BACKGROUND: Trauma is a major cause of death for individuals under the age of 45 years and the third leading cause of death for all ages. So, it has been recognized as an important socioeconomic problem. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcome of surgical care of traumatized parients. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed data of patients who had undergone surgical operation on head, abdomen, or chest trauma from January 1, 1995 to December 31, 1995. TRISS method and W- and Z- statistics were used to evaluate the trauma outcome and the quality assurance of surgical treatment. RESULTS: Two hundred and sixty eight patients were enrolled in this study. Traffic accident in injury mechanisms was the most common(n=185, 69.2%), and severely injured patients with over ISS 16 were 205 of total 268 patients(76.5%). Crude mortality rate was 11.6% (non-survivors/number of patients : 31/268). By TRISS method, predicted mortality rate was 10.1%, excess mortality rate was 14.2%, and W value was - 1.43 indicating less actual survivors than predicted, but absolute Z score was 0.91 and it was statistically not significant. CONCLUSION: These data show that trauma outcome and quality of surgical care in our hospital is adequate. We also suggest that it will provide a valuable data for further studies.
Abdomen ; Accidents, Traffic ; Cause of Death ; Head ; Humans ; Injury Severity Score* ; Mortality ; Retrospective Studies ; Survivors ; Thorax

No abstract available.
Fractures, Spontaneous*

Basta(R) is one of the Phospho-amino acid group herbicide. It consist of glufosinate ammonium (18.5%), alkylether sulfate as surfactant (30%) and some solvents. Although it's WHO classification is Bade III, the intoxicated patient appears an serious clinical findings and have a 20% mortality rate. Nowadays, in Korea the ingestion of herbicidal agents for suicidal attempts is Sequent. The literature for intoxication of bipyridilium (Gramoxon(R)) as herbicide is varied, but the information for Basta(R) is poor even though the use of it tends to increase. Recently, We experienced six cases of Basta(R) intoxication and found that the patient expressed a gradually progressed depression of mentation, recent memory disturbances, convulsions, hypotension, or bradycardia because of CNS or cardiovascular effects of Basta(R) We report these cases with literature review.
Ammonium Compounds* ; Bradycardia ; Classification ; Depression ; Eating ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Korea ; Memory ; Mortality ; Seizures ; Solvents

BACKGROUND: The current recommendation of rescue breathing techniques in the infant is to blow both the nose and mouth of infants by caregiver's mouth but recent studies suggest some caregivers may have trouble sealing a infant's mouth and nose. The purpose of this study is to estimate the ability of mothers to create a seal to their infants for the provision of rescue breathing according to current recommendation. METHODS: Infants up to 1 year of age(n=98) and their mothers were enrolled from emergency department of Chonbuk National University Hospital. We measured the facial lengths of the infants and the width of mouth in their mothers and compared mouth widths of mothers with their infant's nose-to-mouth lengths. RESULTS: In infants between 0 to 6 months, Mother transverse lengths were significantly larger than mouth, nose and nose-to-mouth lengths of the infants. In infants between 7 to 12 months, Mother transverse lengths were significantly larger than mouth and nose lengths of the infants but there was no statistically significant difference between mother transverse lengths and nose-to-mouth lengths of infants. CONCLUSION: The finding indicate that the present recommendation to cover mouth and nose is partly not possible. We recommend that the mouth-to-nose ventilation of rescue breathing techniques for the infants who have respiratory arrest be taught to mothers.
Caregivers ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Humans ; Infant* ; Jeollabuk-do ; Mothers ; Mouth ; Nose ; Respiration* ; Ventilation

No abstract available.
Animals ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; CHO Cells ; Cricetinae ; Cricetulus* ; Female ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens* ; Hepatitis B Vaccines ; Humans ; Ovary*

