PURPOSE: The effects of pain on brain is not well known. Also, differences between somatic and visceral pains have not been fully elucidated. This study was conducted to investigate changes in the expression of c-Fos protein after somatic and visceral pains were induced by formalin. METHODS: Male rats(n=65) were underwent one of three procedures : (i) Control group, rats were left undisturbed in their cages; (ii) Somatic pain group, rats were injected subcutaneously with 0.1 ml of 10% formalin in the plantar surface of right hindpaw; (iii) Visceral pain group, rats were administered with same amount of formalin, as described above, in the rectum. Rats were sacrificed at increasing times(30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, 6 hours, 1 day, 3 days and 7 days) after noxious formalin stimuli to hindpaws and rectums. Rat brains were removed and sliced in rat brain matrix. Brain slices were coronal sectioned at interaural 5.70-6.70mm. Serial sections were immunohistochemically reacted with polyclonal c-Fos antibody. The numbers of c-Fos protein immunoreactive neurons in cingulate cortex, primary somatosensory area, and hippocampus were examined and analyzed statistically with Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: 1) The numbers of c-For protein immunoreactive neurons in cingulate cortex, primary somatosensory area and hippocampus peaked at 2 hours after somatic pain stimuli and reached almost normal conditions at 7 days. 2) The numbers of c-Fos protein immunoreactive neurons in cingulate cortex, primary somatosensory area and hippocampus peaked at 1 day after visceral pain stimuli and reached almost normal conditions at 7 days. 3) The numbers of c-Fos protein immunoreactive neurons of somatic pain groups were higher than that of visceral groups at all times and the difference of numbers peaked at 2 hours after pain stimuli. CONCLUSION: Reactions of somatic pain stimuli influenced more changable than visceral pain stimuli to brain. Conduction velocities of somatic pain were more faster than those of visceral pain. Higher numbers of c-Fos protein immunoreactive neurons were found in specific regions. These results provide some basic knowledge in understanding the mechanism and control of pain.
Animals ; Brain* ; Formaldehyde* ; Gyrus Cinguli ; Hippocampus ; Humans ; Male ; Neurons* ; Nociceptive Pain ; Rats* ; Rectum ; Visceral Pain

PURPOSE: Recently, in an experiment using animals, radiation therapy using a laser or Tending Diancibo Pu (TDP) has been shown to be effective in treating scars on the skin by increasing the production of fibroblast cell and collagen and by accelerating the process of epithelization. The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of TDP radiation therapy in treating human burn injuries in terms of the frequency of treatment, the timing of eschar separation, and the duration of treatment. METHODS: In the treatment group, the burn area of the patients was first sterilized with saline solution and potadin solution and covered with one vaseline gauze. Then, the burn area was radiated every other day by using TDP for 20 minutes at distance of 20-25 cm, at radiant plate temperature of 250-280oC. In the cases of control group, the burn area of the patients was first sterilized with saline solution and potadin solution and covered with one vaseline gauze. Then, the area was covered with one burn gauze and bandaged. The treatment was conducted every other day. RESULTS: In cases of superficial second degree burn injuries, the difference between the treatment and the control groups was 1.34 in terms of the frequency of treatment. In the cases of both superficial and deep second degree burns, the differences between the treatment and the control groups were 3.47 in terms of the frequency of treatment, 0.63 weeks in terms of the timing of eschar separation, and 6.03 days in terms of the duration of treatment. All these differences were statistically significant. CONCLUSION: From the experiment, it can be concluded that TDP radiation therapy is more effective in treating human burn injuries than conventional treatment in terms of the of the frequency of treatment, the timing of eschar separation, and the duration of treatment.
Animals ; Burns* ; Cicatrix ; Collagen ; Fibroblasts ; Humans ; Petrolatum ; Skin ; Sodium Chloride

No abstract available.
Stroke*

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness and safety of the anterosuperior deltoid splitting approach for fixation of displaced proximal humeral fractures by analyzing the surgical outcomes. METHODS: Twenty-three patients who could be followed-up for at least 8 months after the treatment of displaced proximal humeral fractures through the anterosuperior deltoid splitting approach were enrolled. We evaluated the reduction of the fractures and surgery-related complications at the last follow-up using X-ray results and clinical outcomes comprising the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) scoring system and the Korean Shoulder Society (KSS) score. RESULTS: At the last follow-up of patients treated using the anterosuperior deltoid splitting approach for internal fixation of proximal humeral fractures, we found 22 cases (95.6%) of bone union, a mean UCLA score of 28.3 (range, 15 to 34) and a mean KSS score of 82.1 (range, 67 to 95). Various surgery-related complications were noted; a case of varus malunion after fracture displacement, a case of nonunion, a case of delayed union, two cases of impingement, and a case of partial axillary nerve injury, which recovered completely through the follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Plate fixation using the anterosuperior deltoid splitting approach could be another reliable option for treating displaced proximal humeral fractures.
California ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Humerus ; Shoulder ; Shoulder Fractures*

