Purpose: : This study examined the effects of an integrated management program on physical function, cognitive function, and depression in patients with subacute stroke.
Methods: : A nonequivalent control group design was adopted. The participants were assigned to either the experimental group (n=20) or control group (n=23). The experimental group received an 8-week integrated management program and standard rehabilitation service (i.e., physical therapy and occupational therapy), while the control group received the standard rehabilitation service only. Physical function was measured as gait speed and balance ability using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS). Cognitive function was measured with neuro-behavioral cognitive status examination (NCSE), and depression was measured using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Repeated measure ANOVA was used to determine changes in physical function, cognitive function, and depression over 8-weeks.
Results: : The interaction between group and time was significant, indicating that the experimental group showed improvement in gait speed, balance ability, cognitive function (linguistic ability, linguistic memory, reasoning), and a decrease in depression compared to the control group.
Conclusion : These results indicate that the integrated management program developed herein was beneficial in restoring physical function, cognitive function, and depression in subacute stroke patients.

Wegener's granulomatosis is characterized by necrotizing granulomatosis lesion of the respiratory tract, glomerulonephritis and frequently vasculitis involving other organs. The basic pathophysiologic mechanism of Wegener's granulomatosis is not defined yet. However, it may be suspected an autoimmune disease. We experienced a case of Wegener's granulomatosis which are associated with acute renal failure and pneumothorax. The patient suffered from hemoptysis, fever and cough. Despite antibiotic therapy, symtoms did not improved and multiple varying sized nodules were aggravated on chest roentogenogram and serum creatinine elevated 3.4mg/dl. After diagnosis using video associated thoracoscopic surgery, the patient was treated with cyclophsphamide, glucocorticoid and sulfamethoxasole-trimethoprime. With the combination therapy, the patient felt completely well and chest roentogenogram showed lungs were improved and serum creatinine was normal. The patient was readmitted because of right pleuritic pain and dyspnea 15 day after discharge. The patient was developed a right pneumothorax. The lung was easily expanded by intercostal tube drainage with a one way valve. The patient has been treated as an out- patient with immunosuppressive agents continously.
Acute Kidney Injury* ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Cough ; Creatinine ; Diagnosis ; Drainage ; Dyspnea ; Fever ; Glomerulonephritis ; Hemoptysis ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; Lung ; Pneumothorax* ; Respiratory System ; Thoracoscopy ; Thorax ; Vasculitis ; Wegener Granulomatosis*

Renal artery pseudoaneurysm is an uncommon disease. A 47-year-old man complained of recently developed gross hematuria and left flank pain. The initial laboratory study and radiographic evaluation revealed acute pyelonephritis. After the treatment with antibiotics, gross hematuria was resolved and the patient was discharged. However, he revisited with repeated gross hematuria and throbbing left flank pain. The renal angiography revealed left intra-renal arterial pseudoaneurysm. Angiographic embolization by glue injection was successfully performed. Thereafter, gross hematuria and flank pain were disappeared. We report a successful glue embolization of intra-renal artery pseudoaneurym associated with acute pyelonephritis.
Adhesives ; Aneurysm, False ; Angiography ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Arteries ; Flank Pain ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Pyelonephritis ; Renal Artery

