OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the success rates of the manual and motor-driven mini-screw insertion methods according to age, gender, length of mini-screws, and insertion sites. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 429 orthodontic mini-screw placements in 286 patients (102 in men and 327 in women) between 2005 and 2010 at private practice. Age, gender, mini-screw length, and insertion site were cross-tabulated against the insertion methods. The Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test was performed to compare the success rates of the 2 insertion methods. RESULTS: The motor-driven method was used for 228 mini-screws and the manual method for the remaining 201 mini-screws. The success rates were similar in both men and women irrespective of the insertion method used. With respect to mini-screw length, no difference in success rates was found between motor and hand drivers for the 6-mm-long mini-screws (68.1% and 69.5% with the engine driver and hand driver, respectively). However, the 8-mm-long mini-screws exhibited significantly higher success rates (90.4%, p < 0.01) than did the 6-mm-long mini-screws when placed with the engine driver. The overall success rate was also significantly higher in the maxilla (p < 0.05) when the engine driver was used. Success rates were similar among all age groups regardless of the insertion method used. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, the motor-driven insertion method can be helpful to get a higher success rate of orthodontic mini-screw placement.
Female ; Hand ; Humans ; Male ; Maxilla ; Private Practice ; Retrospective Studies

A 60-year-old man with bilateral corneal opacity underwent cataract extraction surgery involving the use of a limbal relaxing incision in his left eye. He had lower lid ectropion and lagophthalmos in both eyes. Eleven days after the surgery, a slit-lamp examination revealed a neurotrophic corneal ulcer with a punch-out epithelial defect and rolled edges at the center of the pre-existing corneal opacity. The patient was treated with sodium hyaluronate, autologous serum, and oral doxycycline. Six weeks after the surgery an improvement in corneal sensation was observed and the neurotrophic corneal ulcer subsequently healed over the course of one year. In this report, we present a case of neurotrophic keratitis that occurred after performing cataract surgery concurrent with a limbal relaxing incision. As such, we suggest that limbal relaxing incisions should be performed cautiously in patients with causative risk factors for corneal hypesthesia.
Cataract Extraction/*adverse effects/*methods ; Corneal Diseases/etiology ; Corneal Ulcer/*etiology/*pathology/physiopathology ; Humans ; Hypesthesia/etiology ; Limbus Corneae/*surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures/*adverse effects ; Phacoemulsification ; Wound Healing

PURPOSE: To report a case of nasal-type NK/T cell lymphoma occurring in the sphenoid and ethmoid sinuses of an orbital apex syndrome patient. CASE SUMMARY: A 61-year-old male patient visited our hospital for the impairment of vision in the right eye for the previous month, and for right-side blepharoptosis, pain around the eyeball, and limitation of extraocular movement in the right eye for three days earlier. In MRI (magnetic resonance image) and CT (computed tomography), shades with vague boundaries were observed in the right sphenoid and ethmoid sinuses, and open biopsy and decompression were performed for the lesions. After the surgery, the vision of the right eye increased, and improvement was observed in the right blepharoptosis, the pain around the eyeball, and in the limitation of motility of the extraocular muscle in the right eye. The patient was diagnosed with nasal type NK/T cell lymphoma in biopsy, and radiotherapy and chemotherapy were performed.
Biopsy ; Blepharoptosis ; Decompression ; Ethmoid Sinus ; Eye ; Humans ; Lymphoma ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Muscles ; Orbit ; Vision, Ocular

