Torsades de pointes, a polymorphic ventricular tachycardia associated with prolonged QT interval, is a well-known life-threatening arrhythmia, which has been found to be induced by various causes such as drugs, electrolyte imbalances, and severe bradycardia. Cisapride is a gastrointestinal prokinetic drug, which is widely used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease or other functional gastrointestinal disorders. Cisapride can cause torsades de pointes and cases of torsedes de pointes induced by cisapride have been reported in other countries. Cases of torsades de pointes associated with antihistamine drugs have been reported in Korea, however, cisapride-induced torsades de pointes case has not been reported. We report a case of 31 year-old female patient who experienced repeated loss of consciousness due to cisapride-induced torsades de pointes.
Adult ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Bradycardia ; Cisapride* ; Female ; Gastroesophageal Reflux ; Gastrointestinal Diseases ; Humans ; Korea ; Tachycardia, Ventricular ; Torsades de Pointes* ; Unconsciousness

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe nurses' recognition of, and practice level in management of general nosocomial infections, and methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE) infections. METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Data were collected on June, 2003 from 190 nurses in one university affiliated hospital located in Suwon. RESULTS: The mean score for nurses' recognition of general nosocomial infection control was 3.57, MRSA control was 3.54, and VRE control was 3.86. The mean score on practice for control of general nosocomial infection was 3.19, for MRSA control, 3.20, and for VRE control, 3.63. There were statistically significant relationships between the recognition level and practice level for general nosocomial, MRSA, and VRE infection control. According to the general characteristics of the nurses, the mean scores for both recognition and practice were higher for those nurses who had had infection control education, for those who had worked longer in nursing, and for those who worked in the ICU. CONCLUSION: It is suggested that appropriate hospital infection control programs should be developed through continuous education and practice to improve nurses' level of the practice in general infection control, and especially in MRSA and VRE infection control.
Cross Infection* ; Education ; Gyeonggi-do ; Infection Control* ; Methicillin Resistance ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus* ; Nursing ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Vancomycin ; Vancomycin Resistance

Vascularized fibular graft is one of the treatment option for avascular necrosis of femoral head (ANFH) and has been known as providing a strut mechanical support and new vascular bed. It is very important to evaluate a healing process in femoral head after vascularization procedure. But a plain radiographic finding has a problem to assess pathological changes of ANFH treated with vascularized fibular graft. Authors analyzed chronogical changes of Tc-99m-HDP bone scan in 31 cases of ANFH treated with vascularized fibular graft from April, 1991 to May, 1994 and following results were obtained. l. Until 2 months after surgery, no change in size of cold defect area and no significant change in extent of RI uptake in reactive zone were noted. 2. During 2 months and 6 months after surgery, slight decrease in size of cold defect area and minimal changes in extent of RI uptake in reactive zone were observed. 3. During 6 months and 12 months after surgery, size of cold defect area decreased to 1/2 and changes in extent and degree of RI uptake in reactive zone were observed. 4. During 1 year and 2 years after surgery, size of cold defect area were minimal and sometimes faded away. RI uptake with decreased density in reactive zone broadened and moved to subchondral area. 5. After 2 years after surgery, cold area faded away and small increased RI uptake were observed in same site. In conclusion, Tc-99m-HDP bone scan which is economic and easily applicable in a patient is very useful for follow up study in ANFH treated with vascularized fibular graft.
Follow-Up Studies ; Head* ; Hip ; Humans ; Necrosis* ; Transplants*

Neurogenic tumors are the most common posterior mediastinal tumors and accounting for 19~39% of all mediastinal tumors and 75% of all posterior mediastinal tumors. Neurofibromatosis is an autosomal dominant disorder with variable expression of tumors, including neurologic tumors of the peripheral nerves, nerve roots, and plexi. A posterior mediastinal neufibroma in neurofibromatosis patients is rare. We report here a case of posterior mediastinal neurofibroma in a patient with type 1 neurofibromatosis.
Humans ; Neurofibroma* ; Neurofibromatoses ; Neurofibromatosis 1* ; Peripheral Nerves

Lipoblastoma is a rare benign mesenchymal tumor that occurs primarily in infancy and childhood. There are two types of lipoblastoma: focal or diffuse (lipoblastomatosis). This is typically located in the extremities, and less frequently in the trunk, head and neck, and the retroperitoneum. Lipoblastoma is a tumor with a good prognosis with no reported metastasis, despite of its potential for local invasion, local recurrence and rapid growth. Complete surgical resection is essential for treatment, and long term follow up is needed.
Extremities ; Follow-Up Studies ; Head ; Humans ; Lipoblastoma* ; Male* ; Neck ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Thoracic Wall* ; Thorax*

Squamous eddy, focal necrosis, focal hemorrhage, and acute and chronic inflammation are common and reliable indicators of irritation. Squamous eddy is most commonly seenin inverted follicular keratosis, but it may be found on occasion in other conditions. Herein we describe a case of dilated pore with the feature of squamous eddies.
Hemorrhage ; Inflammation ; Keratosis ; Necrosis

