BACKGROUND: Although diagnostic peritoneal lavage (DPL) is a well-established, reliably objective method of diagnosis of intraperitoneal injury, it is too sensitive to be used as a absolute indicator for emergency laparotomy. Recently, Otomo et al, have devised a new DPL criteria specifically designed and modified the classics criteria to aid in diagnosis of intestinal injury. So the author studied the difference of diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy between the new and classic criteria for intestinal injury. METHODS: The author reviewed retrospectively one hundred fifteen patients underwent DPL from January 1993 to August 1999. The author adopted the classic criteria positive for intestinal injury when the lavage fluid was white blood cell(WBC) > or = 500/mm3 and newly developed supplementary criteria positive when RBC > or = 100,000/mm3, the positive-negative borderline was adjusted to WBC > or = RBC/150, and when RBC <100,000/mm3, to WBC > or = 500/mm3. And analyzed the difference of sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy each other. RESULTS: Among 115 patients, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for intestinal injury were 96.4%, 87.4%, and 89.6% for the new criteria, and 100%, 42.5%, and 56.5% for the classic criteria. After exclusion of 10 patients in whom-DPL was performed within 3 hours or after 18 hours from the time of injury, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy for intestinal injury were 96.4%, 97.4%, and 97.1% for the new criteria, and 100%, 46.8%, and 61% for the classic criteria. When analyzed the time interval from injury to DPL in the new criteria, 105 patients that DPL was performed between 3 to 18 hours had 2 false-positive, while 115 patients regardless of DPL time 11 false-positive. CONCLUSIONS : The author concluded that the new criteria of DPL effluent performed between 3 to 18 hours from abdominal blunt trauma would be more specific and accurate indicator of intestinal perforation than the classic criteria. And this new criteria will be used as a reliable indicator for emergency laparotomy for that patients.
Diagnosis ; Emergencies ; Humans ; Intestinal Perforation ; Laparotomy ; Peritoneal Lavage* ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Therapeutic Irrigation

We report a medullary carcinoma of the thyroid gland with a coexisting occult sclerosing papillary carcinoma. This rare case, in that the two types of carcinoma are completely separated and not intermixed together, is different from the previously reported mixed follicular and parafollicular cell carcinomas of the thyroid gland, so-called "differentiated thyroid carcinoma, intermediate type". The two separate tumors of the present case are undoubtedly of coincidental double primaries, and it can be a assumed that at least some of the mixed follicular and parafollicular cell carcinomas are results of collision of carcinomas derived from two embryogenetically different cell types.

The study was the clinical analysis of 509 patients with pure ocular injuries who visited to Chonnam University Hospital Emergency center from July 1, 1996 to June 30, 1997 retrospectively. Clinical data survey including sex and age distribution, causes of trauma, injury site, ocular disease, and surgical intervention was done. Most of ocular injury patients were male. 3rd and 4th decade who were socially active were nearly 50%. Direct and indirect injury from foreign body was the most common cause of ocular injuries followed by fist blow, traffic accident, falling down, and sport injury. Cornea was the most common ocular injury site (209 patients, 41.1%). The incidence of the traumatic ocular disease showed corneal erosion (117 patients, 22.9%) and then eyeball perforation, traumatic hyphema etc. by frequency of order. Eyeball perforation was the most common ocular injury which needed a emergency surgical intervention. As a results, emergency physicians have to pay attention to the cornea in case of any type of ocular injuries and eyeball perforation which caused by direct and indirect injury from foreign body.
Accidents, Traffic ; Age Distribution ; Cornea ; Emergencies ; Foreign Bodies ; Humans ; Hyphema ; Incidence ; Jeollanam-do ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Sports

Congenital laryngeal cleft is a rare anomaly, which can cause serious problems of airway and repeated aspiration pneumonia. It is due m failure of fusion of the posterior cricoid cartilage lamina. Dysphagia with aspiration of food is commonly seen w1h resultant bouts of pneumonia. Detection of an unsuspected minor cleft may be difficult, but the pediatrician should suspect the possibility of deft from the clinical features. This paper includes. a detailed case report of one patient with congenital laryngeal cleft and the review of literatures.
Cricoid Cartilage ; Deglutition Disorders ; Humans ; Pneumonia ; Pneumonia, Aspiration

