Serum lipids and lipoproteins were determined in 70 patients with hypertension, 40 patients with cerebral infarctions, and 41 patients with cerebral hemorrhage. The results were compared with findings in 64 healthy controls. The results are as follows; 1) Total cholesterol, VLDL-cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol ratio were significantly higher in patients with hypertension or cerebral infarction than in control group, but HDL-cholesterol showed no significant difference. 2) In Patients with cerebral hemorrhage, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol were higher than in normal controls. Total cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol ratio was within the limits of normal. It is possible that the susceptibility to cerebral infarction is the result of high total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio rather than low HDL cholesterol. But our study suggests that hyperlipoproteinemia plays a minor role in the development of cerebral hemorrhage.
Cerebral Hemorrhage ; Cerebral Infarction ; Cholesterol ; Cholesterol, HDL ; Cholesterol, LDL ; Humans ; Hyperlipoproteinemias ; Hypertension* ; Lipoproteins

PURPOSE: Unlike males, inguinal hernia surgery in females is an uncommon surgical procedure. The efficacy of laparoscopic surgery for female hernia must be proven. This study compared the clinical characteristics of male and female hernia as well as the efficacy of laparoscopic surgery with that of open surgery in female hernia. METHODS: From March 2007 to February 2011, one surgeon (C.S.) at the authors' institution operated on 965 patients (male/female=884/81) who were each more than 19 years old. The female patients were divided into the laparoscopic (n=67, TEP/TAPP=66/1) and open surgery groups (n=14). RESULTS: The mean age of the female patients was lower than that of the male patients. The incidence of bilateral and direct hernia was higher in the male patients but the incidence of femoral hernia was higher in the female patients (0.6 vs. 8.6%, p<0.001). Among the 81 female patients, the mean age of the patients with femoral hernia was higher than that of the patients with other types of hernia (56.4+/-12.5/43.0+/-15.1, p<0.026). The operation times and pain scores of the two groups 7 days after surgery were comparable. CONCLUSION: The findings revealed a higher incidence of femoral hernia in the female patients than male patients. Patients with a femoral hernia were older than those with other types of hernia. Therefore, laparoscopic surgery must be considered for elderly female patients who have a high incidence of femoral hernia.
Aged ; Female ; Hernia ; Hernia, Femoral ; Hernia, Inguinal ; Humans ; Incidence ; Laparoscopy ; Male

PURPOSE: This study was aimed to compare the results of a transanal repair with those of a transvaginal levatorplasty and to determine the long-term clinical outcomes according to the change in the depth of the rectocele after the procedure. METHODS: Of 50 women who underwent a rectocele repair from March 2005 to February 2007, 26 women (group A) received a transanal repair, and 24 (group B) received a transvaginal repair with or without levatorplasty. At 12 months after the procedures, 45 (group A/B, 22/23 women) among the 50 women completed physiologic studies, including anal manometry and defecography, and clinical-outcome measurements. The variations of the clinical outcomes with changes in the depth of the rectocele were also evaluated in 42 women (group A/B, 20/22) at the median follow-up of 50 months. RESULTS: On the defecographic findings, the postoperative depth of the rectocele decreased significantly in both groups (group A vs. B, 1.91 +/- 0.20 vs. 2.25 +/- 0.46, P = 0.040). At 12 months after surgery, 17 women in each group (group A/B, 77/75%) reported improvement of their symptoms. However, only 11 and 13 women (group A/B, 55/59%) of groups A and B, respectively, maintained their improvement at the median follow-up of 50 months. Better results were reported in patients with a greater change in the depth of their rectocele (> or =4 cm) after the procedure (P = 0.001) CONCLUSION: In both procedures, clinical outcomes might become progressively worse as the length of the follow-up is increased.
Defecography ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Manometry ; Rectocele

BACKGROUND: Pusan is geographically far away from the indigenous area of malaria. It is the area where the tourists and foreigners travel through frequently because of the port. We investigated the situation in Pusan concerning malaria through the examination of malaria patients who contracted it recently. We found the ways to decrease erroneous diagnosis presuming malaria on the basis of these studies. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 28 confirmed cases of malaria with the chief complaint of repeated high fever, who were admitted and treated in the Pusan Adventist Hospital and Pusan Samsun Hospital from June 1997 to August 2000. RESULTS: 25 cases were indigenous and 3 patients were imported cases contracted overseas. Peripheral blood smears revealed Plasmodium vivax in all indigenous cases, whereas 2 were P. falciparum and 1 case was P. vivax in the imported cases. Yeonchon-goon(9 cases) was the most prevalent area in the indigenous cases. Africa and Southeast Asia(3 cases) were the contracted areas in the imported cases. 27 cases were men and 1 case was a woman among the 28 cases, and the incidence was high peak in 8-10 month. Most of the patients(72.1%) were in the their 20's, and most of all had worked in the military bases near the demilitarized zone(DMZ). Thrombocytopenia and leukopenia were found more frequently by the laboratory findings. 23 of the cases(82%) were suspected to be malaria, before we confirmed it by peripheral blood smears. CONCLUSION: The number of patients with indigenous malaria from the other areas in Korea and patients with malaria from foreign countries will be expected to increase. Before we confirmed the malaria by peripheral blood smears, the cases suspected of malaria were 82.1%. This is a high diagnostic rate due to careful history taking and physical examination. The doctors decreased the rate of erroneous diagnosis of malaria and should be careful in the choice of the proper drugs.
Africa ; Busan* ; Diagnosis ; Emigrants and Immigrants ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Leukopenia ; Malaria* ; Male ; Medical Records ; Military Facilities ; Physical Examination ; Plasmodium vivax ; Retrospective Studies ; Thrombocytopenia