We investigated the comparative effect of magnesium and thiosulfate on the calcium oxalate crystallization. Magnesium is a strong inhibitor of calcium oxalate crystallization and it is sported to inhibit calcium phophate by about 20%. Even if it's mechanism is not clearly known, thiosulfat can resolve 250~100,000 times more than other calcium salts when it is combined with calcium. Wistar rats were fed by 1.0% ethylene glycol (EG) mixed with water. 500mg of magnesium oxide (MgO) per 100gm chows and 10mMo1 of S2O3 per 100gm chows were provided by oral intake respectively. Forty eight wistar rats were divided into following 6 groups. Each group has equal 8 wistar rats; A group (normal chow and water), B group (normal chow and 1%EG), C group (MgO and 1%EG), D group (MgO and water), E group (S2O3 and 1%EG), and F group (S2O3 and water). First, we examined calcium oxalate crystallization on bladder aspiration urine for 6 groups before the experiment and every week for 4 weeks after the experiment. Second, we also examined the degree of formation of calcium oxalate crystallization in renal tissue under polarizing microscope. Calcium oxalate crystallization was found in all 8 wistar rats in B group while it was not round in A, D, F group. Calcium oxalate crystallization was also found in one out of 8 wistar rats in C group, and 5 out of 8 wistar rats in E group. In conclusion, we believe that both MgO and sodium thiosulfate are effective in preventing calcium oxalate stone, and we also believe MgO is more elective than sodium thiosulfate. We think that further researches on administrating methods, the side effects and dosage of these two agents in human are necessary.
Calcium Oxalate* ; Calcium* ; Crystallization* ; Ethylene Glycol ; Humans ; Magnesium Oxide* ; Magnesium* ; Nephrolithiasis ; Rats, Wistar ; Salts ; Sodium* ; Sports ; Urinary Bladder ; Water

PURPOSE: Tetanus is difficult for emergency physician to diagnosis at an early stage because of its low incidence and atypical initial clinical features. Therefore, we reviewed the clinical features of 54 tetanus cases and attempted to identify factors associated with prognosis in order to improve early diagnosis and treatment. METHODS: We carried out a retrospective chart review of 54 adult tetanus patients who presented to the ED of Chonnam National University Hospital between January 1996 and December 2005. We collected information on demographics, SAPS II score, clinical feature, course of infection and prognosis. We divided the patients to two groups according to the survival and compared their data statistically. RESULTS: Fifty four patients, 33 men and 21 women, were included in the study. The mean age was 50.97+/-15.95. The most common initial diagnosis in ED were electrolyte imbalance (n=15), neck and facial dystonia (n=9). The mean incubation period was 10.27+/-6.47 days. The initial SPAS II score 17.29+/-8.45 and the Wood score was 3.12 +/-1.47. Most commonly symptom was dyspnea and dysarthria. Twenty one patients were supported by mechanical ventilation, and the duration of mechanical ventilation was 5.92+/-4.52 days. On multivariate logistic regression analysis, four variables were found to be associated with the prognosis: incubation period, Wood score, Time interval from initial symptom to mechanical ventilation, initial SAPS II. CONCLUSION: Four variables correlated well with the prognosis: Incubation period, Wood score, Time interval from initial symptom to mechanical ventilation, initial SAPS II score.
Adult ; Demography ; Diagnosis ; Dysarthria ; Dyspnea ; Dystonia ; Early Diagnosis ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Service, Hospital* ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Jeollanam-do ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Neck ; Prognosis ; Respiration, Artificial ; Retrospective Studies ; Tetanus* ; Wood

OBJECTIVE: It is well known that fresh blastocyst transfer results in better pregnancy outcomes with a smaller number of transferred embryos compared with cleavage stage embryo transfer. However, in terms of frozen-thawed blastocyst transfer, only a few studies are available. We aimed to evaluate clinical outcomes of frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) with blastocysts. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of FET cycles with blastocysts (B-FET) between Jan 2007 and June 2009 was performed. Age-matched FET cycles with cleavage stage embryos (C-FET) during the same period were collected as controls. A total of 58 B-FET cycles were compared with 172 C-FET cycles and also compared with those of post-thaw extended culture blastocysts from frozen pronuclear stage embryos (22 cycles). RESULTS: There was no difference in the patient characteristics of each group. The embryos' survival rates after thawing were comparable (>90%) and there was no difference in the implantation rate or clinical and ongoing pregnancy rate among the three groups. CONCLUSION: In FET, blastocyst transfers may not present better pregnancy outcomes than cleavage stage embryo transfers. A further large-scale prospective study is needed.
Blastocyst ; Embryo Transfer ; Embryonic Structures ; Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Pregnancy Rate ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

No abstract available.
Leiomyoma* ; Trachea*