We reviewed 217 patients (270 cases) of thoracic and lumbar fractures and fracture-dislocations, who were treated at Hanyang University Hospital from January, 1977 to December, 1985. We classified spinal injuries according to three column theory and then analyzed the cause of injury, sex-age distribution, treatment and neurological injuries. The results were as follows: 1. The cases were classified into 4 different categories according to the three column theory; compression fractures (191 cases, 70.7%), burst fractures (54 cases, 20.0%), fracture-dislocations(22 cases, 8.2%), and seat belt type injuries (3 cases, 1.1%). And each of these 4 different categories was then subdivided into subtypes. 2. The most common cause of injury was fall from a height (45.2 %). 3. The neurological injuries were occurred in 21 patients (9.7%). The 16 patients with neural deficit in fracture-dislocation, 15 patients were flexion rotation type. The 5 patients with neural deficit in burst fracture, all were incomplete neural deficits. 4. The greatest advantage of Luque instrumentation was an early rehabilitation without external surport.
Classification ; Fractures, Compression ; Humans ; Paralysis ; Rehabilitation ; Seat Belts ; Spinal Injuries ; Spine

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to develop a Korean version of the Participatory Action Oriented Training (PAOT) program and training materials for improvement of agricultural working environments. METHODS: The PAOT manual and checklist were developed on the basis of the original English version of the training materials, a questionnaire survey of agricultural health and safety professionals, and a brainstorming conference. Good example pictures were collected through visits to agricultural workers' houses, and an easily understandable picture was drawn by an animation specialist. A PAOT action manual and five types of action checklists were developed for use in different agricultural environments. Each action checklist contained six categories and 38 items of agricultural health and safety principles; the six categories were material storage and handling, work stations and tools, machine safety, physical environment, working schedule and organization, and basic health and safety management. Incorporating these training materials, a one-day Korean PAOT program was developed. RESULTS: Among 307 candidate agricultural workers from four rural Korean villages, 94 workers (59 males, 35 females) participated in a PAOT from July 2007 to Oct 2008. The PAOT program was successful and the mean self-estimated satisfaction score of the participants was greater than 90%. CONCLUSIONS: A Korean PAOT program and training materials were successfully developed and applied to Korean agricultural workers. Although more studies are needed, it is expected that PAOT will greatly contribute to the improvement of agricultural working conditions and health and safety through the use of agricultural workers' self initiatives.
Appointments and Schedules ; Checklist ; Farmers ; Handling (Psychology) ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Safety Management ; Specialization ; Surveys and Questionnaires

The rupture of ventricular septum complicating acute myocardial infarction requires prompt recognition for the correct management of the patient. The diagnosis of this condition had required right heart catheterization. We performed two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography in patients with systolic murmur after acute myocardioal infarction. Ventricular septal defect was found at lower interventricular septum by mapping technique of pulsed wave Doppler system and obtained high velocity Doppler tracting by continuous wave Doppler echocardiography. Doppler echocardiography could be useful noninvasive method for detection of ventricular septal rupture after acute myocardial infarction.
Cardiac Catheterization ; Cardiac Catheters ; Diagnosis ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular* ; Humans ; Infarction ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Rupture ; Systolic Murmurs ; Ventricular Septal Rupture ; Ventricular Septum

PURPOSE: An investigation has been carried out on the factors which affect the response reading of thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD-100) loaded with thin material in high energy photon. The aim of the study was to assess the energy response of TLD-100 to the therapeutic ranges of photon beam. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this technique, TLD-100 (abbreviated as TLD) chips and three different thin material (Tin, Gold, and Tissue equivalent plastic plate) which mounted on the TLD chip were used in the clinical photon beam. The thickness of each metal plates was 0.1 mm and TE plastic plate was 1 mm thick. These compared with the photon energy dependence of the sensitivities of TLD (normal chip), TLD loaded with Tin or Gold plate, for the photon energy range 6 MV to 15 MV, which was of interest in radiotherapy. RESULTS: The enhancement of surface dose in the TLD with metal plate was clearly detected. The TLD chips with a Gold plate was found to larger response by a factor of 1.83 in 10 MV photon beam with respect to normal chip. The sensitivity of TLD loaded with Tin was less than that for normal TLD and TLD loaded with Gold. The relative sensitivity of TLD loaded with metal has little energy dependence. CONCLUSION: The good stability and linearity with respect to monitor units of TLD loaded with metal were demonstrated by relative measurements in high energy photon (6~15 MV) beams. The TLD laminated with metals embedded system in solid water phantom is a suitable detector for relative dose measurements in a small beam size and surface dose.
Metals ; Plastics ; Radiotherapy ; Tin ; Water

