PURPOSE: To verify the association between cigarette smoking and bladder cancer in the Korean population, as smoking is well known as a risk factor on bladder cancer. The risk of bladder cancer was compared among never-smokers, ex-smokers and current-smokers using a multivariate adjusted incidence rate and the mortality rate of bladder cancer of Koreans. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 348,010 participants were enrolled in this prospective study between 1993 (to 1994) and 2002. All participants completed a self administered questionnaire on cancer risk factors, including smoking habit. Follow up for incident bladder cancer was established. We classified all participants into three categories: current-smoker, ex-smoker and never-smoker, on the basis of their smoking habits. We confirmed bladder cancer from the data of the Korea National Cancer Registry and National Health Insurance Corporation up to (December?) 2002. The multivariate adjusted incidence and the mortality due to bladder cancer were used for both genders for a statistical analysis using a Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: The incidence rate of bladder cancer per 100,000 persons in male never-smokers, ex-smokers and current-smokers were 27, 41 and 48, respectively, and the multivariate adjusted relative risks (RR) were 1.3 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.9-2.0) and 1.7 (95% CI, 1.2-2.3) in ex- and current smokers, respectively. The incidence rate of bladder cancer in women was 4.7, 8.4 and 13, respectively. There was no significant association between the risk of bladder cancer and the amount and duration of smoking. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that current smokers have an increased incidence and mortality rate of bladder cancer in both genders in the Korean population, but there was no significant difference in relation to the amount and duration of smoking.
Cohort Studies* ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Male ; Mortality ; National Health Programs ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Prospective Studies* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking* ; Tobacco Products* ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms* ; Urinary Bladder*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate social and behavioral factors associated with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening in men in California, United States, who were over 40 years of age and had ever heard about PSA screening. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This survey was administered as a random-digit-dialing telephone survey to produce reliable estimates of medium-sized counties. It surveyed 42,000 households and interviewed 58,407 people randomly. It considered socioeconomic status and health behavior as affecting PSA screening. Access to health care was measured as having regular health care access. The main outcome measure was self-report of ever having undergone PSA screening at least once in the respondent's lifetime. RESULTS: Of 8,864 respondents, 82.2% were White, 7.7% were Latin, 4.2% were African American, and 5.9% were Asian. The respondents' mean age was 60.13 years. Age was the significant factor for PSA screening. Respondents aged 50-59 years were 3.5 times as likely to have undergone PSA screening as were those aged 40-49 years (OR=3.49, p< or =0.001). Race was not statistically significant after considering other factors. People who had never married had statistically significantly lower screening than did people who were married (OR=0.71, p=0.001). Poverty levels were statistically significant in both the unadjusted and the adjusted analysis. People who had no regular health care access were much less likely to have undergone PSA screening than were people who had regular health care access (OR=0.22, p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The likelihood of PSA screening was positively associated with increased age, marital status (married), higher socioeconomic status (higher federal poverty level and higher educational attainment), and health care access. However, there was no statistically significant association of PSA screening with race, employment, exercise, smoking, or drinking status.
Aged ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; California ; Continental Population Groups ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Delivery of Health Care ; Drinking ; Employment ; Family Characteristics ; Health Behavior ; Health Services Accessibility ; Humans ; Male ; Marital Status ; Mass Screening ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Poverty ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; Single Person ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Social Class ; Telephone ; United States

No abstract available.

OBJECTIVES: Many studies showed that risperidone and olanzapine in the treatment of delirium were similar to haloperidol, in side effects were superior to that. Quetiapine is frequently used in delirious patients. However, the studies of quetiapine in the treatment of delirium are very few. This study was designed to compare the efficacy of risperidone and quetiapine in elderly patients with delirium. METHODS: We divided 2 groups (risperidone and quetiapine) of elderly patients with delirium. We compared the two groups of elderly patients with delirium by Korean Version of Delirium Rating Scale (K-DRS) and Korean Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE) at baseline and 1 week later. RESULTS: Our results showed that risperidone and quetiapine were efficacious in the treatment of elderly patients with delirium according to using K-DRS and K-MMSE. There were no significant differences in the degree of effects in both drugs. CONCLUSION: We compared the efficacy of risperidone and quetiapine in the treatment of delirium. Quetiapine was as efficacious as risperidone in the treatment of the elderly patients with delirium. In future, the sample size need to be increased in the studies of delirium. And the evaluation of long-term side effects related to quetiapine need to be performed.
Aged* ; Delirium* ; Haloperidol ; Humans ; Risperidone* ; Sample Size ; Quetiapine Fumarate

