PURPOSE: Obesity is a risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and is frequently associated with coronary artery disease, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus. Conventional Doppler technique is limited by the absence of an adequate apical window to assess the transmitral flow in obese patients. Tissue Doppler imaging(TDI) and strain rate imaging(SRI) were performed to assess the influence of obesity on left ventricular systolic function. METHODS: In 13 obese and 15 normal adolescents aged 16 to 17 years, height, weight, body mass index(BMI), and obesity index(OI) were measured. Fat mass, body fat percent, and abdominal fat percent were estimated by bioelectrical impedance. Ejection fraction(EF) and myocardial performance index(MPI) were estimated by conventional echocardiography to evaluate left ventricular systolic function. Systolic myocardial velocity and strain rate were estimated by TDI and SRI. RESULTS: EF(63.8+/-6.4% vs 55.7+/-3.4%) was significantly lower in obese adolescents than normal controls. MPI(0.34+/-0.03 vs 0.48+/-0.06) was significantly higher in obese adolescents than normal controls. Systolic myocardial velocity and strain rate were significantly lower in obese adolescents than normal controls. Strain rate showed a negative correlation with arm circumference(r=-0.558, P<0.05) and BMI(r=-0.332, P<0.05). Strain rate was positively correlated with EF(r=0.557, P<0.05) at the base of left ventricle by SRI CONCLUSION: Significant decrease in left ventricular systolic function was noted in the moderate degree of obesity. SRI may be a more useful diagnostic tool in evaluating systolic dysfunction in patients with moderate degree of obesity.
Abdominal Fat ; Adipose Tissue ; Adolescent* ; Arm ; Body Weight ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Echocardiography ; Electric Impedance ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Obesity ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND: Infectious complications frequently occur after cardiac arrest and may be even more frequent after therapeutic hypothermia. Pneumonia is the most common infectious complication associated with therapeutic hypothermia, and it is unclear whether prophylactic antibiotics administered during this intervention can decrease the development of early-onset pneumonia. We investigated the effect of antibiotic prophylaxis on the development of pneumonia in cardiac arrest patients treated with therapeutic hypothermia. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients who were admitted for therapeutic hypothermia after resuscitation for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest between January 2010 and July 2015. Patients who died within the first 72 hours or presented with pneumonia at the time of admission were excluded. Early-onset pneumonia was defined as pneumonia that developed within 5 days of admission. Prophylactic antibiotic therapy was defined as the administration of any parenteral antibiotics within the first 24 hours without any evidence of infection. RESULTS: Of the 128 patients admitted after cardiac arrest, 68 were analyzed and 48 (70.6%) were treated with prophylactic antibiotics within 24 hours. The frequency of early-onset pneumonia was not significantly different between the prophylactic antibiotic group and the control group (29.2% vs 30.0%, respectively, p = 0.945). The most commonly used antibiotic was third-generation cephalosporin, and the class of prophylactic antibiotics did not influence early-onset pneumonia. CONCLUSION: Antibiotic prophylaxis in cardiac arrest patients treated with therapeutic hypothermia did not reduce the frequency of pneumonia.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Antibiotic Prophylaxis* ; Heart Arrest* ; Humans ; Hypothermia* ; Medical Records ; Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest ; Pneumonia* ; Resuscitation ; Retrospective Studies

Purpose: There are various neurogenic bladder patterns that occur in patients during stroke. Among these patterns, the focus was mainly on the patient’s facial parsy diagnosis. Stroke requires early response, and it is most important to identify initial symptoms such as facial parsy. There is an urgent need for a diagnostic technology that notifies patients and caregivers of the onset of disease in the early stages of stroke. We developed an artificial intelligence (AI) stroke early-stage analysis software that can alert the early stage of stroke through analysis of facial muscle abnormalities for the elderly neurogenic bladder prevention. Methods: The method proposed in this paper developed a learning-based deep learning analysis technology that outputs the initial stage of stroke after acquiring a high-definition digital image and then deep learning face analysis. The applied AI model was applied as a multimodal deep learning concept. The system is linked and integrated with the existing urine management integrated system to support patient management with a total-care concept. Results: We developed an AI stroke early-stage analysis software that can alert the early stage of stroke with 86% hit performance through analysis of facial muscle abnormalities in the elderly. This result shows the validation result of the landmark image learning model based on the distance learning model. Conclusions We developed an AI stroke early-stage diagnostic system as a wellness personal medical service plan and prevent cases of missing golden time when existing stroke occurs. In order to secure and facilitate distribution of this, it was developed in the form of AI analysis software so that it can be mounted on various hardware products. In the end, it was found that using AI for these stroke diagnoses and making them quickly and accurately had a positive effect indirectly, if not directly, on the neurogenic bladder.

