SMAS(Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome) is a disease caused by a chronic obstruction of the duodenum(transverse portion), which is hardly detectable. However, it is known that when the superior mesenteric artery and abdominal aorta form a narrow angle, that the transverse portion of the duodenum is pressed down between the superior mesenteric artery and the abdominal aorta, and that this can lead to obstruction of the duodenum. Measuring this angle is a complicated job using conventional angiography, and results often turns out to be inaccurate. In addition, no attempt has been made to determine the value of this angle in Koreans. In this study, we conducted abdominal CT angiography using MIP(maximum intensity projection) on patients with no clinical evidence of SMAS in order to determine the angle at which the superior mesenteric artery branches from the abdominal aorta by using PC based software(Rapidia ver. 1.2) for the image reconstruction. Accordingly, we found that the mean angle between the abdominal aorta and the superior mesenteric artery was 50.05+/-15.87 degrees on average, and that the angle in men(53.64+/-16.57 degrees) is higher than in women(46.46+/-14.98 degrees). We hope that the angles determined by our study will serve as an important indicator for detecting SMAS.
Angiography ; Aorta, Abdominal* ; Duodenum ; Hope ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted* ; Mesenteric Arteries ; Mesenteric Artery, Superior* ; Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

SMAS(Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome) is a disease caused by a chronic obstruction of the duodenum(transverse portion), which is hardly detectable. However, it is known that when the superior mesenteric artery and abdominal aorta form a narrow angle, that the transverse portion of the duodenum is pressed down between the superior mesenteric artery and the abdominal aorta, and that this can lead to obstruction of the duodenum. Measuring this angle is a complicated job using conventional angiography, and results often turns out to be inaccurate. In addition, no attempt has been made to determine the value of this angle in Koreans. In this study, we conducted abdominal CT angiography using MIP(maximum intensity projection) on patients with no clinical evidence of SMAS in order to determine the angle at which the superior mesenteric artery branches from the abdominal aorta by using PC based software(Rapidia ver. 1.2) for the image reconstruction. Accordingly, we found that the mean angle between the abdominal aorta and the superior mesenteric artery was 50.05+/-15.87 degrees on average, and that the angle in men(53.64+/-16.57 degrees) is higher than in women(46.46+/-14.98 degrees). We hope that the angles determined by our study will serve as an important indicator for detecting SMAS.
Angiography ; Aorta, Abdominal* ; Duodenum ; Hope ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted* ; Mesenteric Arteries ; Mesenteric Artery, Superior* ; Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

No abstract available.
Arteriovenous Fistula* ; Humans ; Renal Dialysis*

No abstract available.
Arteriovenous Fistula* ; Humans ; Renal Dialysis*

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to compare the magnitude and phase between the RR interval and QT interval variability in the frequency domain. METHODS: Twenty four, 12-13 year old healthy males were randomly selected. At resting state and for 5 minutes, ECGs were obtained, and they were digitized to 1000Hz. After measurement of RR interval, QT interval variability was measured using template matching strategy. After normalization of the RR and QT interval time series, power spectral and cross spectral analysis were performed. From each of the time series, low- (0.04-0.15 hertz) and high- (0.15-0.4 hertz) frequency power were measured. From the phase spectrum, the phases and time lags between the two time series at each of the two frequency range were calculated. RESULTS: The average of RR interval and QT interval was 616.0+/-71.0, 364.0+/-47.0 msec, respectively. Their normalized low- and high- frequency power was 4.4+/-7.9 NU(normalized unit), 0.1+/-0.1 NU(p<0.005), and 11.0+/-30.0 NU, 0.3+/-0.3(NU, p<0.005), respectively. The phase differences and resulting time lags between the two interval were -0.5+/-0.4 pi radian(-0.9 seconds) and -0.2+/-0.3 pi radian(-0.4 seconds) in the low- and high-frequency range, respectively. CONCLUSION: During resting state, when compared to RR interval, QT interval oscillates in significantly lower amplitude in both low- and high- frequency ranges. However, the oscillations precede those of the RR interval 0.9 seconds and 0.4 seconds, respectively.
Electrocardiography ; Humans ; Male

OBJECTIVES: This subjects investigated the psychological characteristics of patients with functional dyspepsia. METHODS: The subjects included ninety patients with functional dyspepsia and sixty four psychiatric out-patients. We administered Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and Illness Behavior Questionnaire(IBQ). RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the patients with functional dyspepsia and the psychiatric out-patients by MMPI. Two groups both showed a higher distribution in hypochondriasis, depression, hysteria subscales than in any other subscales. The patients with functional dyspepsia showed lower scores in disease conviction and affective disturbance subscales in IBQ subscales were similar between the patients with functional dyspepsia and the psychiatric out-patients. The patients with functional dyspepsia were divided into three groups for the Multivariate cluster analysis: normal(group 1), similar to psychiatric out-patient(group 2), and severe neurotic(group 3). The severe neurotic group showed higher scores in hypochondriasis, depression, hysteria, psychathenia, and schizophrenia subscales in MMPI and showed significant different scores in affective disturbance, disease conviction, psychological and somatic concerns, affective disturbance, denial, and irritability subscales in IBQ. CONCLUSION: If patients with functional dyspepsia show severe neurotic behavior, such as those in(group 3), they would need appropriate psychiatric intervention.
Denial (Psychology) ; Depression ; Dyspepsia* ; Humans ; Hypochondriasis ; Hysteria ; Illness Behavior ; MMPI ; Outpatients ; Psychology* ; Schizophrenia

Abdominal pregnancy that is a life threatening variant of ectopic pregnancy, has been a rare event with high maternal mortality. It is very difficult to diagnose a abdominal pregnancy clinically. We have experienced a case of early abdominal pregnancy diagnosed at emergency laparotomy and this case was presented with a brief review of the literatures.
Emergencies ; Female ; Laparotomy ; Maternal Mortality ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Abdominal* ; Pregnancy, Ectopic

