Nitroblue tetrazolium dye reduction test is now widely used for early detection of bacterial infection. Practically nitroblue tetrazolium dye reduction test (N.B.T. test) gives certain clue to rule out any possibility of aseptic inflammation. Authors performed N.B.T. test for 80 orthopaedic diseases and 40 controls, and the results were as followings: 1. Forty-one of 60 subjects with bacterial infection had more than 10% formazan positive neutrophils, and 18 of 20 subjects without bacterial infection showed less than 10%. formazan positive neutrophils, The groups of the elevated N.B.T. responses were mainly the subjects who had osteomyelitis, soft tissue inflammation, pyogenic arthritis, and bone and joint tuberculosis. 2. The mean proportion of N.B.T. positive neutrophils was 3.8±2.78% in 40 controls, 4.7±4.23% in 20 nonifectious group 12.7±10.3% in 12 chronic osteomyelitis, 12.5±10.7% in 15 treated bone and joint tuberculosis, 20.9±15.65% in 15 untreated bone and joint tuberculosis and 20±10.70% in 11 pyogenic arthritis and 7 other soft inflammatory group. 3. In noninfectious group, 7 of 8 subjects with elevated ESR and 3 of 4 subjects with elevated body temperature revealed N.B.T. responses less than 10%. 4. In 23 subjects with the elevated N.B.T. responses as well as leukecytosis, 22 subjects were the groups of bacterial infection and rest 1 was noninfectious in nature. 5. Therefore, the N.B.T. test is found to be useful for the purposes of the early diagnostic aid of the bacterial infection and differential diagnosis between bacterial infections and other diseases.
Arthritis ; Bacterial Infections ; Body Temperature ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Inflammation ; Neutrophils ; Nitroblue Tetrazolium ; Osteomyelitis ; Tuberculosis, Osteoarticular

One hundred eighty infants with oxygen therapy who were under 2,500gm birth weight or under 37 weeks of gestational age, were examined between January 1990 and November 1992. We performed clnical analysis and results were as follows. 1) Fifty six infants (31.1%) were diagnosed as retinopathy of prematurity. 2) The first examination was performed at 2.5 weeks of life on average, and the retinopathy of prematurity was diagnosed at 3.8 weeks on average. 3) The incidence of retinopathy of prematurity was highly associated with low birth weight (< or =1,890 gm), low gestational age ( < or =33.1 weeks), and high oxygen concentration with long duration (FiO2> or =0.4 over 1 week)(P<0.005). 4) Other associated risk factors were idiopathic respiratory distress syndrome, anemia, neonatal hypoxia and sepsis.
Anemia, Neonatal ; Anoxia ; Birth Weight ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant, Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Oxygen ; Retinopathy of Prematurity* ; Risk Factors ; Sepsis

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was the development of a comprehensive nursing intervention program for the client with acute lymph stasis and stage I lymphedema. METHOD: The Quasi-experimental design using a non-equivalent control group was used. The subjects were 22 stroke patients with lymph stasis in the control group and 23 patients in the experimental group. The complex physical therapy of Casley-Smith was carried out to the control group for 10 hours, and comprehensive nursing intervention for the experimental group was carried out for 60 minutes. The data for this study was gathered from Feb. 2002 until June 2002 and pertains knowledge about lymphedema, self-care for managing lymphedema, and circumferences of affected limbs. Data was analyzed by mean, standard deviation, x2-test, and t-test. RESULT: The changes in knowledge about lymphedema, self-care practices, and circumference of affected limbs after nursing intervention did not show significant differences between control group and experiment group. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that comprehensive nursing intervention had more efficiency than complex physical therapy in the treatment of edema for stroke patients because of it's simplicity and time saving. Thereby, the comprehensive nursing intervention program developed in this study would be a useful therapy for the clients with lymph stasis and early stage lymphedema.
Edema ; Extremities ; Humans ; Lymphedema* ; Nursing* ; Self Care ; Stroke

