoside and were suitable biochemical tests for differentiating E. casseliflavus from E. flavescens.
Enterococcus ; Fermentation ; Genotype ; Glycerol ; Hydrolysis ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Phenotype* ; Rhamnose ; Ribose

OBJECTIVE: As an electronic health record system is implementing in Korean health care sectors, concerns about key functionalities of electronic health record systems are increasing. The purpose of this study was to identify core functions and set the priority in electronic health record systems under the Korean contexts in order to assure and improve the quality of the systems. METHODS: A survey was conducted using questionnaire developed by the study team based on literature review. The subjects were medical record administrators working at medical record department in general hospitals. RESULTS: The response rate was 59.8%(55/92). The functions which more than ninety percent of subjects responded as necessary right now and/or in near future related to 'drug alert', 'clinical guideline', 'chronic disease management', 'automated real-time surveillance', 'coded data', 'result reporting', 'de-identifying data', 'disease registry', and 'provider-provider communication and connectivity'. CONCLUSION: The results showed the high prioritized functions were decision support and health information/data management.
Electronic Health Records* ; Health Care Sector ; Hospitals, General* ; Humans ; Medical Record Administrators ; Medical Records ; Needs Assessment* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

No abstract available.
Occupations*

Lithium, first used by Cade in 1949 for the treatment of mania, is now commonly used in several affective disorders. The precise mechanism of its action is not clearly understood but the side effects may be severe. Prolongation of succinylcholine and pancuronium which possible mechanism of interaction involves impaired acetylcholine synthesis and release at nerve terminal has been reported. The present report describes a case of prolonged neuromuscular blockade induced by succinylcholine in a manic depressive patient being treated with oral lithium carbonate.
Acetylcholine ; Bipolar Disorder ; Humans ; Juniperus ; Lithium Carbonate* ; Lithium* ; Mood Disorders ; Neuromuscular Blockade* ; Pancuronium ; Succinylcholine*

Background: Esmolol is rapid hydrolyzed by plasma esterase but may inhibit plasma cholinesterase activity based on its structure. This study was designed to evaluate the interactions between esmolol and succinylcholine or mivacurium which are metabolized by plasma cholinesterase and to determine the inhibitory effect of esmolol on human plasma cholinesterase. Methods: Neuromuscular effects of succinylcholine (1.0 mg/kg) and mivacurium (0.15 mg/kg) with or without esmolol (0.5 mg/kg or 1.0 mg/kg) were compared in 57 adult patients (ASA class I) during O2-N2O-isoflurane anesthesia. Neuromuscular block was monitored by recording the compound electromyogram of the hypothenar muscle resulting from supramaximal train of four stimuli applied to the ulnar nerve. Also plasma cholinesterase activity was measured before and 5, 10 minutes after injection of esmolol. Results: Time from injection to onset of over 95% block, clinical duration from injection to 25% recovery of control twitch, and recovery index defined as from 25% to 75% twitch recovery of succinylcholine or mivacurium were not altered by pretreatment of esmolol. Plasma cholinesterase activity was not decreased after injection of esmolol 0.5 mg/kg, but decreased by 5% after injection of 1.0 mg/kg (p<0.05). Conclusions: It is unlikely that neuromuscular blocking effects of succinylcholine and mivacurium are prolonged by administration of clinical doses of esmolol (0.5~1.0 mg/kg) due to inhibition of plasma cholinesterase activity in human.
Adult ; Anesthesia ; Cholinesterases ; Humans ; Neuromuscular Agents ; Neuromuscular Blockade ; Plasma ; Succinylcholine* ; Ulnar Nerve