BACKGROUND: Exposure to organic solvents becomes a common problem to workers of heavy industries in Korea. A number of volatile organic solvents which are frequently used in painting can cause various derangements of the nervous system, especially cognitive impairments and peripheral neuropathy. METHODS: This study was carried out on 190 workers as a control group who had never been exposed to organic solvents and on 674 spray painters with long-term exposure to organic solvent mixtures. The major components of organic solvent mixtures were determined. All subjects underwent neurological examination as well as routine physical check-up after completing questionnaires on general, musculoskeletal, neuropsychiatric and neurological systems. Subjects with abnormal findings on neurological examination related with the exposure of organic solvent mixtures took further neuropsychological and neurophysiological tests. RESULTS: The prevalence rates of cognitive impairments and of peripheral neuropathy in the exposed group were significantly higher than the control group (9.5% vs 2.1% and 2.1% vs 0%, respectively). High exposure group (more than 2.64 of cumulative exposure index, CEI) showed also higher prevalence of cognitive impairments and of peripheral neuropathy than low exposure group (cognitive impairments; 12.3% vs 6.4%, peripheral neuropathy; 2.3% vs 1.8%). Most common cognitive impairments were attentional deficit, and abnormal sense on the extremities or face was most common symptom of the peripheral nervous system. CONCLUSION: This study is the first large-scale, case-control study extensively evaluating cognitive impairments and peripheral neuropathy related with volatile organic solvent mixtures in spray painters working in a shipbuilding industry in Korea. The results show that the prevalence rates of cognitive impairments and of peripheral neuropathy are relatively low, but clearly related with the exposure extent of organic solvents.
Case-Control Studies ; Extremities ; Korea ; Metallurgy ; Nervous System ; Neurologic Examination ; Paint ; Paintings ; Peripheral Nervous System ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases* ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Solvents*

This study was carried out to analyse the food intake and associated factors of the urban poor elderly by comparing poor district, Unbong rental apartment in Bonsong 2 dong with other areas in Pusan. 135 elderlies(men 36, women 99) in Unbong rental apartment 136 elderlies(men 45, women 91 ) in the other areas were investigated during the period of March to August in l994. The assumption that the study area represented poor district was satisfied because the age and sex distribution was not significantly different, and the income of the study area was significantly lower than that of the control area. The variables of hospitalized in previous 12 month, gastrointestinal problem, alcohol drinking, cigarette smoking did not differ significantly. But the variables of chronic disease, take medicine, perceive, vitamin supplement differed significantly between two groups. Therefore some factors associated with health state in the study area are worse than those of the control areas. At most of all variables, nutrients intake of the study area did not reach the recommended dietary allowances(RDA) for Koreans, and that nutrient intakes of the study area were significantly lower than those of the control area. The hypothesis of this study that nutrient status depends on economical status was proved. As for the score of nutritional knowledge, the study area was significantly lower than the control area. But as for the score of nutritional behavior, two areas were not significantly different. The latter is counter result of our hypothesis, owing to the effect of the confounding factors including education etc. As for the correlation of variables, not only economic status and educational level, but the score of nutritional knowledge effects strongly on nutrient status in the study area, the poor district. Therefore, adequate nutritional education to the elderly in the poor district should be considered.
Aged* ; Alcohol Drinking ; Busan ; Chronic Disease ; Eating* ; Education ; Female ; Humans ; Sex Distribution ; Smoking ; Vitamins

Low back pain in computer terminal operators is a very common but important symptom. While the occupational risk factors of low back pain were approved obscurely, there have been few studies on analysis or understanding of occupational risk factors. Therefore, we studied occupational risk factors of low back pain, especially for ergonomic factors as well as general characteristics of workers. We selected 98 subjects for this study, computer terminal operators ordinary using computers in Pusan. We calculated the subjective severity of low back pain of each operator by the Low Back Pain Scoring System. The relation of low back pain score to general characteristics of worker was also analyzed. We analyzed the relationship between low back pain score and individual efforts to prevent low back pain. We measured the ergonomic factors of each computer terminal operator - Trunk Jnclination(TI), Arm Flexion(AF), Elbow Angle(EA), Head Tilting(HT), Knee Angle(KA), using of foot plate and gap between the popliteum and chair. The correlations between these ergonomic factors and low back pain score were then analyzed. And the results are as follows: 1. The prevalence rate of low back pain in computer terminal operators was 39.8% in this study, when low back pain score was converted by the low back pain scoring system. 2. According to general characteristics of workers related to low back pain, the scores were higher in the older age group, the married and the longer work carriers. (p < 0.05) 3. In the analysis of the relationship between low back pain score and individual effort to prevent low back pain, regular exercise, history of schooling for prevention of low back pain, and declaration of intention to participate in low back pain education or exercise were stastistically significant(p < 0.05). And the more severe the low back pain, the higher the intention to participate in low back pain education they had in this study. 4. In the analyses of relationships or correlations between low back pain score and each of the 7 categories of ergonomic factors, only head tilting had a weak reverse correlation with low back pain(r=-0.2999, p < 0.01). From now on, cohort studies for the risk factors of low back pain of workers, who have been forced to work in non-ergonomical positioning at the work site, will be necessary. On the background of these ergonomic studies, the occupational health profession should be required to manage ergonomic working conditions.
Arm ; Busan ; Cohort Studies ; Computer Terminals* ; Education ; Elbow ; Foot ; Head ; Human Engineering ; Humans ; Intention ; Knee ; Low Back Pain* ; Occupational Health ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors* ; Workplace