The epidemiological informations on 1828 cases of acute drug intoxication admmitted to the emergency rooms of 5 general hospitals, 4 in Seoul City and 1 in Incheon City from Jan. 1974 to Dec. 1974, were reviewed for statistical analysis. More detailed information on 796 cases from 3 hospitals were available in terms of the causative agent. The general findings obtained are as follows; 1. The sex ratio of the patient is 1.26 females to 1 male and this figure is almost consistent with the reports of previous authors. 49.7% of total cases were found in the age group of 20-29, which indicate the highest in percent distribution of age. 2. The incidence of acute drug intoxication was different by the season as the highest in summer and the lowest in winter. 3. As the cause of the intoxication, the attempted suicide occupied the single highest one with 91.7%. 4. The kind of causative agents varies with season as more economic poisons in the summer time and more drugs in the winter time.
Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Incheon ; Incidence ; Male ; Poisons ; Seasons ; Seoul ; Sex Ratio ; Suicide, Attempted

No abstract available.
Environmental Pollution* ; Humans* ; Korea*

No abstract available.
Humans

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Reference Values*

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this clinical study was to evaluate the Incentive Spirometry (IS) and Deep Breathing Exercises (DBE) to prevent postoperative pulmonary complications after abdominal surgery in patients over 60 years of age. METHODS: We prospectively randomized 90 patients into 1 of 3 groups: the control group (30 patients) received no respiratory treatment, the IS group (30 patients) was treated with incentive spirometry 4 times daily and DBE group (30 patients) carried out deep breathing exercises under supervision for 15 min 4 times daily. ABGA was taken at ward, PR (preop.room), RR (recovery room), POD1 day and POD2 day. Roentgenographic changes observed at 24 h. and 48 h. after surgery. Pulmonary complications were defined as the development of 3 or more of 6 new findings: cough, sputum, dyspnea, chest discomfort, temperature greater than 38oC, pulse rate more than 100 beats/min. RESULTS: PaO2 in the DBE group and IS group at PR were significantly increased than the values at ward, and the values of the PaO2 in the DBE group at RR and POD1 day, and those of IS group at PR and POD2 day were significant higher than those of the control group (p<0.05). The frequency of development of pulmonary complications (43.3% in the control group, 20% in the DBE group, 20% in the IS group) and roentgenographic changes were comparable in the 3 groups (26.7%, 16.7%, 20% respectively). The DBE group showed the different incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications between upper and lower abdominal surgery (upper: lower= 35.7: 6.3%). CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that DBE and IS were effective in preventing postoperative pulmonary complications after abdominal surgery and lower abdominal surgery causes lesser postoperative pulmonary complications than upper abdominal surgery.
Breathing Exercises ; Cough ; Dyspnea ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Incidence ; Motivation* ; Organization and Administration ; Prospective Studies ; Respiration* ; Spirometry* ; Sputum ; Thorax

Recurrent posterior shoulder instability is a debilitating condition that is relatively uncommon, but its diagnosis in young adults is increasing in frequency. Several predisposing factors for this condition have been identified, such as the presence of an abnormal joint surface orientation, an osteochondral fracture of the humeral head or glenoid cavity, and a postero-inferior capsuloligamentary deficit, but their relative importance remains poorly understood. Whilst, conservative treatment is effective in cases of hyperlaxity or in the absence of bone abnormality, failure of conservative treatment means that open or arthroscopic surgery is required. In general, soft-tissue reconstructions are carried out in cases of capsulolabral lesions in which bone anatomy is normal, whereas bone grafts have been required in cases where posterior bony Bankart lesions, glenoid defects, or posterior glenoid dysplasia are present. However, a consensus on the exact management of posterior shoulder instability is yet to be reached, and published studies are few with weak evidence. In our study, we report the reconstruction of the glenoid using iliac bone graft in a patient suffering recurrent posterior shoulder instability with severe glenoid bone defect.
Arthroscopy ; Causality ; Consensus ; Diagnosis ; Glenoid Cavity ; Humans ; Humeral Head ; Ilium ; Joint Instability ; Joints ; Shoulder* ; Transplants* ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the changes to postural sway velocity and trunk repositioning errors and the frequency of falls in stroke patients. METHODS: Fifty-five stroke patients, divided into three groups (no falls group: 20, one fall group: 19, repeated falls group: 16), stood quietly with eyes open and closed on a force platform while postural sway velocity was quantified by the center of pressure measures. Trunk repositioning errors were measured in standing while the subjects performed forward flexion movements. RESULTS: We found a significant difference between the groups for postural sway velocity in medial-lateral and anterior-posterior directions with eyes open and closed (P<0.05). With the eyes closed, there were significant differences between the three groups in the postural sway velocity (P<0.05) and the trunk repositioning errors changed significantly (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that the increase in falls may increase visual dependence for postural control velocity and trunk repositioning errors. These results may be useful in balance training to prevent falls in stroke survivors.
Eye ; Humans ; Stroke ; Survivors

OBJECTIVES: To explore the possible effect of an interaction between summertime heat waves and ozone on cardiopulmonary mortality during the 1994 heat wave in Korea. METHODS: The unusually hot summer of 1994 in Korea was defined as the heat wave in this study. We examined the associations of air pollutants with daily cardiopulmonary deaths between 1991-1995, considering the product term of the heat wave and each pollutant, weather and time trends. RESULTS: During the heat wave, while temperatures were uniformly higher than those of other summers, the within-heat-wave difference in mortality paralleled that in the regional ozone levels. In terms of the influence of the heat wave, the results of ozone were different to those of total suspended particles (TSP) and sulfur dioxide (SO2). The ozone association (relative risk (RR) =1.036; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.018-1.054) was observed only under heat wave conditions, while the TSP (RR =1.006, 95% CI = 0.999-1.012) and the SO2 (RR =1.018, 95% CI = 1.011-1.024) associations were found under normal weather conditions (per interquartile increase of each pollutant; results of three pollutants model). The ozone association under heat wave was attributable to the statistical interaction between the heat wave and ozone. CONCLUSIONS: These results support the possibility of a biological synergy between the heat wave and ozone, one that is not evident between the heat wave and other major pollutants like particles or SO2.
Air Pollutants ; Air Pollution ; Hot Temperature* ; Infrared Rays* ; Korea* ; Mortality* ; Ozone* ; Sulfur Dioxide ; Weather

No abstract available.