No abstract available.
Animals ; Blood Platelets* ; Butylated Hydroxytoluene* ; Rats* ; Streptococcus* ; Thrombin*

No abstract available.

Myasthenia Gravis is a chronic disease characterized by excessive fatiguability of striated muscle. The illness has a tendency to exacerbation and to the periods of spontaneous remission. The auther observed a case of ocular myasthenia gravis who has gained spontaneous remission 5 years after from the onset, and reviewed the references related to this disease.
Chronic Disease ; Muscle, Striated ; Myasthenia Gravis* ; Remission, Spontaneous

BACKGROUND: Approxinately 30%-70% of patients hospitalized receive intravenous(IV) therapy[l-4], It is generally believed that many hospitalized patients experienced IV therapy related complications-including infiltration(swelling), phlebitis, pain, suppurative phlebitis and bacterernia. These complications may be critical to ill children in the hopsital. This study was done to assess the IV therapy related complications and characteristics od the phlebitis of the hospitalized children. METHODS: We collected date prospectively from December 8, 1994 to December 14 at the tertiary care hospital in Seoul. The subhects of this study were children who got new IV catheters during that period. RESULTS: There were 306 new cases(176 children) that got IV therapy and which meant 63.8 per 100 discharge patients. Male(62.8%), pediatric surgery patients(70.6%) were more than female(37.2%) and pediatrucs(28.4%) respectively. The usually used IV sites were the upper extermities(71.3%). Among various purposes of IV therapy, the most common was to administer drugs(74.2%) including antibiotics, and next was to keep vein open (41.2%). By the way, 172 cases(56.3%) had IV related complications and 14 resulted in phlebitis. The most common IV related complication of hospitalized children was swelling(35.1%). The incidence of IV related complication of hospitalized children was swelling(35.1%). The incidence of IV phlebits was higher in pediaterics than in pediatrid surgery (P<0.05), over 12 years old than under that aged patients (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: This study revealed that many hospitalized children experienced the IV related complications. In order to decrease the IV related complications, reduce the incidence and thorough care is recommanded.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Catheters ; Child* ; Child, Hospitalized ; Humans ; Incidence ; Phlebitis ; Prospective Studies ; Seoul ; Tertiary Healthcare ; Veins

No abstract available.
Intestinal Obstruction*

BACKGROUND: Naringin, one of the flavonoids in citrus fruit peels, is known to have antioxidant and hepatotonic effects in animal studies. We evaluated the effect of naringin on 1) blood lipid profiles, 2) regression of fatty streak of aorta, and 3) liver toxicity in diet-induced hypercholesterolemic rabbits. METHODS: New Zealand White Rabbits (2.0 - 2.5 Kg) were divided to three groups; group without treatment, group treated with 100 mg/kg/d or 500 mg/kg/d naringin, and group treated with 1 mg/kg/d or 20 mg/kg/d lovastatin. They were fed on 0.25% or 1.0% cholesterol-containing diet for 8 weeks and then sacrificed. Blood samples were collected for measurement of total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglyceride, serum GOT and GPT. Aortas and livers were harvested for evaluation of fatty streak and pathologic examination. RESULTS: 1)Feeding of 1% cholesterol diet for eight weeks significantly increased the cholesterol level upto 20 folds. Neither lovastatin nor naringin did lower these marked hypercholesterolemia. But both naringin (500 mg/kg/d) and lovastatin (1 mg/kg/d) significantly reduced the area of fatty streak by 75% and 58%, respectively. Naringin was more effective in inhibition of fat infiltration into liver than lovastatin which showed hepatotoxicity as increase of serum GPT level (p=0.01). 2)Feeding of 0.25% cholesterol diet for eight weeks significantly increased the cholesterol level upto 17 folds. Total cholesterol and triglyceride levels tended to decrease by treatment with naringin (500 mg/kg/d) and lovastatin (20 mg/kg/d), but this decreases were not statistically significant. However, areas of fatty streak significantly decreased by treatment with naringin and lovastatin by 64 and 82%, respectively (p<0.05). Microscopic analysis revealed that foam cell infiltration into intima was significantly reduced by naringin and lovastatin. In contrast to lovastatin, naringin significantly reduced the level of serum GPT (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Like lovastatin, naringin has strong antiatherogenic action which may not be associated with its very mild lipid lowering action. In contrast to lovastatin, naringin does have hepatoprotective effect.
Animals ; Aorta ; Cholesterol ; Citrus ; Diet ; Flavonoids ; Foam Cells ; Hypercholesterolemia ; Liver ; Lovastatin ; Rabbits* ; Triglycerides

