BACKGROUND: Recent data suggest that the colonization rate of group B streptococci(GBS) in pregnant women and the incidence of neonatal infections by GBS is increasing trend in Korea, but the antimicrobial susceptibilities and serotypes in pregnant women have not been reported in Korea. So, we studied to define the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns and frequency of serotypes of GBS in pregnant women. METHODS: The susceptibility and serotyping of 60 GBS isolates from 27 pregnant women and four isolates from their two neonates were tested by an agar dilution method and agglutination test, respectively. The typing sera used in this study were Ia, Ib, II, III, IV, and V. RESULTS: Minimal inhibitory concentration range of 60 GBS from pregnant women were penicillin G 0.015-0.12 microgram/ml, vancomycin 0.5-2 microgram/ml, clindamycin 0.015-4.0 microgram/ml, chloramphenicol 2-4 microgram/ml, erythromycin 0.015-2 microgram/ml, tetracycline 0.5-256 microgram/ml, cephalothin 0.12-0.25 microgram/ml, ceftriaxone 0.03-0.12 microgram/ml, respectively. The resistance rate of GBS were 6.7% to clindamycin, 0% to erythromycin, and 98.3% to tetracycline. Most of GBS serotypes from pregnant women in decreasing order were Ib(48.3%), Ia(24.1%), III(20.7%). CONCLUSION: All GBS strains isolated from pregnant women are highly susceptible to commonly used antimicrobial agents with the exception of tetracycline. The low prevalence of severe neonatal GBS infections in Korea is not due to the absence of serotype III, but probably due to a low genital carriage rate of GBS by pregnant women.
Agar ; Agglutination Tests ; Anti-Infective Agents ; Ceftriaxone ; Cephalothin ; Chloramphenicol ; Clindamycin ; Colon ; Erythromycin ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn ; Korea ; Penicillin G ; Pregnant Women* ; Prevalence ; Serotyping ; Tetracycline ; Vancomycin

Purpose: This study was undertaken to compare the efficacy of instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) and a neural dynamic technique (NDYT). As an intervention to treat spastic lower limb muscle tone, stiffness, and static balance in stroke patients. Methods: Totally, 26 participants were assigned randomly to two groups: the IASTM (n=13) and NDYT (n=13) groups. Both groups were subjected to their respective technique for 15 minutes, 5 times a week, for 6 weeks. Muscle tone, stiffness, and static balance were evaluated before and after training, to compare both group changes. Results: IASTM group showed significant decrease in the gastrocnemius medial region and semitendinosus muscle tone and stiffness (p<0.05) compare to NDYT group; however, no significant different was observed in static balance between groups (p>0.05). Conclusion The results suggest that IASTM is an effective method for decreasing the muscle tone and stiffness in acute stroke patients.

Purpose: This study was undertaken to compare the efficacy of instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) and a neural dynamic technique (NDYT). As an intervention to treat spastic lower limb muscle tone, stiffness, and static balance in stroke patients. Methods: Totally, 26 participants were assigned randomly to two groups: the IASTM (n=13) and NDYT (n=13) groups. Both groups were subjected to their respective technique for 15 minutes, 5 times a week, for 6 weeks. Muscle tone, stiffness, and static balance were evaluated before and after training, to compare both group changes. Results: IASTM group showed significant decrease in the gastrocnemius medial region and semitendinosus muscle tone and stiffness (p<0.05) compare to NDYT group; however, no significant different was observed in static balance between groups (p>0.05). Conclusion The results suggest that IASTM is an effective method for decreasing the muscle tone and stiffness in acute stroke patients.

No abstract available.
Diagnosis* ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Ectopic* ; Ultrasonography*

OBJECTIVE: To compare the balance parameters, the diabetes mellitus (DM) composite score representing the severity of diabetic polyneuropathy, and the neuropathy impairment score-lower limb (NIS-LL). METHOD: Thirty patients with DM were studied. Subjects were evaluated with nerve conduction study in upper and lower extremities, DM composite score, and NIS-LL, various balance parameters such as plantar pressure difference of both sides and unipedal standing time. The subjects who could not stand without support by any reasons were excluded. RESULTS: NIS-LL showed strong correlation with DM composite score (r(s)=0.683) and unipedal standing time (r(s)=0.663) (p<0.01). NIS-LL also revealed moderate correlation with plantar pressure difference of both sides (r(s)=0.512) (p<0.05). DM composite score showed strong correlation with unipedal standing time (r(s)=0.646) (p<0.01), but revealed no significant correlation with plantar pressure difference of both sides (r(s)=0.137) (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: NIS-LL was considered to have clinical usefulness in the evaluation of balance problems related to DM.
Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetic Neuropathies ; Extremities ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Neural Conduction