OBJECTIVE: The object of this study was to assess the accuracy of dipyridamole stress intravenous (IV) myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) using pulse inversion harmonic imaging and PESDA in the detection of perfusion defect in the patients with coronary artery disease in comparison with dipyridamole stress Tc-99m sestamibi SPECT. METHODS: Total 46 patients (29 males, mean age 64 years old) were consecutively enrolled. Patients with prior myocardial infarction were excluded. MCE and Tc-99m sestamibi SPECT were performed at the same day during rest and after 0.56 or 0.84mg/Kg dipyridamole infusion. Continuous IV infusion of PESDA (2-5 mL/min) was administered while obtaining triggered (1:1) end-systolic apical 2, 4 chamber and long axis views. Tc-99m sestamibi was injected 3 minutes after dipyridamole. Tc-99m sestamibi SPECT images were obtained one hour later. Coronary angiography was followed within two days in all patients. Tc-99m sestamibi SPECT images were matched to the sixteen segments of left ventricle according to American Society of Echocardiography for segmental comparison. Both images were analyzed visually. Results Using coronary angiography as the standard, MCE showed overall sensitivity of 70.7%, specificity of 95.8%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 87.8% and negative predictive value (NPV) of 88.5% in the detection of coronary atherosclerosis (70% stenosis). Tc-99m sestamibi SPECT showed sensitivity of 75.6%, specificity of 98.9%, PPV of 96.8% and NPV of 90.6%. The overall concordance rate between MCE and Tc-99m sestamibi SPECT for the detection of perfusion defects was 86.9% (Cohen's kappa value 0.63) according to the coronary territory and 86.8% (Cohen's kappa value 0.55) according to segmental analysis. CONCLUSION: Dipyridamole stress IV MCE using pulse inversion harmonic imaging and PESDA is feasible and comparable to Tc-99m sestamibi SPECT in identifying significant coronary stenosis and inducible myocardial perfusion defects in the patients with coronary artery disease. MCE using pulse inversion harmonic imaging seems to be a promising modality for assessing myocardial perfusion in the patients with suspected coronary artery disease.
Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Stenosis ; Dipyridamole ; Echocardiography* ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans* ; Male ; Myocardial Infarction ; Perfusion* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

Many factors including social rejection, family problems, loss of educational opportunity, fear, prejudice and ignorance of leprosy compound the inherent psychologicaI stress of leprosy. In light of these problems we have undertaken a study to evaluate the psychological status of several selected groups of leprasy patients. We first studied 340 leprosy patients living in resettlement villages and 304 healthy people living in similar isolated areas. We used a self report symptom inventory, SCL-90 (symptom check list-90), and compared the two-groups. (countinued..)
Humans ; Leprosy* ; Prejudice ; Self Report ; Social Distance

PURPOSE: LiF TLD has a problem to be used in vivo dosimetry because of the toxic property of LiF. The aim of this study is to develop new dosimeter with LiF TLD to be used in vivo dosimetry. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We designed and manufactured the teflon box(here after TLD holder) to put TLD in. The external size of TLD holder is 4x4x1 mm3. To estimate the effect of TLD holder on TLD response for radiation, the linearity of TLD response to nominal dose were measured for TLD in TLD holder. Measurement were performed in the 10 MV x-ray beam with LiF TLD using a solid water phantom at SSD of 100 cm. Percent Depth Dose (PDD) and Tissue-Maximum Ratio (TMR) with varying phantom thickness on TLD were measured to find the effect of TLD holder on the dose coefficient used for dose calculation in radiation therapy. RESULTS: The linearity of response of TLD in TLD holder to the nominal dose was improved than TLD only used as dosimeter. And in various measurement conditions, it makes a marginnal difference between TLD in TLD holder and TLD only in their responses. CONCLUSION: It was proven that the TLD in TLD holder as a new dosimetry could be used in vivo dosimetry.
Polytetrafluoroethylene ; Silver Sulfadiazine ; Water

