This article is being retracted as a part of the manuscript was a 'duplicate publication' from an earlier publication.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the features, risk scores and risk factors for deep vein thrombosis in critically ill patients who developed deep vein thrombosis in their lower extremities. METHODS: The participants in this prospective descriptive study were 175 adult patients who did not receive any prophylactic medication or mechanical therapy during their admission in the intensive care unit. RESULTS: The mean age was 62.24 (+/-17.28) years. Men made up 54.9% of the participating patients. There were significant differences in age, body mass index, and leg swelling between patients who developed deep vein thrombosis and those who did not have deep vein thrombosis. The mean risk score was 6.71(+/-2.94) and they had on average 4.01(+/-1.35) risk factors. In the multiple logistic regression, body mass index (odds ratio=1.14) and leg swelling (odds ratio=6.05) were significant predictors of deep vein thrombosis. CONCLUSION: Most critically ill patients are in the potentially high risk group for deep vein thrombosis. However, patients who are elderly, obese or have leg edema should be closely assessed and more than one type of active prophylactic intervention should be provided.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Body Mass Index ; *Critical Illness ; Female ; Humans ; Leg/*blood supply ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Odds Ratio ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Venous Thrombosis/diagnosis/*etiology ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: There are few reports about the natural history of patients with pseudoprecocious puberty due to autonomous ovarian cyst. We reviewed the clinical course of 7 patients who had autonomous ovarian cysts and signs of precocious puberty. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 7 children, aged 2.8 to 7.9 years, who were diagnosed with pseudoprecocious puberty due to autonomous ovarian cysts from November 2005 to May 2011. The follow-up durations ranged from 0.5 to 6.3 years. RESULTS: Four out of 7 patients showed elevated serum estrogen levels and all revealed prepubertal response of gonadotropin to GnRH stimulation at diagnosis. The size of the cysts was from 1.7 to 4.6 cm on pelvic ultrasound examination. After 1 to 3 months, the ovarian cysts disappeared in all patients. Three of the girls developed relapsing signs of precocious puberty (vaginal bleeding and breast budding). Two of them showed an increase in growth velocity and bone age due to recurrent ovarian cysts, and one of them was converted to true precocious puberty. CONCLUSION: In our cases, all patients with autonomous ovarian cysts resolved spontaneously. However, some showed frequent recurrence of ovarian cysts, and needed a longer follow up because of the possibility of conversion to true precocious puberty and signs of McCune-Albright syndrome.
Aged ; Breast ; Child ; Estrogens ; Female ; Fibrous Dysplasia, Polyostotic ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; Gonadotropins ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Natural History ; Ovarian Cysts ; Puberty ; Puberty, Precocious ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUND: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most commonly reported nerve entrapment syndrome. When performing routine nerve conduction studies (NCS) in clinically diagnosed CTS, we sometimes confronted with patients who have no definite electrophysiological evidence of CTS. Current perception threshold (CPT) test can evaluate the functioning of all major subpopulations of sensory nerve. The purpose of this study is to determine clinically usefulness of the CPT test in idiopathic CTS. METHODS: We prospectively studied 60 patients (90 hands) who were clinically diagnosed as CTS. Involved hands were grouped into three clinical grades (mild, moderate and severe). NCS was done using a standard technique and equipment. CPT test was measured at the distal interphalangeal joint of second, third and fifth fingers with electrical current of 5 Hz, 250 Hz and 2,000 Hz in frequency. RESULTS: Of 60 patients (90 hands), 8 (13.1%) were men and 52 (86.9%) were women. Mean age at evaluation was 56.00+/-8.94 years old. Positive rate of NCS and CPT was 0.80 (0.72, 0.88) and 0.61 (0.51, 0.71), respectively. Sensitive and specificity of CPT test was 0.49 and 0.57. As the clinical severity of CTS deteriorate, CPT test showed abnormality in low frequency stimulation. CONCLUSIONS: CPT test is an effective and relatively simple procedure for measuring perception in CTS. But CTS test is difficulty and subjectively at interpretation. We suggested that the usefullness of CPT test is lower than NCS in diagnosis of CTS.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome ; Female ; Fingers ; Hand ; Humans ; Joints ; Male ; Nerve Compression Syndromes ; Neural Conduction ; Prospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity

PURPOSE: This study was to identify behaviors preventing the recurrence of breast cancer and the level of quality of life. METHODS: This descriptive study was conducted using a structured questionnaire from November 1, 2006 to December 25, 2006 . One hundred and twenty two women breast cancer survivors were recruited by convenience sampling. RESULTS: The most frequent behavior for preventing recurrence of the breast cancer was dietary treatment (90.9%) and exercise (86.8%) was the second behavior. In addition, most of them perceived these behaviors as 'very effective' (82.8%). The degree of the quality of life of a breast cancer survivor was 5.34 point indicating a 'medium level'. CONCLUSION: Breast cancer survivors pursued various behaviors for preventing recurrence of breast cancer. Therefore, the nursing interventions should be focused on a systematic educational approach considering healthy behaviors to prevent breast cancer recurrence for breast cancer survivors.
Adaptation, Psychological ; Adult ; Aged ; Breast Neoplasms/prevention & control/*psychology/therapy ; Data Interpretation, Statistical ; Demography ; Dietary Supplements ; Exercise Therapy ; Female ; *Health Behavior ; Humans ; Life Style ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/*prevention & control ; *Quality of Life ; Questionnaires ; Recurrence ; Survivors/*psychology

