No abstract available.
Hormone Replacement Therapy* ; Prescriptions*

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Uterus*

No abstract available.
Accidents, Traffic* ; Aggression*

No abstract available.
Pulmonary Aspergillosis*

Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cleft Lip ; Cleft Palate ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Consensus ; Humans ; Infant ; Leukocyte Count ; Male ; Palate ; Surgery, Oral

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous Mitral Valvuloplasty (PMV) is the first-line treatment modality in selected patients with symptomatic mitral stenosis and more recently available Inoue single-balloon catheter technique produces good results with low incidence of complications. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the immediate and over 6 months follow-up results after successful PMV with an Inoue balloon and to identify the predictive factors for the results. METHODS: From May 1995 to Feburary 1997, a PMV with an Inoue balloon was tech-nically successful in 114 (95%) of the 119 patients treated at the Sejong General Hostpital. In this study, a series of echocardiographic follow-up were performed in 54 patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis, at least 6 months after their successful PMV. In PMV, the inflation was conducted in steps, starting with a recommended maximum size of balloon by the Inoue criteria. After each inflation, the mitral valve opening and competence were evaluated by Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and continuing increase balloon size. RESULTS: Echocardiographic follow-up assessment was performed in 54 patients serially in a interval of 3 months or 6 months. Their mean age was 46+/-11 years (24 to 66 years) and the mean total echocardiographic score was 7.1+/-1.6. A optimal result was obtained in 95% of the cases (51/54). The post-PMV mitral valve area increased to 1.95+/-0.37 cm 2 and 1.79+/-0.28 cm 2 by 2-D and Doppler method, the average transmitral mean diastolic pressure gradient decreased to 5.16+/-2.8 mmHg and LA pressure was decreased to 11.28+/-8.2 mmHg. The newly developed and aggravated mitral regurgitation was observed in 17 patients (31.5%). The restenosis was noted in 2 cases (3.7%) after 1 year follow-up. The pre-procedural echocardiographic score for leaflet mobility, thickening and calcification was more higher in patients with restenosis. There was significant tendency of decrement in the mitral valve area in patients with a echocardiographic score=8 compared with those< or =8 over 6 months after the PMV. CONCLUSION: PMV with the Inoue balloon under TEE guide as a combined treatment modality of patient with symptomatic mitral stenosis is relatively safe and achieves good immediate and midterm follow-up results. The echocardiographic score is considered as useful predictor of midterm results and restenosis after PMV with Inoue balloon.
Blood Pressure ; Catheters ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Inflation, Economic ; Mental Competency ; Mitral Valve ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency ; Mitral Valve Stenosis

BACKGROUND: To identify the prevalence and related factors for vitamin D deficiency in the patients who admitted to the medical intensive care unit (ICU) of a Korean tertiary care hospital. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the data from ICU patients requiring mechanical ventilation (MV) for a period of > 48 h to identify the prevalence and associated factors for vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] level < 20 ng/mL. RESULTS: Among 570 patients admitted to the ICU, 221 were enrolled in the study, 194 in the vitamin D deficient group and 27 in the non-deficient group. Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in critically ill patients was 87.8%. The patient age was lower in the vitamin D deficient group compared with the non-deficient group (64.4 ± 15.4 vs. 71.0 ± 9.6 years, p = 0.049). A higher acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) score (odds ratio [OR] 1.23, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.10-1.37) and chronic illness (OR 3.12, 95% CI 1.08-9.01) were associated with vitamin D deficiency after adjusting for age and body mass index. Clinical outcomes of duration of MV, ICU stay, and 28- and 90-day mortality rates were not significantly different between the vitamin D deficient and nondeficient groups. CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D deficiency was common in critically ill patients, particularly among younger patients. Higher APACHE II score and chronic illness were associated with vitamin D deficiency.
APACHE ; Body Mass Index ; Calcitriol ; Chronic Disease ; Critical Care ; Critical Illness* ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Mortality ; Prevalence* ; Respiration, Artificial ; Retrospective Studies ; Tertiary Healthcare ; Vitamin D Deficiency* ; Vitamin D* ; Vitamins*

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND: Balloon mitral valvuloplasty is a favorable procedure as a therapy for mitral stenosis because it minimizes morbidity and shorten hospital stay compared with surgical mitral commissurotomy or mitral valve replacement. Recent reports about concomitant transesophageal echocardiography guide in addition to fluoroscopy suggest that transesophageal echocardiograpy can provide additional benefits during balloon mitral valvuloplasty especially in transseptal puncture, balloon positioning, evaluation of immediate result, and early detection of complications. We performed this study to identify the potential benefits of on-line transesophageal echocardiography guide during balloon mitral valvuloplasty. METHOD: We performed balloon mitral valvuloplasty under on-line transesophageal echocardiography guide in addition to fluoroscopy in 70 patients(male:14, female:56, mean age:44+/-13) with rheumatic mitral stenosis from May 1995 to May 1996. Thirty-two(46%) patients had atrial fibrillation. Included patients were symptomatic with more than NYHA class 2 symptom. Patients with mitral valve score more than 11 and mitral regurgitation more than 2/4 were excluded. Inoue balloons were utilized in all cases. RESULTS: The average mitral valve area increased from 0.9+/-0.2cm2 before valvuloplasty to 1.8+/-0.4cm2 after valvuloplasty(p<0.0001). The averagetransmitral pressure gradient measured by continuous wave Doppler decreased from 14+/-6mmHg before valvuloplasty to 5+/-2mmHg after valvuloplasty(p<0.0001), and the average left atrial pressure measured by catheterization decreased form 22+/-8 mmHg before valvuloplasty to 11+/-5mmHg after valvuloplasty(p<0.0001). The average procedure time was 64+/-22 minutes(ranged from 13 to 150 minutes) and the average fluoroscopy time was 19+/-15 minutes(ranged from 1 to 94 minutes). Two patients underwent surgery due to severe mitral regurgitation associated with papillary muscle rupture which developed after valvuloplasty. In one patient, transesophageal echocardiography detected pericaridal tamponade during the procedure and the transducer was quickly switched to transthoracic transducer to guide the pericardial puncture site. The pericardial tamponade was drained with pigtail catheter and the patient underwent balloon mitral valvuloplasty successfully a week later. Four patients were pregnant at the time of the valvuloplasty procedure and the valvuloplasty was successfully performed with minimal fluoroscopy time(1-3 minutes) without complications in all four patients. Five patients had thrombus in left atrial appendage, but the transesophageal echocardiography was useful in monitoring the ballon position during the procedure and the valvuloplasty was successfully performed without embolic complications in all five patients. CONCLUSION: The transesophageal echocardiography is a very useful guiding adjunct during balloon mitral valvuloplasty in transseptal puncture, balloon positioning, evaluation of immediate result, early detection of complications, and shortening fluoroscopy time especially in pregnant women.
Atrial Appendage ; Atrial Fibrillation ; Atrial Pressure ; Cardiac Tamponade ; Catheterization ; Catheters ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal* ; Female ; Fluoroscopy ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Mitral Valve ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency ; Mitral Valve Stenosis ; Papillary Muscles ; Pregnant Women ; Punctures ; Rupture ; Thrombosis ; Transducers