No abstract available.
Alopecia* ; Minoxidil*

Antioxidants oppose the toxic actions of lipid peroxides and oxygen radicals, and they limit the amount of lipid peroxides formed. Women with normal pregnancies have an increase in oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation when compared with nonpregnant women. The antioxidants also increase progressively with advancing gestation, and the antioxidants in the fetus also increase with advancing gestation, especially during late gestation. The purpose of this study is to investigate the diefference of antioxidant status in maternal and neonatal plasma according to the delivery type. So, we investigated the status of antioxidant in the maternal and neonatal plasma when compared normal vaginal delivery with Cesarian section without labor. This study was done under the hypothesis that labor pain is originated from the hypoxic state of myometrium during uterine contraction. The number of women who were studied was total 56, 24 women were delivered by normal vaginal delivery and 32 women were done by Cesarean section without labor. The blood was sampled during active labor and postpartum 24 hour in the case of normal vaginal delivery, the women who were done Cesarean section being sampled before operation and 24 hours after operation. The neonatal blood was sampled from cord, birth 1 day and 3 day. The antioxidant levels were measured by Total Antioxidant Status (Randox Laboratory Ltd., UK) kit. The results were as follows. 1. The mean maternal plasma antioxidant status was not significantly different according to delivery types and not significantly different when compared antepartum with postpartum (vaginal delivery; antepartum: 1.54+/-0.31 mM/L, postpartum: 1.58+/-0.32 mM/L, Cesarean section; antepartum: 1.55+/-0.29 mM/L, postpartum: 1.56+/-0.33 mM/L). 2. The neonatal antioxidant status was not significantly different between the neonates who were born by vaginal delivery and the neonates who were born by Cesarean section. The neonatal plasma antioxidant status was increased progressively after birth (cord: birth 1 day: birth 3 day=1.46+/-0.25 mM/L: 1.59+/-0.25 mM/L: 1.79+/-0.37 mM/L). Therefore, labor pain was not seems to be significantly affect the maternal and neonatal plasma antioxidant status. And the neonatal antioxidant status was increased for adaptation to the external environment after birth.
Animals ; Antioxidants ; Cesarean Section ; Female ; Fetus ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Labor Pain ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Lipid Peroxides ; Mice ; Myometrium ; Oxidative Stress ; Parturition ; Plasma* ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Toxic Actions ; Uterine Contraction

From May 1979 through December 1981 a total of 524 patients with carcinoma of the uterine cervix were treated by radiation therapy with curative intent. Among the 524 patients, 356 were treated with a high-dose-rate (HDR), remote-controlled, afterloading intracavitary irradiation (ICR) system using a cobalt source (Ralstron), and 168 patients received a low-dose-rate (LER) ICR using a radium source. External beam irradiation with a total dose of 40-50 gy to the whole pelvis followed by intracavitary irradiation with a total dose or 30-39 gy in 10-13 fractions to point A was the treatment protocol ICR was given three times a week with a dose of 3 gy per fraction. Five-year actuarial survival rates in the HER-ICR group were 77.6% in stage IB (N=20), 68.2% in stage II (N=182), and 50.9% in stage III (N=148). In LDR-ICR group, 5-year survival rates were 87.5% in stage IB (N=22), 66.3% in stage II (N=91), and 55.4% in stage III (N-52). Survival rates showed a statistically significant difference by stage, but there was no significant difference between the two ICR groups. Late bowel complications after radiotherapy were noted in 3.7% of the HDR-ICR group and 8.4% of the LDR-ICR group. There was no severe complication requiring surgical management. The incidence of bladder complications was 1.4% in the HDR-ICR group and 2.4% in the LDR-ICR group. The application of HDR-ICR was technically simple and easily performed on an outpatient basis without anesthesia, and the patients tolerated it very well. Radiation exposure to personnel was virtually nil in contrast to that of LDR-ICR. Within a given period of time, more patients can be treated with HDR-ICR because of the short treatment time. Therefore, the HDR-ICR system is highly recommended for a cancer center, particularly one with a large number of patients to be treated. In order to tachieve an improved outcome, however, the optimum dose-fractionation schedule of HDR-ICRand optimum combination of intracavitary irradiation with external beam irradiation should be determined through an extensive protocol study with different treatment regimens.
Anesthesia ; Appointments and Schedules ; Cervix Uteri* ; Clinical Protocols ; Cobalt ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Outpatients ; Pelvis ; Radiotherapy ; Radium ; Survival Rate ; Urinary Bladder