A 29-year-old man with schizophrenia was admitted to the emergency department in a stupor following the first generalized tonicclonic seizure. He had drunk about 1.5 L of Coke and 2 L of water each day for 1 week without eating any other food. A laboratory evaluation revealed severe hyponatremia (110 mEq/L), and we diagnosed a hyponatremia-induced seizure. As polydipsia and hyponatremia are not uncommon in schizophrenics, hyponatremia-induced seizure should be included in the causes of seizure in schizophrenics.
Adult ; Coke ; Eating ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Humans ; Hyponatremia ; Polydipsia* ; Schizophrenia ; Seizures* ; Stupor ; Water

PURPOSE: The purpose of our study was to describe the clinical and radiological mani-festations of tuberculosis in patients with end-stage renal disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records, chest radiographs, and CT scans of 42 patients with tuberculosis among 871 consecutive patients with end-stage renal disease were reviewed. Patterns of initial chest radiographs were categorized as primary, postprimary, miliary, or atypical, according to the predominant radiologic findings. RESULTS: Chest radiographs and CT scans revealed pulmonary tuberculosis in 28 patients and extrapulmonary tuberculosis in 15. The pattern of chest radiographs indicative of pulmonary tuberculosis was primary in 12 cases, postprimary in 11, miliary in one, demonstrated atypical infiltrates in three, and was normal in one. Tuberculosis involved the extrathoracic lymph nodes in six cases, the peritoneum in four, the spine in three, and the bone marrow in two. The primary pattern, seen in 12 patients, manifested as pleural effusion or segmental consolidation, and in ten of the twelve the former was dominant. CONCLUSION: The radiological pattern of pulmonary tuberculosis in end-stage renal disease is often primary, and extrapulmonary involvement is frequent.
Bone Marrow ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic* ; Lymph Nodes ; Medical Records ; Peritoneum ; Pleural Effusion ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Spine ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tuberculosis* ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

PURPOSE: This study examined breast cancer screening practice and health promoting behaviors and the predicting factors of breast cancer screening practice in Chinese women. METHODS: A correlational research design was used to recruit a convenience sample of 770 women living in four cities (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Xi'an) in China. Participants completed self-report questionnaire consisting of general characteristics, breast cancer screening, health promoting behaviors, perceived benefits and perceived barriers. RESULTS: The participants were mostly 36-55 years old (51.3%), married (86.8%), premenopause (77.7%), had children (83.4%), and breastfed (73%). About 60% of Chinese women participated in some type of breast cancer screening practices, among them only 60 (7.8%) women used mammography, ultrasonogram and breast self-examination. The main reason for doing breast cancer screening was "feeling necessary for the screening". About 36% of the participants reported they did not perform any of screening practices, because they "don't feel it necessary". The women who had breast cancer screening regularly reported better health promoting behavior and perceived benefits and less perceived barriers than those who did not (F = 10.45, p < .001). Logistic regression showed that model 1 (age, higher education, being employed) and model 2 (perceived benefits and health behaviors) were the significant predicting factors (p < .05), explaining 10-13.8% of variance in breast cancer screening practice. CONCLUSION: On the basis of these results, public education about importance of breast cancer screening and health promoting behavior should be strongly advocated by health professionals and mass media in China.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Breast Self-Examination ; Child ; China ; Female ; Health Behavior ; Health Occupations ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Mammography ; Mass Media ; Mass Screening ; Premenopause ; Research Design ; Surveys and Questionnaires

A male baby with intrauterine growth retardation had a short neck, small hands and feet, hypospadia, both grade I hydronephrosis, type II atrial septal defect, and moderate valvular pulmonary stenosis. The routine chromosome and banding analyses revealed a 46,XY,rec(8)del(8)(p21)dup(8) (q24.1)inv(8)(p21q24.1)pat chromosome constitution. His mother has normal chromosomes, but the father had 46,XY,inv(8)(p21q24.1). Also his uncle had an inv(8) chromosome constitution. We used lymphocytes and examined 40 mitotic cells. All mitotic cells showed deletion of 8p21-->pter and duplication of 8q24.1-->qter. Because 8p21 involves secretion of macrophage and lymphocyte against cancer cells, long-term follow-up for cancer will be needed.
Chromosome Deletion ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 8 ; Constitution and Bylaws ; Fathers ; Female ; Fetal Growth Retardation ; Foot ; Hand ; Heart Septal Defects, Atrial ; Humans ; Hydronephrosis ; Hypospadias ; Lymphocytes ; Macrophages ; Male ; Mothers ; Neck ; Pulmonary Valve Stenosis ; Trisomy

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the most common form of vertigo. Although the repositioning maneuver dramatically improves the vertigo, some patients complain of residual dizziness. We evaluated the incidence and characteristics of persistent dizziness after successful particle repositioning and the clinical factors associated with the residual dizziness. METHODS: We performed a prospective investigation in 49 consecutive patients with confirmed BPPV. The patients were treated with a repositioning maneuver appropriate for the type of BPPV. Success was defined by the resolution of nystagmus and positional vertigo. All patients were followed up until complete resolution of all dizziness, for a maximum of 3 months. We collected data on the characteristics and duration of any residual dizziness and analyzed the clinical factors associated with the residual dizziness. RESULTS: Of the 49 patients, 11 were men and 38 were women aged 60.4+/-13.0 years (mean +/-SD), and 30 (61%) of them complained of residual dizziness after successful repositioning treatment. There were two types of residual dizziness: continuous lightheadedness and short-lasting unsteadiness occurring during head movement, standing, or walking. The dizziness lasted for 16.4+/-17.6 days (range=2-80 days, median=10 days). A longer duration of BPPV before treatment was significantly associated with residual dizziness (p=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Residual dizziness after successful repositioning was observed in two-thirds of the patients with BPPV and disappeared within 3 months without specific treatment in all cases. The results indicate that early successful repositioning can reduce the incidence of residual dizziness.
Aged ; Dizziness ; Female ; Head Movements ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Prospective Studies ; Vertigo ; Walking