BACKGROUND: Although nerve conduction study (NCS) is the method most frequently used to confirm clinical diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), ultrasonographic (US) measurement can give additional information to confirm the diagnosis and also exclude other conditions of nearby soft tissues. However, whether or not the degree of swelling of median nerve (MN) reflects clinical severity has not been proven before. This study is aimed to investigate the further clinical usefulness of US in assessing CTS severity. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-four patients (248 hands) with electrophysiologically confirmed CTS were evaluated. Clinical severity was examined by Historic and Objective (Hi-Ob) scale. Padua scale was used for the severity of electrophysiological impairment. For US study, cross-sectional area (CSA) of the median nerve was measured at the proximal inlet of the carpal tunnel and graded. RESULTS: Ninety-four patients were female (75%) and median disease duration was 19 weeks. There was a good correlation between electrophysiological impairment and CSA of median nerve (correlation coefficient=0.442, p<0.001), and CSA was graded as US severity scale by electrophysiological severity of patients. A statistically significant correlation was found among US severity scale of the MN at wrist, clinical severity scale (correlation coefficient=0.397, p<0.001), and electrophysiological severity scale (correlation coefficient=0.371, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This observation suggests MN swelling in CTS may reflect in itself the degree of nerve damage as expressed by the clinical picture. US measurement could also give additional information about severity of MN involvement above the diagnosis of CTS.
Bays ; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Median Nerve ; Neural Conduction ; Wrist

Background: To precisely build a healthcare delivery system at regional levels, local patients’ healthcare service utilization patterns must be examined. Hence, this study utilized trend analysis of the relevance index of each disease of each essential medical service field at the municipal and provincial levels. Methods: This study analyzed customized databases released by the National Health Insurance Service from 2016–2020. Diseases defined in the Korean National Burden of Disease (KNBD) study were categorized into the following essential medical service fields:trauma care, cardiocerebrovascular, maternal and neonatal, mental health, infection, cancer, older adults’ care and rehabilitation, and others. Relevance index, the percentage of medical service utilization in a region by the residents of that region relative to their total medical service utilization, was examined by region (17 municipal and provincial regions) and disease area. The relevance index was determined based on the number of patients and the total outof-pocket expenses.Result: Eight of the 17 regions showed over a 90.0% relevance index in the infection area. In the cancer area, 14 regions (not including Seoul, Daegu, and Busan) had a relevance index lower than 75.0%. Throughout the analysis period (2016–2020), there were no significant variations in the relevance index. Diseases such as bone and connective tissue cancer (39.0%), neural tube defects (16.7%), and autism (57.1%) had low relevance index in the essential medical service fields. In all 17 regions, the relevance index of inpatients was lower than that of outpatients, and that for out-of-pocket expenses was lower than that based on the number of patients. Conclusion The relevance index of major diseases of each essential medical service field calculated in this study can provide good indicators for monitoring the level of an independent regional healthcare delivery system.

BACKGROUND: Impairment in activities of daily living (ADL) is a major problem in Alzheimer's disease (AD), and is related to increased caregiver burden.The present study evaluated whether there are any components of initial dementia evaluation that could predict ADL decline in years follow-up. METHODS: The 32 subjects underwent more than two consecutive neuropsychological evaluation and maintained anti-dementia medication from the Ewha Dementia Cohort. The first clinical, neuropsychological test results, medial temporal atrophy rating and white matter ratings were correlated with the final ADL scores. The subjects were further divided into ADL-preserved and declined groups for the comparison depending on final ADL scores. RESULTS: The annual decline of the Korean Mini-mental status examination (K-MMSE) score was 1.5+/-1.2 and of the Seoul-instrumental ADL score was 6.1+/-4.6. The Factors correlated with the ADL at baseline were the clinical dementia rating, K-MMSE, memory function score and the total neuropsychological test score, left medial temporal lobe atrophy rating, and the neuropsychiatric total score. Only the neuropsychological component including total test, frontal and visuospatial function scores were statistically different between the two groups in the baseline evaluation. CONCLUSIONS: The result of our preliminary study emphasize the other study results that the initial cognitive and dementia status are the strong predictive factors not only for the initial ADL dysfunction but also for the ADL decline in years followed-up dementia cohort.
Activities of Daily Living* ; Alzheimer Disease* ; Atrophy ; Caregivers ; Cohort Studies ; Dementia* ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Memory ; Methods ; Neuropsychological Tests ; Temporal Lobe

