The present study investigated the prevalence rate of Cryptosporidium parvum as a cause of diarrhea. We examined 942 stools of unidentified reasons occurring in patients in whom no immunosuppression had been detected. We examined the stools for Cryptosporidium parvum via modified acid-fast staining. The clinical records of all of the positive patients were then analyzed. Nine (1%) of the stools among the 942 diarrheal patients were positive for C. parvum. The positive rate in the males was 1.1% (6/522) and the positive rate of the females was 0.7% (3/420). Age distribution revealed that the highest positive rates were in patients in their sixties, with a positive rate of 2.5% (4/158). In the clinical tests, levels of c-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rates, and neutrophil proportions were normally increased in the peripheral blood, whereas the lymphocyte proportion exhibited a tendency towards decrease. The pathological findings were compatible with an inflammatory reaction in the host.
Adult ; Aged ; Animals ; Child, Preschool ; Cryptosporidiosis/*epidemiology/immunology ; *Cryptosporidium/isolation & purification ; Cryptosporidium parvum/isolation & purification ; Diarrhea/*epidemiology/immunology/parasitology ; Feces/parasitology ; Female ; HIV Seronegativity ; Humans ; Immunocompetence ; Korea/epidemiology ; Lymphocyte Count ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Staining and Labeling

The humidifier disinfectant disaster (HDD) was not a simple poisoning accident by biocides, but a singular disaster in history created by chemicals in household products. This disaster was a result of the failure of a system for the management of chemical and product safety. Since the management authority for chemical usage safety is different from those for chemical safety in products, many blind areas for chemical safety management in products still remain. The ‘Act on the Registration and Evaluation, etc. of Chemical Substances (ARECS)’ or the new ‘Biocidal Product Act’ must not only address the blind areas in the management system for chemical and product safety, but also prevent a second HDD. To prevent another HDD, an integrated registration, evaluation, and management system for chemicals and consumer products must be incorporated into the ‘ARECS’ as an essential part for chemical safety in consumer products.
Chemical Safety ; Disasters* ; Disinfectants ; Household Products ; Humidifiers* ; Poisoning

No abstract available.
Nephritis, Hereditary*

PURPOSE: Knee IVIR images were repeatedly obtained after intravenous administration of gadopentetate dimeglumine to evaluate the arthrographic effect and to determine the optimal scan timing and technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sagittal Tl-weighted (650/15) sequences were repeated before and after intravenous gadolinium enhancement in 26 patients who were divided into exercise (14/26) and nonexercise (12/26) groups. Fourteen patients in exercise group were allowed to move the affected knee joint actively for 10 minutes immediately after the first post-enhancement scan and before repeating scans. The signal intensities in central and peripheral portions of the joint were measured and compared between these two groups. RESULTS: In all cases, enhancement of joint fluid began at peripheral portion and progressed toward central portion. The diffusion rate in exercise group was far faster than that in nonexercise group and homogeneous arthrographic image was revealed within 10 minutes after completion of joint movement. The arthrographic effect continued and the rate of signal decrease was quite slow. CONCLUSION: MR arthrographic image of knee joint can be obtained within 10 minutes after completion of a few minute exercise following intravenous injection of gadopentetate dimeglumine. Intravenous MR arthrography is expected to become an useful method as a convenient alternative to direct MR arthrography.
Administration, Intravenous ; Arthrography* ; Diffusion ; Gadolinium ; Gadolinium DTPA ; Humans ; Injections, Intravenous ; Joints ; Knee Joint ; Knee*