PURPOSE: Latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap (LDMCF) is a commonly used technique for breast reconstruction following breast-conserving surgery. However, this technique has a high incidence of donor site seroma. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of donor-site quilting on seroma formation. METHODS: A retrospective review of 95 patients who underwent immediate breast reconstruction with LDMCF from May of 2006 through February of 2007 was performed. Patients were divided into Group A, in which only a closed suction drain was used, and Group B, in which quilting and a closed suction drain were used. The outcome measures were age, body mass index (BMI), mastectomy volume, duration of drain, total volume of postoperative seroma, length of hospital stay, and incidence of postoperative aspiration. RESULTS: In Group B, the total amount of seroma, duration of drain, and length of hospital stay were significantly reduced (P<0.05). However, the incidence of postoperative aspiration was not different between Group A and Group B (P=0.06). CONCLUSION: The quilting technique reduces the volume of postoperative seroma and may help prevent of seroma after LDMCF.
Body Mass Index ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Length of Stay ; Mammaplasty ; Mastectomy ; Mastectomy, Segmental ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Retrospective Studies ; Seroma ; Suction ; Tissue Donors

One of the most widely recognized neurophysiologic endophenotypes for schizophrenia is deficient gating or inhibition of the P50 component of the auditory event-related potential(ERP). A deficit in P50 sensory gating refers to a dysfunction in the mechanism responsible for modulating the brain's sensitivity of filtering out irrelevant or background stimuli, perhaps as a result of dysfunction in inhibitory neural circuits. In this paper, we review the neuronal and genetic aspects as well as medication effects on P50 in schizophrenia.
Endophenotypes ; Evoked Potentials ; Neurons ; Schizophrenia* ; Sensory Gating

Ischemic monomelic neuropathy (IMN) is recognized as a rare ischemic neuropathy caused by vascular access originating from the brachial artery leading to hemodialysis. IMN is characterized by acute painful muscle weakness shortly after surgery and neuronal axon loss without necrosis of adjacent tissues. In chronic diabetic patients with polyneuropathy, brachial vascular access surgeries include the risk of IMN, necessitating immediate surgical treatment such as banding or ligation. In the above case, we chose to close brachial-cephalic arteriovenous fistula for IMN with no short-term neurologic improvement, however, significant neurological and clinical improvement was observed in long-term follow-up. Here, we present a case of IMN with serial nerve conduction evaluations indicating the improved long-terms outcomes.
Acute Pain ; Arteriovenous Fistula ; Axons ; Brachial Artery ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Ischemia ; Ligation ; Muscle Weakness ; Necrosis ; Neural Conduction ; Neurons ; Polyneuropathies ; Renal Dialysis

Background: This study was conducted on the experiences, limitations, and factors necessary for increasing participation in emergency care outside a medical institution for physicians working in a tertiary hospital. Methods: This study was conducted by analyzing data from 150 physicians working in a tertiary hospital. The physicians’ intent to participate in emergencies outside the medical institution was measured as frequencies and percentages, and chi-square test was performed. Multi-logistic regression was used to determine factors affecting the physicians’ willingness to participate emergencies outside the medical institution. Results: Out of 103 respondents, 52 (50.5%) said that they do not want to participate in future emergency situations. Among them, 38 (73.1%) said that legal burden associated with medical accidents dissuaded them from intervening in future emergencies. Also, 33 (63.5%) said that ‘a firm guarantee of exemption from legal responsibility’ was needed to convince them to participate in emergency patient care. There were no meaningful results in the analysis of factors affecting future participation in emergency care. Conclusion It was found that the reason they do not participate in emergency care is because they feel that they bear the risk of legal liability. We suggest that providing more legal immunity could be a way to encourage doctors to step up in emergency situations. At the same time, it is recommended that a more suitable environment be provided for physicians in such situations, so that they can be able to fulfill their ethical duties in emergency medical care.

The urachus lies between the peritoneum and transversalis fascia and extend from the anterior dome of the bladder toward the umbilicus. The urachal sinus is opened at the umbilicus superiority and not connected with the bladder. This may become symptomatic at any age with an infected discharge. We experienced a case of infected urachal sinus in a 21 years old girl, so we report this case with review of literatures.
Fascia ; Female ; Humans ; Peritoneum ; Umbilicus ; Urachus ; Urinary Bladder ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: The causes of ADHD(attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) are various, it is impossible to understand the whole characteristics of ADHD, only with simple intellignece testing scales. We compared cognitive characteristics of ADHD group with normal controls with Korean Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children(K-ABC), It is well known to evaluate neuropsychological and cognitive aspects of the children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Age and sex matched 40 ADHD patients and 40 normal controls tested with the K-ABC. Each subscales compared between pre-treatment patients and controls, pre-treatment and post-treatment in patient group, post-treatment patients and controls. RESULTS: Significant differences are ovserved in sequential processing, simultaneous processing, cognitive processing and achievement between pre-treatment patients and controls, and in gestalt closure between pre-treatment and post-treatment patients group. But there are no significant differences between pre-treatment patients and controls in gestalt closure and reading/decoding. CONCLUSIONS: Methylphenidate improved the scores of simultaneous scale, which means improvement of executive functions such as divided attention, analysis and organization. Methylphenidate also reduced distractibility.
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity ; Child ; Executive Function ; Humans ; Intelligence* ; Methylphenidate* ; Weights and Measures