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the utility of cementless extensively porous coated femoral stem in the patients older than 70 years, who had received a bipolar hemiarthroplasty. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From June 1996 to June 2001, this study reviewed the clinical and radiographic results of 31 femoral neck fracture patients (31 hips, 9 men and 22 women), who underwent a bipolar hemiarthroplasty using a cementless extensively porous coated femoral stem, were 70 years or older and were followed up more than 2 years. The mean age at surgery was 79.3 (70-84). The mean follow up period was 31.2 months (range, 24 to 52). The clinical and radiological results were evaluated by the Harris Hip Score (HHS) and the serial X-ray findings, respectively. RESULTS: Clinically, the mean HHS at the last follow up was 84.1 (69-92). Radiographically, there was no evidence of subsidence, pedestal and osteolysis of the femoral stem. A radiolucent line was observed in 11 cases, but there was no evidence of progression. Therefore, all femoral stems were confirmed to be stable. Stress shielding was observed in 22 cases, mild in 20 cases and moderate in 2 cases. CONCLUSION: Bipolar hemiarthroplasty using a cementless extensively porous coated femoral stem inpatients 70 years or older showed good clinical and radiological results. Therefore it is a useful prosthesis for bipolar hemiarthroplasty in patients 70 years or older.
Femoral Neck Fractures* ; Femur Neck* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemiarthroplasty* ; Hip* ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Male ; Osteolysis ; Prostheses and Implants

PURPOSE: A tension pneumothorax is a fatal condition that requires immediate intervention. Although a definitive treatment for a tension pneumothorax is a tube thoracostomy, needle decompression can provide temporary relief, that is lifesaving. The traditional procedure for needle decompression involves inserting a needle or catheter at the second intercostal space, the midclavicular line. Recent evidence suggests that the commonly used catheters do not have sufficiently penetrate the chest wall. There are also claims that a lateral approach to needle decompression is easier and safer than the traditional anterior approach. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the optimal approach for needle decompression for the Korean population by measuring chest wall thicknesses at the points used for both the anterior and the lateral approaches. METHODS: The chest wall thickness (CWT) of trauma victims who visited the Emergency Center of Pusan National University Hospital was measured by computed tomography (CT) images. The CWT was measured at the points used for the anterior and the lateral methods and was compared with the length of commonly used catheters, which is 45 mm. RESULTS: The mean CWT at the second intercostal space, the midclavicular line, was shorter than the CWT at the 5th intercostal space, the anterior axillary line. However, the percentage of patients whose CWT was greater than 45 mm was larger when measured anteriorly (8.2%) that when measure laterally (5.7%). Female patients and those older than 60 were more likely to have an anterior CWT greater than 45 mm (28.2% for females and 15.5% for those older than 60). CONCLUSION: The percentage of trauma victims in Korea whose CWT is greater than 45 mm is lower than the values previously reported by other countries. However, females and older patients tend to have thicker chest walls, so the lateral approach would be suggested when performing needle decompression for such patients with suspected tension pneumothoraces.
Catheters ; Decompression ; Emergencies ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Needles ; Pneumothorax ; Thoracic Injuries ; Thoracic Wall ; Thoracostomy ; Thorax

Hepatocellular calcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. It is important to diagnose HCC exactly before management is attempted. But, the clinical presentations and radiologic findings of liver abscess, HCC, and metastatic tumor to the liver may be quite similar, and procedures such as serum tumor marker assay, computerized tomography, and ultrasonography of the liver cannot make a specific diagnosis. We report a case of HCC successfully diagnosed by surgery which was misconceived as liver abscess and not improved by medical treatment.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/complications/*diagnosis/pathology ; Humans ; Liver/ultrasonography ; Liver Abscess/complications/*diagnosis/pathology ; Liver Neoplasms/complications/*diagnosis/pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

