No abstract available.
Alcoholics* ; Ego* ; Humans

In an effort to develop novel mushroom-derived anti-obesity nutraceuticals, water and ethanol extracts containing the lipaseinhibitory compound from Phellinus linteus were prepared, and their nutritional components were determined. The optimal conditions for the extraction of P. linteus lipase inhibitor involved the treatment of the fruiting bodies with distilled water at 80degrees C for 72 hr and 80% ethanol at 100degrees C for 60 hr, respectively. The distilled water extract and ethanol extract contained 10.9% and 6.11% of crude protein, and 0.96% and 15.86% of crude fat, respectively. Additionally, the distilled water extract contained a large quantity of minerals, including 239.5 mg of K, 39.3 mg of Mg, and 39.3 mg of Na. The free amino acid content of the distilled water extracts was also higher than that of the ethanol extracts, and in particular, the distilled water extracts contained 5,139 mg of asparagine, 3,891 mg of tryptophan, 2,598 mg of alanine, and 2,066 mg of serine in 100 g of the distilled water extracts. 100 g of the distilled water and ethanol extracts were found to contain 12.31 g and 8.16 g of malic acid, respectively.
Alanine ; Asparagine ; Dietary Supplements ; Ethanol ; Fruit ; Lipase ; Malates ; Minerals ; Serine ; Tryptophan ; Water

PURPOSE: To study whether preoperative fasting would influence postoperative prognosis and to measure the variation of the ketone body amount and ketone body ratio, kidney function during the postoperative period in the model of 90% hepatectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Total of 180, seven weeks old, male, specific pathogen free Sprague-Dawley rats, divided into two groups of the fasted and the fed. First, 80 rats were divided into two groups of 40 each; 40 of that were denied food for 48 hours before the operation, other 40 were fed. Following 90% hepatectomy they were investigated by Kaplan-Meier method, drawing a survival curve. Secondly, 100 rats were divided into two groups of 50 each, 50 of that were denied food for 48 hours before the operation, and the other 50 were fed. Following 90% hepatectomy, they were investigated by the method of Student's T-test and Mann-Whitney test on the following: the amount of arterial ketone body in the blood in the blood sampled from abdominal aorta, reading at preoperative 48 hours, at the time of operation, postoperative 6 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours periods. RESULTS: The mean survival time after operation: the fasted group was 53.0+/-3.7 hours and the fed group was 34+/-1.7 hours and it had the statistical significance(p=0.0008). Rats which had long term survival over 72 hours were 14(35%) in fasted group, but only 2(5%) in fed group. In preoperative fasted group arterial ketone body ratio was recovered earlier than fed group and ketone body amount elevated, but in preoperative fed group, there was no significant change in ketone body amount. Blood glucose level lowered in both groups. Blood ammonia was severely increased in preoperative fed group, suggested bad liver function and destruction of muscle. BUN and blood creatinine was elevated in preoperative fed group, suggested lowered kidney function. CONCLUSION: Preoperative fasting has a positive influence on survival of the rats which has acute liver failure induced by 90% hepatectomy, because it could be caused by increased ketone body amount by preoperative fasting.
Ammonia ; Animals ; Aorta, Abdominal ; Blood Glucose ; Creatinine ; Fasting* ; Hepatectomy* ; Humans ; Kidney ; Liver ; Liver Failure ; Liver Failure, Acute ; Male ; Postoperative Period ; Prognosis ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms ; Survival Rate

