Lead is one of the most widespread environmental toxins and its poisoning in children was considered a rarity, usually resulting from unique circumstances such as inappropriate use of leadbased body cosmetics or direct administration of lead-containing folk medicines. The increasing concern about children with lower levels of lead exposure has developed, but there are no data regarding the mean blood lead levels and the incidence of symptomatic or asymptomatic lead poisoning in Korean children. We analyzed the zinc protoporphyrine (ZPP) values and blood lead concentrations in 163 pediatric inpatients for a prospective study of lead exposure. The blood lead concentrations in all 163 children were 15~54 g/dl, of whom 111 children (68.1%) were 25~54 g/dl which needs decision to chelate based on the EDTA provocation test. Among 111 children whose blood lead concentrations are 25~54 g/dl, 59 children(53.2%) were between 7 months and 3 years of age, which revealed no significant higher incidence of lead exposure than any other age group. The ZPP values in 126 children (77.3%) were above 35 g/dl. The mean blood lead concentration and ZPP values are 27.8 g/dl and 48.8 g/dl, respectively. We conclude that there are many asymptomatic children with increased absorption of lead in the urban area of Korea, and we need further studies regarding lead poisoning. It is important that there must be a national counterplan and that pediatricians continue to pay attention to lead posioning in children.
Absorption ; Child ; Edetic Acid ; Humans ; Incidence ; Inpatients* ; Korea ; Lead Poisoning ; Poisoning ; Prospective Studies ; Zinc

No abstract available.
Dislocations* ; Tendons*

Incidence of non-contiguous multiple spine fracture was increased from 3.2%~4.5% at 1960th and 70th to 5.7% ~23.8% at 80th and 90th. But there is no reports in Korea which has high incidence of traffic and industrial accidents. In 345 consecutive patients with acute spine fracture, we found that 43 patients (12.5%) had multiple non-contiguous spine fractures. At the 43 patients studies 37 (87.4%) sustained fractures at 2 levels while 6 had more than 3 levels of injury, 26 were injured by fall from heights, 27 (62.8%) had 2.33 associated injuries on an average, and 12 (27.9%) had a neurologic deficit. There are five patterns account for 26 (50%) of the total number of patients. In 19 patients (44.2%), there was a mean 29.3 days delay (from 3 to 233 days) in diagnosis of the minor lesions. In 19 delay diagnosed minor lesions, it confirmed by bone scan in 12 patinets(63.6%). Two patients died within 24 hours after accident, and 41 patients (41 major and 50 minor fractures) were treated in our hospital. Among them, 21 (51.2%) needed modification of treatment by the presence of non-con- tiguous multiple spine fractures. According to above findings, the physician must be aware of the possible noncontiguous multiple spine fractures when examine and treat the patients with spine fracture.
Accidents, Occupational ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Spine

No abstract available.
Neck* ; Posture* ; Rabbits*

A few cases of Lateral femoral cutaneous neuropathy that developed after renal transplantation have been reported in western literature but there is no reported case in Korea. It may develop from one to nine days after surgery; the clinical course is favorable but the incidence is not low. According to the reported cases of western literature, the major causes of lateral femoral cutaneous neuropathy after renal transplantation included steal phenomenon, clamping the internal iliac artery during surgery, direct surgical damage to the vessels supplying the femoral nerve, and direct compression of the femoral nerve. We experienced one case of lateral femoral cutaneous nerve neuropathy after renal transplantation that developed at postoperative day (POD) 7. It was partially improved symptomatically after POD 60, so we reported this case with a brief review of literatures.
Constriction ; Femoral Nerve ; Iliac Artery ; Incidence ; Kidney Transplantation ; Korea

The development of renal glomerular lesions secondary to severe visceral infection (pulmonary, pleural, retroperitoneal or hepatic abscess) is not generally appreciated. Such patients resemble those with infective endocarditis. The suggested pathogenetic mechanisms by which infection can cause glomerular damage are immunologic interaction, direct toxicity of a bacterial products, and some other triggering factors; However, direct correlation between the infectious and immunologic events has not been demonstrated. The histopathologic findings of infectious glomerulonephritis are variable, and these findings, as well as the clinical abnormalities, may resolve with effective antimicrobial therapy or abscess drainage. We experienced a case of glomerulonephritis and acute renal failure due to staphylococcal retroperitoneal abscess. The patient was a 58-year-old man who presented with abdominal and back pain. We performed an abdominal CT scan which showed a retroperitoneal abscess which was proven to be a staphylococcal infection upon percutaneous abscess drainage. Furthermore, we performed a renal biopsy in order to investigate hematuria, RBC casts, and proteinuria. Pathologic findings revealed postinfectious glomerulonephritis. Abscess drainage and sensitive antibiotics were administered, after which his symptoms and urinary abnormalities disappeared, and the retroperitoneal abscess subsided. Here, we report a case of a staphylococcal retroperitoneal abscess which led to postinfectious glomerulonephritis and acute renal failure along with a brief review of the literatures.
Abscess* ; Acute Kidney Injury ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Back Pain ; Biopsy ; Drainage ; Endocarditis ; Glomerulonephritis* ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Proteinuria ; Staphylococcal Infections ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

