Cerebrovascular accident (CVA) is the most common cause of neurologic disorder accompanying grave prognosisand its mortality above 50%. Prior to introduction of the CT, the diagnosis have been depended on clinicalfindings and spinal puncture. Radiologic diagnostic methods, such as angiography, ventriculography andradioisotope scanning are invasive and less sentitive in diagnosis of CVA than CT. The size, location andextension of the intracranial pathology and ventricular penetration are accureately and rapidly portrayed by CT.Consequently, CT plays impotant role in effective tratement and evaluation of prognosis in CVA. Authors analyzed63 cases of diagnosed CVA who were performed CT scan in Korea General Hospital from November 1981 to April 1982.The results were as follows. 1. The most prevalent age group of CVA was 6th decade, and then 7th and 5th decadesin decreasing order. The sex ration between male and female was 1.2:1. 2. The causes of CVA were hypertensivehemorrhage (50.8%), vascular occlusive disease(22.2%), anurysm ruture (4.8%), arteriovenous malformation (3.2%)and hemorrhage of unknown etiology (19.0%). 3. The most common site of hemorrhage was basal ganglia (34.6%) andthen thalamus(21.8%) and cerebral lobes(20.5%). In infarction, the common sites were the lobes(64.7%) and thebasal ganglia (35.3%) 4. Round or oval shaped hematomas of high density (85.9%) were frequent findings ofhemorrhage and mass effect occured in 75.6%. 5. All infarctions were low in density ; Most of the lesion wasinhomogeneous(70.6%) and the rests were homogeneous. Mass effects were seen in 29.4%.
Angiography ; Arteriovenous Malformations ; Basal Ganglia ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Ganglia ; Hematoma ; Hemorrhage ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Infarction ; Korea ; Male ; Mortality ; Nervous System Diseases ; Pathology ; Prognosis ; Spinal Puncture ; Stroke ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

The enzyme complex 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3beta-HSD) is involed in the biosynthesis of all classes of active steroids. It has been known that the enzymatic activity of 3beta-HSD is present not only in the classical steroido-genic tissues, but also in many peripheral tissues. This study was performed to investigated of 3beta-HSD immunore-activity in the rat cardiovascular tissues such as the ventricle, atrium, aortic arch, and abdominal aorta. Immunoblot analyses and immunohistochemical studies were performed using polyclonal antibodies raised against purified human placental 3beta-HSD. We identified 43 and 37KDa bands in the ventricle and atrum, whereas only 37KDa band was observed in the aortic arch and abdominal aorta. Immunostaining for 3beta-HSD was detected in the ventricular and atrial cardiocytes. The intensity of staining was much higher in the atrial cardiocytes than in the ventricular cardiocytes. Immunostaining was also found in the smooth muscles of aortic arch and abdominal aorta.
Animals ; Antibodies ; Aorta, Abdominal ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Cardiovascular System* ; Humans ; Muscle, Smooth ; Oxidoreductases ; Rats* ; Steroids

OBJECTIVE: Sinapic acid (SA, Sinapine), small naturally occurring hydroxycinnamic acid, has a GABA(A) receptor agonistic property and free radical scavenging activity. We examined potential neuroprotective effects of sinapic acid (SA) using global cerebral ischemia animal model. METHODS: MTT assay was performed to determine cytotoxic effects of SA. To examine the neuroprotective effects of SA, SA was administrated for 14 d before 4-vessel occlusion. Also, to determine whether SA prevents cognitive impairment, Morris water maze was performed. RESULTS: In this study, the efficacy of SA for the prevention of neuronal damage and for the reduction of memory impairment was investigated. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that SA confers significant neuroprotection especially for ischemic hippocampal neurons.
Animals ; Brain Ischemia ; Coumaric Acids ; Glycosaminoglycans ; Hippocampus ; Ischemia ; Maze Learning ; Memory ; Neurons ; Neuroprotective Agents ; Rats ; Receptors, GABA-A