Many patients regard tonsillectomy as a minor operation because it is performed frequently. Although tonsillectomy is considered a relatively safe surgical procedure, numerous complications have been described. The common complications are hemorrhage, infection, and following anesthesia, aspiration, cardiac arrhythmia, and laryngeal trauma. Cervicofacial emphysema and pneumomediastinum are rarely observed sequelae of surgical intervention in the upper aerodigestive tract. Although these complications resolve spontaneously in most cases, a few cases result in tension pneumothorax and other life-threatening conditions. Symptoms include chest pain, neck pain, dyspnea and odynophagia. Treatment involves frequent assessment of the airway and extent of the emphysema. The authors of the present study report of a patient who developed pneumomediastinum shortly after an adenotonsillectomy as well as a review of the related literature.
Anesthesia ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Chest Pain ; Dyspnea ; Emphysema ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Mediastinal Emphysema ; Neck Pain ; Pneumothorax ; Subcutaneous Emphysema ; Tonsillectomy

A 67-year-old male visited Pusan Veterans Hospital due to general weakness and weight loss for 6 months. Physical examination showed non-tender 4 finger breaths sized splenomegaly and both inguinal and cervical lymphadenopathy. The white blood cell count was 25,300/uL with 91% morphologically mature lymphocytes. Bone marrow aspirate revealed hypercellularity with 74.5% lymphocytes morphologically similar to peripheral lymphocytes. The immunophenotpying study of lymphocytes displayed the phenotype of CD19(+), CD20(+), HLA-DR(+), sIg(+) but CD5(-). We concluded that this patients's diagnosis is CD 5 negative B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
Aged ; B-Lymphocytes* ; Bone Marrow ; Busan ; Diagnosis ; Fingers ; Hospitals, Veterans ; Humans ; Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell* ; Leukocyte Count ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Lymphocytes ; Male ; Phenotype ; Physical Examination ; Splenomegaly ; Weight Loss

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to evaluate the influence of maternal age on embryo quality and the frequency of multiple pregnancy in IVF-ET program. METHOD: 86 conventional IVF-ET cycles were divided into three groups according to the age by 5 year (group A: 26-30, group B: 3135, group C: 36-40 yrs). The in vitro fertilization and development outcome (fertilization, cleavage and high quality embryo rate) and the pregnancy outcome (pregnancy, implantation, G-sac/high quality embryo and multiple pregnancy rate) were examined. And then, these results were compared among the groups. RESULTS: The rates of fertilization (62.7, 68.5 and 65.4%, respectively) and cleavage (95.6, 97.6 and 98.0%, respectively) were not different among the groups. And the high quality embryo (HQE) rate also was not different among the groups (61.8, 62.9 and 62.8%, respectively). The pregnancy rate of group C (23.3%) was significantly lower than that of group A (41.2%) and B (48.7%). And the implantation rate was significantly decreased to group B (32.2%) and C (14.3%) when compared to group A (71.4%) and B (36.8%). CONCLUSION: The pregnancy rate was significantly decreased over 35 years. The G-sac/HQE and multiple pregnancy rate were significantly high below 31 years. Thus, these results suggest that the number of high quality embryo transferred should be limited by the age and another criteria for embryo quality evaluation were required for single embryo transfer.
Embryonic Structures* ; Female ; Fertilization ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Maternal Age* ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Pregnancy Rate ; Pregnancy, Multiple* ; Single Embryo Transfer

No abstract available.

We report a rare case of tricuspid valve and pulmonary valve endocarditis associated with a double-chambered right ventricle in an adult female with pulmonary artery aneurysm and septic pulmonary embolism by Streptococcus mitis. She was treated with aggressive antibiotic therapy followed by debridement of the infective lesion of tricuspid valve, pulmonary valve replacement using xenograft and resection of obstructing muscular bundles in right ventricle.
Adult ; Aneurysm ; Debridement ; Endocarditis* ; Endocarditis, Bacterial ; Female ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Heart Ventricles* ; Heterografts ; Humans ; Pulmonary Artery ; Pulmonary Embolism ; Pulmonary Valve* ; Streptococcus mitis ; Tricuspid Valve