In modem medical industries as in others, it has been emphasized by many experts such as Dr. Mayer and Dr. Donabedean that there should be quality assurance activities applying statistical knowledges in the processes of medical management and medical staff themselves for the better medical care and customer satisfaction. Three of our quality assurance programs for the purpose of shortening the treatment time In the department of emergency medicine in Keimyung University, Dong-San Medical Center had been carried out during the period of June 94 through December 95. Our methodology was mainly the process emphasized ; finding the causes of delaying factors in various processes related to the works of nurses, doctors, laboratory services, radiology services etc. in the emergency room, holding various meetings among the related groups with genuine discussions, notifying the new results in each step, encouraging the positive ones and also applying the new leadership technics. During the period of June 94 through December 95(for 1.5 years), the average E.R. patient treatment time from registrations to dispositions had been reduced by about 2 hours (from 5 hours 3 minutes to 2 hours 5 minutes) and its variations among the different specialities had been narrowed down to significant degree (p<0.05) revealing the preprogram base line standard deviation of 2.43 to 1.28 in post program through continuous quality assurance programs. It was also noted that the successful results of Q/A program have been closely related to the fact that the process should be designed and redesigned repeatly as needed and that all the participants related were actively involved in the planning and redesigning processes.
Emergency Medicine ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Humans ; Leadership ; Medical Staff ; Modems

No abstract available.
Humans* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction*

To clarify possible causes, pathogenesis, and appropriate prevention method of remote intracerebral hemorrhage (RICH), we analyzed the clinical findings and the possible predisposing factors of six cases who developed RICH among the 206 surgical series of cerebral aneurysm operated in our hospital over recent 5-year period. The locations of aneurysm were anterior communicating artery in three cases and internal carotid artery in three other cases. The sites of RICH were dependent regions considering the operative position in five of six cases, con-tralateral cerebellum in three cases, bilateral cerebellum in one case, and contralateral occipital area in one case. Peripheral low density around the RICH, suggesting hemorrhagic infarction, was observed on computed tomography in four cases. No patient had preoperative hypertension; however, significant elevation of blood pressure was observed intraoperatively or postoperatively in three cases. The factors which could have induced brain shift(large amount of removed or drained cerebrospinal fluid, large amount of infused mannitol, too low PaCO2) were observed in all cases except one case. There was no case with coagulopathy or underlying occult lesion. Two patients in whom detection of RICH was delayed showed poor outcomes. The possible underlying mechanisms involved in such complication seem to be shifting of brain due to sudden decreased intracranial pressure and excessive removal of cerebrospinal fluid, and subsequent injury of blood vessels such as compression or breakdown of vein. Moreover, the sudden elevation of blood pressure may have played a role as contributing factor. Therefore, consideration should be given to the maintenance of an adequate volume of intracranial cerebrospinal fluid and the appropriate blood pressure to prevent this complication. Early detection and immediate treatment with awareness of the possibility of this complication should be borne in mind when treating these patients to prevent such complications and to obtain good results.
Aneurysm* ; Arteries ; Blood Pressure ; Blood Vessels ; Brain ; Carotid Artery, Internal ; Causality ; Cerebellum ; Cerebral Hemorrhage* ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Infarction ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; Intracranial Pressure ; Mannitol ; Veins

Since introduction of magnetic resonance imaging(MRI), six cases of multiple intracranial meningiomas without signs of neurofibromatosis were found among the forty eight cases of meningiomas. The incidence of multiple intracranial meningiomas in our series was 12.5% of all meningiomas. We analyzed six cases of multiple intracranial meningiomas that were evaluated by MRI. Two tumors were found in five patients, whereas the other one patient had more than ten tumors at different sites. The tendency of unihemispheric distribution was not seen and two cases had bilaterally located tumors and other two cases had tumors above and below the tentorium without tentorial involvement. Relatively high occurrence of meningioma in posterior fossa was observed. Half of the six cases had posterior fossa tumors and 6 tumors(28.6%) of the total 21 tumors were located in the posterior fossa. All the cases were female. Mean age on admission was 61.3 years, ranged from 44 to 77 years. All six patients were treated surgically and three of them underwent multiple staged operations. Histologically, of the 12 tumors removed, 5 were transitional, 4 were fibroblastic, 3 were meningothelial. The histological subtypes of tumors in each case were different in two cases, but identical in other three cases. The surgical results, although the follow-up periods(ranged 3 months to 2.5 years) were not long enough in some cases, were favorable.
Female ; Fibroblasts ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infratentorial Neoplasms ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Meningioma* ; Neurofibromatoses

Sclerosing mesenteritis is a rare disease presenting as chronic inflammation and fibrosis of mesentery around the small and large intestine. And in most cases, it shows indolent and benign clinical course resulting in favorable prognosis. It is often diagnosed through characterized radiologic finding in abdominal examinations including computed tomography scan. However, it is important to rule out other conditions involving mesentery when diagnosing sclerosing mesenteritis. In the case of malignancy, the method of treatment and prognosis can be completely different therefore thorough examinations are essential. We herein report a 75-year-old male who suffered from frequent diarrhea and weight loss. Initially, he was diagnosed with sclerosing mesenteritis through abdominal computed tomography scan showing "misty" soft-tissue attenuation around the mesenteric vessel. However, follow up positron emission tomography scan and biopsy finding confirmed the common bile duct cancer with lymph node metastasis.
Aged ; Biopsy ; Cholangiocarcinoma* ; Common Bile Duct ; Diarrhea ; Fibrosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Intestine, Large ; Lymph Nodes* ; Male ; Mesentery ; Methods ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Panniculitis ; Panniculitis, Peritoneal* ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Prognosis ; Rare Diseases ; Weight Loss

