No abstract available.

No abstract available.

The objectives of this study are to investigate the prevalence of occupation related carpal tunnel syndrome(CTS) among workers in a condom industry; to analyse the sensitivity and specificity of clinical signs or symptoms such as hand diagram, Tinel's sign and Phalen's sign in carpal tunnel syndrome; and to test vibration threshold test using audiometry as a technically easy and noninvasive method in the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome in stead of nerve conduction velocity(NCV). The study group was divided into exposed group(39 cases)and non-exposed group(48 cases) based on whether or not excessive use of wrist movements exist. 1. There are statistically significant differences in symptoms and signs of carpal tunnel syndrome such as hand diagram, Tinel's sign and Phalen's sign between exposed and non-exposed group(p<0.05). 2. Six cases(9 hands) were confirmed as carpal tunnel syndrome by NCV. Five cases(7 hands) belonged to exposed group, 1 case(2 hands) to nonexposed group. As there are significant differences in prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome between two groups(p<0.05), excessive use of wrist in occupation is a risk factor of carpal tunnel syndrome. 3. When we use NCV as a gold standard in the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome, sensitivity and specificity of hand diagram, Tinel's sign and Phalen's sign is as followed; hand diagram; sensitivity 88.9%, specificity 84.2%. Tinel's sign; sensitivity 55.6%, specificity 72.8%. Phalen's sign; sensitivity 14.3%, specificity 88.4%. Among above clinical signs and symptoms, hand diagram is the best clinical screening test. 4. The differences of vibration threshold between median and ulnar nerve at the same time are useful in the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome but the time change of vibration threshold of median nerve over time are not sensitive enough. It is concluded that vibration threshold between median and ulnar nerve at the same time can be used as a supplementary or alternative criterion to indicate that the nerve dysfunction is located in the carpal tunnel.
Audiometry ; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome* ; Condoms* ; Diagnosis ; Hand ; Mass Screening ; Median Nerve ; Neural Conduction ; Occupations ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Ulnar Nerve ; Vibration ; Wrist

BACKGROUND: Recently developed full-range C-reactive protein (CRP) tests, which are based on the immunoturbidimetric method, have wider analytical measurement ranges (AMR) than previously used tests. We evaluated the AMR of 3 full-range CRP tests-2 new and 1 previously used test. METHODS: We analyzed the precision and AMR of 2 full-range CRP tests (Sekisui, Nanopia CRP, N-CRP and Iatron, IATRO CRP-EX, I-CRP) and compared the values obtained for these tests with those obtained for the conventional full-range CRP test (Sekisui, PureAuto S CRP, P-CRP). We evaluated the tests for the limit of quantification and for linearity. We also compared these results of these tests by using the comparative test (Dade Behring, cCRP) for cardiovascular risk assessment. RESULTS: Coefficients of variation (CVs) of all the full-range CRP tests were less than 10% for concentrations greater than 0.6 mg/L, and CVs of N-CRP and I-CRP were lower than those of P-CRP for concentrations less than 1 mg/L. N-CRP (0.1-467 mg/L) and I-CRP (0.1-280 mg/L) had wider AMR than P-CRP (3-233 mg/L). All the full-range CRP tests showed more than 90% agreement with the cCRP values for the assessment of cardiovascular risk. CONCLUSIONS: The 3 full-range CRP tests, by virtue of their wide AMR, may be used for the detection of acute inflammation as well as for the assessment of cardiovascular risk. N-CRP and I-CRP may be more useful than P-CRP for determining the CRP concentration, especially for the detection of concentrations close to the lower or upper limit of the analytical range, without the need for repetition of the test.
C-Reactive Protein/*analysis ; Cardiovascular Diseases/diagnosis ; Humans ; Immunoassay/*methods ; Limit of Detection ; Nephelometry and Turbidimetry/*methods ; Reproducibility of Results ; Risk Assessment

A new technique, the laser-doppler flowmetry. has been used intraoperatively to measure blood flow responses in the normal brain tissue, the traumatic brain tissue and so on. The flow estimate by this technique is based on the assessment of the doppler shift of the low power laser light, which is scattered by moving red blood cells.
Brain ; Craniotomy* ; Doppler Effect ; Erythrocytes ; Homeostasis ; Laser-Doppler Flowmetry

BACKGROUND: V. parahaemolyticus, an important seafood-borne pathogen, is the causative agent of gastroenteritis in humans. In this study, the occurrence and distribution of the thermostable hemolysin (tdh) gene and the tdh-related hemolysin (trh) gene were investigated, and as many as 72 different O:K serovar combinations were determined from diarrheal patients and environmental sources in Gyeongbuk provinceas during the 2000-2001. METHODS: A total of 50 strains of V. parahaemolyticus isolated from diarrheal patients and environmental sources were analyzed for the tdh gene and trh gene. The strains were analyzed for kanagawa phenomenon (KP) with the wagatsuma blood agar medium test. Furthermore, the strains belonging to O and K serotypes were determined. DNA sequence determination of the tdh gene were verified using GenBank and analyzed. RESULTS: In the KP experiments of V. parahaemolyticus, 80% of the strains isolated from diarrheal patients showed positive, but all of the strains isolated from environment sources were negative The distribution of O and K serotypes were O3:K29, O3:K6, and O3:K31, atc. isolated from diarrheal patients, and O2:K28, O3:K29, and 04:K34 atc. isolated from environmental sources. As for the tdh and trh gene of V. parahaemolyticus, the tdh gene was detected from 88.0% of diarrheal patients and 16.0% of environmental sources. The trh gene was not detected from diarrheal patients and 8.0 % of environmental sources, whereas all urease positive strains possessed the trh gene. The DNA sequence of tdh gene were verified using GenBank and analyzed the difference, tdh nucleotide sequence was found among the V. parahaemolyticus. CONCLUSION: V. parahaemolyticus is distributed with high frequency in the environmental sources such as sea water, fishes and shellfishes sampled at the Gyeongbuk coastal area, and the O3:K6 strains producing TDH were confirmed, which is prevalent throughout the world, from diarrheal patients. Thus, it is very important to establish a measure to prevent food poisoning by V. parahaemolyticus.
Agar ; Base Sequence ; Databases, Nucleic Acid ; Fishes ; Foodborne Diseases ; Gastroenteritis ; Gyeongsangbuk-do* ; Humans ; Seawater ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Shellfish ; Urease ; Vibrio parahaemolyticus* ; Vibrio* ; Virulence Factors* ; Virulence*