In 38 of 70 patients who underwent lumbar spinal surgery, we performed a randomized, prospective double-blind study of the effect of caudal block with morphine sulfate on postoperative pain levels. Age, sex, clinical features, postoperative analgesic consumption, pain score, adverse effects and patient satisfaction on discharge were recorded. The consumption of parenteral analgesics on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd days was significantly lower in the morphine sulfate group(p<0.05), than in the control group. Caudal block with morphine sulfate also led to marked reductions in pain levels and thus increases patients satisfaction during the postoperative period(p<0.05). Transient respiratory depression occurred in three of 38 patients(7.9%), but further treatment was not needed. Seventeen patients(44.7%) developed urinary retention, but this recovered spontaneously. The present study demonstrates that caudal block with morphine sulfate leads to a highly significant reduction in pain during postoperative periods and a corresponding reduction in the need for additional postoperative analgesics, in addition, patients are more satisfied.
Analgesics ; Double-Blind Method ; Humans ; Morphine* ; Pain, Postoperative* ; Patient Satisfaction ; Postoperative Period ; Prospective Studies ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Urinary Retention

PURPOSE: To determine the metal plate that has almost the same volume and weight as the conventional plate, but has improved properties by changing the shape using finite element analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The bone is assumed to be of 100 mm length, 20 mm outer diameter and 12 mm inner diameter, respectively. There is a fracture line that is perpendicular to the major axis of the bone at the center. The two pieces of bone are joined together using a metallic plate that is made of titanium. Six holes are located, with an interval of 12 mm. We suppose that screws of 2 mm diameter and 25 mm length are inserted in six holes. The metallic plates are of 5 shapes (A, B, C, D and E) in total. Shape A is the standard or nominal type. Shape B and C are thicker at the center of the plate, respectively. Shape D and E are wider at the center. Six types of load are applied to each of those plates: tension, compression, anterior flexion, posterior flexion, lateral flexion and torsion. We compared stress, deformation, maximal stress and maximal deformation, according to the six types of load. RESULTS: Our deliberate investigation using finite element analysis showed that increasing the thickness or width at the center of metallic plates lowered the maximum stress and deformation. In particular, maximal stress and deformation could be reduced by 33.5% and 38.6%, respectively, in the anterior bending situation. Compression showed lower stress and deformation in type C or D, but the absolute quantity was much smaller than others, for example 0.01-0.001 times. CONCLUSION: As for the internal bone fixation plates with the same volume, the wider or thicker in the middle the plate become, the less deformation and yielding it bears.
Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Bone Plates ; Finite Element Analysis ; Fracture Fixation ; Stress, Mechanical ; Titanium ; Ursidae

Backgroud/Aims: Endoscopic stent placement is widely used to treat an unresectable malignant gastric outlet obstruction. The covered stent has the disadvantage of an increased risk of migration, and the uncovered stent has an increased risk of ingrowth. This study examined the technical and clinical efficiency of stent placement of a double-layered combination pyloric stent that was newly designed to reduce tumor ingrowth and stent migration. METHODS: Fifteen patients with a gastric outlet obstruction caused by unresectable stomach cancer were treated with the endoscopic placement of a double-layered combination pyloric stent (an outer uncovered stent to reduce migration and an inner PTEF-covered stent to prevent tumor ingrowth). The technical success, clinical success, and complication especially tumor ingrowth and stent migration were analyzed. RESULTS: Technical success was achieved in 15 out of 15 (100%) patients. Among the 15 patients in whom endoscopic stenting was placed successfully, the clinical success rate was 93.3%, the incidence of tumor ingrowth was 0%, the rate of migration was 6.7%, and tumor overgrowth was observed in 13.3%. The median stent patency period was 105 days. CONCLUSIONS: The placement of a double- layered pyloric combination stent appears to be effective in overcoming the disadvantage of the increased migration observed for a covered stent and the increased ingrowth observed for the uncovered stent.
Gastric Outlet Obstruction* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Stents* ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Stomach*

Bony mallet finger is treated by from conservative management to various operative options. A lot of internal fixations except hook plate lead to cartilage damage and limitation of motion of distal interphalangeal joint. Thus we introduce Delta(Delta)-wire technique which can permit early joint motion and give strong compression force on the fracture fragment continuously.
Cartilage ; Fingers* ; Fracture Fixation ; Joints