In order to understand the epidemiologic characteristics and trends of Leptespirosis in Korea, year book of acute infectious disease and literatures published were thoroughly reviewed. The results obtained are as follows: 1. The outbreak of Leptospirosis in Korea has decreased during recent years. Most of the patients occured in Semptember, October, and November. Seventy nine percent of reported patients occured in north Choongchung, south Choongchung, and Kyunggi province in 1987-1991. 2. Leptospires isolation rates were ranged from 0.2% to 16.0% among normal healthy person, higher in rural residents than military personnels. 3. Total of 92 strains were isolated from human in six years from 1984 to 1990. Its main serogroups were Icterhaemorrhagiae and Canicola, predominantly consisted of serovar lai, copenhageni and canicola. Eighteen strains of Biflexa were also isolated from healthy persons and patients. 4. The proportion of Leptospirosis among patients with acute febrile episode has decreased since 1985. Sero-positive rate of male among patients with acute febrile episode is higher than that of female. Sixty percent of sero-positive patients with acute febrile episode was older than 40-year of age. The seropositive rates were consistently the highest in harvest season than other seasons. Residents of north Choongchung, north Chunlla, south Chunlla, Kyunggi, and north Choongchung provinces showed higher seropositive rates than those of other ones. Main serogroups positive to most sera of Koreans were Icterohaemorrhagiae and Canicola. 5. The sero-positive rate of normal healthy persons ranged from 2.0 to 25. 6% ; the sero-positive rate of rural area was 4 to 8 times higher than that of healthy urban people. Little difference was observed in sero-positive rate by age group among above 40 years old people, although it was higher in male by sex, in farmers by occupation and in some provinces by area.
Adult ; Communicable Diseases ; Female ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Korea* ; Leptospirosis* ; Male ; Military Personnel ; Occupations ; Seasons

In Korea, the nosocomial infection control program is not well estabilished. This study was carried out to investigate the incidence rate of nosocomial infection occurred among patients of 18 hospitals for 7 days ; cases of hospital infection per 10,000 patients discharged during the same period in Korea. The study was done in 18 volunteer hospitals and nosocomial infection cases for 7 days were collected retrospectively. The result was as follows; 1. The incidence rate of nosocomial infection for 7 days was 578 cases per 10, 000 patients discharged. 2. Pneumonia was the most prevalent nosocomial infection ; the incidence rate 112.7 cases per 10,000 discharges. The incidence rate of urinary tract infection was 85. 7 cases and that of septicemia was 36. 7 cases per 10, 000 discharges. 3. The incidence rate of nosocomial infection among patients of neurosurgery department was the highest(2,742 cases per 10,000 discharges). And the incidence rate of nosocomial infection was 6 times higher among the patients of intensive care unit than that of general ward. The reasons of higher nosocomial infection rate of intensive care unit and neurosurgery appeared to be due to many invasive procedures. Thus the priority in nosocomial infection control program must be given to those groups.
Cross Infection* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intensive Care Units ; Korea* ; Neurosurgery ; Patients' Rooms ; Pneumonia ; Retrospective Studies ; Sepsis ; Urinary Tract Infections ; Volunteers

No abstract available.
Memory*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Epididymitis* ; Male ; Models, Animal* ; Rats* ; Testis*

Two cases of cutaneous sporotrichosis, especially one of which was verrucous type in baby aged 4 months, were described. Throush the literatures the verrucous manifestation in baby was not yet reported. It is known that verrucous sporotrichosis is to be developed in individual who has had local and general resistance obtained by the previous cutaneous infection or by the infection of internal organ. But no such evidences were noticed in our case.
Sporotrichosis*

A case of 24 years old male with perifolliculitis capitis abscedens et suffodiens was reported This is, I presume the first case to be reparted in Korea. Clinically, the skin lesions were characterized by tbe multiple confluented indolent abscesses and hypertrophic scars which were developed on the vertex. On these lesions, there were also noticed complete alopecia and several dilated hair follicle orifices plugged by keratinous materials. The regional lymphnodes were not enlarged and the abscesses were proved bacteriologically sterile.
Abscess ; Alopecia ; Cicatrix, Hypertrophic ; Hair Follicle ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Skin ; Young Adult

