In this article by Kim et al. in the page of 263 "Table 2 and 3" shoud be corrected as "Table 2".

No abstract available.
Neurofibroma*

No abstract available.
Dermatitis, Allergic Contact ; Lacquer

BACKGROUND: Cleaning and disinfection of fiberoptic bronchoscope requires careful attention, especially to mycobacterium species because the contamination of mycobacteria could raise confusion on diagnosis. Recently, we detected contamination of Wydex(R) solution used in bronchoscope washer with Mycobacterium chelonae. In this study, we evaluated the mycobactericidal effect of 12 kinds of disinfectants for M. chelonae. METHOD: To evaluate the bactericidal effect of Wydex(R) 2%, Cidex(R) 2.25%, Cidex(R) 3%, Bacteriokiller (BK) disinfectant, Perasafe(R), HICLO-S(R), Lamicine(R), ethanol, Instrusept(R), Virkon(R), Betadine(R), and Vipon(R) against M. chelonae, culture was performed after exposure of two M. chelonae strains (ATCC 35749, the type strain and the strain isolated from contaminated Wydex(R) solution) to each disinfectant solution. The growth of organism was examined for up to 8 weeks. RESULTS: Growth of M. chelonae (reference strain of ATCC 35749 and isolated strain) was observed after a week incubation for Wydex(R) 2%, Cidex(R) (2.25%, 3%) and control. For BK disinfectant and Perasafe(R), they grew after 2-3 weeks, and 3-4 weeks, respectively. For HICLO-S(R) and Lamicine(R), only the contaminated strain grew after two and three weeks, respectively. For ethanol, Virkon(R), Betadine(R), Vipon(R), and Instrusept(R) , growth was not observed from either strain. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of these results, Instrusept(R), virkon(R), ethanol, Betadine(R), and Vipon(R) were effective for the disinfection of M. chelonae. Especially, Instrusept(R) was thought to be useful as a disinfectant for bronchoscopes because it has advantages including non-corrosiveness, chemical stability, and non-irritativeness. And additional washing with ethanol might be effective. The finding that strain isolated from contaminated bronchoscopes was more resistant to disinfectants than reference strain suggested that the more resistant strains are selected throughout the improper disinfection.
Bronchoscopes ; Diagnosis ; Disinfectants* ; Disinfection ; Ethanol ; Mycobacterium chelonae* ; Mycobacterium*

BACKGROUND: With increase of antibiotics use and invasive procedures, infections caused by multi-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MRAB) are increasing. Recently, we experienced the outbreak of- nosocomial infections caused by MRAB resistant to imipenem and cefoperazone/sulbactam in intensive care units (ICU) and general ward. We analyzed the clinical characteristics of the infected patients and antibiotic susceptibility of the organisms. And surveillance cultures and IRS-PCR were performed to find out the transmission route. METHODS: We collected data from physical examination and clinical records. We performed surveillance cultures of environment, patients not infected with MRAB in ICU, and hands of health care workers. RESULTS: Between November 1996 and June 1997, 49 strains of MRAB were isolated from the 26 patients hospitalized in Kangnam St. Mary' s Hospital. The lower respiratory infection (13 cases) was the most common infection and sputum was the most common sources (47.1%). All strains of MRAB showed the same genotype. In disk diffusion test, all strains were resistant to piperacillin, gentamicin, amikacin, ceftazidime, cefoperazone/sulbactam, aztreonam, imipencm, ciprofloxacin. From the surveillance cultures, the genotypically identical strains were isolated from ventilator Y-piece, the floor of ICU, and hands of health care workers. It suggested that this strain was transmitted through ventilatory device or hands of health care workers. We instructed all the health care workers to wash hands, to disinfect hospital environment completely. Since July 1997, no further case has occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Since A. baumannii could be transmitted through ventilatory devices and the hands of health care workers, it is important to wash hands and to disinfect hospital environment completely.
Acinetobacter baumannii* ; Acinetobacter* ; Amikacin ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Aztreonam ; Ceftazidime ; Ciprofloxacin ; Cross Infection* ; Delivery of Health Care ; Diffusion ; Genotype ; Gentamicins ; Hand ; Humans ; Imipenem* ; Critical Care Units ; Patients' Rooms ; Physical Examination ; Piperacillin ; Sputum ; Ventilators, Mechanical

Methods: Radiograms of 1,496 patients (555 males and 941 females) from the first to 9th decade were examined for this study. Sagittal and coronal alignment, disc space narrowing, spur formation including diffuse idiopathic spinal hyperostosis (DISH), spondylolisthesis, and ballooned discs associated with biconcave bodies due to osteoporosis were among the parameters of lumbar spine morphologies examined on high-quality radiographs by both human observers and computers. Results: The alignment of the lumbar spine altered after birth and set at growth maturity, and then the curve was maintained till the end of the 5th decade afterward and the curve gradually hypolordotic. There were three types of coronal alignment abnormalities can be seen: idiopathic, osteopathic, and discogenic (degenerative lumbar scoliosis [DLS]). DLS developed after 6th decade. There was no scoliosis associated with spondylolysis or the post-laminofacetectomy period. Disc space narrowing and corporal spur formation were not seen till the end of 3rd decade comparatively speaking, the corporal spurs generated in the non-scoliotic spine were smaller than those in the scoliotic spine. DISH began to appear in the 5th-decade patients and its incidences increased gradually afterward. Porosis-related vertebral body collapse started to happen after 6th decade. There are three different types of spondylolisthesis: anterior, posterior, and lateral. The lateral slip occurred only in the scoliotic spine. All types were related to degenerative discs. Conclusions It has been shown that the morphology of the lumbar spine changes throughout time.