BACKGROUND: V. parahaemolyticus, an important seafood-borne pathogen, is the causative agent of gastroenteritis in humans. In this study, the occurrence and distribution of the thermostable hemolysin (tdh) gene and the tdh-related hemolysin (trh) gene were investigated, and as many as 72 different O:K serovar combinations were determined from diarrheal patients and environmental sources in Gyeongbuk provinceas during the 2000-2001. METHODS: A total of 50 strains of V. parahaemolyticus isolated from diarrheal patients and environmental sources were analyzed for the tdh gene and trh gene. The strains were analyzed for kanagawa phenomenon (KP) with the wagatsuma blood agar medium test. Furthermore, the strains belonging to O and K serotypes were determined. DNA sequence determination of the tdh gene were verified using GenBank and analyzed. RESULTS: In the KP experiments of V. parahaemolyticus, 80% of the strains isolated from diarrheal patients showed positive, but all of the strains isolated from environment sources were negative The distribution of O and K serotypes were O3:K29, O3:K6, and O3:K31, atc. isolated from diarrheal patients, and O2:K28, O3:K29, and 04:K34 atc. isolated from environmental sources. As for the tdh and trh gene of V. parahaemolyticus, the tdh gene was detected from 88.0% of diarrheal patients and 16.0% of environmental sources. The trh gene was not detected from diarrheal patients and 8.0 % of environmental sources, whereas all urease positive strains possessed the trh gene. The DNA sequence of tdh gene were verified using GenBank and analyzed the difference, tdh nucleotide sequence was found among the V. parahaemolyticus. CONCLUSION: V. parahaemolyticus is distributed with high frequency in the environmental sources such as sea water, fishes and shellfishes sampled at the Gyeongbuk coastal area, and the O3:K6 strains producing TDH were confirmed, which is prevalent throughout the world, from diarrheal patients. Thus, it is very important to establish a measure to prevent food poisoning by V. parahaemolyticus.
Agar ; Base Sequence ; Databases, Nucleic Acid ; Fishes ; Foodborne Diseases ; Gastroenteritis ; Gyeongsangbuk-do* ; Humans ; Seawater ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Shellfish ; Urease ; Vibrio parahaemolyticus* ; Vibrio* ; Virulence Factors* ; Virulence*

After pelvic trauma, complications of urethral stricture and organic impotence may develop. Certain cases of these are combined with penile curvature, which treatment method of artificial erection alone is not suitable, because severe penile pain may occur during erection, Therefore proper surgical methods should be added for straightening the penile curvature. After pelvic trauma, complete urethral stricture and organic impotence with penile curvature developed in 3 patients who complained severe pain due to curvature during the intracavernosal injection test. To all, treatment of choice for complete urethral sticture was visual internal urethrotomy for prevention of further development of curvature, and for curvature, Nesbit's penile straightening operations were performed, one by one. All patients could well urinate and enjoy their sexual intercourse after intracavernosal injection of PGE1 or papaverine. We recommend visual internal urethrotomy and the Nesbit's operation as effective methods to treat the case of penile curvature combined with complete urethral stricture after pelvic trauma.
Alprostadil ; Coitus ; Erectile Dysfunction* ; Humans ; Male ; Papaverine ; Urethral Stricture*

In this study, the effect of kanamycin sulfate was compared with fortified penicillin G in the treatment of uncomplicated penicillinase negative Neisseria gonorrhoeae(nonPPNG) urethritis in male. The subjects were 250 male patients with uncomplicated non-PPNG urethritis, at the Venereal Disease Clinic of Choong-ku Public Health Center in Seoul from May 1982 to August 1982. Among 103 patients treated with kanamycin sulfate, 2. 0 gm, IM, 92 recovered and 11(10. 7%) failed. Among 100 patients treated with fortified penicillin G, 6 megaunits IM, plus probenecid, l. 0 gm, 92 recovered and 8(8%) failed. No significant difference in the effect was found between these two regimens for non-PPNG urethritis. It is concluded that kanamycin sulfate as well as fortified penicillin G. have a good effect in the treatment of non-PPNG urethritis.
Humans ; Kanamycin ; Korea* ; Male ; Neisseria ; Penicillin G ; Penicillinase ; Probenecid ; Public Health ; Seoul* ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases ; Urethritis

Strangulation developed after applying constricting objects around the penis is occasionally encountered in the emergency room. As this kind of strangulation can result in penile gangrene or urethral injury, removal of constricting objects should be urgent and presents a great challenge to the physician. We report a case of urinary retention and sepsis due to penile strangulation by metal ring in a 68-year-old man and review the literature.
Aged ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Gangrene ; Humans ; Male ; Penis* ; Sepsis ; Urinary Retention