BACKGROUND: Circardian variation in the onset of cardiovascular events includig sudden cardiac death, myocardial infarction and ventricular arrhythmias has been discribed. The frequency of ventricular premature complexes has also been reported to demonstrate a pattern consisting of a daytime peak and nightime nadir. We tried to see if the same circardian pattern is found in dilated cardiomyopathy patients. We have also studed how various modifying factors such as left ventricular ejection fration and ACE inhibitor use may affect the circardian pattern. METHOD: 24-hour ambulatory electrocaridiographic monitorings were performed in 50 dilated cardiomyopathy patients and 20 control subjects. Patients were prospectively divided in 2 groups based on LVEF and ACE inhibitor use. RESULTS: In dilated cardiomyopathy patients, the expected morning increase in VPC frequency is absent and show a peak in evening. This pattern is not correlated with heart rate. Evening peak is more prominent in low LVEF group and ACE inhibitor non-user group. CONCLUSION: In dilated cardiomyopathy patients, VPC frequency show a peak in the evening.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated* ; Death, Sudden, Cardiac ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction ; Prospective Studies ; Ventricular Premature Complexes*

BACKGROUND: To investigate the possibie difference, if any, between office blood pressure(BP) and home BP may be important in the diagnosis and treatment of hypersensive patients. This report deails the difference between the two BP's and the usefulness of digital electronic sphygmomanometer(DES) for self-monitoring of home BP. METHODS: The BP's of 14 patients with essential hypertension were measured with mercury sphygmomanometers at outpatient department by physician and with DES at home(twice a day) by the patients. Patients were followed up every 2 weeks for 4 weeks and previous 2 weeks' average home BP's were compared with the office BP's of each 2 weeks' end. RESULTS: There was a significant difference between office and home BP(both systolic and diastolic) ; office average BP(151/95mmHg) was higher than home average BP(136/86mmHg). CONCLUSION: Caution may be needed in the interpretation of office BP unless it is measured several times after adequate rest.
Blood Pressure* ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Outpatients ; Sphygmomanometers*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify effects of Massage therapy on feeding intolerance and physical growth in premature infants. METHODS: This study was conducted in the NICU of U university hospital, from June to December 2014. A quasi experimental design was used. A total of 60 premature infants were randomly assigned into two groups of 30 infants each. Infants of control group were given conventional treatment, while infants of experimental group given conventional treatment plus massage therapy. Massage therapy was performed for 15 minutes, 60 min before feeding, 3 times per day for 21 times over 7 days. The number of feedings withheld for feeding intolerance, number of gastric residuals, number of fecal excretions and physical growth variables (weight, height) were measured. RESULTS: After the intervention, number of fecal excretions and weight gain in the experimental group were significantly higher than that of the control group. Also, number of gastric residuals in the experimental group was lower than that of the control group. CONCLUSION: Massage therapy laid the basis for nursing intervention to promote feeding tolerance and physical growth in premature infants.
Enteral Nutrition ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature* ; Massage* ; Nursing ; Research Design ; Weight Gain

PURPOSE: This study was done to examine the association between body mass index (BMI) and any type of clinical dementia. METHODS: Participants were 60,321 people over 60 years of age enrolled in the Seoul Dementia Management Project in 2011. K-MMSE was used to classify participants as having a cognitive impairment and the Clinical Dementia Rating or DSM-IV by psychiatrists or neurologists to determine whether participants were in the dementia group or the non-dementia group. Descriptive statistics, chi-square test, and binary logistic regression analysis were performed. RESULTS: In the univariate analysis, age, education level, living with spouse, BMI, alcohol consumption, and exercise were significantly associated with dementia. In multivariable analysis, increasing age was positively associated with dementia, and educational level was negatively associated with dementia. The exercise group had a lower prevalence of dementia than the non-exercise group. The odds ratio of dementia in the over-weight and obese groups compared to the normal group was 0.85 (95% CI 0.60, 0.98) and 0.64 (95%CI 0.46, 0.75), respectively. CONCLUSION: Results indicate that dementia is negatively associated with increasing BMI in people aged 60 years or older, but a prospective cohort study is needed to elucidate the causal effect relationship between BMI and dementia.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Alcohol Drinking ; Body Mass Index ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Dementia/*epidemiology ; Exercise ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Residence Characteristics ; Risk Factors ; Smoking