No abstract available.
Alcoholism* ; Mass Screening*

OBJECTIVE: Regionalization is one of the principal subjects for the advancement of rural emergency medical service systems in South Korea. This study shows the characteristics of interhospital transfer and status of the incidence of three major emergency disorders (acute myocardial infarction [AMI], acute stroke, and severe trauma) in one local province. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted for patients with three major emergency disorders who visited emergency medical facilities in one local province from January 2013 to December 2015, on the basis of the National Emergency Department Information System (NEDIS) data. RESULTS: The incidence of three major emergency disorders had increased annually. Patients with each of these disorders tended to choose distinguishing methods of visiting emergency medical facilities. AMI patients tended to visited emergency medical facilities using private cars or on foot, while severe trauma patients usually visited by 119 ambulance, and acute stroke patients used 119 ambulance and private car in similar amounts. Overall, 65% of AMI patients were treated in intraregional medical facilities, but about 70% of acute stoke and severe trauma patients were transferred outside of the region. CONCLUSION: Because each of these disorders has an individual characteristic, it is difficult to expect a solution for the problems associated with emergency disorders just by assuring the availability of medical resources. Based on regionalization, a policy to provide the optimal treatment for those emergency disorders should be developed by planning public medical service systems based on the individual characteristics of emergency disorders, the standardized transfer plans of emergency patients and the assurance for mobilization and sharing of confined medical resources.
Ambulances ; Chungcheongnam-do* ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Medical Services ; Emergency Service, Hospital* ; Foot ; Humans ; Incidence ; Information Systems ; Korea ; Myocardial Infarction ; Patient Transfer ; Retrospective Studies ; Stroke

Sodium silicate is generally used for laundering and dishwashing and for anti-fire and anti-water agents. Liquid forms of sodium silicate (water, glass) have extremely high pH values that the range from 12.5 to 13. Thus, ingestion of this material causes various caustic injuries to the digestive tract. Management of alkali ingestion includes decontamination, dilution, and surgical treatment. A widely performed surgical treatments for these cases are emergency laparotomies for repair of perforations and palliative care for stricture or obstruction of the injured hollow viscus organs. Recently, early and extensive surgical management based on an endoscopic evaluation was introduced for severe alkali injuries. Endoscopy is not only a safe and reliable tool for diagnosis but also is important in the treatment of and the prognosis for alkali ingestion. We report the case of a 48-year-old man presenting to the emergency department with an intentional ingestion of an anti-water agent for cement work. That agent contained sodium silicate. Fiberoptic endoscopy of the upper digestive tract showed severe alkali burns in the stomach, including edema, hemorrhage and necrosis. Surgery was performed to remove the necrotic tissue and to prevent progression to a critical status. We carried out a total gastrectomy, Roux-Y anastomosis, segmental resection of proximal jejunum and a feeding jejunostomy. After the operation, there were no complications associated with either the surgery or the caustic injury. The patient was discharged in good general condition with oral feeding status. In conclusion, for severe alkali ingstion, we recommend early surgical resection of injured organs identified by using an endoscopic evaluation.
Alkalies* ; Burns ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Decontamination ; Diagnosis ; Eating* ; Edema ; Emergencies ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Endoscopy ; Gastrectomy* ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Jejunostomy ; Jejunum ; Laparotomy ; Laundering ; Middle Aged ; Necrosis ; Palliative Care ; Prognosis ; Silicates ; Sodium ; Stomach

OBJECTIVE: A system for reinforcing the patient safety has been established based on RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology in order to minimize a variety of potential medical errors which can take place in hospitals. The system is intended to prevent simple errors or misunderstandings attributed to manifold surgery, transfusion, and medication errors. METHODS: The RFID system was developed and established in one general hospital. The system was applied to managing the patient in the run-up to surgery during anesthesia preparation, transfusion, and anticancer medications, of which procedure information and the patient information are rechecked for assurance, respectively. RESULTS: With regard to the technological aspects, the system used 13.56 MHz of spectrum bandwidth and tags complying with ISO 15693 standard. The tag readers varied with the work, PDAs in the intensive care unit, and laptop computers in the anesthesiology department and on the general wards. After applying the system, we surveyed user's usage and satisfaction. CONCLUSION: The results of our survey indicated a high level of satisfaction with the RFID system in terms of reinforcing the patient's safety in medical environments. Respondents stated that patients were likely to wear an electronic bracelet, even if inconvenient, with their information revealed on the wrist and while going through extended medical procedures. Nurses had intentions to utilize the RFID system for managing hospital assets and tracking patients. A revitalization of the RFID system would be network stability, including the network environment, as well as quantitative effectiveness analysis.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesiology ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Electronics ; Electrons ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Hypogonadism ; Intensive Care Units ; Intention ; Medical Errors ; Medication Errors ; Mitochondrial Diseases ; Ophthalmoplegia ; Patient Safety ; Patients' Rooms ; Radio Frequency Identification Device ; Track and Field ; Wrist

