BACKGROUND: Recently, the apartment complex is rapidly increasing as a new type of housing in a large city. So the purpose of the this survey is to research the experience rate of young children's allergic disease in an area of the apartment complex of a large city and to help the family medical doctor to diagnose and treat the young patients. METHODS: The experience rate of atopic dermatitis, bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis, food allergy was surveyed on June 1999 at an elementary school in a large apartment complex in Kwang ju. The survey group were 832 students attending elementary school from the second to sixth grade. Also this survey was used to elicit information about the relationship between allergic disease and factors such as age, sex, birth history, family history, and home environment. For analysis of our finding, we have been used chi square test. RESULTS: The survey shows that the experience rate of allergic disease is 40.4%. The experience rate of allergic disease was not related with sex, but the more ages the less experience rate. Allergic disease was not related with birth weight, gestational age, feeding method, use of carpet, breeding of pet, smoker in home, and the previous housing type. But experience rate of allergic disease was increased with positive family history. CONCLUSION: General facts of allergic disease in elementary school children had no differentiation between large city and the other region. The experience rate of allergic disease is 40.4%.
Asthma ; Birth Weight ; Breeding ; Child* ; Conjunctivitis, Allergic ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Feeding Methods ; Floors and Floorcoverings ; Food Hypersensitivity ; Gestational Age ; Gwangju ; Housing ; Humans ; Reproductive History ; Rhinitis

BACKGROUND: Drug-induced Parkinsonism(DIP) is the second commonest cause of Parkinsonism, after idiopathic Parkinson's disease(IPD). DIP is frequently produced by antipsychotic drugs. But the clinical characteristics of DIP did not get attention by neurologist. So we studied the clinical profiles of DIP patients. METHODS: We studied the clinical profiles of thirthone patients who showed parkinsonism after antipsychotic drug treatment. We compared the score of motor part of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale(UPDRS) between trihexyphenidyl(n=15) & amantadine(n=16) monotherapy group(initial & 4 week after treatment). RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 45 years. Bradykinesia was the 1st symptom in 26 patients(94%), tremor in 5 patients(6%). In 25 patients(81%), the first symptom appeared within 1 week after sntipsychotic treatment. There was a statistical significant negative correlation between the dosage of antipsychotic drug and the symptom-onset interval following treatment with antipsychotic drugs(simple correlation analysis, p>0.01). Bradykinesia and rigidity were appeared in all DIP patients, symmetric distribution was more common(94%, 87%) Tremor occurred in 27 patients (87%). In patients with tremor, postural or action tremor was dominant in 15 patients(56%) asymmetric distribution was more common(16/27, 59%). There are no statistical difference in motor score of UPDRS between trihexyphenidyl & amantadine monotherapy group(student t-test, p<0.05) CONCLUSIONS: Bradykinesia was the most common 1st symptom in DIP patients. Asymmertrical postural or action tremor was relativelly common in DIP. Amantadine showed the same efficacy in the treatment of DIP compared to anticholinergics.
Amantadine ; Antipsychotic Agents ; Cholinergic Antagonists ; Humans ; Hypokinesia ; Parkinson Disease ; Parkinsonian Disorders* ; Tremor ; Trihexyphenidyl

Airway Management ; Aorta ; Drainage ; Edema ; Esophagus ; Heart ; Lung ; Mediastinitis ; Mediastinum ; Neck ; Thorax ; Tongue ; Vagus Nerve

BACKGROUND: The prostaglandin E1(PGE1) is a well known protent dilator of arteriosus. Maintaining of the patency of ductus arteriosus is crucial for the survival of patients suffering from ductus-dependent cyanotic congenital heart disease. We aimed to analyse the efficacy and the influencing factors upon PGE1 in patients suffering from this disease. METHODS: Between May 1991 and April 1993, 26 neonates and infants with ductus- dependent cyanotic congenital heart disease received on intravenous infusion of PGE1 in the Division of Pediatric Cardiology. Yonsei Cardiovascular Center. The result was a dramatic improvement in systemic arterial oxygen tension and oxygen saturation during infusion of PGE1with a dependency on the infusion of PGE1. We evaluated the arterial blood gas analysis both at the immediate pre-infusion stage and 2 hours after infusion. We aimed to analyse the factors which may influence the intravenous of PGE1to infant suffers of ducts-dependent cyanotic congenital heart disease, such as pulmonary atresia(n=14), severe pulmonary stenosis(n=7) or complete transposition of the great arteries(n=5). RESULTS: 1) There was a significant increase in PaO2 and Oxygen saturation 2 hours after the infusion of PGE1. This appeared to be unrelated to the different forms of the disease when compared with the pre-infusion values. 2) The infants' responsiveness of the ductus arteriosus appeared to be age related with significant differences emerging between the 2 group(p<.05). In infants younger than 9 hours old, the differences in PaO2 changes between pre-infusion and post-infusion of PGE1 were 16.3+/-3.7mmHg compared to just 10.4+/-0.4mmHg in infants older than 96 hours. 3) No significant difference emerged between an increase in PaO2or oxygen saturation relating to the shape of ductus arteriosus ; or the level of PaO2prior to the infusion. 4) The side effects of PGE1were as follows ; fever(84.6%),loose stool(61.5%), apnea(30.8%) and hypotension(15.4%), etc.. CONCLUSION: PGE1provides excellent medical palliation for infants suffering from ductus-dependent cyanotic congenital heart disease until the pulmonary arteries are large enough for a modified Blalock-Taussig shunt ; or until corrective surgery is possible.
Alprostadil ; Blalock-Taussig Procedure ; Blood Gas Analysis ; Cardiology ; Ductus Arteriosus ; Heart Defects, Congenital* ; Humans ; Infant* ; Infant, Newborn ; Infusions, Intravenous ; Oxygen ; Pulmonary Artery

No abstract available.

