PURPOSE: This study was performed to evaluate the width of symphysis pubis and its radiographic appearance in different age and sex, and it was aimed to establish a radiographic diagnosis criteria for diastasis of the joint. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The width and the appearance of symphysis pubis were observed by pelvic X-ray in 92 males and 169 females who had no history of any joint disease. The mean width of symphysis pubis was calculated and data were analyzed by age, sex and parity using student t-test. RESULTS: The mean width of symphysis pubis was 2.88+/-0.71 mm in male group and was 3.24+/-0.68 mm in female group. It was 3.34+/-0.84 mm in parturient and 2.82+/-0.55 mm in nullipara and the difference between these two groups was significant (P<0.05). Osteoarthritic changes were noted in most cases over 60 irrespective of sex. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results from this study and reported value of physiological relaxation of symphysis pubis through pregnancy and labor, a separation over 6 mm and/or a vertical migration over 3mm can be diagnosed as diastasis of symphysis pubis. This criteria would facilitate the earlier diagnosis of relaxation and separation of this joint by labor or trauma.
Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Joint Diseases ; Joints ; Male ; Parity ; Pregnancy ; Radiography ; Relaxation

The purpose of the study was to investigate two areas as a basis for providing an educational program for pulmonary rehabilitation. A) the learning needs about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and B) the perception of nurses of the same learning needs. The subjects consisted of 57 patients, with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, at the general hospital in Seoul and 71 nurses, who were working in the medical ward. Data was obtained from a "learning need" questionnaire between October 29 and November 19, '99. Data was analyzed using SAS program for t-test, ANOVA, Scheff test. The result were as follows: 1. The learning needs of the nurses(mean 4.36 +/- .38) were higher than those of the patients (mean 3.56 +/- .83). (t=6.78, P=.001) 2. The highest ranked patient education needs were as follows ; a)"how to control dyspnea", b)"cause for activating dyspnea", and c)"how to minimize the necessity of oxygen in daily living": and nurses' learning needs were ; a)"how to cope with the risk situation", b)"management after discharge", and c)"how to control dyspnea". 3. In the patient group, those who had a college degree or higher education and paid their own hospital expenses were higher in the learning needs. According to the above results, we should consider an educational program which is realistic and effective for patients by evaluating the items the patients really want to learn about and how much they know about the evaluated items.
Education ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Learning* ; Oxygen ; Patient Education as Topic ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive* ; Rehabilitation ; Seoul ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine the frequency and characteristics of needlestick/sharps injuries (NSIs) in nursing students in Korea. METHODS: The study was based on a survey of questionnaires completed by 341 nursing students who had sustained at least one NSI during clinical practice in hospitals. RESULTS: The NSI incidence rate was 36.4%. Approximately half of the students reported two to four NSIs. Most (90.2%) of the NSIs occurred on the fingertips and were caused by a hollow-bore needle (46.8%) or lancet (45.8%). Some students were exposed to used needles contaminated with unknown pathogens (37.3%), HBs Ag (2.3%), Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) (0.8%), or HIV (0.6%). Students cited the reason for injury as carelessness, inexperience, hastiness, or recapping. Almost two-thirds of students who reported having experienced an NSI knew about post-exposure treatment. However, only one-third of the students with NSIs completed an official report. CONCLUSION: Korean nursing students lack knowledge about injury prevention, report procedures, and treatment after NSI. A revised educational approach with emphasis on occupational risk, skill development, and injury reporting is necessary to prevent NSI and to ensure that students obtain post-exposure prophylaxis.
Dietary Sucrose ; HIV ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Needles ; Needlestick Injuries ; Post-Exposure Prophylaxis ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases ; Students, Nursing ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: Cardiopulmonary bypass during open heart surgery causes systemic inflammatory respose. IL-10 is an anti-inflammatory cytokine that inhibits inflammatory process and protects organ function by down regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokine release and maintenance of blood level balance with pro-inflammatory cytokines. MATERIAL ateial and Method: Plasma IL-10 levels were measured and analyzed in 22 patients who underwent open heart surgery (11 cases of coronary artery bypass graft, 11 cases of valve replacement) under cardiopulmonary bypass since 1988 January to July at Department of Thoracic and Czardiovascular surgery, Yeungnam University Hospital. 1g of methylprednisolone was administrated to thirteen patients randomly. Blood samp.es were taken and collected at the time of induction of anesthesia, 10 min before cardiopulmonary bypass, 10 min after starting of CPB, 10 min aftr aortic cross clamping, 10 min after ACC release, and 10 min, 2 hours, and 5 hours after CPB respectively. The plasma levels of IL-10 were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Wilcoxon-Raule Sum test was used for statistical analysis. In all 22 patients, cardiopulmonary bypass time was used for statistical analysis. In all 22 patients, cardiopulmonary bypass time was 171+/-41.4 min and aortic cross clamp time was 118+/-36.5 min. Peak IL-10 level was achieved at 10 min after ACC (361.0+/-52.81pg/ml) and was decreased sharply at 2 hours after CPB. Peak IL-10 level was correlated positively with aortic cross clamp time (p=0.011); however, it did not correlated with bypass time (p=0.181). In valve replacement group, mean IL-10 level at peak point was 567.89+/-107.69 pg/ml and was significantly higher than that of coronary artery bypass group (205.67+/-192.70 pg/ml) (p<0.001). ACC time in valve replacement group was significantly longer than that of coronary artery bypass group (p<0.01), however, bypass time was not (p=0.212). Thirteen patients with steroid pretreatment before starting of CPB showed relatively higher plasma IL-10 level than in control group, however, no statistical significance was noted (p=0.19). CONCLUSION: plasma level of IL-10 was increased in association with cardiopulmonary bypass and revealed peak at 10 min after ACC release. IL-10 level was correlated positively with ACC time. Therefore, systemic inflammatory respeonse in association with cardiopulmonary bypass could be decreased by reducing ACC time during cardiac surgery.
Anesthesia ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass* ; Constriction ; Coronary Artery Bypass ; Cytokines ; Down-Regulation ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Interleukin-10* ; Methylprednisolone ; Plasma ; Thoracic Surgery ; Transplants