Aspirin is one of the popular non -steroid anti -inflammatory drugs used in the management of pain. This study was performed to investigate the effects of aspirin on c -Fos expression in rat CNS after inducing somatic pain with formalin. Male S.D. rats were injected subcutaneously with 0.1 ml of 5% formalin in the plantar surface of right hindpaw. For experimental group, aspirin was administered orally before injection of formalin. Asprin -untreated group was utilized as the control group. Rats were sacrificed at 0.5, 1, 2, 6 and 24 hours after formalin injection. Rat brains were removed and sliced in rat brain matrix. Brain slices were coronally sectioned at interaural 5.70 ~6.70 mm. Serial sections were immunohisto-chemically reacted with polyclonal c -Fos antibody. The numbers of c -Fos protein immunoreactive neurons in the cingulate cortex, primary somatosensory area, and hippocampus were counted and analyzed statistically with Mann - Whitney U test. Results were as follows: 1. Higher numbers of c -Fos immunoreactive neurons were found in the cingulate cortex, primary somatosensory area and hippocampus. 2. Both aspirin -treated and -untreated groups, numbers of c -Fos immunoreactive neurons were significantly higher all time points than formalin -untreated group, which peacked at 2 hours. 3. The numbers of c -Fos immunoreactive neuron of the aspirin -treated group were less compared to the aspirin - untreated group at each time point. In conclusion, these results provide some basic knowledge in understanding the mechanism and control of formalin - induced somatic pain.
Animals ; Aspirin* ; Brain ; Central Nervous System* ; Formaldehyde ; Gyrus Cinguli ; Hippocampus ; Humans ; Male ; Neurons ; Nociceptive Pain ; Rats

No abstract available.
Heart Defects, Congenital ; Umbilical Veins*

BACKGROUND: Serratia marcescens proliferates well in a humid environment or soil and is recently considered as an important pathogen for the severe nosocomial infections. this organism is spreads easily by hand-to-hand transmission, and contaminates medical equipment used for invasive procedures, working environment, medications, and soap. METHODS: We investigated the source of an outbreak of bloodstream infections by S. marcescens isolated that occurred during the period from July to December, 2004, at a university hospital in Gyeonggi Province and attempted to intervene in the outbreak and control it. RESULTS: From July to December, 2004, S. marcescens grew from 296 blood culture from 283 patients. The medical charts of the patients were reviewed, and surveillance cultures were taken to identify the outbreak of nosocomial infections and risk factors. Only four cases of infection were identified and all remaining positive blood cultures were due to contamination. Nine isolates randomly selected from the 296 S. marcescens showed an identical pulsed-field gel electrophoresis pattern. To identify the source of infection, environmental culture and hand cultures of the related medical workers were carried out, but S. marcescens was not isolated. CONCLUSION: As the result of aggressive infection control activities, such as re-education on environmental management methods, hand washing techniques, and blood culture sampling techniques, no more S. marcescens had been grown in blood culture since January, 2005.
Cross Infection ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field ; Gyeonggi-do ; Hand ; Hand Disinfection ; Humans ; Infection Control ; Risk Factors ; Serratia marcescens ; Serratia* ; Soaps ; Soil

The clinical analysis of cranial nerve injuries was performed on 435 cases with cranoicrerbral trauma. This prospective study included the correlation between cranial nerve injuries and risk factors such as intracranial hematoma, initial Glasgow Coma Scale(GCS) score, pneumocephalus, and other combined injuries. The results were revealed as follows : 1) 133 cranial nerve injuries(on 97 patients) were noted among 435 craniocerebral trauma victims(97/435=22.2%). 2) The order of frequent cranial nerve injuries was facial nerve(7.3%), olfactory nerve(6.9%), oculomotor nerve(4.4%), abducens nerve(3.9%), optic nerve(3.2%), etc. 3) Bilateral involvment of cranial nerve injuries was noted in 16.5%(22/133). 4) The incidence of immediate onset of cranial nerve injuries was 66.9%(89/133). 5) The incidence of cranial nerve injuries was significantly high in patients with pneumocephalus and low initial GCS score. 6) The functional recovery of injured cranial nerve within 3 months was noted in 30.1%(40/133).
Coma ; Cranial Nerve Injuries* ; Cranial Nerves* ; Craniocerebral Trauma* ; Hematoma ; Humans ; Incidence ; Pneumocephalus ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors

A propecive analysis of 50 patients with acute interhemisphric subdural hemorrhage and tentorial hemorrhage, an unusual pattern of acute subdural hematoma, who were managed in a uniform way was analyzed to related outcome to hemorrhagic site, initial Glasgow Coma Scale(GCS) and combined injuries. The incidence of acute interhemisphric subdural hemorrhage(ISH) and tentoria hemorrhage(TH) after head trauma was 3.83%, 50 cases among 1303 head injured cases. And 80% of the above hemorrhage disapperaed within two weeks after trauma. There was no significant relationship between feature of hemorrhage and intial GCS(P>0.05), but there was highly significant relationship between initial GCS and Glasgow Outcome Scale(GOS) (p<0.001). There noted significant relationship between initial combined injury and GOS(p<0.01), and also brainstem injury and GOS(p<0.001).
Brain Stem ; Coma ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Head ; Hematoma, Subdural* ; Hematoma, Subdural, Acute ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Incidence

Eight strains of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Salmonella typhi were isolated from Kyonggi area during January-February,1997. They were resistant to ampiciUin, amoxicillin, carbeniciillin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim. Eight strains had one plasmid respectively which size was approximately M.W 220 kb and showed same restriction pattern by endonuclease HindIII. The plasmid was similar to the plasmid in size that was related to multidrug resistant S. typhi isolated from southeast Asia. It were transferred by conjugation to recipient E, coli K-12 in frequency of 2.43 x10-4 - 1.73 x 10-2 and transconjugant showed same drug-resistant pattem with donor cells. All of 8 strains produced B-lactamase that was assummed to TEM-1 type by isoelectric focusing and PCR.
Amoxicillin ; Asia, Southeastern ; Chloramphenicol ; Deoxyribonuclease HindIII ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Isoelectric Focusing ; Korea* ; Plasmids* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Salmonella typhi* ; Salmonella* ; Tetracycline ; Tissue Donors ; Trimethoprim