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate common symptoms and severities of swallowing disorders in pediatric patients with a central nervous system disorder. METHOD: Twenty six pediatric patients with age ranging from 1 month to 3 years who had complained feeding and swallowing difficulties were studied. The subjects were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of a central nervous system disorder. After taking the history and physical examination, a bedside swallowing test and a videofluoroscopic swallowing study were done. The parameters of oral preparatory phase, oral phase and pharyngeal phase were evaluated. RESULTS: In the bedside swallowing test, the patients with a central nervous system disorder showed a significantly higher incidence of decreased swallowing reflex, postural abnormality, tendency of poor secretion control and absent gag reflex. In the videofluoroscopic swallowing study, patients with a central nervous system disorder showed delayed oral transport time, poor oral control, pharyngeal triggering, aspiration, nasal regurgitation and esophageal reflux. Compared to the patients without a central nervous system disorder, the patients with a central nervous system disorder showed a significantly higher incidence of decreased pharyngeal peristalsis and delayed pharyngeal triggering. The patients with a central nervous system disorder also showed a more profound swallowing disorder than that of the patients without a central nervous system disorder, having more chances of a non-oral feeding than those without a central nervous system disorder. CONCLUSION: The children with a swallowing disorder and central nervous system disordershowed the different features from those without a central nervous system disorder in the bedside swallowing test and videofluoroscopic swallowing study. So that a complete swallowing evaluation including the videofluoroscopic a swallowing study will be helpful to children with swallowing disorder and central nervous system disorder for the evaluation and treatment of pharyngeal stage swallowing dysfunction.
Central Nervous System Diseases* ; Central Nervous System* ; Child ; Deglutition Disorders* ; Deglutition* ; Gastroesophageal Reflux ; Humans ; Incidence ; Peristalsis ; Physical Examination ; Reflex

OBJECTIVES: Geographic disparities in access to secondary pediatric care remain a significant issue in countries with universal health coverage, including Korea. This study investigated the link between geographic access to secondary pediatric care and mortality rates in children and adolescents (0-19 years) in Korea. METHODS: We analyzed district-level data to assess the percentage of those aged 0-19 years residing outside of a 60-minute travel radius from the nearest secondary pediatric care provider (accessibility vulnerability index, AVI). RESULTS: The AVI ranged from 0% to 100% across the districts for the study period. The confidence interval (CI) was -0.30 (95% CI, -0.41 to -0.19) in 2017 and -0.41 (95% CI, -0.52 to -0.30) in 2021, indicating that the proportion of those who could not access care within 60 minutes was disproportionately higher in districts with lower socioeconomic status. We found 8% rise in mortality rates among individuals aged 0-19 years for every 10% increase in AVI (95% CI, 1.06 to 1.10). CONCLUSIONS The study highlights disparities in pediatric care access and their impact on child survival, emphasizing the need for improved access to achieve true universal health coverage.

This study was conducted to investigate instant coffee-mix intakes and its relations with anthropometric measurements, nutrient intake, and blood lipid in Gangneung and Samcheok residents. Coffee-mix is a mixture of instant coffee, sugar and coffee-creamer. It is a standardized convenience food in Korea. Recently, Koreans appear to consume too much of instant coffee-mix. The respondents of this study were 218 Koreans (Gangneung region 133, Samcheok region 85). The average age was 56.0 years (male), 57.5 years (female). They were divided into 2 groups, the instant coffee-mix drinkers and the non-drinkers. The nutrient intake and anthropometric measurements and their relations with coffee-mix intakes were analyzed (nutrient intakes were calculated by converting per 1,000 kcal and adjusted by age, region). As for male, body fat was significantly higher in coffee-mix drinkers (18.1 kg, 25.0%) than in nondrinkers (17.1 kg, 23.8%). In the case of females, serum triglyceride was significantly higher in coffee-mix drinkers (109.1 mg/dL) than in nondrinkers (102.9 mg/dL). Coffee-mix intakes and coffee-mix's contributions to energy were higher for participants from Samcheok (21.2 g, 4.7%) than those from Gangneung (16.6 g, 3.4%). In addition, for Samcheok, coffee-mix's contribution to energy was significantly higher in male (5.6%) than in female (4.2%). Coffee-mix intakes and energy contribution of coffee-mix were not significantly correlated with anthropometric measurements. Only HDL-cholestrol showed significantly negative correlation with coffee-mix's contributions to energy. Based on the above results, we conclude that usual instant coffee-mix intake may increase intakes of sugar and fat and exert negative effects on serum lipids. Therefore, it is needed to control too much instant coffee-mix intake in the dietary management of rural residents.
Adipose Tissue ; Coffee ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Fast Foods ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Male

BACKGROUND: This study was aimed to investigate the current two years' clinical research coordinators (CRCs) employment and estimate total number of CRCs in Korea. METHODS: The participants were administrative officers or head CRCs in institutions designated by Korea Food & Drug Administration (KFDA). Data on the current status of CRCs' employment was collected with self-administered questionnaires or telephone interview. And total number of CRCs in Korea was estimated based on ratio between the number of the KFDA approved clinical trials and current number of CRCs. RESULTS: The number of CRCs was 1381 at 36 centers in 2009 and 1444 at 37 centers in 2010. About 79 percent of CRCs were employed by investigators. The estimated number of CRCs was from 1677 to 1763 at 135 centers in 2009 and from 1802 to 1890 at 142 centers in 2010 based on number of clinical trials approved by KFDA. Two third of regional clinical trial centers (RCTCs) had written employment policy, and 25 percent of RCTCs employed CRCs in a regular position. All RCTCs had educational programs for CRCs and supported CRCs for training outside. 75 percent of RCTCs provided ID card for CRCs belonging to investigators to access to hospital document. Half of RCTCs had CRC registration system in hospital-wide. CONCLUSION: The number of CRCs in Korea can be easily estimated with the number of KFDA approved clinical trials. Majority of RCTCs still employed CRCs in an irregular position, which should be switched to regular position to reduce the CRCs' unsatisfaction. It is also needed to develop centralized CRC management system for CRCs belonging to investigators.
Calcium Hydroxide ; Employment ; Head ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Korea ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Research Personnel ; Zinc Oxide