PURPOSE: To characterize autonomic dysfunction in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH), we measured heart rate variability(HRV) and analyzed them compared with those of normal population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: ECG signals were obtained from 11 male patients(mean age, 63.1 years) and 23 healthy male controls(mean age, 57.0 years) in resting state. We analyzed their parameters of HRV and compared them between groups. RESULTS: Time domain analysis including standard deviation of NN interval(SDNN), square root of mean of sum of squares of differences between adjacent NN intervals(RMSSD) in patients with BPH were not significantly different with those of controls. There were suggested evidence of decreased total power(TP), high frequency (HF) in patients with BPH(p<0.05) while no significant difference in other frequency domain such as very low frequency(VLF), low frequency(LF) and LF/HF ratio. CONCLUSION: This preliminary study shows that patients with BPH have different results on HRV study comparing to controls. With the exception of LF and LF/HF ratio, all parameters of HRV in patients with BPH lower than normal controls. TP, HF in patients with BPH significantly lower than that of normal controls. The decreased values of HRV study means that they may have some kinds of disease or imbalance in autonomic nervous system(ANS). So we suggest that HRV study may be a tool to describe the possibility of altered ANS activity in patients with BPH.
Autonomic Nervous System ; Electrocardiography ; Heart Rate* ; Heart* ; Humans ; Male

Cancer is the most frequent cause of death in both developing and developed countries, including Korea. The aim of this study was to present survival rates of Korean cancer patients. Survival analysis was carried out with data collected under the Korea Central Cancer Registry Program, which included all cancer patients diagnosed from January 1, 1997 to December 31, 1997. We have analyzed the effects of age at diagnosis and sex on cancer survival from the cancer registry data of 64,240 Korean patients diagnosed of cancer in 1997. The overall survival rate of all Korean cancer patients (both men and women) was 67% at 1 yr and 57% at 2 yr. The 1- and 2-yr survival rates for all cancers in men were 58% and 47%, respectively, while those in women were 77% and 69%, respectively. Men had a lower survival rate than women in most malignancies. The pancreatic cancer was shown the lowest 1-yr survival rate.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Korea ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasms/*mortality ; Survival Analysis ; Survival Rate

Three fungi newly intercepted from importing plants were identified in 2004. They were Ascochyta chrysanthemi on Lactuca sativa from China, A. spinaciicola on Spinacia oleracea from Denmark, and Leptosphaerulina australis on Brassica oleracea var. capitata from China. The characters of these fungi were described and illustrated.
Brassica ; China ; Denmark ; Fungi* ; Korea* ; Lettuce ; Spinacia oleracea

BACKGROUND: Burn is one of the most common illness in primary care. Most burns are partial skin thickness burns. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use ofSilvadene (silver sulfadiazine) ointment (antibacterial agent) and DuoDERMR (artificial syntheticmaterial). METHODS: The subjects of this study were 46 patients with partial skin thickness burns who had visited a general hospital burn clinic from May 1, 2002 to June 30, 2002. They were randomly assigned to the silvadine ointment or DuoDERMR group. The patients were evaluated for pain, the number of dressing change, the ease of dressing application and removal, limitation of activity, comfortableness, satisfaction with the appearance, sleep disturbance, treatment cost, and the number of days for complete epithelialization. RESULTS: DuoDERMR treated burns had a fewer dressing change (3.19 times vs 5.36 times), less time for dressing change (4.13 min vs 6.26 min) and less cost (P<0.01). But there was no statistical difference in the number of days for complete epithelialization (P=0.197) and it depended on the size of the wounds (P=0.005). The cost of treatment was related with the number of dressing change (P=0.000). CONCLUSION: Treatment methods had no effect on duration of treatment but artificial synthetic material was shown to reduce the time for dressing and the cost.
Bandages ; Burns* ; Health Care Costs ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Primary Health Care ; Skin* ; Wounds and Injuries