BACKGROUND: Midazolam relaxes airway smooth muscle. The aim of this study is to evaluate the influence of flumazenil or verapamil on the relaxation effects of midazolam in tracheal smooth muscle of guinea pig. METHODS: After isolating guinea-pig tracheal preparations, the maximal tracheal tones were induced by 2 10(-7) M carbachol. When tracheal tones stabilized, midazolam was added cumulatively (10(-6), 3 10(-6), 10(-5), 3 10(-5), 10(-4) M, n=14) with or without flumazenil (10(-6) M, n=15) and verapamil (10(-5) M, n=13) to obtain the concentration-relaxation curves, and then the ED50 and ED95 calculated. RESULTS: Midazolam decreased maximal tracheal smooth muscle tones in concentration-dependent manners. Pretreatment with flumazenil had no effect on the midazolam-induced relaxation. Verapamil enhanced the relaxation effect of midazolam. CONCLUSIONS: Midazolam relaxes airway smooth muscle and has synergistic effect with calcium channel blocker, verapamil.
Animals ; Calcium Channels ; Carbachol ; Flumazenil* ; Guinea Pigs ; Midazolam* ; Muscle, Smooth* ; Relaxation* ; Verapamil*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this descriptive study was to gain basic data to develop a self-care protocol for the lymphedema patients. METHOD: The subjects of this study consisted of 115 patients with lymphedema from 8 hospitals and two community health and welfare centers in Busan and Seoul. The data was collected with questionnaire by self reporting of patients between March 2001 and December 2001. Data was analyzed by mean and percentage. RESULT: For self-care activities in daily life, compliance of 'use skin care preparations', 'use heat and cold', 'protect from local compression on affected limbs', 'protect from insect biting', 'use aids to protect affected limbs', 'take diuretics and take protein diet' did not reach to 50%. For self-care activities related to complex physical therapy, 28.7% of subjects complied with compression garment, 14.8% with manual lymph drainage, and 13.0% with exercise. 20.0% of subjects tried to treat with acupuncture and 13.9% with heat therapy. CONCLUSION: From this study, it is suggested that patients need to get a self-care education with correct information about self care activities and health care professionals need to develop more convenience self-care techniques of massage and exercise.
Acupuncture ; Busan ; Compliance ; Delivery of Health Care ; Diuretics ; Drainage ; Education ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Insects ; Lymphedema* ; Massage ; Self Care* ; Self Report ; Seoul ; Skin Care ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Recent studies suggest possibility of continuous and prolonged liver ischemia exceeding one hour. We compared mortality rates, liver function, serum Interleukin-6(IL-6) concentration and liver cell necrosis after continuous and intermittent hepatic ischemia in rats. METHODS: Sixty rats were divided into 6 groups to compare 7 day mortality rate. Continuous and intermittent left hepatic inflow occlusion was performed for a total period of 45, 60 and 90 minutes. In a separate study, following 90 minutes continuous or intermittent ischemia, systemic blood was sampled at 0 minute, 6 hours and 24 hours after final clamp release for measurement of SGOT, SGPT and IL-6. Pathologic examination was performed 24 hours or 7 days after reperfusion accordingly. RESULTS: There were no differences in the mortality rates within seven days. There were no differences in the level of SGOT, SGPT and IL-6 between each experimental group. In a pathologic examination, similar liver cell necrosis was found in each group until 24 hours of reperfusion. However, at 7 days after reperfusion, significantly higher grade of hepatic necrosis was noted in the group having continuous ischemia compared with intermittent ischemia of 90 minutes(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Continuous ischemia is associated with significant risk in the aspect of pathologic study, although it did not affect short term mortality rates.
Alanine Transaminase ; Animals ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Interleukin-6 ; Ischemia ; Liver ; Mortality ; Necrosis ; Rats* ; Reperfusion ; Reperfusion Injury*

PURPOSE: The objective of this study is to investigate changes of chest wall shape and chest compression site according to increasing age. METHODS: This study is based on 99 patients who underwent chest computed tomography (CT) scans, and classified them into six groups according to age, from 30's to 80's. Using images of sagittal and coronal sections of chest CT scans, we found the chest compression site, which is in the lower half point of the sternal body. We calculated the vertical length to the left ventricular outflow tract and to the center of the left ventricle from the lower half point of the sternal body. We also estimated the antero-posterior (AP) diameters of the lower half region of the chest to determine how the shape of the chest changes according to increasing age. In addition, we calculated the horizontal length between the surface of the chest and center of the left ventricle. Data are classified and estimated according to age group. RESULTS: The AP diameter at the compression site was not significantly changed according to increasing age. The vertical length from the compression site to the center of the left ventricle and left ventricular outflow tract was significantly changed according to increasing age. The depth between surface of body and center of left ventricle was not significantly changed according to increasing age. CONCLUSION: There is a tendency where the position of the left ventricular outflow tract and center of the left ventricle show lower positioning according to increasing age. AP diameter at the compression point was not significantly changed according to increasing age.
Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Thoracic Wall* ; Thorax* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