Sclerosing mesenteritis is a rare disease presenting as chronic inflammation and fibrosis of mesentery around the small and large intestine. And in most cases, it shows indolent and benign clinical course resulting in favorable prognosis. It is often diagnosed through characterized radiologic finding in abdominal examinations including computed tomography scan. However, it is important to rule out other conditions involving mesentery when diagnosing sclerosing mesenteritis. In the case of malignancy, the method of treatment and prognosis can be completely different therefore thorough examinations are essential. We herein report a 75-year-old male who suffered from frequent diarrhea and weight loss. Initially, he was diagnosed with sclerosing mesenteritis through abdominal computed tomography scan showing "misty" soft-tissue attenuation around the mesenteric vessel. However, follow up positron emission tomography scan and biopsy finding confirmed the common bile duct cancer with lymph node metastasis.
Aged ; Biopsy ; Cholangiocarcinoma* ; Common Bile Duct ; Diarrhea ; Fibrosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Intestine, Large ; Lymph Nodes* ; Male ; Mesentery ; Methods ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Panniculitis ; Panniculitis, Peritoneal* ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Prognosis ; Rare Diseases ; Weight Loss

The art of body adornment by body piercing and tattooing has become increasingly popular in our modern culture. Temporary henna tattoos are readily available worldwide, last several weeks on the skin, and offer a self-limited, convenient alternative to a permanent tattoo. The addition of para-phenylenediamine (PPD), which is widely recognized as a sensitizer, increases the risk of allergic contact dermatitis from these henna tattoo mixtures, and a number of cases have been reported. We report a case of contact dermatitis from a henna tattoo mixture, which was diagnosed by the patch test and identification and quantification of PPD and nickel in a temporary henna tattoo.
Body Piercing ; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact ; Dermatitis, Contact* ; Nickel ; Patch Tests ; Skin ; Tattooing*

No abstract available.
Heart Atria*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Mitral valve repair is the main procedure for the treatment of mitral valve insufficiency. The aims of this study were to review the applied techniques. and to evaluate postoperative residual mitral valve insufficiency, to compare preoperative and postoperative cardiac functions and dimensions, to compare the effects of rigid and flexible ring annuloplasty, and to assess overall freedom from valve failure-related reoperation. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: From March 1996 to September 1999, 34 patients underwent mitral valve repair for the treatment of mitral valve insufficiency at our department. This group comprised ten males and twenty four females, aged 8 to 65 years. The causes of mitral valve insufficiency were of degenerative origin in 12 patients, rheumatic in 10, congenital in 9, cardiomyopathic in 2, and ischemic in 1. The applied valve repair techniques included annuloplasty, quadrangular resection, leaflet slicing, cleft repair, chordae shortening, chordae transfer, secondary chordae resection, new chordae formation, papillary muscle splitting, commissuroplasty, and commissurotomy. RESULTS: There was no early or late mortality. We encountered 8 residual mitral valve insufficiencies (more than grade II), 2 of which worsened and eventually required correction by valve replacement. There were no statistical differences seen between the effects of rigid and flexible ring annuloplasty on left ventricular function either before or 1 year following annuloplasty. The cardiac dimensions decreased significantly. The actuarial freedom from valve failure-related reoperation was 93.01% at 43 months. CONCLUSION: Mitral valve repair with preserved valvular apparatus showed that the repaired valves functioned well and cardiac dimensions recovered satisfactorily. There were no statistical differences between the effects of rigid and flexible ring annuloplasty on cardiac functions and dimensions either before or 1 year following annuloplasty.
Female ; Freedom ; Humans ; Male ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency* ; Mitral Valve* ; Mortality ; Papillary Muscles ; Reoperation ; Ventricular Function, Left

We report a 58-year-old man who developed synchronous gastric non-Hodgkin`s lymphoma (NHL) and renal cell carcinoma. He presented with epigastric discomfort for 2 months. Endoscopic finding of the stomach disclosed a large inegular ulceration with nodular margin on the upper body. Constrast enhanced CT scan of the abdomen showed an ulceration and focal wall thickening in the greater curvature side of stomach, and an enhanced bulging mass in the left kidney incidentally. The tissue obtained by radical proximal gastrectomy and nephrectomy showed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma on stomach and chromophobic type of renal cell carcinoma on kidney. To our knowledge, this is the first report of synchronous gastric NHL and renal cell carcinoma in Korea.
Abdomen ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell* ; Gastrectomy ; Hodgkin Disease* ; Humans ; Kidney ; Korea ; Lymphoma ; Lymphoma, B-Cell ; Middle Aged ; Nephrectomy ; Stomach ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ulcer