BACKGROUND: Single pass lead VDD pacing preserves atrioventricular synchrony with a single lead system which incorporates floating atrial electrodes. The objectives of this study were to measure whether different body postures and physical activities cause significant changes of the atrial electrogram amplitudes and to evaluate the effectiveness of its atrial sensing, ventricular sensing and pacing. METHOD: Prospective study was done in 7 patients with high degree AV block and normal sinus node function in whom a single lead VDD pacing system was implanted. The P wave amplitude was been measured in different condition during follow-up period. RESULTS: 1) During follow-up period, the P wave amplitude showed variation with changes in posture and respiration, but there was no consistent increase or decrease in amplitude. The lowest P wave amplitude was above the minimal atrial sensing value of 0.2 mV. 2) The percentage of atrial synchronous ventricular pacing recorded in Holter ECG and during Treadmill exercise test was more than 99%. 3) Atrial oversensing or VA cross sensing were not observed in any of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: Despite floating atrial electrode, the single pass lead VDD pacing maintains reliable atrial sensing and ventricular pacing in different body position and physical activity, so it may offer an excellent alternative in patients with high grade AV block and intact sinus node function.
Atrioventricular Block ; Electrocardiography ; Electrodes ; Electrophysiologic Techniques, Cardiac ; Exercise Test ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Motor Activity* ; Posture ; Prospective Studies ; Respiration ; Sinoatrial Node

BACKGROUND: Single pass lead VDD pacing preserves atrioventricular synchrony with a single lead system which incorporates floating atrial electrodes. The objectives of this study were to measure whether different body postures and physical activities cause significant changes of the atrial electrogram amplitudes and to evaluate the effectiveness of its atrial sensing, ventricular sensing and pacing. METHOD: Prospective study was done in 7 patients with high degree AV block and normal sinus node function in whom a single lead VDD pacing system was implanted. The P wave amplitude was been measured in different condition during follow-up period. RESULTS: 1) During follow-up period, the P wave amplitude showed variation with changes in posture and respiration, but there was no consistent increase or decrease in amplitude. The lowest P wave amplitude was above the minimal atrial sensing value of 0.2 mV. 2) The percentage of atrial synchronous ventricular pacing recorded in Holter ECG and during Treadmill exercise test was more than 99%. 3) Atrial oversensing or VA cross sensing were not observed in any of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: Despite floating atrial electrode, the single pass lead VDD pacing maintains reliable atrial sensing and ventricular pacing in different body position and physical activity, so it may offer an excellent alternative in patients with high grade AV block and intact sinus node function.
Atrioventricular Block ; Electrocardiography ; Electrodes ; Electrophysiologic Techniques, Cardiac ; Exercise Test ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Motor Activity* ; Posture ; Prospective Studies ; Respiration ; Sinoatrial Node

This retrospective clinical observation was attempted to analyze 110 cases of prolonged pregnancies out of 14,783 cases compared with those of term pregnancies delivered at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Keimyung University from Jan. 1, 1994 to Dec. 31, 1996. The results as follows 1) The incidence of prolonged pregnancy was 0.7%. 2) The frequency of labor induction was significantly higher in prolonged pregnancies and controls. 3) The cesarean delivery rate was not significantly difference between the prolonged pregnancies and controls. 4) The prolonged pregnancy group didn't have a significant increase in the rate of low Apgar score. 5) The frequency of macrosomia was significantly increased in prolonged pregnancies than controls. 6) The frequency of oligohydroamnios was significantly increased in prolonged pregnancies than controls, but there was not significant difference between them. 7) Prolonged pregnancy has a high neonatal morbidity rate, but we didn't have a neonatal death in both.
Apgar Score ; Female ; Gynecology ; Incidence ; Obstetrics ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Prolonged* ; Retrospective Studies

Nuclear DNA content of 32 cases of prostate adenocarcinoma diagnosed 1986-1991 was determined by flow cytometry, with the use of paraffin-embedded archival tissue. The present study was done to define the relationship between clinical stage, histopathological grade, and DNA ploidy. Aneuploidy was found in 10(31.3%) cases including 7 cases of near-tetraploidy. Among diploid tumors, 36.4% were localized disease(stage A and B), 13.6% were characterized by invasion outside the prostate(stage C), and 50.0% showed distant metastasis(stage D). Among aneuploid tumors, 10.0% were stage B, 50.0% stage C, and 40.0% stage D. The degree of glandular differentiation was characterized by the Gleason score and the percentage of sampled tissue involved by carcinoma was graded by Dhom's method. Apparent correlation was found between Gleason grade and Dhom grade(P<0.05). All 13 tumors with a Gleason grade I(score of 2 to 5) were diploid. Four of 9 tumors with a Gleason grade II(score of 6 to 7) were aneuploid(near-tetraploidy 33.3%, aneuploidy 11.1%) and 60.0%, of tumors with a Gleason grade III(score of 8 to 10) were aneuploid(near-tetraploidy 40.0%, aneuploidy 20%). The percentage of aneuploid cases increased with advanced clinical stage, but the relationship between aneuploidy versus clinical stage was not significant. However, it can be concluded that DNA ploidy correlates well with Gleason grade(p<0.05), which may have predictive prognostic value for prostate adeno-carcinomas.
Adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND: Hyperlipidemia is the one of the major risk factors causing the atherosclerosis of coronary arteries. Treatment of hyperlipidemia with drugs has been confirmed the effects of therapy showing a decreased incidence of coronary artery disease. Pravastatin is one of the new HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors and we studied the short-term hypolipidemic effects and safety of pravastatin in patients with hyperlipidemia. METHODS: We studied 31 patients(7 males and 24 females ; range of age, 36-67 years) for 12 weeks whose plasma levels of total cholesterol were higher than 250mg% after one month period of diet therapy. Pravastatin was administered 10mg/day and measured lipid profiles at 4 week interval. RESULTS: Pravastatin reduced the plasma total cholesterol from 286.2mg% to 212.3mg% (25.9%), the LDL-cholesterol from 204.2mg% to 143.6mg% (29.7%), the triglyceride from 226.0mg% to 161.4mg% (28.6%) after 12 weeks treatment. The HDL-cholesterol increased from 25.8mg% to 46.4mg% (20.5%) after pravastatin therapy. These changes were disclosed all statistically significant compared to baseline levels(p<0.01). The clinical and laboratory examinations before and after pravastatin treatment showed no particular abnormal findings. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that short-term pravastatin therapy in patients with hyperlipidemia seems to be very effective and safe.
Atherosclerosis ; Cholesterol ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Vessels ; Diet Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors ; Hyperlipidemias* ; Incidence ; Male ; Plasma ; Pravastatin* ; Risk Factors ; Triglycerides