Limited information from human studies indicates that dietary quercetin supplementation influences blood lipid profiles, glycemic response, and inflammatory status, collectively termed cardiometabolic risks. We tested the hypothesis that quercetin-rich supplementation, derived from onion peel extract, improves cardiometabolic risk components in healthy male smokers in a randomized, double blinded, placebo-controlled parallel design. Randomly assigned subjects were instructed to take either the placebo (n = 43) or 100 mg quercetin capsules each day (n = 49) for 10 weeks. Anthropometric parameters and blood pressure were measured, and blood lipids, glucose, interleukin-6, and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) were determined at baseline and after 10 weeks of quercetin supplementation. Quercetin-rich supplementation significantly reduced serum concentrations of total cholesterol (P < 0.05) and LDL-cholesterol (P < 0.01), whereas these effects were not shown in the placebo group. Furthermore, significant increases were observed in serum concentrations of HDL-cholesterol both in the placebo (P < 0.005) and quercetin-rich supplementation group (P < 0.001); however, changes in HDL-cholesterol were significantly greater in subjects receiving quercetin-rich supplementation than the placebo. Both systolic (P < 0.05) and diastolic blood pressure (P < 0.01) decreased significantly in the quercetin-rich supplementation group. Glucose concentrations decreased significantly after 10 weeks of quercetin-rich supplementation (P < 0.05). In contrast, no effects of quercetin-rich supplementation were observed for the inflammatory markers-IL-6 and sVCAM-1. Daily quercetin-rich supplementation from onion peel extract improved blood lipid profiles, glucose, and blood pressure, suggesting a beneficial role for quercetin as a preventive measure against cardiovascular risk.
Blood Pressure ; Capsules ; Cholesterol ; Dyslipidemias ; Glucose ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-6 ; Male ; Onions ; Quercetin ; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1

BACKGROUND: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can lead to various neurologic outcomes in patients with hypoxicischemic encephalopathy (HIE). This study investigated the usefulness of clinical markers and electroencephalography (EEG) in predicting the neurologic prognosis of HIE after CPR. METHODS: We reviewed the clinical findings of 51 patients with HIE, including the medical history, the duration from the onset of symptoms to the recovery of spontaneous circulation, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and Full Outline of Unresponsiveness (FOUR) scores, and presence of seizure or status epilepticus. Patients were divided into three outcomes groups: death, persistent vegetative state, and recovering alertness and awareness. Digital EEG and visual and quantitative analyses were performed in each patient. For quantitative EEG (qEEG) analysis, we defined and compared the distance in the spatial band-power patterns and phase coherence patterns between healthy normal subjects and each patient. RESULTS: Patients with HIE showed a high mortality rate (54.9%, 28/51), and their neurologic prognosis was significantly related to the initial GCS and FOUR scores. In the qEEG analysis, patients' groups showed a prominent delta frequency band, and the healthy normal group presented a marked alpha predominance. As the severity decreased, the similarity in the spatial band-power pattern and functional connectivity pattern between normal subjects and patients increased. CONCLUSIONS: Low initial GCS and FOUR scores could be predictive of a poor neurologic prognosis in patients with HIE, and qEEG analysis might be a useful predictor of their neurologic outcomes.
Biomarkers ; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation ; Electroencephalography ; Glasgow Coma Scale ; Humans ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain ; Persistent Vegetative State ; Prognosis ; Seizures ; Status Epilepticus

BACKGROUND: Epileptic seizures can be associated with changes in autonomic functions. This study evaluated heart rate (HR) changes at the transition from the preictal to the ictal state in patients with epileptic seizures, and investigated whether peri-ictal HR changes can help to predict electroencephalography (EEG) seizures prior to their onset. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 94 seizures in 33 patients who underwent video-EEG monitoring with scalp EEG and electrocardiography. The existence and initial timing of HR changes relative to the onset of EEG seizures were determined by analyzing consecutive RR-interval changes in 10-minute recordings. We evaluated the correlation between the peri-ictal HR changes and the type of localization-related epilepsy. RESULTS: Peri-ictal HR changes were documented in 70.2% (66/94) of all seizures, of which 62 were tachycardia (66.0%) and 4 were bradycardia (4.3%). Peri-ictal tachycardia occurred significantly with seizures as an ictal manifestation, more often in seizures with a right hemispheric onset than in those with a left hemispheric onset (77.4% vs. 50%, p=0.016). Peri-ictal HR changes were observed much earlier in seizures of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) than in those of extratemporal lobe epilepsy (-54.4 s vs. -6.7 s, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Peri-ictal HR changes were observed in 70.2% of seizures, 94% of which were tachycardia. These changes could be helpful in predicting seizure onset, especially in mesial TLE.
Bradycardia ; Electrocardiography ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsies, Partial ; Epilepsy ; Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe ; Heart ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Scalp ; Seizures ; Tachycardia