Despite the public health importance of injury and poisoning in terms of its high mortality and incidence, epidemiologic information to be utilized are scarce in Korea. This study was carried out in 1990 on a representative sample population (about 55,000 persons) along with the 6th National Tuberculosis prevalence survey in order to estimate the magnitude of injury and poisoning occurrence and to identify its epidemiologic characteristics which can be aided for establishing preventive strategy pre-tested and structured questionnaire was used by trained interviewer to collect data including general information of the person, various information on the injury and poisoning during the past one year such as time and place of its occurrence, its nature and external causes, type of medical institute attended, duration of treatment and outcome of the accident occurred. In analysis of the data collected incidence rates per 1000 persons by sex, age group and its nature as well as external causes and relative frequencies were calculated. The result obtained are as follows; 1. The incidence rate per 1000 was 30 for both sexes, 39 for male and 22 for female, male being 1.8 times more frequent than female. Age adjusted incidences were not much different from the crude rates. Age group specific rate curve showed binodal shape in both sexes, small peaks in preschool children and higher peaks in older ages. The incidence rate per 1000 people by area was highest in Jeon-bug province (57/1000) and the lowest in Daegu city (11/1000). 2. The place where the injuries occurred were road in 46%, with the boundary of house in 25 %, and working place in 12%. The injuries and poisoning had occurred more frequently during the months from March to August of the year than other months. 3. The relatively frequent injuries by its nature were contusion with intact skin surface (19%), fracture of upper limb (13%), open wound of head neck and trunk (12%) and fracture of lower limb (11%) among males: contusion with intact skin surface (28%), sprains and strains of joints and adjacent muscle(14%), fracture of upper limb(10%) and fracture of lower limb (9%) among females. Higher incidence rate among males than females were fracture of skull(4.5times) open wound and fractures of limbs (2-3 times). Age specific rate of injuries and poisoning by its nature showed increasing pattern by age in fractures of upper and lower limbs and sprains & strains of joints whereas the age group of 30's showed highest incidence in open wounds of upper limb. Fractures of radius and ulna in upper limb, fractures of tibia & fibula and ankle in lower limb were most frequent among fractures of upper and lower limbs. The frequent injuries among sprains and strains of joints and adjacent muscles were that of ankle, foot and back and among open wound were that of head and fingers. 4. Relative frequency of injuries and poisoning by external causes showed following order: other accidents(25%), accidental falls (23%), motor vehicle accident (22%) and other road vehicle accident (l4%) among males and accidental falls (37%), motor vehicle accident (24%) and other accident (l8%) among females. The external causes revealing higher incidences among males than females, were other road vehicle accident (4.8times), vehicle accident not elsewhere classifiable (4.4 times), accidental poisoning (4.4 times), accidents due to natural and environmental factors (2.8times), and suicide & self-inflicted injuries (2.8 times). Age specific incidence by external causes for frequent injuries showed that incidence of other accident steadily increased from 10's till age 50's; motor vehicle traffic accident increased from age 20's and dropped after age 60's; on the other hand accidental fall increased strikingly by age. The most frequent external causes among motor vehicle traffic accidents was motor vehicle traffic accident involving collision with pedestrian (69%), pedal cycle accident (30%) and other road vehicle accident (71%) among other road vehicle accidents; falls on same level from slipping, tripping or standing (44%) and other falls from one level to another among accidental falls; accidents caused by machinery (32%) for male and striking against or struck accidentally by objects or person for female among other accidents. 5. seventy nine percent of the injuries and poisonings were treated in general hospital or hospital/clinic. The duration of treatment ranged from a few days to 123 weeks; the majority (52%) took under 2 weeks, 36% for 3-8 weeks and 40% over 21 weeks. 6. The accident resulted in full recovery of normal healthy state in 62%, residual functional defects in 21% and on process of treatment in 16%.
Accidental Falls ; Accidents, Traffic ; Ankle ; Child, Preschool ; Contusions ; Daegu ; Extremities ; Female ; Fibula ; Fingers ; Foot ; Hand ; Head ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Incidence ; Joints ; Korea ; Lower Extremity ; Male ; Mortality ; Motor Vehicles ; Muscles ; Neck ; Poisoning* ; Prevalence ; Public Health ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Radius ; Skin ; Sprains and Strains ; Strikes, Employee ; Suicide ; Tibia ; Tuberculosis ; Ulna ; Upper Extremity ; Wounds and Injuries