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the quality of life and its predictors in low income Korean aged. METHODS: This was a predictive correlational study. An accessible sample from the population of people who were 65 and over and were supported by the basic livelihood security system was 1,040. Quota sampling with strata of state division in the nation was chosen. Quality of life and its predictors in the subjects were measured. RESULTS: The mean quality of life in the subjects was 47.0+/-10.7. Predictors of this study significantly explained 54.3% of the total variance of quality of life. Depression was the most significant predictor of quality of life. Health problems, district, social support, leisure activity, and health behavior had effects on quality of life. CONCLUSION: This finding indicates that quality of life in lower income Korean aged is different from other populations by economic status. Demographics, health status and social status were predictors of quality of life in the aged with a small income.
Activities of Daily Living ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Demography ; Depression ; Female ; Health Behavior ; Health Status ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; *Poverty ; Predictive Value of Tests ; *Quality of Life ; Social Welfare

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was: 1) To investigate health status(health behavior, health problem and cognition), depression and social support of elderly beneficiaries of the National Basic Livelihood Security System. 2) To identify the relationships among health status, depression and social support. METHODS: This descriptive study used a cross-sectional design. The study sample was a total of 883 elderly recipients supported from the National Basic Livelihood Security System. Quotas for sampling were designed and conducted nationwide throughout Korea. RESULTS: The mean age was 76.2 and the 79.6% of the sample were female. The scores for the health behavior, health problem, ADL, and cognition were 23.9, 4.4, 39.6 and 24.9, respectively. Additionally, the depression score was 19.8 and the social support score was 63.2. Gender, age, education, religion, marital status and monthly income were found as important variables in increasing health status and in decreasing depression among the elderly. Furthermore, depression showed a positive correlation with health problems, but showed negative correlations with health behavior, ADL, and cognition. The upper 25% of social support recipients suffered less depression than the lower 25% of the recipients. Subjects with more social supports had higher ADL scores and less health problem. CONCLUSION: These findings provide significant practical implications for nursing intervention, including social support for the elderly receiving assistance from the National Basic Livelihood Security System.
Activities of Daily Living ; Aged ; Cognition ; Depression ; Female ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Marital Status

Amyloidosis is not a single disease entity but a term applied to a complex of disorders associated with deposition of insoluble fibrillar proteins in virtually pure form in various tissues of the body. This disease is encountered sometimes in America or Europe, but rarely in Korea. We had experienced one case of primary cardiac amyloidosis who was admitted to Won Kwang University Hospital due to dyspnea on exertion. This cardiac amyloidosis was confirmed by echocardiogram and endomyocardial biopsy with congo-red stain. We will report a case and review the pertinent medical literature.
Americas ; Amyloidosis* ; Biopsy ; Cardiomyopathies ; Dyspnea ; Europe ; Korea

PURPOSE: Recently the incidence of severe hyponatremia is increasing in old patients but there is no report about clinical findings of old patients with hyponatremia. We evaluated the cause and clinical manifestations of severe hyponatremia in old patients who had been admitted via emergency room. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed clinical records of the hyponatremic patients who had been admitted from 2000 to 2007. We enrolled 53 patients (Age >60 years, Na <125 mEq/L) without severe liver cirrhosis, heart failure or chronic kidney disease. We analyzed data to evaluate the differences of clinical manifestations according to the presence of symptoms, taking diuretics, urine sodium concentrations and the degree of hyponatremia. RESULTS: Mean serum sodium concentration was 111.4+/-6.9 mEq/L and urine sodium concentration was 68.7+/-43.8 mEq/L. There was no difference in serum sodium concentration according to age. Twenty-nine (54.7%) patients had nausea and vomiting and 19 patients (35.8%) had neurologic symptoms. Patients with neurologic symptoms showed lower serum and urine sodium concentration than patients without neurologic symptoms. The main causes of severe hyponatremia were poor oral intake (79.2%), diuretics use (37.7%) and recent operation (15.1%). The mean sodium concentration of the fluid administered to achieve 125 mEq/L of serum sodium level was 336.5+/-160.6 mEq/L. CONCLUSION: The urinary sodium loss, e.g., diuretics abuse, may be the main cause of severe hyponatremia in elderly patients over 60 years. In elderly patients, diuretics should be carefully administered with frequent electrolyte monitoring.
Aged ; Diuretics ; Emergencies ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Hyponatremia ; Incidence ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Nausea ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; Retrospective Studies ; Sodium ; Vomiting