PURPOSE: The laparoscopic appendectomy has been a basic part of the principal of a more complex laparoscopic technique for the surgical trainee. As the number of laparoscopic appendectomies performed by surgical trainees has increased, we are trying to check the stability of, which is controversial, and the learning curve associated with a laparoscopic appendectomy. METHODS: We studied the demographics, histologic diagnoses, operative time, the number of complicated cases, and hospital duration of one hundred and three patients who underwent an open appendectomy (group A, 53) or a laparoscopic appendectomy (group B, 50) retrospectively through a review of their medical records. The learning curve for the laparoscopic appendectomy was established through the moving average and ANOVA methods. RESULTS: There were no differences in the operative times (A, 64.15 +/- 29.88 minutes; B, 58.2 +/- 20.72 minutes; P-value, 0.225) and complications (A, 11%; B, 6%; P-value, 0.34) between group A and group B. Group B was divided into group C who underwent the operation in the early period (before the learning curve) and group D who underwent the operation in the later period (after the learning curve). The average operative time for group C was 66.83 +/- 21.55 minutes, but it was 45.25 +/- 10.19 minutes for group D (P-value < 0.0001). Although this difference was statistically significant, no significant difference in the complication rate was observed between the two groups. CONCLUSION: A laparoscopic appendectomy, compared with an open appendectomy, performed by a surgical trainee is safe. In this study, the learning curve for a laparoscopic appendectomy was thirty cases.
Appendectomy ; Demography ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Learning ; Learning Curve ; Medical Records ; Operative Time ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUND: It is important to maintain adequate intravascular volume during off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery (OPCAB) to prevent hypotension. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of acute volume loading with new colloid solution, 6% hydroxyethyl starch (HES) 130/0.4 on hemodynamics and coagulation in patients undergoing OPCAB. METHODS: With the IRB approval, forty patients undergoing OPCAB were allocated to two groups receiving 10 ml/kg of Plasma solution A (Control group, n = 21) or HES 130/0.4 (HES group, n = 19) for 30 min before pericardiotomy. We measured hemodynamic variables and coagulation parameters at 10 min after anesthesia induction (T1), 10 min after fluid loading (T2), 10 min after Y-graft formation (T3), and after sternum closure. Amount of infused fluid, blood loss, tranfusion and urine output were recorded intraoperatively and for 16 hr after surgery. Thromboelastography and electrolytes were also measured. RESULTS: Both groups were similar in demographic data and fluid/blood volume during and after surgery. Cardiac index and right ventricular ejection fraction were maintained throughout the surgery in HES group but were decreased in Control group. The ratio of arterial oxygen partial pressure to inhaled oxygen fraction was increased in HES group after surgery. Thromboelastography and other parameters didn't demonstrate significant differences between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Acute HES loading before pericardiotomy could prevent the decrease of cardiac index and right ventricular ejection fraction in OPCAB patients. Additionally, it showed desirable effects on oxygenation without adverse effects on coagulation.
Anesthesia ; Colloids ; Coronary Artery Bypass, Off-Pump* ; Electrolytes ; Ethics Committees, Research ; Hemodynamics ; Hemostasis ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Oxygen ; Partial Pressure ; Pericardiectomy ; Plasma ; Starch* ; Sternum ; Stroke Volume ; Thrombelastography ; Transplants*

A small sized tube can be used for a patient with tracheal stenosis. However, an ordinary endotracheal tube may be not long enough to pass over stenotic lesion of trachea in adult patient for nasotracheal intubation, when stenotic lesion is located distally. We experienced a patient with severe tracheal stenotic lesion 5 cm above the carina and 3.1 cm length of stenotic lesion scheduled for laryngeal microscopic surgery. The two 4.0 mm tubes-connected tube using modified connector was designed and prepared. We performed fiberoptic-guided awake nasotracheal intubation using the extended endotracheal tube and the patient was successfully managed without complications until the surgery was completed.
Adult ; Airway Management* ; Humans ; Intubation ; Trachea ; Tracheal Stenosis*

