BACKGROUND: There are conflicting reports on the attenuationof the frontal N30 component of the median nerve derived somatosensory evoked potentials(MN SSEP) and the P37-N45 component of the posterior tibial nerve derived somatosensory evoked potentials(PT SSEP) in Parkinson's disease(PD). The central motor conduction time(CMCT) and the threshold of the magnetic motor evoked potentials(MEP) in PD also demonstrate inconsistent results. METHODS: We studied MN SSEP, PT SSEP and MEP in 10 patients with PD and compared them with 10 normal controls. RESULTS: The latency and amplitude of MN SSEP was normal in the patients with PD and, in particular, the frontal N30 compo-nent was not significantly depressed. There was no difference between the PD patients and the normal controls in the CMCT and the amplitude of arm and leg MEP. But compared with the normal controls, the latency of P37 cortical evoked potentials was prolonged and transmagnetic stimulation(TMS) threshold for evoking responses in relaxed or active tibialis anterior muscle decreased in the patients with PD. CONCLUSIONS: Recording of MEP threshold in tibialis anterior muscle and P37 latency of PT SSEP may be useful for the evaluation of patients with PD.
Arm ; Evoked Potentials ; Evoked Potentials, Motor* ; Humans ; Leg ; Median Nerve ; Parkinson Disease* ; Tibial Nerve

BACKGROUND: Lowering the wound infection rate is very important to decrease morbidity, mortality, and the cost of therapy. We wanted to know the bacteriologic pathogen of surgical infection, to verify the role and proper selection of prophylactic antibiotics, and to figure out the risk factors of surgical infection in the biliary area. METHODS: A prospective study was done for 109 patients who underwent biliary operations, excluding laparoscopic cholecystectomy from Mar. 1997 to Feb. 1998. Bacteriologic data were collected from 96 patients among them. Wound infection was defined as a purulent discharge from the wound. Ordinary bacterial cultures were taken from the peritoneal cavity (liver bed) and the wound subcutaneous area. Items of investigations were age, sex, degree of obesity, operation time, ASA classification, incision, suture materials, transfusion, used antibiotics, serum albumin, serum glucose, and hemoglobin. Statistical analysis were done with the Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon-rank test, the Students t-test, the Chi-square test, and Fishers exact test. RESULTS: Wound infections occurred in 5 cases (4.8%). Culture positivity from the wounds was 38.5% (37/96), and that than the peritoneal cavity were 40.6% (39/96). The bacteria isolated from the peritoneal cavity were mainly gram-negative rods (E. coli, Klebsiella, Enterobacter, Pseudomonas, Serratiae, Morganella); gram-positive cocci were also isolated (Enterococcus, Streptococcus). The most common bacteria isolated from the wound was gram-positive Enterococcus; gram-negative rods were also common (Klebsiella, E. coli, Enterobacter). Of the investigated risk factors, a positive culture and biliary tract infection were statistically significant risk factors of wound infection (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Taking a bacterial culture from the wound and from the peritoneal cavity is important because it directly correlates with the degree of contamination and defines a high risk of infection. Prophylactic antibiotic administration with 3rd generation cephalosporin and aminoglycoside is justified in view of the organisms isolated from the culture.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacteria ; Biliary Tract ; Blood Glucose ; Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic ; Classification ; Enterobacter ; Enterococcus ; Gram-Positive Cocci ; Humans ; Klebsiella ; Mortality ; Obesity ; Peritoneal Cavity ; Prospective Studies* ; Pseudomonas ; Risk Factors* ; Serratia ; Serum Albumin ; Sutures ; Wound Infection* ; Wounds and Injuries*

BACKGROUND & SIGNIFICANCE: Focal seizures are usually due to an underlying structural lesion of the brain but occasionally caused by metabolic disturbances such as nonketotic hyperglycemia (NKH). Reflex focal seizures associated with NKH have been reported. CASE: The 69 year-old man was admitted in our hospital due to clonic movements of the right leg. His seizures did not occur spontaneously but were provoked by active or passive movements and tactile stimulation of the affected leg. The convulsive movements of the right leg often spread to the left leg without involving any other parts of his body. The seizures regressed with the control of hyperglycemia only. COMMENT: We report a patient presented with reflex focal seizures as the initial manifest-ation of NKH.
Aged ; Brain ; Humans ; Hyperglycemia* ; Leg ; Reflex* ; Seizures*

BACKGROUND: We assessed the state of diabetes control in Korean adults from the 2001 Korean National Health and Nutrition Survey. METHODS: A total of 271 adult diabetes patients (125 males, 146 females) were identified from the health interview survey. Diabetes control status was assessed by the American Diabetic Association (ADA) recommendations. Socioeconomic characteristics and the health status were assessed by an interview and the health- related behavior was assessed by self-questionnaire. A one-day 24-hour recall was used for the dietary assessment. Blood pressure and anthropometric measurements were done. Fasting blood was drawn for glucose, HbA1c, and lipids profile. RESULTS: The proportions of patients reaching the recommended goals for fasting plasma glucose (< or =130 mg/dl), HbA1c (<7%), blood pressure (<130/80 mmHg), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (<100 mg/dl), triglyceride (<200 mg/dl), and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (>45 mg/dl for males, >55 mg/dl for females) were 57.2%, 19.9%, 24.4%, 27.8%, 64.5% and 20.7%, respectively. Body mass index, and smoking in males and age, and diabetes duration in females were associated with HbA1c level. CONCLUSION: This study shows that diabetes in Korean adult is not adequately controlled. National effort is needed to achieve the recommended treatment goals and to manage modifiable risk factors such as obesity and smoking.
Adult ; Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Cholesterol ; Cholesterol, HDL ; Cholesterol, LDL ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Fasting ; Female ; Glucose ; Humans ; Lipoproteins ; Male ; Obesity ; Plasma ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking

PURPOSE: This study was performed to examine vascular pain due to gemcitabine and according to clinical factors. METHODS: The survey was performed with 525 cancer patients visiting chemotherapy infusion room in one general hospital. The data were collected via self-reported questionnaire, researchers observation, and reviewing medical records. Data were analyzed descriptive statistics, t-test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Tukey test using ranks, Jonckheere-Terpstra test, and Spearman correlation analysis were used. RESULTS: The mean scores of the intensity and onset time of vascular pain were 3.06+/-2.16 and 8.13+/-13.13 min, and each other were negative correlaton. Degree of intensity of vascular pain had a significant difference on gender (p=.003), age (p=.004), weight (p=.019), Body mass index (BMI) (p=.005), Body surface area (BSA) (p=.030), infusion time (p<.001), dose (p=.027), dose per minute (p<.001), the number of administered gemcitabine (p=.005), combination chemotherapeutic drug (p=.013) and tumor type (p=.002). Degree of onset time of vascular pain had a significant difference on infusion time (p=.044), combination chemotherapy (p=.001) and injection site (p=.001). CONCLUSION: Patients administrated gemcitabine were experiencing various vascular pain, and vascular pain had a difference on clinical factors. Therefore, oncology nurses should be considered significant clinical factors to implement effective interventions to patients administered gemcitabine.
Body Mass Index ; Body Surface Area ; Drug Therapy ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: Children of obese parents are more likely to be obese themselves. Parental lifestyle habits could induce or aggravate children's obesity. This study was conducted to assess the relationship between parental lifestyle habits and children's overweight. METHODS: Children who were enrolled in this study were first grade students from elementary schools in Gwacheon and Seoul. A total of 121 children (50 overweight children and 71 normal weight children) and their parents underwent anthropometric measurements and also were surveyed by a questionnaire. RESULTS: The children of obese parents were more likely to be diagnosed as overweight compared to the children whose parents were normal weight (Father: P=0.037, Mother: P=0.001). Among the paternal lifestyle habits, hours of watching TV or computer usage (adjusted odd ratio =2.08, 95% CI=0.90~4.80) and eating frequency of soda, ice cream, cake and chips (adjusted OR=5.77, 95% CI=1.65~20.22) were found to be related to their children being overweight. Among the maternal lifestyle habits, hours of watching TV or computer usage (adjusted OR=2.35, 95% CI=0.99~5.58), the frequency of eating breakfast (adjusted OR: 2.48, 95% CI=1.07~5.75) and the frequency of overeating (adjusted OR: 2.15, 95% CI=0.91~5.11) were found to be related to their children being overweight. Additive adjustment of children's lifestyle habits made the relationship between maternal lifestyle habits and children's overweight reduced. However, the odds ratio of paternal lifestyle habits was not reduced. CONCLUSION: Parental obesigenic lifestyle habits were related to children's overweight. Maternal lifestyle habits could affect her children's weight via an effect on her children's lifestyle habits
Breakfast ; Child ; Eating ; Humans ; Hyperphagia ; Ice Cream ; Life Style ; Motor Activity ; Obesity ; Odds Ratio ; Overweight ; Parents

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

Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a chronic inflammatory disorder affecting the sacroiliac joints and axial spine. Along with pharmacotherapy, non-pharmacological interventions for axSpA are crucial and constitute the cornerstone of treatment. Here, we review the evidence for non-pharmacological treatment of axSpA as a basis for the 2023 Korean treatment recommendations for patients with axSpA. The effectiveness of the core non-pharmacological approaches, such as education, smoking cessation, and exercise, has been reaffirmed. High-quality research on surgical treatment is limited. However, total hip replacement is advised in patients with ongoing pain or disability and visible structural damage to the hip on imaging. Urgent spinal intervention should be considered in cases of acute spinal pain with neurological deficiency or concurrent unstable fractures. Evidence for complementary therapies, including spas and acupuncture, remains insufficient.

Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a chronic inflammatory disorder affecting the sacroiliac joints and axial spine. Along with pharmacotherapy, non-pharmacological interventions for axSpA are crucial and constitute the cornerstone of treatment. Here, we review the evidence for non-pharmacological treatment of axSpA as a basis for the 2023 Korean treatment recommendations for patients with axSpA. The effectiveness of the core non-pharmacological approaches, such as education, smoking cessation, and exercise, has been reaffirmed. High-quality research on surgical treatment is limited. However, total hip replacement is advised in patients with ongoing pain or disability and visible structural damage to the hip on imaging. Urgent spinal intervention should be considered in cases of acute spinal pain with neurological deficiency or concurrent unstable fractures. Evidence for complementary therapies, including spas and acupuncture, remains insufficient.