PURPOSE: Gastric cancer is believed to be a disease of the elderly, and rarely occurs in young patients. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinicopathological and prognostic factors related to young gastric cancer patients. METHODS: A total of 877 patients with gastric cancer from 1995 to 2004 in a secondary referral center in Suwon City were enrolled in this study. The clinicopathological features of the young (aged<40 years) gastric cancer patients were compared with those of the older (aged > or =40 years) patients. The overall survival was the main outcome measure. The survival curves were constructed using the Kaplan-Meier method, Univariate analysis was performed using the log-rank test, and multivariate analysis was performed using with Cox regression. A P value<0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Of the 877 patients, 65(7.4%) were in the young age group. The mean age of this group was 34.9 years (range, 19~39 years). The male-to-female ratio of the patients younger than 40 was 1.24/1; whereas the ratio was 2.07/1 in those older than 40. 7.7 percent of the patients had a family history of gastric cancer. A significantly higher percentage of young patients had a poorly differentiated histology than the older patients (P=0.0001). Twenty-three patients (38.9%) were stage III or IV disease, whereas 36 patients (61.0%) presented with stage I or II disease. A resection with a curative intent was undertaken in 53 patients (81.5%), and a resection with a palliative intent was performed in 12 patients (18.4%). With a mean follow-up of 39 months, the disease-specific 5-year survival rates were similar to those observed in the older group of patients. The variables with a significant impact on survival were a curative resection, a lymph node metastasis, lymphatic invasion, peritoneal metastasis, and adjuvant chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: There were no significant differences in the clinicopathological characteristics and clinical outcome of a gastric adenocarcinoma between the younger and older patients. The important prognostic factors were curability, lymph node metastasis, lymphatic invasion, peritoneal metastasis, and adjuvant chemotherapy.
Adenocarcinoma ; Aged ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Secondary Care Centers ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Survival Rate

Patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) are at high risk for spinal fracture even after a minor injury. Most spinal fractures with ankylosing spondylitis occur in the cervical spine, whereas spinal fractures in thoracic or lumbar spine are rare. These fractures are often difficult to detect on standard radiographs, because the normal anatomical landmarks are lacking and the abnormal spinal stiffness precludes optimal exposure of the spine. We report on a case of a 12th thoracic spine fracture in ankylosing spondylitis with bamboo spine after a minor injury. In this case, anteroposterior and lateral radiographs of the thoracolumbar spine showed a bamboo spine typical for ankylosing spondylitis with no evidence of fracture. However, computed tomography showed a 12th thoracic fracture with burst. Therefore, this fracture, in a patient with AS involved all three spinal columns, was considered unstable.
Humans ; Spinal Fractures ; Spine* ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing*

OBJECTIVES: Peptic ulcer is the major condition that affect numerous individuals every year. In 1983, Warren and Marshall presented the evidence that H. pylori was associated with gastritis and peptic ulcer. Thereafter, K. pylori infection is thought to be a important factor in the pathogenesis of gastric and duodenal ulcer. In western studies, about 58% to 100% of patients with peptic ulcer disease were infected with H. pylori. But in Korea, there is no study about the prevalence of H. pylori infection in peptic ulcer disease despite of its high prevalence and importance. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of H. pylori infection in case of gastric and duodenal ulcer disease in Korea. METHODS: We surveyed the prevalence of H. pylori infection of 1031 patients, who were diagnosed as gastric or duodenal ulcer by gastrofiberoscopy. H. pylori infection was evaluated with Rapid Urease Test(CLO test) and/or histology by Wright-Giemsa staining. RESULTS: 1) Peptic ulcer was more frequently developed in males than females, as the frequency of peptic ulcer was 77% in males, and 23% in females. But in view of the prevalence of H. pylori infection, there was no significant difference between males and females, 73% in males and 71% in females. 2) Gastric ulcer was most common in sixth decade(29.8%), but the prevalence of H. pylori infection was peak in fourth(76%), and fifth decade (73%). 3) Duodenal ulcer was most common in fourth decade(26.3%), but the prevalence of H. pylori infection was peak in teenagers(93%) and third decade(87%). 4) The patients who had both gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer concurrently were most common in sixth decade(27.9%), but the prevalence of H, pylori infection was peak in third decade(100%). CONCLUSION: We concluded that the majority of peptic ulcer patients in Korea had H. pylori infection. Particularly, young aged patients had higher H. pylori infection rate than old aged.
Duodenal Ulcer* ; Female ; Gastritis ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Peptic Ulcer ; Prevalence* ; Prospective Studies* ; Stomach Ulcer* ; Urease