BACKGROUND: An intensive and ongoing surveillance program is effective for preventing the hospital infections. but it is time-consuming to detect all cases of hospital infections. So, labratory-based surveillance was performed with the aid of personal computer. The software 'MICRO' that coded and used privately was written in FoxPro 2.0 code. METHODS: All results of the microbiologic culture were stocked in the software and hospital infections were detected by review d an positive microbiology reports and daily ward rounds with examination of patient progress notes. If there was any suggestion or evidence of outbreak of hospital infections the data were analyzed by the 'MICRO' and reported to hospital infections control committee. RESULTS: We detected the outbreak of nosoccmial pneumonia due to a putative single species of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the neurosurgical ward at May, 1996. The suggestive outbreak of wound infections in the 7th ward at April, 1966 was denied by the 'MICRO'. The possible outbreak of 10th ward at May, 1996 was detected. CONCLUSIONS: We describe a surveillance method that identifies excessive rates of positive culture on patient location culture site, and organism indentification using the 'MICRO'. We were able to monitor patient-to-patient cross-infections and possible breakdowns in proper technique, and expect suggestive outbreak of infections early. These results demonstrate that computer analysis of positive culture rates by 'MICRO' is a sensitive and time-efficient method for detecting potentially preventable hospital infections.
Cross Infection* ; Humans ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; Microcomputers* ; Pneumonia ; Wound Infection

No abstract available.
Reticulocyte Count* ; Reticulocytes*

No abstract available.
Reticulocyte Count* ; Reticulocytes*

Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) injuries remain a challenge to most trauma surgeons and continue to result in significant mortality despite aggressive management. We report successful management of a proximal SMA injury through endovascular treatment in a 56-year-old man. The patient presented with hypotension due to a stab wound after the epigastrium. He underwent emergency laparotomy and repair of the penetrated wall of the stomach. Right retroperitoneal hematoma at the initial laparotomy expanded and ruptured, requiring a massive transfusion. At the second laparotomy, we performed lateral arteriorrhaphy of the proximal SMA. Follow-up abdominal computed tomography angiography on post-injury day 7 showed a pseudoaneurysm on the left side of the SMA trunk. The patient was treated successfully with an endovascular stent graft.
Aneurysm, False* ; Angiography ; Blood Vessel Prosthesis ; Emergencies ; Endovascular Procedures ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hematoma ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Laparotomy ; Mesenteric Artery, Superior* ; Middle Aged ; Mortality ; Stomach ; Wounds, Stab

No abstract available.
Epidermal Cyst

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate US and CT features of choroidal osteoma. MATERIALS AND METHDOS: US and CT scans of seven cases of choroidal osteoma occurring in six patients were retrospectively analyzed. We analysed US and CT findings with particular attention to the location, size, and shape of calcification associated with choroidal osteoma, and sought the possible cause of the tumor, if any. RESULTS: None of six patients had any possible cause related to choroidal osteoma. All of seven cases of choroidal osteoma were manifested as calcified mass which were located in the posterior wall of the eyeball near the juxtapapillary region. Calcification ranged in size from 1 to 2 cm and had curvilinear shape. Both US and CT were equally useful to evaluate choroidal osteoma. CONCLUSION: By depicting the characteristic calcification, US and CT are useful imaging modalities in evaluating choroidal osteoma.
Choroid* ; Humans ; Osteoma* ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

