OBJECTIVES: It has been constantly reported that mismatch negativity (MMN) is impaired in patients with schizophrenia. However, the mechanism which relates impaired MMN and schizophrenia is not clear yet. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between MMN and clinical variables including functional status in patients with schizophrenia. METHODS: The present study assessed MMN using passive auditory oddball task in 26 patients with schizophrenia and 48 healthy controls. Repeated measures Analysis of Variance with age as a covariate was carried out for comparing peak amplitude and latency of MMN at 8 central line electrodes (FPz, Fz, FCz, Cz, CPz, Pz, POz, Oz) across groups. Pearson's correlation was performed to reveal the relationship between MMN and clinical variables including neurocognitive test results and the Global Assessment of Functioning score. RESULTS: MMN amplitude was significantly reduced in patients with schizophrenia compared with healthy controls. Pearson's correlation showed that subsets of short form of Korean Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale scores and GAF scores were associated with MMN amplitude in patients with schizophrenia. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that MMN amplitude is associated with current functional status including cognitive function in patients with schizophrenia.
Adult ; Analysis of Variance ; Electrodes ; Humans ; Intelligence ; Schizophrenia*

In 1868 Charcot described the joint in tabes dorsalis, which since then has been designated as Charcot neuroarthrophathy. It is characterized by painless swelling and abnormal mobility of the affected joint. Arthrophthy of the type described by Charcot has been associated with various other conditions, such as diabetes mellitus, syringomyelia, injury to nerve root, congenital indifference of pain, leprosy, and intra articular use of steroid, etc. Authors present a case of Charcot spine due to tabes dorsalis.
Diabetes Mellitus ; Joints ; Leprosy ; Spine ; Syringomyelia ; Tabes Dorsalis

The authors has been reviewed the 123 cases, 119 patients of ankle fracture that were treated through the admission and outpatient Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Chungnam National University, from September, 1974 to January, 1982. The summary of the' results were follows: l. Among the 123 cases, male was 94 cases(76.4%), female was 29 cases, and the average age of the patients was 34.9 years. 2. The causes of the injury was traffic accidents, fall or slip downs and sports injuries in orders. 3. By the Lauge-Hansens classification, pronation-external rotation ty'pe and supination-adduction type were more common than the others. 4. Open reduction and internal fixation were more commonly used in its treatment than that of the closed method. 5. The better radiological assessment could be achieved by. obtaining the anatomical reduction and the reduction was more satisfactorily by the use of the key role of the lateral malleolus. 6. The overall results were more supported by the radiological results than the clinical results.
Accidents, Traffic ; Ankle Fractures ; Ankle ; Athletic Injuries ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Classification ; Clinical Study ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Methods ; Orthopedics ; Outpatients

A global effort was made to respond to COVID-19 using convalescent plasma therapy. The United States Food and Drug Administration Emergency Use Authorization facilitated rapid deployment, enabling the treatment of 94,287 patients by August 2020. The guidelines continuously evolved to emphasize the importance of a high titer plasma and specific immunocompromised patient groups. Korea has developed guidelines for treatment with convalescent plasma based on the successful treatment of two patients. By December 2023, convalescent plasma was collected from 67 donors at nine blood centers and transfused to 67 patients at 10 hospitals in Korea. The Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies recommendations, based on recent research, are believed to encompass the therapeutic effects of convalescent plasma therapy in COVID-19 patients. Korea initially considered convalescent plasma but experienced difficulties in development because of the switch to hyperimmune globulin and monoclonal antibodies. The insights gained from COVID-19 convalescent plasma treatment will be helpful in future pandemics caused by new infectious agents, underscoring the importance of domestic readiness for timely policy implementation.

BACKGROUND: Circadian rhythms have been described for many cardiovascular phenomenon, both physiologic and pathologic. However, its frequency of onset in nonsustained ventricular tachycardia(NVT) has rarely been studied. Hence, this study was performed to examine the occurence of circardian rhythm in patients with NVT and to access underlying factors affecting it. METHOD: Among about 2000 patients who had undergone 24-hour Holter recordings between 1988 and August 1992, 46 patients with one or more ventricular tachyardia(VT) episode were selected. In this group, subjects receiving antiarrhythmic drug, including beta blockers were excluded. RESULTS: The frequency of onset of circadian rhythm in NVT peaked between 10 to 11AM and 6 to 7PM. In patiens younger than 60 years, its frequency was highest between 9 AM to 12 noon and 6 to 8 PM, whereas peak occurred around 9 AM in the morning in other age groups. In addition, circadian rhythm was more frequent in female NVT patients between 9 to 11 AM, while peaking between 6 to 8 PM in male patients. Moreover, higher frequency was shown during the day in patients with underlying heart disease, although the peak occurred in 9 AM and 8 PM in patients without any heart disease. CONCLUSION: In NVT patients, the frequency of onset of circadian rhythm varied with time of the day, showing nearly equal peaks in the morning and in the evening. This is similar to rnythms described for acute myocardial infarction and sudden death. Furthmore, the occurrence was affected by age, sex and presence of underlying disease.
Circadian Rhythm ; Death, Sudden ; Female ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Male ; Myocardial Infarction ; Tachycardia, Ventricular*