Acute thyroid abscess is an uneommon type of neck infection. We experieneed a case of staphylococcal thyroid abscess in 29 year old man, diagnosed by needle aspira~tion and culture of the aspirate. The patient had complained fever and slowly growing anterior neck swelling. Needle aspiration of the cold nodule prior to broad spectrum antibiotics was performed. After Surgical excision combined with antibiotics, he was discharged with elinical improvement. The laboratory diagnosis and clinical course was summarized and is reported with relevent references.
Abscess ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Clinical Laboratory Techniques ; Fever ; Humans ; Neck ; Needles ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Staphylococcus ; Thyroid Gland

A 16-year-old girl presented with proteinuria and microscopic hematuria detected through mass urinary screening and was diagnosed as having suspected postinfectious glomerulonephritis by renal biopsy. However, heavy proteinuria did not respond to angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor therapy. After 6 months, cervical lymphadenitis developed and a neck node biopsy showed subacute necrotizing lymphadenitis. After an additional 2 months, she developed facial erythema and thrombocytopenia. A repeat renal biopsy demonstrated lupus nephritis class IV. She was treated with pulse methylprednisolone(500 mg/day intravenously for 3 consecutive days) followed by oral deflazacort and monthly intravenous cyclophosphamide pulse(1 g/m2) for 6 months. We report a case diagnosed as systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE) during medical follow-up after urinary screening.
Adolescent ; Biopsy ; Cyclophosphamide ; Erythema ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glomerulonephritis ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; Lupus Nephritis ; Lymphadenitis ; Mass Screening ; Neck ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A ; Pregnenediones ; Proteinuria ; Thrombocytopenia

BACKGROUND: Although cardiopulmonary resuscitation(CPR) is a very effective therapy in cardiac arrest, it is hard to prove the true effectiveness of CPR. Several studies about out-of-hospital and emergency department CPR exist, but only a few reports about in-hospital CPR are available. This study was designed to investigate in-hospital cardiac arrest, to analyze the result of CPR, and to evaluate the problems associated with in-hospital CPR. METHODS: A clinical analysis of 71 cases of in-hospital CPR announcement from January 2000 to August 2000 was performed. The initial rhythm on cardiac arrest, return of spontaneous circulation(ROSC), and the survivals were analyzed in the case of the 46 true cardiac arrest patients. RESULTS: During 8 months, there were 71 cases of in-hospital CPR announcement. Among them, there were 46 cases of true cardiac arrest and 25 cases of non-cardiac arrest. Of the 46 true cardiac-arrest cases, 27(58.7%) experienced ROSC, 15(32.6) survived for over 24 hours, and 7(15.2%) survived to be discharged. The initial rhythms on cardiac arrest were 30 cases(65.2%) of asystole, 14(30.4%) of PEA(pulseless electrical activity), and 2(4.3%) of ventricular fibrillation, with ROSC being 17 cases(56.7%), 9(64.3%) and 1(50.0%) cases and discharged survivors being 4 cases(13.3%), 3(21.4%) and 0(0.0%) cases, respectively. CONCLUSION: Extraordinarily high proportions of asystole and PEA were seen in the initial rhythm of cardiac arrest, and those were associated with high survival rates. Although further study is needed to evaluate the course leading to this high proportion of asystole and PEA, this result suggests that if the EMS system in the hospital is activated promptly and systematically, a better outcome will be achieved in case of cardiac arrest with asystole and PEA.
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation* ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Heart Arrest ; Humans ; Peas ; Survival Rate ; Survivors ; Tertiary Care Centers* ; Ventricular Fibrillation