Primary ovarian pregnacy is a rare form of ectopic pregnacy of which an estimated overall incidence is highly variable, but improved diagnosis of acute hemoperitoneum of ovarian may reveal a higher incidence than reported earlier. Ovarian pregnancy is uaually accompanied with the rupture of the ovary and massive hemoperitoneum. It usually presents with abdominal pain, menstural irregularities, vaginal bleeding, a palpable adnexal mass and other symptoms which are very similar to those of tubal ectopic pregnacy and hemorrhgic corpus luteum cysts. Risk factors to ovarian pregnancy include a history of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), prior pelvic surgery, and use of an intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUD). We have experienced three cases of ovarian pregnancy, which are presented with a brief review of the literature.
Abdominal Pain ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Hemoperitoneum ; Incidence ; Intrauterine Devices ; Ovarian Cysts ; Ovary ; Pelvic Inflammatory Disease ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Ectopic* ; Risk Factors ; Rupture ; Uterine Hemorrhage

Primary ovarian pregnacy is a rare form of ectopic pregnacy of which an estimated overall incidence is highly variable, but improved diagnosis of acute hemoperitoneum of ovarian may reveal a higher incidence than reported earlier. Ovarian pregnancy is uaually accompanied with the rupture of the ovary and massive hemoperitoneum. It usually presents with abdominal pain, menstural irregularities, vaginal bleeding, a palpable adnexal mass and other symptoms which are very similar to those of tubal ectopic pregnacy and hemorrhgic corpus luteum cysts. Risk factors to ovarian pregnancy include a history of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), prior pelvic surgery, and use of an intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUD). We have experienced three cases of ovarian pregnancy, which are presented with a brief review of the literature.
Abdominal Pain ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Hemoperitoneum ; Incidence ; Intrauterine Devices ; Ovarian Cysts ; Ovary ; Pelvic Inflammatory Disease ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Ectopic* ; Risk Factors ; Rupture ; Uterine Hemorrhage

PURPOSE: The incidence of multiple trauma is increasing nowadays and is the leading cause of death among young adults. Initial treatment is well known to be crucial in multiple trauma victims. However, many indiscriminate transfers occur due to the lack of a well-organized trauma system in Korea. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the current serious state in which major trauma patients are transferred to the Emergency Medical Center of a university hospital from another medical center. METHODS: From November 2009 to October 2010, we performed a retrospective study to analyze the characteristics of patients who visited the Ajou University Medical Center located in Gyeonggi-do. We evaluated the ISS (injury severity score), and a score over 15 point was identified as major trauma. The major trauma patients were separated into two groups according to the visit route, and the characteristics of each group were analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 88,862 patients who visited to the Emergency Medical Center, trauma patients accounted for 19,950, and 343 of them were evaluated as major trauma patients. Among the 343 patients, 170 patients had been transferred from other medical centers. The proportion of males to females was 3.3:1, and the mean ISS was 22.7. The leading cause of trauma was motor vehicle accidents. Of the total 170 patients, 77.6% were admitted to the Intensive care unit and 36.3% underwent surgery. The 170 patients that had been transferred to our medical center, 78.8% were transferred from Gyeonggi-do, 15.3% were transferred from other regions, and 5.9% were miscellaneous. CONCLUSION: Almost half of the major trauma victims treat at our medical center had been transferred from other medical centers. Establishing a traumatic system, supported by well-organized trauma centers and emergency medical services, that can reduce inappropriate transfers among medical facilities is essential.
Academic Medical Centers ; Cause of Death ; Emergencies ; Emergency Medical Services ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Injury Severity Score ; Intensive Care Units ; Korea ; Male ; Motor Vehicles ; Multiple Trauma ; Retrospective Studies ; Trauma Centers ; Young Adult