No abstract available.
Cicatrix, Hypertrophic* ; Skin*

No abstract available.
World Health Organization* ; World Health*

communicable diseases. The purposes of the study is to estimate reporting proportion of National Notifiable Infectious Diseases(NNIDs) and investigate characteristics related to reporting using KAP(knowledge, attitude, practice) model. METHOD: We surveyed randomly selected 2,185 physicians (speciality: internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, dermatology, general physicians) of their knowledge, attitude, and practice of NNIDs reporting through self-administered mail questionnaires. Of them, 231 physicians responded (response proportion: 10.6%). RESULT: The reporting proportion was estimated to 27.0%. Recognition level (knowledge) of NNIDs was relatively high with proportion of 69.4%, and attitude (public health importance) of reporting was 65.8%. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that knowledge, attitude significantly affected physicians' reporting in a positive direction (O.R. 6.2, 6.2 respectively). Whereas, senior age group, specialty (family medicine, pediatrics, dermatology) showed significantly lower reporting. General (tertiary care) hospital level of care showed significantly higher reporting practice (alpha=0.05). CONCLUSION: The NNIDs reporting proportion, 27.0% is similar with those studied recently. Continuous efforts to increase the performance level of communicable diseases surveillance system. Of those, restructuring surveillance systems considering characteristics of notifiable diseases classes must be stressed. Educational approach of physicians needs to be tailored specially to newly-designated diseases such as Group II, Designated Group NNIDs.
Communicable Diseases* ; Dermatology ; Humans ; Internal Medicine ; Logistic Models ; Pediatrics ; Postal Service ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: Exercise testing is an importnat diagnostic and prognostic procedure in the assessment of patients with ischemic heart disease. But standard ST-segment depression criteria was not high enough to estimate coronary srtery disease. Recently, the heart rate adjustment of ST segment depression, ST segment/heart rate slope and index, have been proposed as a more accurate criteria for diagnosing significant coronary artery disease. The objective of this study was to compare the discriminating power of proposed ST segment/heart rate slope and index with that of a standard method of assessing exercise-induced ST segment depression for estimating coronary artery disease. METHODS: Sixty nine patients with ischemic heart disease were studied with exercise treadmill testing and coronary angiography. Computer-measured ST-segment amplitudes were obtained and analysis of the heart rate-adjusted ST segment depression(ST/HR slope and big up tri, Delta ST/HR index) was done. The sensitivity, specificity, and extent of coronary artery disease on each criteria were compared. RESULTS: 1) The sensitivity of big up tri, Delta ST/HR index partition of 1.6uV/beats/min was slightly higher(83%) and the specificity of ST/HR slope partition of 2.4uV/beats/min was higher(87%) than the standard exercise electrocardiographic criteria. 2) Early onset of ischemic ST-segment depression, profound ST-segment depression(> or =2mm), and downsloping ST-segment were associated with more extensive coronary artery disease. 3) On ST/HR slope, no CAD was 1.7+/-0.26uV/beats/min, one vessel disease was 2.6+/-0.34 uV/beats/min, two vessel disease was 2.7+/-1.36uV/beats/min, one vessel disease was 2.8+/-0.35uV/beats/min, and on big up tri, Delta ST/HR index, no CAD was 1.8+/-0.38uV/beats/min, one vessel disease was 2.8+/-1.36uV/beats/min, two vessel disease 3.4+/-1.44uV/beats/min, and three vessel disease was 3.7+/-2.95uV/beats/min. The increment of ST/HR slope and big up tri, Delta ST/HR index were associated with the coronary artery disease and its severity, but the correlations were not high enough. CONCLUSION: The heart rate adjustment of ST segment depression was not high enough for improved detection of coronary artery disease, compared with standard ST-segment depression criteria. But these indexes can be improved the clinical usefulness of the treadmill exercise test for coronary aretry disease.
Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Depression* ; Electrocardiography ; Exercise Test ; Heart Rate* ; Heart* ; Humans ; Myocardial Ischemia* ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Objective: To assess the safety and efficacy of lymphopseudoaneurysm (LPA) glue (n-butyl cyanoacrylate [NBCA]) embolization in the management of chylous ascites after retroperitoneal surgery. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis from January 2014 to October 2018 was performed in six patients (4 females and 2 males; mean age, 45.3 ± 14.2 years; range, 26–61 years) who underwent LPA embolization for chylous ascites developing after retroperitoneal surgery involving the perirenal space (four donor nephrectomies, one partial nephrectomy, and one retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy). After placing a percutaneous drainage catheter into the LPA or adjacent lymphocele, embolization was performed by filling the LPA itself with a mixture of glue and Lipiodol (Guerbet). Results: Daily drainage from percutaneously placed drains exceeded 300 mL/day despite medical and surgical treatment (volume: mean, 1173 ± 1098 mL; range, 305–2800 mL). Intranodal lymphangiography was performed in four of the six patients and revealed leakage in 2 patients. Percutaneous embolization of the LPA was successful in all patients using an NBCA and Lipiodol mixture in a ratio of 1:1–1:2 (volume: mean, 4.3 ± 1.1 mL; range, 3–6 mL). Chylous ascites was resolved and the drainage catheter was removed in all patients within 4 days after the procedure (mean, 2.0 ± 1.8 days; range, 0–4 days). No procedure-related complications or recurrence of chylous ascites occurred during a mean follow-up period of 37.3 months (range, 21.1–48.4 months). Conclusion Glue embolization of LPA has the potential to be a feasible and effective treatment method for the management of chylous ascites after retroperitoneal surgery.