Annular pustular psoriasis is a rare variant of the generalized pustular psoriasis characterized by annular lesions with rapidly evolving pustules, associated mild toxicity, and rapid response to therapy. We present a case of annular pustular psoriasis in a 17-year-old male, in whom no previous history of psoriasis was found. The skin lesions were characterized clinically by annular to gyrate erythematous lesions with pinpoint pustules near the periphery on both shoulders, upper arms, and back areas. The histology showed large intraepidermal spongiform pustules. Most of the skin lesions disappeared within 1 week with topical corticosteroid cream.

We analyzed the mRNA expression patterns of major potassium channel genes to determine the mechanism of hypokalemia in familial hypokalemic periodic paralysis. We used quantitative RT-PCR to examine the mRNA levels of both inward (KCNJ2, KCNJ6, and KCNJ14) and delayed rectifi er (KCNQ1 and KCNA2) potassium channel genes in skeletal muscle cells from both normal and patient groups, prior to and after exposure to 4 mM and 50 mM potassium buffers. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed no changes in the mRNA levels of these genes in normal and patient cells on exposure to 4 mM potassium buffer. However, after exposure to 50 mM potassium buffer, which was used to induce depolarization, normal cells showed a signifi cant decrease in KCNJ2, KCNJ6, and KCNJ14 expression, but no change in KCNQ1 and KCNA2 expression. In contrast, patient cells showed no change in KCNJ2 and KCNJ6 expression, but an increase in KCNJ14 expression. Furthermore, KCNQ1 and KCNA2 showed decreased expression. We found that the expression levels of both inward and delayed rectifi er potassium channel genes in patient cells differ from those in normal cells. Altered potassium channel gene expression in patient cells may suggest a possible mechanism for hypokalemia in familial hypokalemic periodic paralysis.

Common methods of suicide are hanging, toxic substance ingestion, descent from height, and drowning. However, suicide by cutting the tongue is very rare and there are almost no reported cases in the literature. A 76-year-old man who had terminal gastric cancer with multiple liver metastases was found dead in his home. Upon autopsy, it was noted that his tongue was cut by a pair of scissors four times and copious blood was identified in the stomach and intestine. The total loss of blood volume was approximately 750 mL. He had also cut his finger-tip and stabbed his abdomen with a pair of scissors. We concluded that lingual artery injury by scissors was the cause of death.
Abdomen ; Aged ; Arteries ; Autopsy ; Blood Volume ; Cause of Death ; Drowning ; Eating ; Humans ; Intestines ; Liver ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Stomach ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Suicide* ; Tongue*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Korean short form-36 health survey version 2 for assessing the general population and to provide normative data on the general population. METHODS: Six hundred members of the general Korean population were recruited using a multistage quota sampling method. Data quality was evaluated in terms of the completeness of the data and the response consistency index. Each psychometric property was evaluated using descriptive statistics, item internal consistency, item discriminant validity, known-group validity, internal consistency reliability, and exploratory factor analysis. RESULTS: The rate of missing data was low, and the rate of consistent responses was similar to conventional criteria. Item internal consistency was acceptable across all scales, whilst item discriminant validity was satisfactory for five of the eight scales. Social functioning was the least acceptable in terms of not only item discriminant validity but also item consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha = .64). Test-retest Pearson correlation coefficients ranged from .54 to .80. In known group comparison, male sex, age <60 years, high educational status, and the absence of any comorbidities were associated with higher scores than their counterparts. Item factor analysis yields the presence of six factors, accounting for 68.8% of the variance. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study generally support the use of the Korean short form-36 version 2 for evaluating the general population, although caution is recommended when interpreting the vitality, social functioning, and mental health scales. Further research is needed in Korea.
Accounting ; Comorbidity ; Educational Status ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Mental Health ; Psychometrics ; Quality of Life ; Reproducibility of Results ; Data Accuracy ; Weights and Measures

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to elicit quality weights for 42 EQ-5D health states with the time trade-off (TTO) method from the general population of South Korea. METHODS: We selected the same EQ-5D health states as those in the UK MVH study. The Korean version of EQ-5D questionnaire and TTO method were used for the valuation process. We interviewed 500 people as a representative sample of the general population in Seoul and Gyeonggido. The result was compared with those from UK, Japan, and USA by Spearman's rank correlation and t-test. RESULTS: TTO values for 42 EQ-5D health states and 'unconscious' state were obtained from the general South Korean population. The best one was '11112' state and the worst one was 'unconscious' state. The states worse than death were '33323', '33333', and 'unconscious' states, which had negative TTO values. There was a strong correlation between TTO values of the EQ-5D health states and those of their corresponding states from UK, Japan, and USA (Spearman's correlation coefficient: 0.885, 0.882, and 0.944, respectively, p <0.001). However, absolute TTO values of most EQ-5D health states were significantly different from those of their corresponding states in other foreign studies (UK: 41/42, USA: 32/42, Japan: 15/17). CONCLUSIONS: We found that the Korean general population TTO values for EQ-5D health states were different from those of other foreign studies, suggesting that a specific Korean valuation set should be developed and used for economic evaluation studies in South Korea.
Time Factors ; Questionnaires ; *Quality-Adjusted Life Years ; Population Surveillance ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Korea ; Humans ; *Health Status ; Female ; Adult