BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess demographics, clinical outcomes, and complications of classic floating elbow in adults. METHODS: Six patients with ipsilateral diaphyseal fractures of the humerus, radius, and ulna were reviewed retrospectively. All patients were treated operatively and available for follow-up at a minimum of 1 year after surgery. The average age of the patients was 45.2 years (22-64 years) and the average follow-up period was 37.0 months (14-103 months). They were evaluated with postoperative outcome measures, including a visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, Mayo elbow performance score (MEPS), and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) shoulder score. Residual complications were also evaluated. RESULTS: Five patients (83.3%) had open fracture, and 4 patients (66.7%) presented with associated nerve injury. All fractures were united within postoperative 4 months, except 1 delayed union. The average VAS pain score, MEPS, and ASES shoulder score at the final follow-up examination was 2.5, 79.8, and 67.5 respectively. Three patients including 2 cases of joint stiffness with incomplete recovery from nerve injury and 1 case of complex regional pain syndrome had poor clinical outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Although the classic floating elbow is rare, these injuries potentially have associated problems such as open fracture or nerve injury. The presence of residual neurological symptoms predispose to poorer clinical outcomes.
Adult* ; Demography ; Elbow* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fractures, Open ; Humans ; Humerus ; Joints ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Radius ; Retrospective Studies ; Shoulder ; Ulna ; Visual Analog Scale

No abstract available.
Heart Arrest, Induced* ; Oxygen*

Epiblepharon is frequently encountered n oriental eyelid, especially in children. It is characterized by a horizontal fold of redundant skin and abundant orbicularis muscle near lid margin, which the lashes vertically, or posteriorly towards the eye. Surgical therapy of epiblepharon in correcting the trichiasis includes lid bracing sutures, burried sutures, skin resection, a Hotz procedure or its modification, and a Jones procedure. In our opinion, these procedures are not sufficient, because these procedures will not correct the epicanthal folds. Epicanthal folds have been a one of the characteristics of Asian over 50 percents of population in Japan and South Korea, and it either reduce the aesthetic result of the double-eyelid procedure or make the correction of the entropion and epiblepharon difficult. Although many surgical procedures are available to eliminate epicanthal folds, scarring on the medial canthus is in still and obstacle for surgeons to overcome. From January of 1998 to October of 1998, we used half z-plasty procedures in 5 cases to correct epicanthal folds in epiblepharon. There were few complications in our series. We believe that half z-plasty can get a good result in the correction of epibolepharon and oriental epicanthal folds.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Braces ; Child ; Cicatrix ; Entropion ; Eyelids ; Humans ; Japan ; Korea ; Skin ; Sutures ; Trichiasis

No abstract available.
Escherichia coli* ; Escherichia* ; HeLa Cells* ; Humans ; Virulence Factors* ; Virulence*

OBJECTIVE: Closure of a low transverse cesarean incision with one layer and two layer, we compared operative time, hemostasis, blood loss and postoperative sonohysteroperitoneographic findings. Study design: At our hospital 103 women were randomized to closure of a low transverse cesarean incision with either one continuous layer of a locking No. 1 chromic suture or two continuous of No. 1 chromic suture with the first layer locked between Mar. 1, 1998 and Dec. 31, 1998. After three months later, sonhysteroperitoneography was taken and then we evaluated uterus indirectly. RESULTS: A one layer closure required less operative time, 16 versus 20.8 minutes (p<0.01), less hemoglobin change, 0.44 versus 1.3 (p<0.01) and less suture materials (p<0.01). But postoperative follow up sonohysteroperitoneography, a one layer closure shows slightly thinning of isthmic layer of myometrium, two layer closure shows more adhesional band and both are similar other findings. CONCLUSION: A one layer does not significantly affect the clinical course than traditional two layer closure. So we recommended a one layer closure when its use is anatomically feasible.
Animals ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemostasis ; Humans ; Mice ; Myometrium ; Operative Time ; Sutures ; Uterus

The acronym CHARGE (Coloboma, Heart defects, Atresia choanae, Retarded growth and development, Genital hypoplasia, and Ear abnormalities) was coined by Pagon et al. in 1981. The prevalence of CHARGE syndrome was estimated to be approximately 1/10,000 - 1/15,000. The cause of the CHARGE syndrome remains unknown but several observations support the role of genetic factors and a significantly higher paternal age at conception and several chromosomal abnormalities. The clinical spectrum of this multiple congenital anomaly and mental retardation is broad and variable, therefore the treatment of the CHARGE syndrome was not definitive and conservative. We hereby report, with reviewing other literature, a case of CHARGE syndrome diagnosed after delivery.
CHARGE Syndrome* ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Ear ; Fertilization ; Growth and Development ; Heart ; Intellectual Disability ; Nasopharynx ; Numismatics ; Paternal Age ; Prevalence