The prevalence of heart failure (HF) is increasing globally and growing evidence has shown that dietary factors play an important role in preventing and improving prognosis of HF. However, little data on nutrient intake in Korean HF patients which are available to develop dietary guidelines for HF. The aims of this study were to estimate nutrient intake in 78 HF patients and evaluate whether the estimated nutrient intake is appropriate compared to dietary reference intake for Koreans. Data are presented as the ratio of actual intake and estimated average requirement (EAR) for each nutrient. The result showed that the average nutrient intakes including total energy and protein met EAR in total patients. However, the deficiencies in mineral and vitamin intakes were found. Moreover, the proportion of subjects with lower intake than EAR was substantial. The results showed that the proportion of male HF patients with inferior intakes to EAR in calcium, potassium (compared to adequate intake: AI), folate and vitamin B12 were 38%, 79%, 38%, and 65%, respectively. Also, the proportion of female HF patients with inferior intakes to EAR in calcium, potassium (compared to AI), folate and vitamin B12 were 35%, 88%, 38% and 40%, respectively. In particular, the elderly with HF (> or = 70 yrs, n = 28) showed more serious deficiencies in calcium, potassium (compared to AI), folate and vitamin B12. In summary, the intakes of potassium, calcium, folate, and vitamin B12 were not sufficient to meet EAR in HF patients. Furthermore, the proportions of subjects with lower intake than EAR in these nutrients were substantial, raising the possibility that these micronutrients may be involved in the pathogenesis of HF. Practical dietary guideline for HF patients is needed to improve prognosis of HF.
Aged ; Calcium ; Ear ; Female ; Folic Acid ; Heart ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Male ; Micronutrients ; Potassium ; Prevalence ; Prognosis ; Vitamin B 12 ; Vitamins

Objective: This outcome analysis study evaluated the actual positions of the orthodontic miniplate and miniplate anchoring screws (MPASs) and the risk factors affecting adjacent anatomic structures after miniplate placement in the mandibular incisal area. Methods: Cone-beam computed tomographic images of 97 orthodontic miniplates and their 194 MPASs (diameter, 1.5 mm; length, 4 mm) in patients whose miniplates provided sufficient clinical stability for orthodontic treatment were retrospectively reviewed. For evaluating the actual positions of the miniplates and analyzing the risk factors, including the effects on adjacent roots, MPAS placement height (PH), placement depth (PD), plate angle (PA), mental fossa angle (MA), and root proximity were assessed using the paired t-test, analysis of variance, and generalized linear model and regression analyses. Results: The mean PDs of MPASs at positions 1 (P1) and 2 (P2) were 2.01 mm and 2.23 mm, respectively. PA was significantly higher in the Class III malocclusion group than in the other groups. PH was positively correlated with MA and PD at P1. Of the 97 MPASs at P1, 49 were in the no-root area and 48 in the dentulous area; moreover, 19 showed a degree of root contact (19.6%) without root perforation. All MPASs at P2 were in the no-root area. Conclusions Positioning the miniplate head approximately 1 mm lower than the mucogingival junction is highly likely to provide sufficient PH for the P1-MPASs to be placed in the no-root area.

Objectives: We investigated the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on tuberculosis (TB) management in the Republic of Korea (ROK). Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study used nationwide ROK TB notification data (98,346 cases) from 2017 to 2020. The median time from the onset of TB symptoms to treatment initiation and the compliance rates with the required timing for notification and individual case investigations were measured and compared across periods and regions affected by the COVID-19 epidemic. Results: TB diagnosis during the COVID-19 pandemic was delayed. The median time to TB treatment initiation (25 days) in 2020 increased by 3 days compared to that of the previous 3 years (22 days) (p<0.0001). In the outbreak in Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi province during August, the time to TB diagnosis was 4 days longer than in the previous 3 years (p=0.0303). In the outbreak in Daegu and Gyeongbuk province from February to March 2020, the compliance rate with the required timing for individual case investigations was 2.2%p points lower than in other areas in 2020 (p=0.0148). For public health centers, the rate was 13%p lower than in other areas (80.3% vs. 93.3%, p=0.0003). Conclusion TB diagnoses during the COVID-19 pandemic in the ROK were delayed nationwide, especially for patients notified by public-private mix TB control hospitals. TB individual case investigations were delayed in regional COVID-19 outbreak areas (Daegu and Gyeongbuk province), especially in public health centers. Developing strategies to address this issue will be helpful for sustainable TB management during future outbreaks.