PURPOSE: The mortality and the amputation rates due to vascular trauma remain high despite advanced vascular surgical techniques and supportive management. The clinical features of patients with vascular trauma have not been well studied in the Korean population. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with vascular trauma and to develop a database and guidelines for improving the outcomes of treatment. METHODS: The medical records of 37 patients with traumatic vascular injuries who had visited in an emergency center between January 2002 and December 2006 were retrospectively reviewed and statistically analyzed. RESULTS: The mean age was 37.8 years, and the male-to-female ratio was 5.2 : 1. The mechanism of vascular trauma was penetrating in 18 patients and blunt in 19 patients. Upper extremities were most frequently injured (39.4%). The treatment methods were primary repair in 21 patients, exploratory laparotomies in 7, radiological interventions in 3, resections and graft interpositions of the pseudoaneurysm in 3, observations in 3 and a bypass graft in 1. Four out of the 37 patients died, and three of these who died had injuried abdominal vessels. Twenty-five of the patients recovered completely, four expired, seven had neuropathy in the course of treatement, one had his limb amputated, and one experienced wound necrosis. CONCLUSION: Peripheral vessel injuries are commonly accompanied by nerve, muscle, or tendon injuries. Patients without associated fractures or compartment syndrome had good prognosis. Although the time intervals from hospital arrival to definite treatment were the shortest among patients with blunt abdominal vascular injuries, three expired. Therefore, we offer a 'critical pathway' to improve the outcomes of patients with blunt abdominal vascular injury.
Amputation ; Aneurysm, False ; Compartment Syndromes ; Critical Pathways ; Emergencies ; Emergency Treatment ; Extremities ; Glycosaminoglycans ; Humans ; Laparotomy ; Medical Records ; Muscles ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Tendon Injuries ; Transplants ; Upper Extremity ; Vascular System Injuries

PURPOSE: This study investigated the compliance of the general public to the guidance conveyed by hospital emergency medical information centers. METHODS: This study included the incidences of inquiry on hospitals and clinics to Busan Emergency Medical Information Center by the general public for a 2-week period from January 4-17, 2009. Information obtained included general characteristics, time of hospital arrival and departure, length of hospitalization, hospitals visited, and treatment outcome. RESULTS: A total of 939 incidences of hospital guidance to the general public were examined. The degree of compliance was 71.2%, the ratio of the primary and secondary facility that the participants visited were 88.6% and 93.5% of the participants in this study were discharged from hospitals after their visit. Patients who complied with the information received displayed a shorter period of hospitalization than non-compliant patients. CONCLUSION: Emergency medical information centers may help ease the unnecessary use of emergency rooms by providing information on diseases to the general public and effectively distributing medical resources with guidance to proper hospitals according to the degree of symptoms.
Access to Information ; Compliance ; Emergencies ; Emergency Medical Services ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Incidence ; Information Centers

PURPOSE: This study investigated the compliance of the general public to the guidance conveyed by hospital emergency medical information centers. METHODS: This study included the incidences of inquiry on hospitals and clinics to Busan Emergency Medical Information Center by the general public for a 2-week period from January 4-17, 2009. Information obtained included general characteristics, time of hospital arrival and departure, length of hospitalization, hospitals visited, and treatment outcome. RESULTS: A total of 939 incidences of hospital guidance to the general public were examined. The degree of compliance was 71.2%, the ratio of the primary and secondary facility that the participants visited were 88.6% and 93.5% of the participants in this study were discharged from hospitals after their visit. Patients who complied with the information received displayed a shorter period of hospitalization than non-compliant patients. CONCLUSION: Emergency medical information centers may help ease the unnecessary use of emergency rooms by providing information on diseases to the general public and effectively distributing medical resources with guidance to proper hospitals according to the degree of symptoms.
Access to Information ; Compliance ; Emergencies ; Emergency Medical Services ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Incidence ; Information Centers

Crushing injury is a common in work place and require early judgment and assessment. However during shipping, it is impossible that patient is rapidly taken care in hospital. But in this case, crushed handed patient during shipping was early assessment and sutured by telemedicine. A healthy 28-year-old man had crushed hand during working. But this patient was on the sea, so could not use medical facilities. Using e-mailing and telephone by satellite, report-ed to the doctor that patient status. In order to doctor 's pre-scription, patient hand was sutured and prescribed medicines. So patient preserved good hand function and rapidly recovered. In the future, telemedicine will be useful and economic medical field in isolated areas to medical facilities or shipping.
Adult ; Electronic Mail ; Hand* ; Humans ; Judgment ; Ships ; Telemedicine* ; Telephone ; Workplace