Pipecuronium bromide is a new biaquaternary steroid-type neuromuscular bloeking agent that is closely similar to pancuronium and vecuronium in chemical structure. The purpose of this study was to evaluate neuromuscular and cardiovascular effects of pipecuronium bromide in patients under enflurane anesthesia in comparison with those of pan- curonium and vecuronium bromide. 35 ASA class I or II adult patients were assigned to one of the following groups; pipecuro- nium 0.08mg/kg(n=15), vecuronium 0.08mg/kg(n=10), and pancuronium 0.1 mg/kg(n=10) as a bolus dose. To investigate cumulative effect of pipecuronium, an additional incremental doses (1 mg) of pipecuronium were given repeatedly to 5 patients in pipecuronium group at every 25% recovery of first twitch height(Ti) of train-of four(TOF) stimulation after administration of in- itial dose. Anesthesia was induced with iv thiopental 5-6 mg/kg and inhalation of 0 (21/min.)-NO(41/ min.)-enflurane(2%), and maintained with O(11/min.)-NA3(21/min.)-enflurane(1-2%). All pa- tients were intubated at 5 minutes after administration of one of these muscle relaxants fol- lowing T> of TOF was depressed more than 95% of control height. Neuromuscular blocking effect was assessed by electromyographic response of hypothenar muscles in response to TOF stimulation of ulnar nerve every 20 seconds at wrist throughout study. Heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, and mean arterial pressure were noninvasively measured for 20 minutes after adminisf,ration of muscle relaxant. The results obtained were as follows, 1) The onset times from administration of vecuronium, pipecuronium, and paneuronium to 95% depression of T, were 3.4k0.88, 3.8k0.21, and 4.3+/-0.86min. respectively. The onset time of pipecuronium was similar to that of vecuronium but significantly shorter than that of pancur- onium(p<0.05). 2) The duration of action from administration of pipecuronium to 25% reeovery of T was 92.9 +/-15.3min. which was significantly shorter than that of pancuronium(115.2 +/-17.04min., p< 0.05) and longer than that of vecuronium(27.5 +/-5.89 min., p<0.05). 3) Recovery index of pipecuronium was 39.5+7.53min. which was also shorter than that of pancuronium(46.2+/-3.52 min., p < 0.05) and longer than that of vecuronium(13.3+/-1.77 min., p < 0.05). 4) Durations from 10% to 25% recovery of T1 hy additional incremental doses of pipecuronium were not altered significantly by the repeated administration. 5) There were no significant changes on heart rate and blood pressure by 0.08 mg/kg of pipecuronium or vecuronium while heart rate was increased in 21% to 27% for 20 min. after administration of pancuronium. In conclusion, pipecuronium bromide appears to be a useful alternative to pancuronium or vecuronium in relatively long duration of muscular relaxation in patients in whom hemodynamic changes, especially tachycardia, must be avoided.
Adult ; Anesthesia ; Arterial Pressure ; Blood Pressure ; Cardiovascular System ; Depression ; Enflurane ; Heart Rate ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Muscles ; Neuromuscular Blockade ; Pancuronium ; Pipecuronium* ; Relaxation ; Tachycardia ; Thiopental ; Ulnar Nerve ; Vecuronium Bromide ; Wrist

Vecuronium induced intense neuromuscular blockade was evaluated in 40 USA class l, ll adult patients using the post tetanic count (PTC) and train-of-four(TOF) methods. All patients were anesthetized with thiopental sodium, nitrous oxide(50%), and enflurane(1~2%). Neuromuscular monitoring commended immediately after administration of thiopental sodium. The ulnar nerve was stimulated using surface electrodes and the mechanical response of the adductor policis muscle recorded using the Acclograph, neuromuscular transmission monitor. TOF nerve stimulation was used every 15s. After supramaximal stimulation was achieved a bolus of vecuronium 0.1mg/kg was injected intravenously. The traches was intubated when TOF response was depressed to 95% or above to control twitch height and the lungs ventilated with a tidal volume of 10ml/kg and a rate of 14 b.p.m. The patients were allocated randomly to two groups of 20 patients each. Patients in control group were allowed to recover TOF response spontaneously, and in PTC group were applied tetanic stimulation(50Hz for 5s) at 7 minutes intervals during no TOF response. In PTC group, the tetanic stimulation was preceded by a 30s period of 1Hz stimulation on each occasion, which was continued after the 3s pause. Duration of no TOF response in each group, and relationship between first post tetanic twitch height of PTC and time to first reaction to TOF nerve stimulation in PTC group were measured. In the results, duration of no TOF response was shortened by tetanic stimulation(p<0.01). There was a close inverse correlation between first post tetanic twitch height or PTC and time to first reaction to TOF nerve stimulation (p<0.01). It was concluded that PTC method appeared to be a valuable supplement to TOF nerve stimulation in assessment and trend for vecuronium induced intense neuromusclular blockade.
Adult ; Electrodes ; Humans ; Lung ; Neuromuscular Blockade* ; Neuromuscular Monitoring ; Thiopental ; Tidal Volume ; Ulnar Nerve ; Vecuronium Bromide*