No abstract available.
Intestinal Obstruction*

BACKGROUND: This study was undertaken to compare nosocomial infection rates between intensive care units of military and civilian hospitals. METHODS: From July to December 2000, we surveyed the intensive care unit of Armed Forces Capital Hospital (AFCH). We compared device use ratios and device-day infection rates with those of Korean Society for Nosocomial Infection Control (KOSNIC) and National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance (NNIS) system. RESULTS: During the period of study, 185 cases were admitted and 24 nosocomial infections were detected: 7 cases of pneumonia, 6 urinary tract, 3 blood stream, 3 cardiovascular system, 3 surgical site infections, 1 skin and soft tissue, and 1 central nervous system infection. Ventilator, urinary catheter and central venous catheter use ratios were 0.14 (95% confidence interval, 0.12-0.16), 0.58 (0.56-0.60) and 0.33 (0.31-0.35). The ratios of NNIS were 0.41, 0.67 and 0.50. Ventilator-, urinary catheter- and central venous catheter-day infection rates were 18.69(11.36-53.32), 6.65 (3.36-14.20) and 1.95 (1.44-9.92). However, the rates of KOSNIC were 9.93, 5.29 and 3.62. The rates of NNIS were 11.24, 6.14 and 5.55. CONCLUSIONS: In AFCH ventilators were used less frequently than NNIS, but more ventilator-associated pneumonia were developed than KOSNIC and NNIS.
Arm ; Cardiovascular System ; Central Nervous System Infections ; Central Venous Catheters ; Cross Infection* ; Hospitals, Military ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units* ; Critical Care* ; Military Personnel* ; Pneumonia ; Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated ; Rivers ; Skin ; Urinary Catheters ; Urinary Tract ; Ventilators, Mechanical

The adenocarcinoma of appendix and fallopian tube are both very rare. The incidence rate for fallopian tube is less than 1% of all genital malignancies. Fallopian tubes have been very rarely associated with synchronous tumorigenesis, and to the authors knowledge, the combination of mucinous adenocarcinoma of appendix has never been previously reported. The authors experienced a extremely rare case of synchronous adenocarcinoma of appendix and fallopian tube in 56 years old female patient who has suffered for 10days from RLQ abdominal pain. Pathologic examination of the resected specimen revealed a synchronous mucinous type adenocarcinoma of vermiform appendix and fallopian tube.
Abdominal Pain ; Adenocarcinoma* ; Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous ; Appendiceal Neoplasms ; Appendix* ; Carcinogenesis ; Fallopian Tube Neoplasms ; Fallopian Tubes* ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Middle Aged ; Mucins

BACKGROUND: Authors have undertaken this study to see if the choice of anesthesia can directly or indirectly provide immunomodulation for cytokines, to determine the relationship of cytokines and hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis in stomach cancer surgery patients, and also to see whether the amount of morphine administration and choice of analgesia can influence cytokine release, and possibly immunity. METHODS: Total 19 gastric cancer surgery patients were randomly assigned in double-blind fashion into two groups. Group-G (n=9) was provided with general anesthesia plus morphine intravenous patient controlled analgesia (IV-PCA), whereas group-GE (n=10) with preemptive epidural and general anesthesia plus continuous epidural analgesia for control of postoperative pain. At predetermined time interval, proinflammatory cytokines and stress hormones were evaluated with visual analog pain scale. Simultaneous assessments of operating and anesthesia time, total morphine doses, the time to recovery of gastrointestinal function and incidences of complications were also made. RESULTS: Demographic data, the durations of operation and anesthesia and recovery of gastrointestinal function were similar in both groups. Total morphine doses were approximately four times greater in group-G. Secretions of interleukin-1 beta , TNF and epinephrine were blocked by preemptive epidural anesthesia, meanwhile, interleukin-6 as well as ACTH and cortisol were not. After 24 hours after skin incision, the differences of cytokines, ACTH and cortisol between two groups were dissipated. In spite of these hormonal findings, visual analog pain scale could not disclose any differences. Incidences of complications were statistically insignificant except that of itching in group-GE. CONCLUSION: Preemptive epidural anesthesia and analgesia can partially block only some of cytokines and stress hormones, and these effects do not have clinically relevant long term influences. The amounts and means of morphine administered by continuous epidural analgesia block or IV-PCA demonstrated no evidence of immunosuppression at clinical dose range.
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; Analgesia ; Analgesia, Epidural ; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled ; Anesthesia and Analgesia* ; Anesthesia* ; Anesthesia, Epidural ; Anesthesia, General ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Cytokines ; Epinephrine ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Immunomodulation* ; Immunosuppression ; Incidence ; Interleukin-1beta ; Interleukin-6 ; Morphine ; Pain Measurement ; Pain, Postoperative ; Pruritus ; Skin ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Stomach*