To evaluate the effect of tibial cut with posterior slope in total knee arthroplasty(TKA) surgery on the flexion of the knee, 41 knees(32 patients) with varying degree of the posterior slope were retrospectively reviewed at more than 1 year after operation. Does sloping the tibial cut iurface rnore posteriorly promote increasing of maximal flexion of the knee by elimination of excessive tenaion of the posterior cruciate liga ment The degree of the posterior slope was radiographically measured, awi the change of the degree of the maximal flexion between preoperative and postoperative period was clinimlly measured with a goniometer at the latest follow up more than 1 year after operation. Comparison of the results demonstrated significantly larger degree of rqaximal flexion for the knees that had tibial cut with the degree of the posterior slope, 5 degrees or rnore (p<0.05). We concluded that 5 degrees or more posterior slope in proxirnal tibial cut is one of the important fact()r which could achieve increased flexion of the knee after TKA operation.
Arthroplasty* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Knee Joint ; Knee* ; Postoperative Period ; Retrospective Studies

No abstract available.
Humans ; Prevalence* ; Renal Dialysis*

No abstract available.
Humans

BACKGROUND: Perioperative hypothermia is a common problem during both laparotomy and laparoscopic surgery. Hypothermia during laparoscopic surgery is related to the use of irrigation fluid and the large volume of CO2 for maintaining pneumoperitoneum. The aim of this study is to estimate whether the use of warm irrigation fluid can reduce the incidence of hypothermia and the decrease of body temperature. METHODS: Forty-two female patients undergoing elective laparoscopic surgery were randomly divided into 2 groups. Group 1 (n = 20) was given an ambient temperature irrigation fluid and group 2 (n = 22) a warm irrigation fluid. The core esophageal body temperatures of all the patients were measured every 10 minutes for 70 minutes. Body temperature 10 minutes after induction was a control value. The degree of body temperature decrease was measured, and the incidence of hypothermia was recorded. RESULTS: The incidences of hypothermia in group 2 were decreased significantly 60 and 70 minutes after induction, compared with those of group 1. The degree of body temperature decrease was revealed to be significantly different between the two groups starting 50 minutes after induction. CONCLUSIONS: The use of warm irrigation fluid during laparoscopic surgery can reduce the incidence of hypothermia and degree of body temperature decrease.
Body Temperature* ; Female ; Humans ; Hypothermia ; Incidence ; Laparoscopy* ; Laparotomy ; Pneumoperitoneum

BACKGROUND: Perioperative hypothermia is a common problem during both laparotomy and laparoscopic surgery. Hypothermia during laparoscopic surgery is related to the use of irrigation fluid and the large volume of CO2 for maintaining pneumoperitoneum. The aim of this study is to estimate whether the use of warm irrigation fluid can reduce the incidence of hypothermia and the decrease of body temperature. METHODS: Forty-two female patients undergoing elective laparoscopic surgery were randomly divided into 2 groups. Group 1 (n = 20) was given an ambient temperature irrigation fluid and group 2 (n = 22) a warm irrigation fluid. The core esophageal body temperatures of all the patients were measured every 10 minutes for 70 minutes. Body temperature 10 minutes after induction was a control value. The degree of body temperature decrease was measured, and the incidence of hypothermia was recorded. RESULTS: The incidences of hypothermia in group 2 were decreased significantly 60 and 70 minutes after induction, compared with those of group 1. The degree of body temperature decrease was revealed to be significantly different between the two groups starting 50 minutes after induction. CONCLUSIONS: The use of warm irrigation fluid during laparoscopic surgery can reduce the incidence of hypothermia and degree of body temperature decrease.
Body Temperature* ; Female ; Humans ; Hypothermia ; Incidence ; Laparoscopy* ; Laparotomy ; Pneumoperitoneum

BACKGROUND: Epidural pain control has been used extensively for postoperative pain management, but nausea, vomiting and pruritus associated with morphine and fentanyl administration remain intractable problems. The aim of this study is to find the optimal epidural droperidol dosage for reducing the side effects of epidural morphine and fentanyl. METHODS: 140 patients randomly sampled and undergoing vaginal total hysterectomy were divided into 7 groups. Groups I and IV, and groups II and V, and groups III and VI, received 5 mg, 3.75 mg, 2.5 mg of droperidol by 2-day infusion pump through the indwelling epidural catheter, respectively. Group IV, V, VI patients received 1.25 mg of bolus droperidol through the indwelling epidural catheter at the time of peritoneal closure. As group VII was the control group, these patients received only epidural analgesics (morphine 10 mg, fentanyl citrate 300 microgram and 0.05% bupivacaine 100 ml) by 2-day infusion pump. RESULTS: Droperidol significantly reduced the incidence and severity of postoperative nausea, vomiting and itching sensation compared with the control group but verbal rating scale (VRS) of sedation was increased with the dosage of droperidol. There was no significant difference in the intensity of analgesia between the there groups. CONCLUSIONS: An effective epidural droperidol dosage for reducing postoperative nausea, vomiting and pruritus due to epidural pain control is 2.5 mg by 2-day infusion pump.
Analgesia ; Analgesics ; Bupivacaine ; Catheters ; Droperidol* ; Fentanyl* ; Humans ; Hysterectomy* ; Incidence ; Infusion Pumps ; Morphine* ; Nausea* ; Pain Management* ; Pain, Postoperative ; Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting ; Pruritus* ; Sensation ; Vomiting*