No abstract available.

OBJECTIVES: Outbreaks of pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) occur every 3-4 years in Korea, most recently in 2011. The aim of our study was to determine the optimal time to perform indirect particle agglutination antibody assays to improve early diagnosis of MP pneumonia in children. METHODS: A database of 206 pediatric patients treated for pneumonia at the Hanyang University Hospital from June to October 2011 was analyzed retrospectively for demographic characteristics and laboratory test results. RESULTS: Among the 206 patients treated for pneumonia during the study period, there were 160 children (mean age, 5.44 years) diagnosed with MP pneumonia, who were studied further. The mean age of these MP pneumonia patients was 5.44 years. Antibody titers increased with increasing time between symptom onset and the collection of serum collection: MP titers were <1:640 for sera collected after 5.44 days and titers > or =1:640 for those collected after 8.58 days; P<0.001). Antibody titers were considered positive when they reached > or =1:640. In 42 MP pneumonia patients in whom there was a four-fold or greater increase in titer between successive serum samples, the optimal cut-off time-point for distinguishing between the initial and second titer groups was 7.5 days after the onset of symptoms (sensitivity, 90.5%; specificity, 92.9%). CONCLUSIONS: Negative MP antibody titers earlier than 8 days after the onset of symptoms in children with pneumonia may require repeating to confirm the diagnosis. This finding could optimize diagnosis and result in better therapeutic outcomes of MP pneumonia in children.
Agglutination ; Child ; Disease Outbreaks ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Korea ; Mycoplasma ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae ; Pneumonia ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity

BACKGROUND: Noninvasive estimation of pulmonary artery pressure is an important component of echocardiographic studies. A number of methods are available for estimation of pulmenary pressure, each with varying degrees of reported accuracy. To assess accuracy and difficulties, noninvasive pulmonary artery pressure estimates were performed in infants and children with congenital heart diseases. METHODS: Noninvasive estimates from 8 methods were compared with catheterization measurements. Systolic pressure was estimated by the Burstin method and from perak tricuspid regurgitation velocity, and also from systolic pressure gradients through the VSD(ventricular septal defect) and PDA(patent ductus arteriosus). Mean pressure was estimated by acceleration time divided by ejection time measured from Koppler spectrum obtained at the right ventricular out flow tract. Diastolic pressure was estimated from pulmonary regurgitation velocity spentrum at end-diastolic, and also from diastolic pressure gradient through the patent ductus arteriosus. RESULTS: IN systolic pressure, Burstin and tricuspid regurgitation velocities estimates correlated significantly(r=0.92, 0.90 respectively), whereas VSD and PDA estimates correlated less well with catheterization estimates(r=0.83, 0.65 respectively). The mean pressure, measured from RVOT(right ventricular outflow tract) Doppler spectrum corresponded well with catheterization pressure(r=0.89), whereas those obtained from the main pulmonary artery correlated less well(r=0.74). The diastolic pressure estimates from pulmonary regurgitation velocity spectrum, revealed good correlation(r=0.79), but those from diastolic Doppler spectrum at PDA correlated less well with catheterization estimates(r=0.63). CONCLUSION: All of eight Doppler echocardiographic methods seemed to be easily performable for estimation of pulmonary artery pressure. But, the degree of accuracy was variable. Because a pressure estimante from only a single method may be in error, care should be taken in combining use of other(one or two) methods.
Acceleration ; Blood Pressure ; Catheterization ; Catheters ; Child ; Ductus Arteriosus, Patent ; Echocardiography* ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Infant ; Pulmonary Artery* ; Pulmonary Valve Insufficiency ; Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The relationship of cold pressor, hyperventilation and exercise test responses to circadian patterns and types of angina in vasospastic angina have still not been known. The aim of this study was to identify subgoups of patients who have similar clinical features and provocation test response. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-one consecutive patients with pure vasospastic angina were studied. Six exercise tests were performed in the early morning, late morning, and late afternoon in consecutive days, and 2 hyperventilation tests and 2 cold pressor tests in the early morning. Circadian distribution and types of angina(at rest, on physical activity or both) were evaluated by clinical history, clinical records and ambulatory ECG recordings during admission and follow-up periods(mean 19+/-9 months). RESULTS: Three patterns of circadian distribution of anginal attacks were identified during all observation periods together(morning and night: MN n=, morning and afternoon or evening: M+/E n=, morning, night and afternoon and/or evening: MN+/E n=1). Exercise test was positive in 36%(40/111) without circadian variation, hyperventilation test in 66%(23/35) and cold pressor test in 6%(2/33). Neither hyperventilation test nor cold pressor test was related to circadian patterns, types or activity of angina, or numbers of spastic artery. But positive exercise test increased significantly in patients with angina on physical activity(43% vs 21%, p<0.05), high activity(57% vs 18%, p<0.01), multivessel spasm(50% vs 27%, p<0.05 ) and circadian patterns of M+/E and MN+/E(29%, 55% vs 4%, p<0.05, p<0.01). All patients with MN had rest angina and single vessel spasm. All 6 patients with M+/E had angina both at rest and on physical activity and 5 single vessel spasm. Eight of 11 patients with MN+/E had angina both at rest and on physical activity and 8 multivessel spasm. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that hyperventilation test is highly sensitive in vasospastic angina without any relationship to clinical features, but exercise test response is related well to circadian patterns of angina attacks which are associated with characteristic clinical features.
Arteries ; Electrocardiography ; Exercise Test ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hyperventilation ; Motor Activity ; Muscle Spasticity ; Spasm

No abstract available.
Diabetic Ketoacidosis* ; Drug Therapy* ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma* ; Remission Induction*

No abstract available.
Foreign Bodies* ; Granuloma, Foreign-Body* ; Lipectomy*

2 patients of forearm deformities with ulnar defect and radial head dislocation were treated with the Ilizarov apparatus at Chungnam University Hospital. One patient had a severe hypoplastic remnant-like ulnar fragment and a anterolaterally dislocated radial head due to complicated osteomyelitis of ulnar. We applied an Ilizarov apparatus to transport the radial head distally, and fixed to remaining proximal ulnar fragment. The other had a large bony defect at the ulnar shaft and a dislocated radial head due to complicated osteomyelitis of ulna. We performed internal transport of ulna to decreased the ulnar defect and to descend the dislocated radial head. The clinical-radiological features and functional results of those 2 forearm deformities were described with brief review of the articles about the Ilizarov method for correction of forearm defor- mities.
Chungcheongnam-do ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Dislocations ; Forearm ; Head ; Humans ; Ilizarov Technique ; Osteomyelitis ; Ulna

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Infant* ; Urinary Tract Infections* ; Urinary Tract*

We designed a study to evaluate the change of the proprioceptive function with joint position sense (JPS) during 1 year follow-up period after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction using hamstring autograft. Thirty-eight men who underwent ACL reconstruction were tested for International Knee Documentation Committee subjective knee score, Tegner activity score, Lysholm score, KT-2000 arthrometer, isokinetic strength test, functional performance test (carioca, co-contraction, shuttle run test, one-hop test) and JPS at preoperation, 6 months, and 12 months postoperation. The contralateral healthy knee was used as control. There were no significant differences of JPS between the involved knee and healthy knee at any time period. Repeated measures analysis of variance of the active JPS revealed that there was no significant difference during the follow up periods. The change patterns of passive JPS of extension and flexion were out of accordance with the improving clinical status following ACL reconstruction. Most of the clinical parameters did not show the significant correlation with active and passive JPS at any time period. In conclusion, JPS does not reflect the change of proprioceptive function following ACL reconstruction.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament ; Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Joints ; Knee ; Male ; Proprioception