PURPOSE: Wound healing is a dynamic and complex process of tissue repair that involves a number of cellular and molecular events, which is characterized by intercalating degradation and re-assembly of connective tissue and epidermal layer. Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) is one of the most common hydrofiber dressing. This material have a various degree of substitution. Our goal was to test the efficacy of Carboxymethyl cellulose with low and high degree of substitution on wound healing. METHODS: Four round (diameter 2 cm) wounds were made bilaterally on the dorsum of the all rat's trunk and were divided into four groups of dressing material: Group A with gauze dressing as a negative control group, Group B with high gel (DS=0.3), Group C with Aquacel(R) (ConvaTec, US) as a positive control group, Group D with low gel (DS= 0.15). We compared each group with gross findings by means of percentage of wound contraction, percentage of wound epithelization, and percentage of total wound healed area by tracing the remained wound area on each time periods. RESULTS: Group B and C show statistically higher percentage of wound contraction and higher percentage of wound healed than the other groups until 14th day after wound formation. Group D shows higher percentage of wound epithelization rate in early days, but it was reversed that Group B and C show statistically higher percentage of wound epithelization on 21st day after wound formation. Histologically, Group B and C show less inflammatory cell infiltration, faster and more prominent angiogenesis. On the 21st day after wound formation, collagen fibers was more regularly and densely arranged on Group B and C than the other groups. CONCLUSION: This study suggest Carboxymethylcellulose with high degree of substitution induces stable reepithelization and collagen synthesis in the wound healing process and have optimal effective results and is expected as more application of a various property of Carboxymethylcellulose for treatment of wound healing.
Bandages ; Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium ; Collagen ; Connective Tissue ; Contracts ; Wound Healing

BACKGROUND: Acne vulgaris is a distressing condition that affects the majority of adolescents, but the impact of acne vulgaris on the psychological aspects in this age group is poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of acne, and the level of emotional, social, and functional impairments among Korean adolescents with acne. METHODS: Five hundred four middle school students (13~16 years) participated. The severity of acne was graded by visual examination using the Korean Acne Grading System. Self-reported questionnaires, including subjective acne severity rating, the Self Image Questionnaire, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Questionnaire, the Index of Peer Relations, and the Beck Depression Inventory were used to assess psychologic status. RESULTS: There was a prevalence of acne in 78.9% of the study samples, with 10.2% of students having moderate-to-severe acne. Acne was more prevalent and severe in boys than girls. Participants with severe acne and girls had higher levels of emotional and social impairments. The longer the acne persisted, the more stress the students felt. The degree of stress and extent of self-image impairment were related to subjective severity more than objective grading. CONCLUSION: Acne is a common disorder among Korean adolescents and appears to have a considerable impact on mental health. Dermatologists should be aware of the importance of basic psychosomatic treatment in conjunction with early medical, educational intervention in the management of acne.
Acne Vulgaris ; Adolescent ; Depression ; Humans ; Mental Health ; Prevalence ; Stress, Psychological

BACKGROUND: Acne vulgaris is a distressing condition that affects the majority of adolescents, but the impact of acne vulgaris on the psychological aspects in this age group is poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of acne, and the level of emotional, social, and functional impairments among Korean adolescents with acne. METHODS: Five hundred four middle school students (13~16 years) participated. The severity of acne was graded by visual examination using the Korean Acne Grading System. Self-reported questionnaires, including subjective acne severity rating, the Self Image Questionnaire, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Questionnaire, the Index of Peer Relations, and the Beck Depression Inventory were used to assess psychologic status. RESULTS: There was a prevalence of acne in 78.9% of the study samples, with 10.2% of students having moderate-to-severe acne. Acne was more prevalent and severe in boys than girls. Participants with severe acne and girls had higher levels of emotional and social impairments. The longer the acne persisted, the more stress the students felt. The degree of stress and extent of self-image impairment were related to subjective severity more than objective grading. CONCLUSION: Acne is a common disorder among Korean adolescents and appears to have a considerable impact on mental health. Dermatologists should be aware of the importance of basic psychosomatic treatment in conjunction with early medical, educational intervention in the management of acne.
Acne Vulgaris ; Adolescent ; Depression ; Humans ; Mental Health ; Prevalence ; Stress, Psychological