PURPOSE: Prealbumin is known as a biochemical marker for assessing nutritional status, and it is influenced by a systemic inflammatory condition. This study aims to find any correlation between patients' low serum prealbumin in electrical burn and unhealed burn surface area and insufficient nutritional support. METHODS: Data were collected by a review of the medical charts of patients admitted to Hanil General Hospital for electrical burn. Laboratory results such as prealbumin, albumin, total lymphocyte count (TLC), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were collected and tested every week. Residual burn surface area (residual BSA) during a specific period was calculated from the surgery record. Statistical analysis was conducted using Pearson's correlation and multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 30 subjects were selected, all male. Average total burn surface area was 20.9±14.9%, and patients were operated on about three times after admission. There was statistical significance among all variables in Pearson's correlation test, but in multiple regression analysis, albumin and CRP were significant compared with prealbumin. CONCLUSION: The results could indicate that burn causes a systemic inflammatory reaction, which could affect the serum prealbumin level. Further study concerning the biological plausibility of each variable is needed.
Biomarkers ; Burns* ; Burns, Electric ; C-Reactive Protein ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Lymphocyte Count ; Male ; Nutritional Status ; Nutritional Support ; Prealbumin*

PURPOSE: Taking an accurate and rapid body temperature can give a valuable information when taking care of neonates. The purpose of this study is to compare the reliability of taking rapid and less complicated means of measuring body temperature at tympanic membrane by infrared tympanic thermometer(Thermoscan IRT 1020, type 60005711, home model) with the standard method of taking body temperature at axilla and rectum by mercury thermometer. METHODS: Simultaneous rneasurements of tympanic membrane and axillary temperatures were taken followed by rectal temperatures within 5 minutes by 2 different investigators from 107 term infants One investigator measured tympanic membrane temperature by infrared tyrnpanic thermometer for 3 times and took the highest temperature as a final measurement and the other investigator took the axillary temperature for at least 5 minutes and rectal temperature for at least 2 minutes on each patient. RESULTS: Total of 107 term infants including 57 males and 50 females were subjects, The average body temperatures were 36.7+/-0.3degree, 37.0+/-0.4degree, 36.6+/-0.3degree for axillary, reactal and tympanic membrane, respectively. The correlation coefficients between axillary, rectal and tympanic temperature measurements were high at r=0.746- 0.804 and were statistically significant at P<0.001. CONCLUSION: We have shown from this study that taking tympanic membrane temperature can be used as an altemative and reliable means of taking body temperature in place of taking axillary and rectal temperature in neonates.
Axilla ; Body Temperature ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn* ; Male ; Rectum ; Research Personnel ; Thermometers* ; Tympanic Membrane

Background: Accessory bones and tarsal coalitions are the most common developmental variations of the foot and ankle. However, their clinical implications are not well understood because there is no established prevalence data in the normal population and the reported prevalence varies widely. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the incidence of accessory ossicles and tarsal coalitions in a healthy, asymptomatic Korean population. Methods: A total of 448 healthy, asymptomatic participants (224 men and 224 women; 896 feet) were enrolled and stratified by age and sex. To investigate the presence of accessory bones and tarsal coalitions in the foot and ankle, we obtained the weight-bearing standing radiographs (anteroposterior and lateral views) from each participant. Results: Accessory ossicles were found in 49.2% of the healthy, asymptomatic Korean adults. The prevalence of accessory bones in adults was the highest with 34% for the accessory navicular, 5.8% for the os trigonum, 3.9% for the os peroneum, and 1.7% for the os subfibulare. The prevalence of tarsal coalitions in adults was 0.4% and that of symphalangism was 16% for the fourth toe and 80.6% for the fifth toe. The frequency of the accessory navicular and fifth toe symphalangism was significantly higher in women. Most of the accessory navicular and fourth and fifth toe symphalangism were bilateral, whereas the os subfibulare was mostly unilateral. Conclusions The prevalence of accessory bones and tarsal coalitions in the healthy, asymptomatic Korean population showed some variation according to age and sex.

Chondroid syringoma is referred as mixed tumor because it has epithelial structure and mesenchymal elements. Mixed tumors could be divided into two distinct types, eccrine and apocrine. Mixed tumor with follicular, sebaceous and apocrine differentiation is considered as an expression of the common embryologic origin of elements of the folliculosebaceous-apocrine unit. A 32-year old manpresented with an asymptomatic firm erythematous nodule on the left cheek. Histologically, it showed typical features of chondroid syringoma with tubules exhibiting branching and cystic dilatation in the myxoid and chondroid stroma. Our case is unique in that the tumor arose from follicular infundibulum with follicular, sebacesous and apocrine differentiation.
Adenoma, Pleomorphic* ; Adult ; Cheek ; Dilatation ; Humans

Anterograde amnesia in Behcet's disease is a rare occurrence. A 50-year-old man presented with anterograde amnesia. He had been suffering multiple oral aphthous ulcers and genital ulcers with erythema nodosum. A neurological examination revealed prominent anterograde memory disturbance. Brain MRI revealed high signal intensity lesions involving the anterior thalamus, posterior part of the basal ganglia and the mesial temporal lobe. We report a rare case of Behcet's disease manifesting severe anterograde amnesia resulting from thalamic and mesial temporal lesions.
Amnesia, Anterograde* ; Basal Ganglia ; Brain ; Erythema Nodosum ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Memory ; Middle Aged ; Neurologic Examination ; Stomatitis, Aphthous ; Temporal Lobe ; Thalamus ; Ulcer