BACKGROUND: Nosocomial urinary tract infection (UTI) accounts for 35% of the nosocomial infection and 80-90% of them are associated with urethral catheters. Recently, we experienced an outbreak of nosocomial UTI caused by multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in neurosurgical intensive care unit (NSICU). METHODS: We investigated clinical records of the patients and observed the methods of care of urethral catheters in NSICU. Identification of P. aeruginose was done by API NE (API system; bioMerieux, France) and antibiotic susceptibility tests were done by disk diffusion method. Random Amplification of Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) assay was used as a genotyping method. RESULTS: Between November 1997 and January 1998, 11 P. aeruginosa strains were isolated from the urine of 11 patients hospitalized in NSICU of Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital. Routine regular bladder irrigation, and emptying urine with common urinal had been done falsely. Antibiogram of the isolates showed resistance to multiple antibiotics including imipenem, gentamicin. amikacin, piperacillin, ciprofloxacin, ceftazidime, and cefoperazone/sulbactam. RAPD of the outbreak strains showed clonal relatedness, which was different from those of other clinical strains, We instructed all the health care workers to stop bladder Irrigation, and to use the separate urinals for each patient. Thereafter, no further case of P. aeruginosa UTI has occurred. CONCLUSION: An outbreak of UTI, caused by a single clone of P. aeruginosa, was confirmed by RAPD and was eradicated after correction of false practice on care-of urinary catheter.
Amikacin ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Ceftazidime ; Ciprofloxacin ; Clone Cells ; Cross Infection ; Delivery of Health Care ; Diffusion ; DNA ; Drug Resistance, Multiple ; Gentamicins ; Humans ; Imipenem ; Intensive Care Units ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Piperacillin ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa* ; Pseudomonas* ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Catheters ; Urinary Tract Infections* ; Urinary Tract*

No abstract available.
Uterine Prolapse*

BACKGROUND: EGF and TGF-a are ligands for the EGF-receptor and act as mitogens for a variety of tissues. TGF-a, in particular, has been implicated as an autocrine growth factor for several cancer cell lines. TGF-B exerts an inhibitory effect on the growth of most epithelial cell types, and the loss of responsiveness to this growth inhibition has been implicated in the development of a variety of human cancers. In the present study, we evaluate whether EGF, TGF-a and TGF-B modulate apoptosis and cell cycle progression in cervical cancer cell lines. MATERIALS & METHODS: The effect of EGF, TGF-a and TGF-B on apoptosis and cell cycle such as CaSki and HeLa cell lines was analysed by flow cytometry RESULTS: 1. TGF-B did not induce apoptosis in CaSki and HeLa cell lines. 2. TGF-B as well as EGF, TGF-a, did not affect the process of apoptosis significantly. 3. The time to occur apoptosis was different between CaSki and HeLa cells treated by growth factots. 4. G1 phase was the checkpoint in CaSki and HeLa cells treated with TGF-B. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that TGF-B as well as EGF, TGF-a does not induce apoptosis and cell growth inhibition.
Apoptosis* ; Cell Cycle Checkpoints* ; Cell Cycle* ; Cell Line* ; Epidermal Growth Factor* ; Epithelial Cells ; Flow Cytometry ; G1 Phase ; HeLa Cells ; Humans ; Ligands ; Mitogens ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*

BACKGROUND: This study aimed at identifying the effects of improved methods of endotracheal suction and hand washing on incidence of nosocomial pneumonia (NP) in the neurosurgical ICU. METHOD: Repeated training of nurses about hand washing and adherence of the single use of suction catheter and sterile normal saline of endotracheal suction was provided. Then hand washing compliance of nurses before and after training was investigated. and the incidence of NP in all patients hospitalized for more than 72 hours in the neurosurgical ICU was investigated from Sep 1, 2000 to Jan 31, 2001 (2nd surveillance). The NP rate of that period was compared with the incidence of the 1st surveillance period, from Sep 1, 1999 to Jan 31, 2000. The data were analyzed with chi-square-test. Fisher's exact test and logistic regression analysis by SAS 8.0. RESULT: The proportion of hand washing performance increased from 15.6% to 46.8%. The rates of NP per patient during 1st surveillance and 2nd surveillance were 10.3%, 3.9%(p=0.01) patient-days rates of NP were 10.0 cases/1,000 patient days, 4.1 cases/1,000 patient days(p=0.04), and ventilator-days rates of NP were 67.6 cases/1.000 ventilator days, 16.2 cases/1,000 ventilator days(p=0.00) respectively. Out of 29 isolates, 18 were methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, which was the most frequently isolated microorganism. The risk factors associated with incidence of NP were age, length of stay, Glasgow coma scale, diabetes mellitus, duration of intubation, insertion of endotracheal tube, duration of tracheostomy, presence of tracheostomy, duration of ventilator, use of ventilator, and insertion of nasogastric tube. CONCLUSION: These results showed that single use of suction catheters and sterile normal saline and increased compliance of hand washing were important factors to decrease the incidence of NP.
Catheters ; Compliance ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Glasgow Coma Scale ; Hand Disinfection* ; Hand* ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Intensive Care Units* ; Critical Care* ; Intubation ; Length of Stay ; Logistic Models ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; Pneumonia* ; Risk Factors ; Suction* ; Tracheostomy ; Ventilators, Mechanical