BACKGROUND: From 1980s the methamphetamine(phillopon) was suddenly spread to our country and it becomes a serious social problem. Although the proportion of transfusion associated hepatitis C declined after introduction of Anti-HCV assay as screening test of blood donors, the overall prevalence of hepatitis C has remained the same, primarily because of increase of the proportion of hepatitis C patients among intravenous drug abusers. So we studied about prevalence of Anti-HCV, and other viral infectious disease transmission by intravenous drug abuse. METHODS: Total 202 drug abusers who had been admitted to Taegu Medical Center in 1994-1996 were tested for the presence of Anti-HCV. Epidemiologic data and histories related to drug use were obtained, as were serum test for hepatitis B, aminotransferase, HIV. RESULTS: The overall seropositivity of anti-HCV was 79.2%. Patients In HCV positive group were significant old age(34.0 yrs) and had long duration of injection(3.0 yrs) and the number of patient who had elevated aminotransferase level were significantly more than HCV negative group(p<0.05). No significant difference in sex, prevalence of HBs Ag and Anti HBc were observated between HCV positive group and negative group. The prevalence of Anti HBc was 52.1% and HBs Ag was 4.2%, but anyone was not detected for AIDS. CONCLUSIONS: The seropositivity of Anti-HCV in intravenous drug users in Taegu, Korea was 79.2%, comparable to that in Europe and U.S.A. This finding suggest that its time to hurry up for medical and public walfare service personal to concern and education of drug abusers, and inview of preventive medical care the need of general public information and education is pressing.
Blood Donors ; Daegu ; Disease Transmission, Infectious ; Drug Users* ; Education ; Europe ; Hepatitis B ; Hepatitis C ; HIV ; Humans ; Korea ; Mass Screening ; Prevalence ; Social Problems ; Substance Abuse, Intravenous

Lumbar hernias are rare posterolateral abdominal wall defects that may be congenital or acquired. There are two types of lumbar hernia, the superior lumbar hernia through Grynfeltt triangle, and the inferior lumbar hernia through Petit triangle. Many techniques have been described for the surgical repair of lumbar hernias including primary repair, local tissue flaps, and conventional mesh repair. But these open techniques require a large skin incision. We report a case of superior lumbar hernia, which was successfully repaired using a laparoscopic approach.
Abdominal Wall ; Hernia ; Skin

BACKGROUND: Recently developed electrically stimulated gracilis neosphicter or artificial sphincter is quite a promising trial in fecal incontinence However, surgical technique is not simple, the devices are expensive and only specialists can perform the procedures successfully. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of a newly developed simple silicon device in incontinent dog model. METHODS: A New Colostomy Device (NCD; US Patent No. 5,569,216) for fixing in the stoma or rectum of human body, includes an internal balloon, a ring figured extemal balloon surrounding the internal balloon, a connecting tube disposed under the both infernal and external balloons and supply tube containing a pair of air passages and an enema fluid passage. It is designed to be inserted into the rectum and is held in place by an inflatable external balloon and drains irrigated fecal matter through a thin collapsible connecting tube which exist in the anal canal. Six mongrel dog with 22~26 kg of body weight were prepared. Anal incontinence was made by bilateral severing of the internal and external sphincters and puborectalis muscle under the general anesthesia. Marlex mesh ring was applied to the anal canal as Thiersch wire for the prevention of NCD expulsion in straining. After then, NCD with 2.5 cm of luminal diameter was inserted to the rectum proximal to the Malex mesh ring. Daily irrigation and evacuation was done with 800~1000 cc of tepid water in each dogs. Daily food contained 30 gm of Psyllium dextrose. RESULTS: Initially 6 dogs were observed for 7 days. Daily irrigation made evacuation of fecal matter well in each dogs. There was no prolapse of device through the anal orifice. Anoscopic examination after 7 days showed no rectal and anal mucosal injury. Two dogs were kept for 40 days as same manner. Sometimes spontaneous bowel movement without water irrigation was noted when the stool were loose. Weelky anoscopic examination revealed no evidence of mucosal injuries for 40 days also. There was no septic or other complication. CONCLUSION: NCD evacuated fecal matter well enough to empty the rectum in all incontinence dog model. Adequate sized NCD could be used for clinical trials in selected incontinence patients.
Anal Canal ; Anesthesia, General ; Animals ; Body Weight ; Colostomy* ; Dogs* ; Enema ; Fecal Incontinence ; Glucose ; Human Body ; Humans ; Phenobarbital ; Polypropylenes ; Prolapse ; Psyllium ; Rectum ; Silicones ; Specialization ; Water

No abstract available.
Salivary Ducts*

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Gingiva ; Head ; Humans ; Hyperbaric Oxygenation ; Neck ; Osteoradionecrosis ; Prostheses and Implants ; Radiotherapy