No abstract available.
Plasmids* ; Shigella* ; Virulence Factors* ; Virulence*

BACKGROUND: As the pleural inflammation progresses, exudative pleural fluid becomes loculated rapidly with pleural thickening. Complete drainage is important 13 prevent pleural fibrosis, entrapment and depression of lung function Intrapleural urokinase instillation therapy has been advocated as a method to facilitate drainage of gelatinous pleural fluid and to allow enzymatic debriment of pleural surface. This study was designed to investigate the Predictors of effeotiveness of intrapleural urokinase in treatment of loculated pleural effusion METHOD: Thirty-five patients received a single radiographically guided pig-tail catheter ranging in size from 10 to 12 French Twenty-two patients had tuberculous pleural effusions, and 13 had non-tuberculous postpneumonic empyemas. A total of 240,000 units of urokinase was dissolved in 240 ml of normal saline and the aliquots of 80mL was instilled into the pleura1 cavity via pig-tail catheter per every 8hr. Effectiveness of intrapleural urokinase instillation therapy was assessed by biochemical markers, ultrasonography, and technical details. A greater than 50% improvement on follow-up chest radiographs was defined as success group. RESULT: Twenty-seven of 35 (77.1%) patients had successful outcome to urokinase instillation therapy. Duration of symptoms before admission was shorter in sucess group (11.8α6.9day) than in failure group (26.62α16.5day) (P<0.05). Amount of drained fluid during urokinsse therapy was larger in success group (917.1α392.7ml) than in failure group (613.8α259.7ml) (P<0.05). Pleural fluid glucose was higher in success group (89.7 α35.9mg/dl) than in failure group (41.2α47.1mg/dl) (P<0.05). Pleural fluid LDH was lower in success group (878.4α654.31U/L) than in failure group (2711.1α973.1IU/L) (P<0.05). Honeycomb septated pattern on chest ultrasonography was observed in six of eight failure group, but none of success group(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Longer duration of symptoms before admission smaller amount of drained fluid during urokinase therapy, lower glucose value, higher LDH value in pleural fluid examination and honeycomb septation pattern on chest ultrasonography were predictors for failure group of intrapleural urokinase instillation therapy.
Biomarkers ; Catheters ; Depression ; Drainage ; Empyema ; Fibrosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gelatin ; Glucose ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Lung ; Pleural Effusion* ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Thorax ; Ultrasonography ; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator*

BACKGROUND: The photsensitizing effect of quinolones has been recognized since their introdulation as an antibacterial agents. Recently several new second eneration antibacterial agents of this pharmacological class have become available for therapy, and are gaining increasing impotance. OBJECTIVE: To reveal the phototoxic potentials of some new quinolones by photohemolysis test, estimation of fluorescenc spectra, and Candida albicans test. METHODS: Nalidixic acid and four second-generation quinolones(ciprofloxacin, enoxacini, norfloxacin, and ofloxacitid were examined by fluorescence spertra which measured t.he phototoxc potentials by photochemial instability, photohemolsis test for the phototoxic properties against cell membranes and Candida tlbicans test for phototoxic properties against DNA. RESULTS: All drugs showed a fluorescence spectra within 360 nm to 450 nm, and in the photohemolysis test, all studied drug except ofloxacin got above 5% hemolytic value, and all drugs showed clear zone. in Candida albicans test after 48hours. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that all tested drugs were photochemically unstable. According to the mechanisris of cellular phototoxicity, ciprofloxacin, enoxacin, and norfloxacin was phtototoxic to nucleus and cell membrane, whereas ofloxacin was phototoxic to nucleus only.
Anti-Bacterial Agents* ; Candida ; Candida albicans ; Cell Membrane ; Ciprofloxacin ; Dermatitis, Phototoxic ; DNA ; Enoxacin ; Fluorescence ; Nalidixic Acid ; Norfloxacin ; Ofloxacin ; Quinolones

Androgen acts via the androgen receptor and can play a critical role in the development and growth of the prostate and the pathophysiology of prostatic diseases. Testosterone is the most abundant circulating androgen and is converted to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a more potent androgen, by steroid 5alpha-reductase. There are two 5alpha-reductase isoenzymes, type 1 and type 2, in humans and animals. Type 2 5alpha-reductase predominates in the prostate. While deficiency of type 2 5alpha-reductase causes male pseudohermaphroditism, increased DHT has been implicated in benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer. The aim of this article is to highlight the significance of 5alpha-reductase in the development and growth of the prostate and pathogenesis of prostatic diseases.
46, XY Disorders of Sex Development ; Animals ; Dihydrotestosterone ; Growth and Development ; Humans ; Isoenzymes ; Prostate ; Prostatic Diseases ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Receptors, Androgen ; Sexual Development ; Testosterone