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is increasing in Korea. The aim of this study is to evaluate the dietary habit which is commonly known as risk factor of GERD and the quality of life in GERD patients. METHODS: This study enrolled 52 patients (ERD; erosive reflux disease 38, NERD; non-erosive reflux disease 14) as patient group. They were completed the questionnaires about dietary habit and quality of life. All datas were compared with 23 healthy volunteer group who visited same hospital for health screening. RESULTS: Patient group had more dietary risk factors such as unbalanced diet, irregular diet, using lots of sauces, having snacks or meals within 3 hours of bedtime and suffering from epigastric discomfort after alcohol drinking (p<0.05). Patient group preferred to have spicy food, soft drink, coffee and tea, fried food, instant food and noodles (p<0.05). ERD group more frequently had snacks or meals just before sleep, suffered from discomfort after drinking, and preferred to have fried food (p<0.05). GERD patients reported significantly worse scores on 6 SF-36 scales, such as physical function, role limitations-physical, role limitations-emotional, mental health, social function, and general health perception. CONCLUSIONS: We found that ERD patients had more snacks or meals within 3 hours of bedtime and fried food. Also, they were suffering from epigastric discomfort after alcohol drinking. Patients with GERD experienced decrements in health-related quality of life compared with the control subjects.
Alcohol Drinking ; Carbonated Beverages ; Coffee ; Diet ; Drinking ; Food Habits ; Gastroesophageal Reflux* ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Korea ; Mass Screening ; Meals ; Mental Health ; Prevalence ; Quality of Life* ; Risk Factors* ; Snacks ; Tea ; Weights and Measures ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical features that could serve as predictive factors for improvement in gait speed after robotic treatment. METHODS: A total of 29 patients with motor incomplete spinal cord injury received 4-week robot-assisted gait training (RAGT) on the Lokomat (Hocoma AG, Volketswil, Switzerland) for 30 minutes, once a day, 5 times a week, for a total of 20 sessions. All subjects were evaluated for general characteristics, the 10-Meter Walk Test (10MWT), the Lower Extremity Motor Score (LEMS), the Functional Ambulatory Category (FAC), the Walking Index for Spinal Cord Injury version II (WISCI-II), the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and the Spinal Cord Independence Measure version III (SCIM-III) every 0, and 4 weeks. After all the interventions, subjects were stratified using the 10MWT score at 4 weeks into improved group and non-improved group for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The improved group had younger age and shorter disease duration than the non-improved group. All subjects with the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale level C (AIS-C) tetraplegia belonged to the non-improved group, while most subjects with AIS-C paraplegia, AIS-D tetraplegia, and AIS-D paraplegia belonged to the improved group. The improved group showed greater baseline lower extremity strength, balance, and daily living function than the non-improved group. CONCLUSION: Assessment of SCIM-III, BBS, and trunk control, in addition to LEMS, have potential for predicting the effects of robotic treatment in patients with motor incomplete spinal cord injury.
Gait* ; Humans ; Locomotion ; Lower Extremity ; Paraplegia ; Quadriplegia ; Rehabilitation ; Robotics ; Spinal Cord Injuries* ; Spinal Cord* ; Spinal Injuries ; Walking

In Korea, cryptococcal meningitis is a rare opportunistic infection in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Cryptococcal meningitis in non-HIV infected patients is usually accompanied by cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pleocytosis, but sometimes this is not the case in HIV-infected patients. As the number of patients with HIV infection increases in Korea, such atypical cryptococcal meningitis should be considered as a cause of fever of undetermined origin. In addition, if such a diagnosis is made, underlying AIDS should be ruled out. A 61-year old man was admitted to the hospital because of hematemesis. During hospitalization, he experienced fever and a mild continuous headache. Physical examination showed no neck stiffness. For the evaluation of persistent fever, CSF examination was performed, which showed elevated protein, decreased sugar, normal pressure, and no pleocytosis. Meningitis due to Cryptococcus neoformans was diagnosed by positive CSF india ink preparation and fungus culture. HIV infection was later confirmed by Western blot analysis.
Blotting, Western ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Cryptococcus neoformans ; Diagnosis ; Fever ; Fungi ; Headache ; Hematemesis ; HIV Infections ; HIV* ; Hospitalization ; Humans* ; India ; Ink ; Korea ; Leukocytosis* ; Meningitis ; Meningitis, Cryptococcal* ; Middle Aged ; Neck ; Opportunistic Infections ; Physical Examination