No abstract available.
Flow Cytometry* ; Microscopy*

No abstract available.
Flow Cytometry* ; Microscopy*

Neonatal liver abscesses are rare, carry a high mortality rate, and are difficult to diagnose. The diagnosis of liver abscesses in the neonate cannot be established from the clinical presentation alone. Risk factors for liver abscesses in neonates are maternal infection, sepsis, umbilical venous catheterization, omphalitis, and necrotizing enterocolitis. In this report, we describe a preterm infant (32 weeks, 1,580 g) who presented with abdominal distension, respiratory difficulties, and a persistent inflammatory response in spite of broad spectrum antibiotic treatment; a large (6x5 cm) solitary pyogenic liver abscess was identified at 9 days of age. It appeared that the liver abscess had originated in the uterus and umbilical venous catheterization facilitated its spread. Percutaneous drainage under abdominal ultrasound guidance was performed and prolonged antibiotics were treated for 5 weeks, effecting a cure.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Catheterization ; Catheters ; Drainage ; Enterocolitis, Necrotizing ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Liver ; Liver Abscess ; Liver Abscess, Pyogenic ; Risk Factors ; Sepsis ; Uterus

PURPOSE: To evaluate the extent of lesion by using ultrasound biomicroscopy in eyelid tumor. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 17 patients with eyelid tumor, who had undergone preoperative ultrasound biomicroscopy to access the extent of the lesion and the depth of involvement, excision and biopsy. These data were compared to the histopathologic findings. RESULTS: On ultrasound biomicroscopic examination, the eyelid tumor showed greater homogeneous hypoechoic density or heterogenous echo density than that of the surrounding tissue, leading to identifying the lateral margin of the lesion and depth of involvement. The mean maximum thickness of the lesion measured by ultrasound biomicroscopy was 2.26 +/- 0.49 mm and that of the histopathologic depth was 2.22 +/- 0.56 mm. Linear regression demonstrated that lesion depth measured by ultrasound biomicroscopy was correlated with histopathologic depth. CONCLUSIONS: In eyelid tumor, ultrasound biomicroscopy is helpful in assessing the extent of the lesion and the depth of involvement preoperatively, and in obtaining good postoperative results.
Biopsy ; Eyelids* ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Microscopy, Acoustic* ; Retrospective Studies ; Ultrasonography*

No Abstract available.
Ankle* ; Sarcoidosis* ; Tenosynovitis*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of biofeedback 1 treatment and functional electrical stimulation in stress incontinence patients as a physiotherapy and to know which factors affect on the outcome. MATERIALS AND METHOD: A group of 65 patients with stress incontinence were treated with combined alternating biofeedback and intravaginal electrical stimulation during 12 sessions, each 21 minutes in length, during 6 weeks. All patients had type l or ll stress incontinence. RESULTS: At immediate post treatment, subjective cure(complete dryness) rate was 15% and improvement(recovery to avoid other forms of treatment) rate was 60% and failure rate was 25%. Thus, the overall success rate for this treatment was 75%. In 49 patients who had all scheduled sessions and good compliance, subjective cure rate was 14% and improvement rate was 71%, but in 16 patients not to have good compliance, cure rate was 19%, improvement rate was 25%. In compliant patients, the result of 3 months after treatment showed cure rate was 11%, improvement rate was 54%. Compliance with reatment was the most significant parameter predictive of a good outcome(p<0.01) and the degree of stress incontinence was also significant in compliant patients(p<0.05). No clinical correlation with outcome was found in age, type, severity of cystocele, pelvic muscle strength, initial degree of vaginal contraction. Intravaginal pressure increased by an average of 10cmH20. Increased vaginal pressure was found in 93% of the patients and at least 50%improvement was 61%. Urge incontinence and urgency were present in 10(15%) and 19(29%) of the patients and improvement including cure was found 90% in urge incontinence and 89% in urgency. CONCLUSIONS: Biofeedback treatment and functional electrical stimulation is more effective for the patients who have good compliance, low degree stress incontinence and combined bladder irritation symptoms. In order to attain and maintain good results, a well structured biofeedback and functional electrical stimulation program that teaches specific muscle exercise should be used and the patients should be followed by a maintenance program and reinforcement.
Biofeedback, Psychology* ; Compliance ; Cystocele ; Electric Stimulation* ; Humans ; Muscle Strength ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Incontinence* ; Urinary Incontinence, Urge