Cerebral protection during aortic arch surgery is an anesthetic challenge, since the surgical procedures for aortic arch aneurysm involve an interruption of cerebral blood flow. We report a successfully managed case of aortic arch aneurysm repair with antegrade selective cerebral perfusion (SCP) during TCA (total circulatory arrest) using a transcranial oximeter, cerebral oxygenation was monitored during surgery. Although at the beginning of TCA a decrease in the regional cerebral oxygen saturation was observed, this was soon recovered by SCP. Except for the short period of TCA without SCP, regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO2) value were well maintained during surgery.
Aneurysm ; Aorta, Thoracic* ; Oxygen ; Perfusion*

The purpose of this study was to identify the barrier factors of health behaviors of urban and rural elderly and to compare the health behaviors and level of barriers between two groups, and finally to get the basic informations about the adequate nursing strategies to promote the health state of urban and rural elderly. The subjects of this study were 177 over the age of 65, 81 elderly lived in Seoul and 96 elderly lived in rural areas. The instruments for this study were the health behavior scale(14 items) and the barrier scale (118 items) developed by Gu et al(2003). For the data analysis, SPSS PC program was utilized for descriptive statistics, chi2- test, t-test, Pearson correlation. The results of this study were ; 1. The mean score of health behaviors (range 1-4) was 2.69 in urban elderly and 2.33 in rural elderly ; there was significant difference(t=5.03, P=.00). 2. There were significant differences in levels of barriers(range 1-3) between the two groups, such as calcium intake(t=-3.16, P=.00), regular exercise(t=-3.80, P=.00), exercise time(t=-5.54, P=.00), use of stress reduction method(t=-3.45, P=.00), regular check up(t=-3.89, P=.00), vaccination(t= -3.83, P=.00). Higher levels of barriers were found in rural elderly than in urban elderly.3. Lack of habituation, lack of will power and lack of knowledge in calcium intake; lack of time, lack of habituatuion, lack of family support, lack of will power and lack of environment in exercise; lack of perceived benefit, lack of time, lack of will power and lack of knowledge in use of stress reduction method; lack of time, lack of interest, lack of habituation and lack of will power in disease prevention were significantly higher in rural elderly than in urban elderly.In the conclusion, nursing interventions should be planned based on the social environment of elderly. To promote the health state of elderly, interventions to decrease the barrier levels and to reduce the barrier factors to health behaviors should be implemented.
Aged* ; Calcium ; Health Behavior* ; Humans ; Nursing ; Seoul ; Social Environment ; Statistics as Topic

Pheochromocytoma is derived from the chromaffin tissue. The typical finding of pheochromocytoma is paroxysmal hypertension accompanied with various signs and symptoms that are due to the excess of catecholamines or other bioactive substances. Yet the diagnosis is sometimes difficult to make because its clinical presentation is quite variable. Especially, hemoptysis is a very rare symptom, so the diagnosis is often missed or delayed. Without making the correct diagnosis and then subsequently administering treatment, the condition may be fatal. We herein report on a 68 year-old woman who was admitted because of abdominal pain and hemoptysis. The initial radiologic findings suggested pulmonary edema with alveolar hemorrhage. The urine catecholamine levels were elevated and she developed catecholamine-induced cardiomyopathy. We performed bronchial arterial embolization and we administered alpha blocker medication for controlling the hemoptysis and hypertension. After the temporary symptomatic improvement, her clinical course was aggravated by pneumonia and pulmonary edema. In spite of performing definitive surgery for pheochromocytoma, she died of postoperative hemodynamic instability.
Abdominal Pain ; Cardiomyopathies ; Catecholamines ; Female ; Hemodynamics ; Hemoptysis ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Pheochromocytoma ; Pneumonia ; Pulmonary Edema