An induced hypotension is employed as a useful technique for operations on intracranial aneurysms, brain tumors and other intracranial lesions to diminish operative bleeding and to decrease brain tension. In aneurysm surgery under induced hypotension, the sac becomes softer and thus diminishes the risk of rupture when clips are applid. In 1946 Gardner used arteriotomy to lower blood pressure by decreasing the blood volume during brain tumor surgery, then gradually improved. Pharmacologically-induced hypotension soon became the cominant method of producing hypotension. Halothane and trimethaphan are the most popular drugs for this purpose. On the other hand, the risks of hypotension are obvious. These include decreased cardiac output, decreased cerebral blood flow, and low perfusion pressure exposing brain tissue to the risk of hypoxia thereby aggravating the effects of the circulatory disturbance present in the brain lesion. In this situation the blood oxygen tension in jugular-bulb and lactate content in brain tissue have been found to be reliable indices of degrees of cerebral oxygenation. Consequently, several investigators have studied the critical level of arterial blood pressure during hypotensive anesthesia and have accepted 60 mmHg of systolic pressure(40~50 mmHg of mean arterial pressure) as a clinically applicable level free from the danger of cerebral hypoxia. Furthermore, Griffiths and Gillies(1948) postulated that systolic pressure over 30 mmHg would provide adequate tissue oxygenation. However, there are only a few reports concerning the adequacy of cerebral oxygenation under such low levels of arterial blood pressure. The purpose of this study is to investigate cereral hemodynamics and metabolism during halothane-induced hypotensive anesthesia and to find any evidence of cerebral hypoxia at the levels of 60 mmHg and 30 mmHg, of systolic blood pressure. 15 adult mongrel dogs, weighing 10~13kg, were anesthetized with intravenous pentobarbital sodium. Endotracheal intubation was performed. One femoral artery was cannulated with a polyethylene tube for arterial blood sampling. The tube was connected to a Statham pressure transducer for continuous arterial blood pressure recording. The common carotid artery was exposed and a probe of square-wave electromagnetic flowmeter was placed on the vessel to record the carotid blood flow. An electrocardiogram and above two parameters were recorded simultaneously on a 4-channel polygraph. The internal jugular vein was cannulated and a catheter threaded up to the jugular-bulb for sampling of venous blood draining from the brain. The cisterna magna was punctured with an 18 gauge spinal needle to sample the cerebrospinal fluid. The experiments were divided into control phase, induction phase, hypotensive phase I, hypotensive phase II, and recovery phase. Each phase was maintained for 30 minutes. Cerebrospinal fluid, arterial venous blood were sampled at the end of each phase for analysis of gas tension and lactate content. 100% oxygen was inhaled during the induction phase. During the hypotensive phases, halothane/O2 was administered to lower the arterial blood pressure. In the hypotensive phase I and hypotensive phase II systolic pressure was maintained at 60 mmHg and 30 mmHg, respectively. In the recovery phase, halothane was discontinued and 100% oxygen only was inhaled. The results obtained are summarized as follows; 1. The carotid artery blood flow, which represents the cerebral blood flow, decreased linearly during the decline of the arterial blood pressure. At the end of each phase there was no difference in the carotid blood flow between hypotensive phase I and phase II. Cerebral vascular resistance was markedly reduced in the hypotensive phase II, which suggests cereral vasodilation. 2. Cerebral venous pO2 decreased significantly in the hypotensive phases, but the values till remained within normal limits. A marked reduction of arterial pCO2 was noted in the hypotensive phases. The values approach the lower limits of safety. 3. The most outstanding difference between hypotensive phase I and II is in the lactate content of cerebral venous blood and cerebrospinal fluid. There was a moderate increase of lactate content, and a slight reduction of cereral venous pH in hypotensive phase II, however, a significant degree of cerebral hypoxia and metabolic acidosis could be excluded. 4. Most of the changes in the cerebral metabolism and hemodynamics including arterial blood pressure, tent to return to return to normal at the end of the recovery phase. From the result of this study, it is concluded; Halothane-induced hypotensive anesthesia at 60 mmHg of systolic blood pressure(45 mmHg of possibility of mild metabolic acidosis 30 mmHg of systolic blood pressure(23 mmHg of mean arterial pressure), adequate cerebral oxygenation is maintained without difficulty.
Acidosis ; Adult ; Anesthesia* ; Aneurysm ; Animals ; Anoxia ; Arterial Pressure ; Blood Pressure ; Blood Volume ; Brain ; Brain Neoplasms ; Cardiac Output ; Carotid Arteries ; Carotid Artery, Common ; Catheters ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Cisterna Magna ; Dogs ; Electrocardiography ; Femoral Artery ; Flowmeters ; Halothane ; Hand ; Hemodynamics ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Hypotension ; Hypoxia, Brain ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Jugular Veins ; Lactic Acid ; Magnets ; Metabolism ; Needles ; Oxygen ; Pentobarbital ; Perfusion ; Polyethylene ; Research Personnel ; Rupture ; Transducers, Pressure ; Trimethaphan ; Vascular Resistance ; Vasodilation

No abstract available.
Antibodies* ; Immunoglobulin G* ; Immunoglobulin M*

This study was intended to analyze the relation between the psychic traumatic experience and the psychological health of the aged. The authors carried out this study by means of the combined anxiety-depression scale (CADS) and the preadolescence traumatic experience scale (PTES) with 278 aged men and women residing in Taegu from September to October 1988. The results were as follows: 1. Based on the scores evaluated by CADS, the scores of the both groups showed that comparative group was accounted for 40.15±6.19, while the experimental group for 57.75±6.37, which showed significantly higher score in the experimental group (p<0.001). 2. The experimental group showed significantly higher early experience score than the comparative group in the dietary difficulty, alcoholism among family members, disunion between husband and wife, trouble between mother and children, early mother loss, parent's indifference and unwanted birth (p<0.001). 3. The experimental group showed higher early experience score than the comparative group by sex, age, marital status and grown location (p<0.001). 4. When the subjects were included in the unemployed and in the middle or low classes and their parents were engaged in agriculture and commercial business and believing in buddhism or no-religion, showed higher experience score (p<0.001).
Aged* ; Agriculture ; Alcoholism ; Buddhism ; Child ; Child, Unwanted ; Commerce ; Daegu ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Marital Status ; Mental Health* ; Mothers ; Parents ; Spouses

No abstract available.
Blood Platelets*