BACKGROUND: Traffic accident is a catastrophic event which induces severe stress to the victims. According to psychoneuroimmunolgic studies, the stress induced by traffic accident may affect emotion, neuroendocrine and immune systems. This study was designed to investigate what is the effect of the stress induced by traffic accident on the secretions of cortisol, IL-1alpha and IL-6 and the relationship with blood levels of glucose and lactic dehydrogenase in the traffic accident victims. METHODS: Thirty five traffic accident victims and eleven normal healthy control persons were included in this prospective, randomized study. Ten milliliters of blood were drawn at 1hr and after 12hr after trauma from the victims and normal control to evaluate the parameters. RESULTS: The level of cortisol was significantly different between traffic accident patients(115.181microgram/ml) and normal healthy control(39.10microgram/ml) after 12hrs (p<0.05). There were significant differences at the level of glucose(control: 139.7mg/ml;patient: 75.2mg/ml) and IL-6 (control: 1.01pg/ml; patient: 238.46pg/ml) between control and traffic accident patients at 1hr. CONCLUSION: This results suggested that the secretion of cortisol, IL-6, and the blood levels of glucose were markedly changed by the stress of traffic accident.
Accidents, Traffic* ; Cytokines* ; Glucose* ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone* ; Immune System ; Interleukin-6 ; Oxidoreductases ; Prospective Studies

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Animals ; Evoked Potentials* ; Evoked Potentials, Motor* ; Rats* ; Spinal Cord Injuries* ; Spinal Cord*

BACKGROUND: It has been well known that cFos protein, one of the immediate-early gene proteins, was a cellular marker to characterize physiological or anatomical property of neural networks in mammalian brain. The purpose of this study was to evaluate quantitative change of cFos protein expression in rat brain nuclei concerned with regulation of blood pressure according to severity of hypotension and compare the spatial pattern of cFos between hemorrhagic hypotension and non-hemorrhagic hypotension elicited by vasodilatation. METHODS: The mean blood pressure (MBP) in the femoral artery was recorded by using pressure transducer and polygraph. Nitroprusside was injected into the femoral vein with constant flow rate by means of osmotic pump in which the dosage was 5microgram Per kg a minute. Immunohistochemical staining was Performed by using conventional ABC method to visualize cFos-like immunoreactive (cFLI) neurons in many brain nuclei and FLI cells were counted by image analyser. RESULTS: Mild hemorrhage group with MBP of 70-80 mmHg showed significant increase of cFLI expression in the paraventricular nuclei and supraoptic nuclei. In contrast, severe hemorrhage group with MBP of 50 mmHg increased significantly cFLI expression in the rostral ventrolateral medulla, periventricular thalamic nucleus, central gray matter, medial vestibular nuclei as well as the nuclei seen in mild hemorrhage group. Nitroprusside induced hypotension exhibited a similar spatial pattern of ctrl expression to severe hemorrhage group. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that severe reduction of blood pressure induces expression of cFLI neurons in the neural network systems that control vital organs.
Animals ; Blood Pressure ; Brain* ; Femoral Artery ; Femoral Vein ; Genes, Immediate-Early ; Hemorrhage ; Hypotension* ; Neurons ; Nitroprusside ; Rats* ; Transducers, Pressure ; Vasodilation ; Vestibular Nuclei

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Craniocerebral Trauma* ; Head*

BACKGROUND: To collect the data related to the prevention of death in pediatric patients in the emergency center, the authors made a clinical analysis of pediatric death patients who visited the emergency center of Wonkwang University Hospital. METHODS: The authors performed a retrospective analysis of 49 pediatric deaths under the age of 16 years, observed in the Wonkwang University Hospital emergency center from January 1st, 1995 to December 31th, 1996. RESULTS: 1) Among a total of 49 pediatric patients who died (24 patients in 1995 and 25 patients in 1996), 19 patients were dead on arrival and 30 were died after arrival. 2) The cause of death of all the patients of 1 to 5 years old was the accident, and that of the majority patients of less than 1 year was disease. 3) We observed the diurnal variation in pediatric death and the rate was higher between 12:00 to 6:00. P.M. 4) Iksan city was the most common place of residency of the patients(71.4%) 5) 36 patients (73.5%) died from traffic accidents and 29 of them were victims of pedestrian traffic accidents. 6) The most common cause of death in accidents was head injury(54%). CONCLUSION: The majority of the pediatric death patients observed in our emergency center was involved in pedestrian traffic accident, head injury, so we conclude that team approach with pediatric trauma specialist could decreased unwanted pediatric deaths.
Accidents, Traffic ; Cause of Death ; Child, Preschool ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Emergencies* ; Head ; Humans ; Internship and Residency ; Jeollabuk-do ; Retrospective Studies ; Specialization

BACKGROUND: To collect the data related to the clinical analysis of suicidal attempters who visited the emergency center of WonKwang University Hospital. METHODS: The authors performed a retrospective analysis of 306 suicide attempters, observed in the WonKwang University Hospital Emergency Center from January 1st, 1998 to December 31th, 1998. RESULTS: 1) Factors related to increased occurrence were male(1.1:1), age of 2nd, 3rd & above 6th decade. 2) Poisoning was the most common method of suicidal attempt(90.8%). 3) The average observation time was 18.76+/-23.3 hour and average staying time in admitted patients were 40.4+/-32.3 hour. 4) Mortality rate was in male 23.1%(37/160) and in female 10.0%(15/146). 5) Among the suicidal attempters who admitted, 56 patients were admission(11.8%). 6) Consultant of neuropsychiatric department was only 10.5%(18/172), and most common underlying psychiatric disorder was depression(10/18). CONCLUSION: 1) To develope observation room decrease staying time in suicidal attempters. 2) All suicidal attempters were necessarily neuropsychiatric consultant and continuously follow-up.
Consultants ; Emergencies* ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Mortality ; Poisoning ; Retrospective Studies ; Suicide

No abstract available.
Adolescent* ; Child* ; Humans ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms*

BACKGROUND: Dizziness is a common complaint in patients presenting at emergency departments. Dizziness is difficult to assess because it is a subjective complaint that cannot be measured. We report a clinical analysis of patients with acute dizziness: type, duration, symptom, incidence, etc. METHODS: We reviewed the clinical details and the results of vestibular function tests for 106 acutely dizzy patients who visited the Emergency Department of Wonkwang University Hospital during the period of Jul. 1999 through Dec. 1999. RESULTS: The most common etiology of acute dizziness was the peripheral vestibular system(66%). The most common disease of the peripheral vestibular system was benign paroxysmal positional vertigo(52.9%), and the second most one was vestibular neuronitis(42.9%). In the central nervous system, cerebrovascular accident(63.6%) was the most common cause. All of the patients had experienced a previous vertigo attack, and 42.4% of them had frequent attacks. Dizziness of the cochlear systems were usual in peripheral vertigo. The usual underlying diseases related with vertigo were hypertension, cerebral infarction and diabetes mellitus. CONCLUSION: Dizziness is a complex and frustrating symptom with numerous possible causes. In case with suspected central disorders, CT and MRI have a great diagnostic significance.
Central Nervous System ; Cerebral Infarction ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Dizziness* ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Vertigo ; Vestibular Function Tests