Anemia in women during pregnancy and after delivery has been known to affect the mother, the fetus, and the infant's growth and health status. Studies examining, changes in iron and folate status associated with anemia during pregnancy and during pregnancy, and those supplements are stopped after postpartum. However, the effects of those have not been clearly determined in pregnant and lactating Korea women. Therefore, this study was performed to determine the changes in maternal iron and folate status during pregnancy and six months after delivery longitudinally in six pregnant women who consumed supplements from 20 wk to delivery. We concluded that the iron status deteriorated during pregnancy and especially was weak in the third trimester, but had a tendency to recovery after delivery. On the other hand, the folate status deteriorated in the first and second trimester and was good in the third trimester, but had a tendency to decrease after delivery. These results suggested that the iron status was not improved despite consuming total iron supplements of 50 mg/day through diets and supplements during the second half of the pregnancy. On the other hand, the folate status improved at the end of pregnancy by consuming folate supplements of a total of 800 mg/day through diets and supplements. However, folate status was poor in the first half of the pregnancy, and the tendency of folate status to decrease during postpartum was advanced. At the point in which iron and therefore supplementation is essential. However, the effects of supplement intake time and intake dosage need to be verified and the nutritional status changes of postpartum women should be carefully monitored.
Anemia ; Diet ; Female ; Fetus ; Folic Acid* ; Hand ; Humans ; Iron* ; Korea ; Longitudinal Studies* ; Mothers ; Nutritional Status ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second ; Pregnancy Trimester, Third ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnant Women

No abstract available.
Ectoderm*

BACKGROUND: The purpose of our study was to evaluate the functional and radiologic outcomes of additive augmentation sutures through rotator cuff for proximal humeral fractures stabilized locking plate in elderly patients. METHODS: We enrolled 74 patients over the age of 60 years who received internal fixation using locking plates for proximal humeral fractures. Of these, 50 patients had additive augmentation sutures through rotator cuff. The mean age at the time of surgery was 72.1 years (range, 60-89 years), and the mean follow-up period was 17.5 months (range, 12-62 months). The humeral neck-shaft angle and humeral head height were used as radiological markers to assess the effect of additive augmentation sutures through rotator cuff. We allocated the patients who received additive augmentation sutures into group A and those who did not into group B. RESULTS: At the final follow-up, the mean Korean Showlder Society score and Constant scores were 88.96 +/- 12.1 and 86.6 +/- 11.9, respectively, in group A and 86.21 +/- 11.8 and 85.3 +/- 11.7, respectively, in group B (p=0.368, 0.271). At the final follow-up, the mean loss in humeral neck-shaft angle from the time of immediate postoperative measurement was 1.6degrees in group A and 4.8degrees in group B, whereas the mean loss in humeral head height was 0.82 mm in group A and 0.52 mm in group B (p=0.029, 0.178). CONCLUSIONS: The surgical outcomes of internal fixation using locking plates for proximal humeral fractures were clinically and radiologically good in elderly patients over the age of 60 years without any observable complications. Further, the loss of humeral head shaft angle at the final follow-up from its initial postoperative measurement was significantly smaller in patients who received an additive augmentation suture than in those who did not. Thus, we conclude that augmentation sutures are a beneficial option for elderly patients that clinicians can consider at the time of surgical decision making.
Aged* ; Decision Making ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Humeral Head ; Rotator Cuff ; Shoulder Fractures* ; Sutures*

No abstract available.
Kidney* ; Nephrectomy*

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Platelet aggregation plays an important role in thrombogenesis. Thus antiplatelet agents, such as aspirin and ticlopidine, have been in usage to prevent for recurrent ischemic stroke. Triflusal is known to selectively inhibit cyclooxygenase in platelet rather than in vessel wall. And thus can be more beneficial in its antiplatelet aggregatory effect. There has been no comparative study between triflusal and ticlopidine on its antiplatelet aggregatory effect and side effects till now. Our comparative study between these two agents is to provide useful information on clinical utilization. METHODS: Triflusal(900mg/day) and ticlopidine(500mg/day) were administered in 31 and 37 patients, who suffered from acute ischemic stroke. Their efficacy in platelet aggregation and the incidence of clinical and laboratory side effects were compared in one week and one month after the administration of the drugs. RESULTS: Platelet aggregation was more effectively inhibited in triflusal group, especially induced by collagen or epinephrine(p<0.01). No significant difference was noted in the incidence of side effects in both groups. In five patients of the ticlopidine group, the drug was withdrawn due to skin rash and/or increased liver enzymes. CONCLUSION: Triflusal had more effectively inhibited platelet aggregation in this study. Severe side effects even requiring discontinuation of the drug were noted in five patients of ticlopidine group.
Aspirin ; Blood Platelets ; Collagen ; Exanthema ; Humans ; Incidence ; Liver ; Platelet Aggregation ; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors ; Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases ; Stroke ; Ticlopidine*

No abstract available.
Blepharophimosis* ; Humans