The chin plays a decisive role in the contour of the lower face. And harmonious jaw will correspond to good facial profile and positive image. Osseous genioplasty is a widely used method to correct the 3-dimensional(sagittal, vertical, tranverse) deformity of the chin with minimal complications. During an 8 year period from 1988, the authors at the In-Je University Seoul Paik Hospital experienced 198 patients of osseous genioplasty. Results of clinical analysis are as follows : 1) Male to female ratio was 1 : 3 with female being predoniment. The average age was 24.9 years. 2) Horizontal advancement genioplasty in 169 cases was the most common procedure with 7.0mm of average advancement. There was 4 cases of horizontal retrusion with average retrusion of 4.3mm. 52 cases had vertical augmentation with average of 7.5mm increase. 9 cases had vertical reduction with average redution of 4.9mm. 3) Although malocclusion is not necessarilly contraindication to genioplasty alone, genioplasty following surgical with or without orthodontical correction of malocclusion is the way to get better result with patient satisfaction. 4) 77% of the patients had adjunctive procedures simultaneously to acheive a better contour and profile 5) Complications such as hematoma, infection, fracture, nerve damage were minimal.
Chin ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Female ; Genioplasty* ; Hematoma ; Humans ; Jaw ; Male ; Malocclusion ; Patient Satisfaction ; Seoul

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Free Tissue Flaps* ; Lower Extremity* ; Soft Tissue Injuries*

Methylene blue (MB) is an effective antidote for methemoglobinemia. MB is a basic dye, yielding a blue solution. In the human body, hemoglobin is the oxygen-carrying protein including a ferrous atom. Hemoglobin is oxidized to methemoglobin (MetHb) with the ferric atom, which cannot bind to or carry oxygen. Equilibrium between hemoglobin and MetHb is approximately 99:1. Thus a healthy man can have about 1% of methemoglobinemia. The cytochrome b5 MetHb reductase pathway plays a major role in reducing MetHb to hemoglobin. The nicotin amide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) MetHb reductase pathway is a minor reducing system of MetHb, and it needs NADPH as a cofactor. However, to the exceeding exogenous oxidative stress, the cytochrome b5 MetHb reductase pathway is soon exhausted, and the NADPH MetHb reductase pathway can be activated 4 to 5 times by the exogenous cofactor, MB. The decision to initiate MB therapy for methemoglobinemia depends on the MetHb level and the symptoms. The indication for MB therapy in a symptomatic patient is a MetHb level >20% and in an asymptomatic patient, a MetHb level >30%. Patients with comorbidities such as anemia, heart disease, pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or liver cirrhosis can be candidates for MB therapy with an even lower MetHb level. The recommended initial dose of MB is 1 to 2 mg/kg. It can be repeated every 30 minutes to 1 hour. However, the dose should not exceed 7 mg/kg. A high dose of MB may induce methemoglobinemia paradoxically and also cause hemolytic anemia. Like other antidotes, MB has its own adverse effects.
Adenine ; Anemia ; Anemia, Hemolytic ; Antidotes ; Comorbidity ; Cytochromes b5 ; Heart Diseases ; Human Body ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Methemoglobin ; Methemoglobinemia* ; Methylene Blue* ; NADP ; Oxidative Stress ; Oxidoreductases ; Oxygen ; Pneumonia ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive

BACKGROUND: Nowadays, acute drug intoxication is a important section of emergency medicine. The purpose of this study was to determine what is the best-way to manage acutely intoxicated patients with drug in emergency department setting. METHODS: Clinical assessment were made on 135 cases of drug intoxication visited to emergency center of Hospital during one year from June 1997 to May 1998. RESULTS: 1. The total number of cases of acute drug intoxication was 135 which is 0.5% of total patients presented to emergency center. 2. There was no sexual difference in incidence, but the highest incidence of age group was in 3rd decade(23.7%) and the next was 7th decade(20.0%). 3. High frequency of acute intoxication was observed in autumn. October had the largest portion in monthly distribution. The largest portion of presumed time of poisoning was noon - 4 p.m. and of the time on arrival to emergency center was 8 p.m. -midnight. 4. Suicidal attempt was the most common motive of intoxication (72.6%). 5. The most common drug of intoxication was insecticides (35.7%) and the others were centrally active agents, herbicides in orders. 6. Mental change was observed in 20.7% of patients and the abnormal vital signs were hypertension, tachycardia, and hypotension in order on arrival to emergency center. 7. Mean duration of treatment was 36.1 hours. Mortality rate of the cases was 7.4%. CONCLUSION: The mortality rate was high in patients who ingested relatively fatal drugs (i.e. herbicides, antimicrovials, insecticides), showed mental change on arrival or received mechanical ventilatory care(p<0.05).
Emergencies* ; Emergency Medicine ; Emergency Service, Hospital* ; Herbicides ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Hypotension ; Incidence ; Insecticides ; Mortality ; Poisoning ; Tachycardia ; Vital Signs