BACKGROUND: Adenocarcinoma arising in the body or tail of the pancreas tends to be metastasized at the time of diagnosis, is mostly in inoperable stage, and poor in prognosis. In this study, we evaluated the adenocarcinoma arising in the body or tail of the pancreas and investigated the prognostic factors and ideal treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 33 patients who were cytologically or histologically confirmed as adenocarcinoma in the body or tail of the pancreas at Samsung Medical Center from October 1994 to December 1999. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients in the resectable and unresectable groups were 63.4 and 60.6 year-old, respectively. The mean CA19-9 level was higher in unresectable group (5166.2u/ml), compared to the resectable group (964.7u/ml).(p=0.039) In the resectable group, the body was the most common location of the tumor, and in the unresectable patient group, the tail was more prevalent.(p= 0.021) The mean survival time of the resectable group was 15.1months. The univariate analysis of the resectale group showed that the age, sex, lymph node metastasis, chemotheraeutic modalities, radiotherapeutic modalities, and the location of tumor were not significantly related with the prognosis. In unresetable group, the mean survival time was 6.4months. The mean survival time were 3.3 months in patients over 60 year-old and 9.9 months in patients less than 60, showing statistically significant difference.( p=0.007) The mean survival time were 12.2 months and 3.4 months in patients who received the chemotherapy and who did not, respetively.(p=0.004) Evaluating the relationship between the extent of metastasis and survival, the mean survival length of single metastasis was 9.3 months, showing significantly higher survival length compared that of multiple metastasis.(p=0.027) Patient's sex, radiotherapeutic modality and location of the tumor were not significantly related with the prognosis. Multivariate analysis of prognostic factor showed that the patietnt's age (p=0,842), the extent of metastasis( p=0.458), and chemotherapeutic modality (p=0.078) were unrelated with prognosis. CONCLUSION: In adenocarcinoma arising in the body and tail of the pancreas, the CA19-9 level and tumor location could be utilized as indicating factors of the operability of the tumor. Age, sex, lymph node metastasis, and location of the adenocarcinoma are not significantly related with the survival length in both the resectable and unresectable groups. Also, in both groups, the chemotherapeutic and radiotherapeutic modalities were not related with the survival length.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Pancreas ; Prognosis* ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: Adequate health-related information provided by health professionals may help cancer patients overcome their uncertain situation and manage their healthcare. To provide information effectively, there is a need to understand the content of the patients' essential information. The purpose of this study was to identify recent informational needs of postoperative gastric cancer patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were collected from 190 postoperative gastric cancer patients who attended the Stomach Cancer Patients' Day ceremony (18 November 2008) held by the Stomach Cancer Center of Samsung Medical Center with the use of a questionnaire which measured informational needs. A questionnaire with 37 items was comprised of domains of diagnostic tests, cancer therapy, prognosis, follow-up, sexual activity, stomach cancer-related information, and 7 single items. RESULTS: The priorities of informational needs were the domains of prognosis, ways of healthcare during treatment (a single item), follow-up, stomach cancer-related information, cancer therapy, and diagnostic tests (in descending order). Items related to prognosis, diet, and management of their healthcare ranked in the top 10 informational need scores. As age decreased, the degree of informational needs about diagnostic tests, cancer therapy, sexual activity, and stomach cancer-related information increased. CONCLUSION: We suggest that prognosis-related information based on the accumulated institutional therapeutic outcomes and objective prognosis data should be incorporated in the current education program. Health professionals should provide comprehensible information content to cancer patients and caregivers and encourage patients to participate in their therapy with a more positive attitude.
Caregivers ; Delivery of Health Care ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; Diet ; Follow-Up Studies ; Health Occupations ; Humans ; Prognosis ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Sexual Behavior ; Stomach ; Stomach Neoplasms