The long QT syndromes have been classified into acquired or inheritary forms, both of which are associated with a characteristic type of life-threatening polymorphic ventricular tachycardia called torsade de points. Beta-adrenergic blocker is the first cholic treatment, but in those whom cardiac events are not prevented by beta - blockade, left thoracic sympathetic ganglionectomy may be useful in selected cases. A 50-year-old woman had an recurrent syncopal attack in which she was unconscious for 1-2 min and 1-2 times a month for 10 years. The EKG revealed that QT & QTc intervals were 744 and 632 msec respectively. Treatment with Beta-adrenergic blocker and calcium channel blocker was ineffective in preventing recurrence of syncopal spell. Therefore, she underwent left thoracic sympathetic ganglionectomy with thoracoscope. During the 9 months after operation, she was free of syncopal episodes and is doing well.
Calcium Channels ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Ganglionectomy* ; Humans ; Long QT Syndrome* ; Middle Aged ; Recurrence ; Syncope ; Tachycardia, Ventricular ; Thoracoscopes*

Isolated congenital aneurysm of the left atrium with intact pericardium is a rate anomaly, which usually presents with arrhythmia, cerebral embolism or abnormalities on routine chest X-ray. Surgery is indicated in most cases to eliminate a potential source of systemic emboli and arrhythmias. A 42-year-old woman having cervical cancer, she was suspected of having a left atrial aneurysm on review of chest X-ray and confirmed by echocardiography and cardiac catheterization. Surgical resection of Left atrial aneurysm was achieved without complication using median sternotomy with cardiopulmonary bypass. The postoperative course was uneventful.
Adult ; Aneurysm* ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Cardiac Catheterization ; Cardiac Catheters ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Heart Atria* ; Humans ; Intracranial Embolism ; Pericardium ; Sternotomy ; Thorax ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