Gastritis cystica polyposa(GCP) is a polypoid cystic lesion showing all the histological features of the hyperplastic polyps and the cysts penetrating through the mucularis mucosae. Most reported GCP lesions were developed at gastraenterostomy stomas. It is rare that GCP develops without history of previous gastroenterostomy. In 1990, however, Kim et al reported a GCP presenting as a submucosal tume-like lesion in a 69-year-old man. Recently, we had experienced two consecutive cases of GCP diagnosed by endoscopic polypectomy. The first case was 49-year-old housewife without history of previous gastric surgery. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy(EGD) showed a 2.0x1.5x1.5cm sized lobulated polypoid lesion with a broad stalk on the anterior wall of the distal antrum. The second case was 45-year-old woman without history of previous gastric surgery. EGD revealed a 1.0 x 1.0 x l.0 cm sized polypoid lesion with a pedicle on the greater curvature aspect of the upper body and two duodenal ulcers with pseudodiverticulum formation. These lesions were endoscopically polypectomized and diagnosed as GCP by the histologic examination.
Aged ; Duodenal Ulcer ; Female ; Gastritis* ; Gastroenterostomy ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Mucous Membrane ; Polyps

Purpose: /Objectives: To determine predictors of fall events in hospitalized patients with cancer, and identification of fall risk. Methods: An analysis of medical records was conducted together with a review of standardized fall reports of 565 patients admitted between January 1 and December 31, 2020. The collected data were analyzed with the chi-squared test, Fisher exact test, independent t-test, and logistic regression analysis using STATA 17 program. Results: There was a statistically significant increased fall risk; accompanied by a guardian (OR=10.30 CI=2.66~39.94), number of attachment devices (OR=1.30, CI=0.46~0.64), medication (OR=0.17, CI=0.04~0.84), pain (OR=4.73, CI=1.59~14.0), walking problem (OR=29.85, CI=9.31~95.74), chemotherapy (OR=5.20, CI=1.81~14.89), and fall risk score (OR=1.83, CI=1.50~2.24). Conclusion These findings can serve as academic evidence to support the role of nurses in assessing the risk of fall events/accidents with regard to cancer patients and the development of individually adjusted fall assessment tools.

BACKGROUND: To compare flexible ring with rigid ring for annular remodeling and hemodynamic changes of left ventricle (LV) in mitral valve repair (MVR) at short term interval. METHODS: From January 1998 to March 2001, 35 patients with mitral valve prolapse underwent mitral valve repair with ring annuloplasty. The mean age of these patients was 49 years. Eighteen patients underwent mitral annuloplasty with Carpentier-Edwards Classic-ring (Group A). Seventeen patients underwent mitral annuloplasty with Physio-ring (Group B). LV fun-ction and annulus size were assessed by echocardiography on the day before operation and 2 to 3 months later. Mitral annular motion had been examined by means of the extent of mitral annular systolic excursion (MASE) as measured in two longitudinal LV segments (septal and lateral). RESULTS: 1) In valve pathology, anterior leaflet lesion was 14 cases, posterior was 14, combined lesion was 7 cases. 2) At all, left ventricular end-systolic dimension, left ventricular end-diastolic dimension and LV mass decreased postoperatively. But, no differences existed between the groups. 3) Postoperatively (after 2-3 months), echocardiograms in 35 patients demonstrated no mitral regurgitation (MR) in 16 cases, trace to mild MR in 17 cases, moderate MR in 2 patients. In Classic-ring group, MR was demostrated in 11 cases (61%). In Physio-group, MR was demonstrated in 8 cases (47%). 4) Postoperatively, mitral valve area increased significantly only in patients with Physio-ring (1.93+/-0.33 vs 2.38+/-0.92, p<0.05). 5) No differences existed between the groups in MASE. CONCLUSION: There are the significant reduc-tion in cardiac chambers and annulus size and improvement of LV function after both types of ring annuloplasty at short term result. There are no significant differences between Classic-ring and Physio-ring except 2 cases postrepair SAM (systolic anterior motion) of mitral valve in Classic-ring.
Echocardiography ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Heart Ventricles* ; Hemodynamics* ; Humans ; Mitral Valve Annuloplasty ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency ; Mitral Valve Prolapse* ; Mitral Valve* ; Pathology

Convalescent plasma therapy has been used to achieve passive immunization against diverse infectious agents by administering pathogen-specific antibodies. Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), which originated in Wuhan, China, has recently become a major concern all over the world. There are no specific treatment recommendations for COVID-19 because of the lack of knowledge and evidence about this virus. Convalescent plasma therapy can be used as an empirical and investigational treatment for COVID-19, and so we briefly describe the main issues related to convalescent plasma therapy from the perspective of transfusion medicine.

Background: Due to the importance of the cold chain related to vaccine transportation, it is necessary to establish a blood cold chain operation strategy by checking the status of blood transportation from blood donation to transfusion. Methods: The blood transportation system and blood storage facilities were checked by inspecting the Korean Red Cross (KRC) Blood Centers and its affiliated supplier and Hanmaeum Blood Center. The status of the cold chain was evaluated through an interview with the quality control manager or blood supply team leader. For the hospital, the status was investigated from the perspective of the 30-min rule. A questionnaire survey was conducted for medical technicians and nurses working at the hospital. Results: Data on temperature during transport of blood components were computerized, and all standards were met. A nationwide network that could supply blood from the blood supply center to the hospitals within 2 hours was established. The frequency of temperature monitoring in the blood transport box and constant temperature check in the transport box during long-distance transport were evaluated. Conclusion This study confirmed that blood storage and transportation in Korea complied with the cold chain standards of high-income countries or higher. The evaluation of the cold chain is a constantly evolving process requiring continuous attention. When standards for storage and transportation of blood products are established, strict regulations and examinations will be required.