In June 2005, Yonsei University Medical Center, Severance Hospital upgraded a full-PACS system by adding twenty (5 mega pixels) Totoku ME511L flat panel LCD display devices for diagnostic interpretation purposes. Here we report upon the quantitative (or visual) acceptance testing of the twenty Totoku ME511L display devices for reflection, luminance response, luminance spatial dependency, resolution, noise, veiling glare, and display chromaticity based on AAPM TG 18 report. The tools used in the tests included a telescopic photometer, which was used as a colorimeter, illuminance meter, light sources for reflection assessment, light-blocking devices, and digital TG18 test patterns. For selected 8 flat panel displays, mean diffuse reflection coefficient (Rd) was 0.019+/-0.02 sr(-1). In the luminance response test, luminance ratio (LR), maximum luminance difference (Lmax), and deviation of contrast response were 550+/-100, 2.0+/-1.9%, and 5.8+/-1.8%, respectively. In the luminance uniformity test, maximum luminance deviation was 14.3+/-5.5% for the 10% luminance of the TG18-UNL10 test pattern. In the resolution test with luminance measurement method, percent luminance (Delta L) at the center was 0.94+/-0.64%. In all cases of noise testing, rectangular target in every square in the three quadrants was visible and all 15 targets except the smallest one in the every corner pattern and the center pattern. The glare ratio (GR) was 12,346+/-1,995. The color uniformity, (u',v'), was 0.0025+/-0.0008. Also, the research results of quality control guideline of primary disply devices suitable for domestic circumstance are presented. All test results are in-line with the criteria recommended by AAPM TG18 report and are thus fully acceptable for diagnostic image interpretation. As a result, the acceptance testing schedule described provides not only an acceptance standard but also guidelines for quality control, optimized viewing conditions, and a means for determining the upgrading time of LCD display devices for diagnostic interpretation.
Academic Medical Centers ; Appointments and Schedules ; Glare ; Noise ; Quality Control* ; Spatial Analysis

In spite of the many improvements in arthroscopic surgical techniques for the treatment of mild to moderate degree degenerative joint diseases which were resistant to conservative treatment, the results are variable, showing a tendency to decline in therapeutically following the passage of time. Using a 2.1 un holmium: YAG laser we operated on patients with mild to moderate degenerative joint diseases which had not improved through conservative treatment. We evaluated the results of arthroscopic laser surgery for degenerative joint disease and investigated the proper indication and complications of laser surgery. We operated on 28 knees of 28 patients between July 1995 and June 1996. There were 16 females and 12 males. The average follow-up period was 16.3 months and the average age was 54.5 years. Under epidural or general anesthesia, we used arthroscopic tools, including laser, and the laser power was modified according to the type of operation (chondroplasty: 1.0Jx20pulse/sec, meniscectomy: 2.0Jx15pulse/sec, bone drilling: 2.5Jx10 pulse/sec). We used Bauer & Jackson's classification of articular cartilage change, and performed 12 laser chondroplasties in grade II, III, V lesions, 16 chondroplasties and laser bone drilling in grade IV, VI lesions, 16 laser meniscectomies, 6 laser synovectomies and 2 lateral retinacular releases. Medial femorotibial arthritis was the most common site. Postoperative results by Orgilvis-Harris & Fitsialos's methods indicated that 82% of treated patients were satisfied and only two patients (7%) did not improve. As a postoperative complication, eight patients complained of postoperative effusion which was subsided by medication and physical therapy. We performed second-look arthroscopic examinations in four knees that had been treated with laser chondroplasy and drilling. Regenerated tissues at the operated site were observed in three cases, but denuded articular cartilage and naked subchondral bone at the operated site were found in one case as a sign of osteonecrosis. Concluding this short-term study, 2.1 holmium: YAG laser in arthroscopic surgery seems to be effective in mild to moderate degenerative joint disease but care should be taken to avoid thermal injuries to the adjacent normal cartilages.
Anesthesia, General ; Arthritis ; Arthroscopy ; Cartilage ; Cartilage, Articular ; Classification ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Holmium* ; Humans ; Joint Diseases ; Knee Joint* ; Knee* ; Laser Therapy ; Lasers, Solid-State* ; Male ; Osteoarthritis* ; Osteonecrosis ; Postoperative Complications ; United Nations

Chronic hepatitis associated with the idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome has been very rarely reported worldwide. Recently, we experienced a case of chronic hepatitis with piecemeal necrosis as the clinical feature of the idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome. The patient was a 49-year-old woman who complained of a mild fever, nausea, vomiting, and pain in the right upper quadrant. The eosinophil count of peripheral blood increased up to 14,020/microliter (64% of WBC). Liver biopsy specimen showed severe porto-periportal inflammation with marked eosinophilic infiltration and ballooning degeneration of hepatocytes. Corticosteroid therapy significantly normalized the eosinophil count of peripheral blood.
Biopsy ; Eosinophils ; Female ; Fever ; Hepatitis, Chronic* ; Hepatocytes ; Humans ; Hypereosinophilic Syndrome* ; Inflammation ; Liver ; Middle Aged ; Nausea ; Necrosis ; Vomiting