No abstract available.
Child* ; Cough* ; Humans ; Maxillary Sinus* ; Maxillary Sinusitis*

Benign hemangioma of the mediastinum is rare. This slowly growing tumor is described as well circumscribed, cystic, hemorrhagic tumor. Histologically it can be differentiated into capillary or cavernous form. We present a case of mediastinal hemangioma. A 20-year-old-man was presented with a slowly growing posterior mediastinal mass of 6 years duration, 8x6 cm in size. The mass was relatively well defined but focally invasive. Microscopically, it was differentiated into vessels of capillary, cavernous, and venous patterns. A solid cellular proliferation with inconspicuous capillary lumens was focally seen. The stroma between variable-sized vessels showed marked myxoid change associated with some smooth muscle bundles and adipose tissue. Ultrastructurally, areas of solid cellular proliferation showed formation of lumens. These lumens were lined by active endothelial cells showing plasmalemmal vesicles and Weibel-Palade bodies on the abluminal surface.
Adipose Tissue ; Capillaries ; Cell Proliferation ; Endothelial Cells ; Hemangioma* ; Mediastinum ; Muscle, Smooth ; Weibel-Palade Bodies

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to empirically investigate the determinants on oxygen free radical degree which causes biological damage focusing on smoking habit and health behaviors in daily life. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, the subjects were adult males who submitted free radical tests among the examinees of the comprehensive medical testings at an university hospital in Suwon from 2008 to 2010. Total 497 samples were used in analyses for clarifying the relations of free radical degree to age, smoking, obesity, and other health behaviors. RESULTS: First, the degree of oxygen free radical increases by 0.164 as the age group increases (P<0.05). Second, the degree of oxygen free radical increases by 0.547 as the smoking habit increases (P<0.001). Third, the degree of oxygen free radical increases by 0.087 as the exposure to hazardous factors in workplace increases (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the study imply that the smoking habit has more great influence on the increase of oxygen free radical in body than any other health behaviors. The causality of free radical to smoking and health behavior was not identified due to the limit of the cross-sectional study so it needs to be studied prospectively in the future.
Adult ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Free Radicals ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Male ; Obesity ; Oxygen ; Smoke ; Smoking

Unusual morphology of aberrant forms of bacteria, presented with grotesque-giant form, 15 m 3 m, with central emptiness and fusiform ends was observed in urine Gram stain from a 26-year-old woman who was admitted with the symptoms of acute urinary tract infection. On wet smear, these bacilli were markedly swollen, yeast-like organisms. In addition to normal shaped bacilli, various shapes of another aberrant bacteria, such as long bacilli, filamentous form, filamentous form with central bulge, and bipolar staining with central emptiness were also observed in the same specimen. The morphologic characteristics of these unusual aberrant bacilli were more distinct on Papanicolaou stain than on Gram stain. In Korea, where antimicrobial agents are overused and disused, the frequency of observing the aberrant bacteria would be much higher than cases reported. Here we report unusual morphology of aberrant forms of Escherichia coli with the emphasis on awaring of the potential appearance of such bacilli in clinical specimen and avoiding confusion with fungi and other naturally filamentous organisms.
Adult ; Anti-Infective Agents ; Bacteria* ; Escherichia coli ; Female ; Fungi ; Humans ; Korea ; Urinary Tract Infections

PURPOSE: A Phenomenological study was conducted to investigate the experiences of infertile women who had an unsuccessful in vitro fertilization (IVF) attempt and the structure of these experiences was identified in a socio-cultural context. METHOD: In-depth interviews were done with five participants from Nov. 1997 to Feb. 1998. Data was recorded and analyzed by Colazzi's method. RESULT: Significant statements were extracted from the data resulting in 4 themes and 11 concepts. The concepts were: 'lack of information', 'unable to anticipate the outcome', 'reaffirmation of need', 'financial strain', 'emotional suppression', 'change of social relationships', 'physical fatigue', 'blaming oneself or God', 'trying different ways', 'famous place shopping', and 'praying to God'. The significant themes of the participants' experiences with IVF emerged as: "uncertainty", "burden", "blaming" and "vigorous desire". CONCLUSION: The results indicate that the care of infertile women with an unsuccessful IVF attempt should be based on a deep understanding of their personal experiences. Also, information on alternative choices should be offered and supported.
Female ; Fertilization in Vitro* ; Humans ; Infertility ; Life Change Events