The incidence of heterotopic gastric mucosa located in the submucosa in resected stomach specimens has been reported to be 3.0 to 20.1%. Heterotopic gastric mucosa is thought to be a benign disease, which rarely becomes malignant. Heterotopic gastric mucosa exists in the gastric submucosa, and gastric cancer rarely occurs in heterotopic gastric mucosa. Since tumors are located in the normal submucosa, they appear as submucosal tumors during endoscopy, and are diagnosed through endoscopic biopsies with some difficulty. For such reasons, heterotopic gastric mucosa is mistaken as gastric submucosal tumor. Recently, two cases of early gastric cancer arising from heterotopic gastric mucosa in the gastric submucosa were treated. Both cases were diagnosed as submucosal tumors based on upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, endoscopic ultrasound, and computed tomography findings, and in both cases, laparoscopic wedge resections were performed, the surgical findings of which also suggested submucosal tumors. However, pathologic assessment of the surgical specimens led to the diagnosis of well-differentiated intramucosal adenocarcinoma arising from heterotopic gastric mucosa in the gastric submucosa.
Adenocarcinoma ; Biopsy ; Endoscopy ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal ; Gastric Mucosa ; Incidence ; Stomach ; Stomach Neoplasms

PURPOSE: In spite of a very poor prognosis for primary gastric cancer invading neighboring organs, combined resection of the involved adjacent organ may improve. Whether pancreaticoduodenectomy in advanced distal gastric cancer improves the survival is controversial. We conducted this study to evaluate the results of pancreaticoduodenectomy in advanced distal gastric cancer. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed 29 patients who underwent surgery at the Department of Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, between January 1994 and December 2001. Patients included in this study had locally advanced distal gastric cancer, without evidence of distant metastases, which had invaded to the duodenum and/or pancreas head, or conglomerated infrapyloric lymph nodes. Patients were divided into two groups: pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) (n=12), or palliative subtotal gastrectomy (PSTG) (n=17). We compared the clinicopathologic features, operative outcomes, recurrence and survival between these two groups. RESULTS: There were no differences in clinicopathologic features between the two groups. Operation time, incidence and amount of perioperative transfusion, postoperative hospital stay and morbidity were greater in the PD group than in the PSTG group. However, there was no postoperative mortality in either group. Five patients had systemic recurrence (liver, lung, and paraaortic LN metastases) in the PD group, while most patients experienced regional disease progression in the PSTG group. The survival of the PD group was significantly better than that of the PSTG group (P=0.0006). CONCLUSION: Pancreaticoduodenectomy can be safely performed and improves the prognosis for patients with locally far advanced distal gastric cancer that is associated with invasion into the duodenum and/or pancreas head, or conglomerated infrapyloric lymph nodes.
Disease Progression ; Duodenum ; Gastrectomy ; Head ; Humans ; Incidence ; Length of Stay ; Lung ; Lymph Nodes ; Mortality ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Pancreas ; Pancreaticoduodenectomy* ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms*

A 70-year old man presented with postprandial upper abdominal pain of two months duration, accompanied by indigestion, weight loss, and anorexia. There was no abnormality noted in the lab results. Abdominal CT showed a 3-cm round cystic mass in the tail of the pancreas. A distal pancreatectomy was done. The patient was discharged in 9 days. The cystic wall was composed of a keratinizing squamous epithelium surrounded by subepithelial, dense lymphoid tissue. Some clusters of the sebaceous gland were noted but there was no sweat gland or hair follicle. These findings were consistent with a lymphoepiethelial cyst with sebaceous differentiation. The patient was followed up for 12 months post operatively, and no recurrence was noted.
Abdominal Pain ; Aged ; Anorexia ; Dermoid Cyst* ; Dyspepsia ; Epithelium ; Hair Follicle ; Humans ; Lymphoid Tissue ; Pancreas* ; Pancreatectomy ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; Recurrence ; Sebaceous Glands ; Sweat Glands ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Weight Loss

A 70-year old man presented with postprandial upper abdominal pain of two months duration, accompanied by indigestion, weight loss, and anorexia. There was no abnormality noted in the lab results. Abdominal CT showed a 3-cm round cystic mass in the tail of the pancreas. A distal pancreatectomy was done. The patient was discharged in 9 days. The cystic wall was composed of a keratinizing squamous epithelium surrounded by subepithelial, dense lymphoid tissue. Some clusters of the sebaceous gland were noted but there was no sweat gland or hair follicle. These findings were consistent with a lymphoepiethelial cyst with sebaceous differentiation. The patient was followed up for 12 months post operatively, and no recurrence was noted.
Abdominal Pain ; Aged ; Anorexia ; Dermoid Cyst* ; Dyspepsia ; Epithelium ; Hair Follicle ; Humans ; Lymphoid Tissue ; Pancreas* ; Pancreatectomy ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; Recurrence ; Sebaceous Glands ; Sweat Glands ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Weight Loss