PURPOSE: The relationship between menopausal status at diagnosis and the prognosis in breast carcinoma remains uncertain. However, it is widely considered that breast cancer in young women is more lethal than in older patients. We therefore attempted to determine whether menopausal status could be a useful prognostic factor for breast cancer. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted of premenopausal women who had undergone a definite operation between Jan. 1997 and Dec. 1998 in the Department of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center. Clinical features, histopathologic findings, and prognostic factors were evaluated and compared with those for the equivalent surgical group of postmenopausal women. RESULTS: There were 207 cases (86.3%) of infiltrating ductal carcinomas, 10 (4.2%) of infiltrating lobular carcinomas, 6 (2.5%) of ductal carcinomas in situ, and 16 (6.7%) of special type cancers which showed good prognosis. There were some differences in these incidences from those of the postmenopausal women, but they were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Tumor size and lymph nodal status showed no difference between the two groups (P=0.288), nor were there any significant differences in terms of TNM stage, ER/PR status, nuclear or histologic grade (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: There were little differences in pathologic and prognostic factors between premenopausal and postme no-pausal breast cancer patients. Premenopausal status and young age did not have poorer prognostic factors and were predicted to have not worse prognosis.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Carcinoma, Ductal ; Carcinoma, Lobular ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: The relationship between menopausal status at diagnosis and the prognosis in breast carcinoma remains uncertain. However, it is widely considered that breast cancer in young women is more lethal than in older patients. We therefore attempted to determine whether menopausal status could be a useful prognostic factor for breast cancer. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted of premenopausal women who had undergone a definite operation between Jan. 1997 and Dec. 1998 in the Department of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center. Clinical features, histopathologic findings, and prognostic factors were evaluated and compared with those for the equivalent surgical group of postmenopausal women. RESULTS: There were 207 cases (86.3%) of infiltrating ductal carcinomas, 10 (4.2%) of infiltrating lobular carcinomas, 6 (2.5%) of ductal carcinomas in situ, and 16 (6.7%) of special type cancers which showed good prognosis. There were some differences in these incidences from those of the postmenopausal women, but they were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Tumor size and lymph nodal status showed no difference between the two groups (P=0.288), nor were there any significant differences in terms of TNM stage, ER/PR status, nuclear or histologic grade (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: There were little differences in pathologic and prognostic factors between premenopausal and postme no- pausal breast cancer patients. Premenopausal status and young age did not have poorer prognostic factors and were predicted to have not worse prognosis.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Carcinoma, Ductal ; Carcinoma, Lobular ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies

This study was undertaken for the clinical analysis and evaluation on 121 patients with incompetent internal os of the cervix, who were admitted and treated with McDonald operation or Shirodkar operation at the Soonchounhyang Medical Center from January 1991 to December 1995. The results of this study were as follows : 1. The incidence of this IIOC was 1.1% of 11,116 cases of total delivery. 2. The mean age of IIOC was 31.7 years old. 3. The average number of gravida was 3.2. 4. The most common contributary factor was previous history of artificial abortion (51.2 %), and midtrimester abortion (17.4 %), cervical laceration due to previous vaginal delivery (8.3 %) etc. was followed. 5. The success rate of operation was 76 %, and the highest success rate (85.7 %) was reveald with period from 15th weeks to 16th weeks of gestation. 6. When cervical dilatation was abscent or small, the success rate of operation was high. 7. The factors of failed operation were preterm labor (58.7 %), PROM (34.5 %), and PIH, bleeding. 8. The delivery method after operation was vaginal delivery in 83 cases (68.6%) and cesarean section in 38 cases (31.4 %).
Cervix Uteri* ; Cesarean Section ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Incidence ; Labor Stage, First ; Lacerations ; Obstetric Labor, Premature ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second

Individual tumors, even those of the same histologic type, show varying sensitivity to specific cytotoxic agent. Therefore, sensitivity testing assume an increasingly important as an orientational aid in planning chemotherapy. In the past decade there have been many attempts to develop a chemosensitivity test that would predict the clinical effectiveness of various chemostherapeutic agents against human neoplasms. In the United States National Institue's anticancer drug screening program, a colorimetric assey based on the ability of live cells to reduce a tetrazolium-base compound(MTT) to a blue formazan product was used. There has been an increase in reports of a chemosensitivity assay that use tetrazolium dyes and current the assay is in use in our country. The efficacy of several anticancer drug (vincristine sulfate, Etoposide, doxorubicin CDDP) were evaluated using the in vitro chemosensitivity of MTT assay with two cancer cell lines (MOLT-4, KHOS/NP). The follows obtained. 1) CI50 on MOLT-4 are 0.55ng/ml and 0.81ng/ml for vincristine and oncovin, 142.30ng/ml and 78.75ng/ml for lastet and vepesid, and 19.75ng/ml, 20.43ng/ml and 8.66ng/ml for ADR, ADM and adriblastin, respectively. 2) CI50 on KHOS/NP are 691.35ng/ml, 873.73ng/ml, 1,205.22ng/ml, 768.81ng/ml and 672.19ng/ml for cisplan, cisplatin, cispatin, platinol and cisplatin G, and 9.22ng/ml, 11.46ng/ml and 4.28ng/ml for ADR, ADM and adriblastin, respectively. In conclusion the MTT dye reduction assay to anticancer drug sensitivity using short-term microplate culture might serve as a reliable tool for the selection of effective chemotherapeutic agents in patients with cancers.
Cell Line ; Cisplatin ; Coloring Agents ; Doxorubicin ; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical ; Drug Therapy ; Etoposide ; Humans ; United States ; Vincristine