General anesthesia is the main strategy for almost all thoracic surgeries. However, a growing body of literature has reported successful cases of non-intubated thoracic surgery with regional anesthesia. This alternative strategy not only prevents complications related to general anesthesia, such as lung injury, incomplete re-expansion and intubation related problems, but also accords with trends of shorter hospital stay and lower overall costs. We experienced a successful case of non-intubated thoracoscopic decortication for a 68-year-old man who was diagnosed as empyema while the patient kept spontaneously breathing with moderate sedation under thoracic epidural anesthesia. The patient showed a fast recovery without concerns of general anesthesia related complications and effective postoperative analgesia through thoracic epidural patient-controlled analgesia device. This is the first report of non-intubated thoracoscopic surgery under thoracic epidural anesthesia in Korea, and we expect that various well designed prospective studies will warrant the improvement of outcomes in non-intubated thoracoscopic surgery.
Aged ; Analgesia ; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled ; Anesthesia, Conduction ; Anesthesia, Epidural* ; Anesthesia, General ; Conscious Sedation ; Empyema* ; Humans ; Intubation ; Korea ; Length of Stay ; Lung Injury ; Prospective Studies ; Respiration ; Thoracic Surgery ; Thoracoscopy*

PURPOSE: This study aims to analyse the difference in bacteriology and antibiotics resistance on colonization of burn wound by the change of burn wound dressing. METHODS: A retrospective review of all medical records of patients admitted with burns to the burn center of the Hanil General Hospital in 2002 when the conservative wound dressing was managed and in 2009 when the advanced wound dressing was carried out. Patient demographics, extent and type of burn, mortality rates were reviewed. Isolation and identification of microorganisms was done using the standard procedure. Disc diffusion tests were performed for all the isolates for antimicrobial susceptibility. RESULTS: A total of 456 patients in 2002 and a total of 208 patients in 2009 were admitted. Of them, 27 patients in 2002 (Group A) and 35 patients in 2009 (Group B) have the result of colonization on burn wound by surface swab culture after post admission day 7. Mean age was 43.59+/-3.64 (Group A), 49.46+/-2.79 (Group B). The sex ratio of the patients was 1:0.4 with 20 men and 7 women (Group A), 1:0.5 with 24 men and 11 women (Group B). The mean admission day was 61.46+/-12.02 (Group A), 61.62+/-7.55 (Group B). The average value of total body area burned was 32.30+/-4.43 (Group A), 10.40+/-1.73 (Group B). A total of 3 patients (Group A) has inhalation burn. Three patients (Group A) and one patient (Group B) died. The most common cause of burn was flame burn (59.3%) (Group A), scald burn (48.6%) (Group B). The frequency of resistant microorganisms causing colonization on burn wound was 44.44% (Group A), 22.86% (Group B). CONCLUSION: In group managed with the conservative burn dressing, the resistant microorganisms and pathogens are more frequent than in the advanced burn dressing group. However there was no statistically significant. Ongoing data collection and reanalysis is required.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacteriology ; Bandages ; Burn Units ; Burns ; Burns, Inhalation ; Colon ; Data Collection ; Demography ; Diffusion ; Female ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Male ; Medical Records ; Retrospective Studies ; Sex Ratio

PURPOSE: This study aims to analyse the epidemiologic characteristics of burn in the elderly and to discusses a possible prevention program for this population. METHODS: A retrospective review of all medical records of elderly patients (above 60 years old) admitted with burns to the burn center of the Hanil General Hospital from January 1996 to December 2007 was carried out. Patient demographics, etiology, extent, and type of burn, seasonal variation, and mortality rates were reviewed. RESULTS: A total of 537 elderly patients (mean age of 69.8 years, median age of 68 years, range 60~97 years) was admitted. The gender ratio of the patients was 1:.5 with 217 men and 320 women. The most common causes were scald burn (44.9%) and flame burn (35.4%). The average total body area burned was 13.5% (range 0~95%). Twenty six patients (4.8%) died. CONCLUSION: In elderly patients, scald burns are more common in women but flame burns are more common in men. The mortality rate is higher in flame burns and men
Aged ; Burn Units ; Burns ; Demography ; Female ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Male ; Medical Records ; Retrospective Studies ; Seasons

Meconium peritonitis is a non-bacterial foreign body and chemical peritonitis caused by meconium contamination resulting from bowel perforation during late intrauterine or early neonatal periods. Prenatal ultrasonographic diagnosis of the meconium peritonitis provides the preparation for proper management and decreasing motality and morbidity of the neonate. We have experienced a case of meconium peritonitis diagnosed by ultrasonography at 34+4 gestational weeks and presented this case with a brief review of the literatures.
Diagnosis ; Foreign Bodies ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Meconium* ; Peritonitis* ; Ultrasonography ; Ultrasonography, Prenatal*

The carcinoid tumors of middle ear are very rare, however, more than 50 cases including 2 cases in Korea have been reported since 1980. A 36-year-old male had been managed under the diagnostic impression of hemotympanum due to head trauma in 2005; he revisited our clinic after 8 years with sudden facial paralysis and external auditory canal mass. Canal wall down mastoidectomy and tympanoplasty were performed and pathologic results revealed a carcinoid tumor of the middle ear. A facial paralysis of this patient was cured after the treatment.
Adult ; Carcinoid Tumor* ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Ear Canal ; Ear, Middle* ; Facial Paralysis* ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Tympanoplasty