PURPOSE: To introduce and assess the results of punctoplasty using a radiofrequency surgical unit for punctal stenosis. METHODS: Patients who complained of epiphora, had an intact lacrimal pathway below puncti, and underwent punctoplasty with the Ellman Surgitron F.F.P.F were evaluated in the present study. RESULTS: A total of 19 patients (31 eyes) were included in the study. The average age was 55 years (+/-15.7 years). At the last follow-up visit, 27 eyes (87%) had patent puncti, 1 eye became stenotic again, and 3 eyes were completely obstructed. Twenty-two eyes (71%) showed almost complete disappearance of dye on the fluorescein dye-disappearance test (FDDT). Twenty-five eyes (81%) had symptomatic improvement. No significant complication was reported postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: Punctoplasty with a radiofrequency surgical unit is a simple and effective method for punctal stenosis.
Constriction, Pathologic ; Eye ; Fluorescein ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lacrimal Apparatus Diseases

Beyond the target of scientific researches, meditation is now one of the main tools for palliative and integrative medicine in Western society. Despite theof valuable heritages of meditation in Korea, meditation is not considered to have clinical implications as in Western medical society. It is partly due to the fact that while the mysterious aspect of meditation has been emphasized, a large number of scientific researches on meditation had not been known to Korean medical society. The authors reviewed several studies that examined the clinical effect of meditation and speculated its possibility as a method of clinical intervention.
Integrative Medicine ; Korea ; Meditation* ; Palliative Care ; Societies, Medical

Pedicle screw systems are stronger than previously used Harrington instruments. The systems have been thought to provide sufficient stability to the thoracolumbar burst fractures by merely short segment fusion. Currently some authors reported the metal failure and the loss of correction after the short segment instrumentations. Thirty-nine patients with thoracolumbar burst fractures underwent the long segment pedicle screw instrumentation and anterior interbody fusion at Ewha University Hospital from January 1991 to October 1993. Of these patients, thirty-two were reviewed in an attempt to analyze the result of the operation technique. The mean follow-up was 26 months. L1 was the most common level and twenty patients had neurologic deficits. The anterior decompression and interbody fusion were performed 2 weeks after the posterior instrumentation. We encouraged early ambulation with TLSO brace as soon as possible. Bony union was obtained in all cases and completed at an average 4.4 months after the operation. The average preoperative kyphosis, 17.4 became 3 after the operation and it was measured 4.2 at the final follow-up. The average correction loss was 1.2. Of the twenty patients with neurologic deficit, ten improved by one Frankel grade and four improved by two grades. Postoperative complications were three cases of the donor site pain. There was no metal failure. These data suggest that the long segment pedicle screw instrumentation and anterior interbody fusion are able to provide sufficient stability and the recommendable procedure for the thoracolumbar burst fractures than short segment instrumentation.
Braces ; Decompression ; Early Ambulation ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Kyphosis ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Pedicle Screws ; Postoperative Complications ; Spine ; Tissue Donors

Primary heterotopic ossification has been previously noted in abdominal laparotomy scars, but the presence of ectopic bone within the peritoneum is extremely rare and chracterized by new bone formation in a tissue which does not normally undergo ossification. Our patient in a 59-year-old man who underwent operation for acute cholecystitis had formation of heterotopic bone involving mesentery of intestine. The features of various types of ectopic calcification are discussed, and several theories concerning the pathogenesis and treatment of heterotopic ossification are examined.
Cholecystitis, Acute ; Cicatrix ; Humans ; Intestines* ; Laparotomy ; Mesentery* ; Middle Aged ; Ossification, Heterotopic* ; Osteogenesis ; Peritoneum

PURPOSE: Acute abdominal pain can be the result of many different pathophysiological processes. Among the many possible causes, acute mesenteric ischemia is a life threatening condition if the diagnosis is delayed. Generally, the mortality rate for other disease has gradually decreased; however, the mortality rate for acute mesenteric ischemia has not changed significantly and it continues to be 75% to 80% for acute mesenteric arterial embolism or thrombosis and 44% for acute mesenteric venous thrombosis. The aim of this study was to conduct an analysis of the clinical characteristics and mortality of the patients with acute mesenteric ischemia according to the etiology. METHOD: From 1989 to 2004, 43 patients were treated for acute mesenteric ischemia. Their mean age was 59 years, ranging from 24 to 81, and the male to female gender ratio was 24:19. We retrospectively analyzed their initial symptoms, the age and gender distribution, the treatment modalities and the mortality rates. RESULT: The causes of acute mesenteric ischemia were arterial embolism in 27 cases, arterial thrombosis including arterial dissection in 7 cases and venous thrombosis in 9 cases. Almost all of the patients complained of acute abdominal pain and abdominal tenderness. The overall mortality rate was 30.2% and the rates were 37.0% for mesenteric artery embolism, 42.9% for mesenteric artery thrombosis and 0% for mesenteric venous thrombosis. CONCLUSION: In this study, the causes of acute mesenteric ischemia were mesenteric artery embolism and thrombosis, including dissection and mesenteric venous thrombosis. The factors influencing the mortality were the cause of the acute mesenteric ischemia, the extent of involvement of the mesenteric vessels and the extent of bowel necrosis. Thus the most important things for the treatment of acute mesenteric ischemia are early diagnosis and proper treatment.
Abdominal Pain ; Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Embolism ; Embolism and Thrombosis ; Female ; Humans ; Ischemia* ; Male ; Mesenteric Arteries ; Mortality ; Necrosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Thrombosis ; Venous Thrombosis