Nowadays, to evaluate growth hormone(GH) deficiency-suspicious short stature, we usually use more than two kinds of provocative tests using various pharmacologic agents such as clonodine, L-dopa, insulin, etc. However, the importance of physiologic natural secretion of GH was recently approved. In the past, diagnosis of GH neurosecretory dysfunction was made by studying the 24-hour spantaneous GH secretion profile. But, because it is very clinically difficult, and so we measured and evaluated the mean GH concentrations of blood samples, obtained every 30 minutes during the first 3 hours' nocturnal sleep, instead of that. At the department of Pediatrics, Hanyang University Hospital from November, 1992 to February, 1994, we selected 34 GH deficiency-suspected children on the base of their growth data and bone age, etc. After GH stimulation with clonidine(100-150 ug/m2) and L-dopa(200-250 mg/m2), we measured their peak GH values by the immunoradiometric assay(IRMA) kit. And, we measured the mean GH concentrations of blood samples, obtained every 30 minutes during the first 3 hours noctumal sleep(22:OOPM-1:OOAM). RESULTS: 1. We analyzed the relationship between the mean of 3-hours' physiologic night-time surge of GH(X) and the phamacologically stimulated peak GH level(Y), except for the two neurosecretory dysfunction suspicious children. And so, for the 32 children, the relationship was Y=1.806X+ 3.177, r= 0.794, p<0.01. However, for all the tested children(34), the relationship is Y=1.709X+ 4.06, r=0.737, p<0.01. 2. We analyzed the relationship between the peak of 3-hours' physiologic night-time surge of GH(X) and the phamacologicaUy stimulated peak GH level(Y), except for the two neurosecretory dysfunction suspieious children. And so, for the 32 children, the relationship was Y=0.683X+ 3.686, r=737, p<0.01. CONCLUSION: For all the tested children(34), the relationship between the mean 3hr physiologic GH night time surge and stimulated peak GH value is Y=1.709X+4.06, r=0.737, p<0.01. The percentage of GH neurosecretory dysfunction is 5.8%(2/34). And, except for the two childrren, the relationship is more good, Y=1.806X+3.177, r=0,794, p<0.01. On the above relationship, the 3-hour GH night time-surge test might to give us some helpful information for the diagnosis of neurosecretory dysfunction.
Child* ; Diagnosis ; Growth Hormone* ; Humans ; Insulin ; Levodopa ; Pediatrics

No abstract available.
Humans ; Spondylolisthesis*

We have encountered many patients with dermatologic problems caused by animals, but there are not so many systematized literature about them in Korea. Since these causative animals are different from foreign animals in their distribution and habitat, there have been much difficulties in making diagnosis and in studying them based on foreign literature. We have undertaken this study to get the basic material for the possible causative animals in Korea by comparing with foreign literature, searching out the books of zoological claasification, and through personal contacts. One hundred and five species are found to be identical with the species reported in foreign literature, but 324 species are not, although they could be placed in the same genus.
Animals* ; Diagnosis ; Ecosystem ; Epidemiologic Studies* ; Humans ; Korea* ; Skin Diseases* ; Skin*

BACKGROUND: The normal sinus heart rate standard of 60 to 100 beats per minute was set by the NYHA(New York Heart Association) in 1928. It has long been accepted to physicians, but clinical studies and experience suggest that both these limits are too high. Thus we reexamined to define operationally normal sinus heart rate that are scientifically and clinically acceptable. METHODS: Total 1,930 subjects(aged 20 to 92 years) were analyzed and evaluated for age, sex, body mass index(BMI), systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and resting heart rates by electrocardiogram. We used Pearson's correlation test and t-test to analyze these data. RESULTS: Among 1930 subjects, 982 cases were male(51%) and 948 cases were female (49%), whose mean age was 48 years in male and 51 years in female. For the entire sample, mean heart rate and standard deviation was 68 +/- 11 beats/min. There was statistically significant difference between male(67+/-11 beats/min) and female(68+/-10 beats/min)(P<0,05). The prevalence of sinus tachycardia and bradycardia, calculated by current normal standard of 60 to 100 beats/min, was 22.0% (424 cases) and 0.9% (18 cases). Mean +/- two standard deviation yields rounded extremes of 46 to 89 beats/min for normal sinus heart rate. A positive correlations between resting heart rate and age(r=0.11), systolic blood pressure(r =0.17), diastolic blood pressure(r=0.12) were found(P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Two extremes of the normal sinus heart rate standard of 60 to 100 beats/min are set too high. They result in lower sensitivity for tachycardia and lower specificity for bradycardia. We propose that normal range for sinus heart rate should be 50 to 90 beats/min which is statistically justified, more realistic for clinical investigation.
Blood Pressure ; Bradycardia ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Heart Rate* ; Heart* ; Humans ; Male ; Prevalence ; Reference Values ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tachycardia ; Tachycardia, Sinus

No abstract available.
Cerebral Hemorrhage* ; Mucormycosis*