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Implant screw loosening remains a problem in implant prosthodontics. Some abutment screws with treated surfaces were introduced to prevent screw loosening and to increase preload. DLC(Diamond Like Carbon) film has similar properties on hardness, wear resistance, chemical stability, biocompatibility as real diamond materials. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of lubricant layer on abutment screw and to discriminate more effective method between soft lubricant and hard lubricant to prevent screw loosening. MATERIAL AND METHOD: In this study, 1mum thickness DLC was used as protective, lubricating layer of titanium screws and 3 times removal torque was measured on the abutment screws to investigate the difference in 10 coated and 10 non-coated abutment screws. RESULTS: The results indicated that the implants with DLC coating group were not more resistant to the applied force in screw loosening. At 32Ncm, the 3 times removal torque in DLC group were 27.7+/-2.89, 25.85+/-2.35 and 26.2+/-2.57. The removal torque in no-coated abutment screws were 27.85+/-4.23, 27.35+/-2.81 and 27.9+/-2.31, respectively. CONCLUSION: The lubricant layer used in this study was Diamond Like Carbon(DLC) and it have a properties of hard and stable layer. The DLC coating layer was hard enough to prevent distortion of screws in the repeated unscrewing procedure in clinical situation. The reduced friction coefficient in hard DLC layer was not effective to prevent screw loosening.
Carbon* ; Diamond* ; Friction ; Hardness ; Prosthodontics ; Titanium* ; Torque*

PURPOSE: To compare autonomic dysfunction in patients with urge urinary incontinence(UUI), patients with stress urinary incontinence(SUI) and normal group, we measured and analyzed heart rate variability to compare among the three groups. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied heart rate variability(HRV) in 30 patients with UUI(mean age, 47.7+/-10.0 years old), 40 patients with SUI(mean age, 47.6+/-8.7 years old), 120 healthy controls(mean age 45.2+/-6.9 years old). The parameters of HRV of the three groups were compared. RESULTS: There was no difference in uroflowmetry and heart rate among the three groups. In time domain, square root of the mean squared difference of successive N-N interval(RMSSD) in UUI was higher than that of the others, and standard deviation of N-N interval(SDNN) showed no difference. In frequency domain, low frequency(LF) in UUI, an indicator of cardiac sympathetic tone, was higher than thar of the others. Very low frequency(VLF), LF, low-frequency/high-frequency ratio(LF/HF ratio) didn't show difference. CONCLUSION: All parameters of HRV analysis in UUI were not same as those of SUI and controls. The increase in RMSSD and HF means that there could be imbalance in autonomic nervous system and it could be the cause of detrusor overactivity in UUI.
Autonomic Nervous System ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Pilot Projects* ; Urinary Incontinence*

OBJECTIVE: The risk factors of reoperation after microdecompression (MD) for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) are unclear. In this study, we presented the outcomes of MD for degenerative LSS and investigated the risk factors associated with reoperation. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted using the clinical records and radiographs of patients with LSS who underwent MD. For clinical evaluation, we used the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) scoring system for low back pain, body mass index, and Charlson comorbidity index. For radiological evaluation, disc height, facet angle, and sagittal rotation angle were measured in operated segments. Also the Modic change and Pfirrmann grade for degeneration in the endplate and disc were scored. RESULTS: Forty-three patients aged 69±9 years at index surgery were followed for 48±25 months. The average preoperative JOA score was 6.9±1.6 points. The score improved to 9.1±2.1 points at the latest follow-up (p<0.001). Seven patients (16.3%) underwent reoperation. Clinical and radiological factors except operation level and Pfirrmann grade showed a p-value >0.1. Patients with Pfirrmann grade IV and lower lumbar segment had a 29.1% rate of reoperation (p=0.001), whereas patients without these factors had a 0% rate of reoperation. CONCLUSION: Moderate disk degeneration (Pfirrmann IV) in lower lumbar segments is a risk factor of disk herniation or foraminal stenosis requiring reoperation after MD in LSS.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Body Mass Index ; Comorbidity ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration ; Laminectomy ; Low Back Pain ; Orthopedics ; Reoperation* ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Spinal Stenosis*