OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the concurrent validity of a newly developed computerized memory diagnostic system (MDS) with the Korean version of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Packet (CERAD-K). METHODS: Subtests of the MDS and CERAD-K, including the auditory-verbal, visuo-spatial, and working memory tests, were administered to 43 adults aged 60 to 74 years. We calculated the correlations between the subtest scores of the MDS and CERAD-K to examine the concurrent validity of the MDS. RESULTS: We found significant correlations between the subtest scores in the verbal-auditory memory, including immediate recall, delayed recall, and delayed recognition. The working memory subtest scores between the MDS and CERAD-K also showed a significant positive correlation. CONCLUSION: We verified the concurrent validity of the memory subtests in the MDS for the elderly. The results of the present study suggest that the MDS could be a valuable tool for an efficient and valid assessment of memory function.
Adult ; Aged* ; Alzheimer Disease* ; Humans ; Memory* ; Memory, Short-Term ; Neuropsychological Tests

To find the association of perception of health status with lifestyle of different ethnic groups living in north-eastern part of China, a cross-sectional questionnaire survey was done by 10 local health workers for 375 Korean immigrants and 217 Chinese whose age was 30 years old or more. Because Korean immigrants showed higher mortality than Chinese, we expected to find significant lifestyle related with perception of health status which was known to be a predictor of mortality by different ethnic groups. The results were as follows: 1. We found that 59.7% of Yanbian Koreans and 42.9% of Yanbian Chinese felt unhealthy (p=0.000). 2. For Yanbian Koreans, significant variables associated with perception of health status were selected through logistic regression analysis and they were sex; female to male with an OR=2.45 (95% confidence interval[CI]: 1.06, 5.64), prevalence of chronic illness with an OR=8.48 (95% CI: 4.62, 15.56), amount of meal; small or moderate to full with an OR=2.67 (95% CI: 1.40, 5.09), preference of spicy food with an OR=1.78 (95% CI: 1.04, 3.04), and less amount intake of vitamin B2 with an OR=2.29 (95% CI: 1.33, 3.93). 3. For Yanbian Chinese, significant variables associated with perception of health status were prevalence of chronic illness with an OR=4.97 (95% CI: 2.11, 11.68), history of taking ginseng with an OR=3.72 (95% CI: 1.33, 10.43), and less intake of vitamin C with an OR=0.18 (95% CI: 0.07, 0.46). In conclusion, sex, presence of chronic illness, dietary habit, and amount of vitamin- B1 intake were associated with perception of health status in Yanbian Koreans. Presence of chronic illness, experience of ginseng intake, and amount of vitamin C intake were associated with perception of health status in Yanbian Chinese. To prove cause-effect relation between perception of health status and lifestyle, further study is needed for these different ethnic groups.
Adult ; Ascorbic Acid ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; China ; Chronic Disease ; Emigrants and Immigrants ; Ethnic Groups ; Female ; Food Habits ; Humans ; Life Style* ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Meals ; Mortality ; Panax ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Riboflavin

Ultrasound is over 20 khz, which represents the upper frequency limit of human hearing. Acoustic vibrations are generated when piezoelectric materials on the thin disc-shaped transducers expand and contract. Although low frequency ultrasound devices have been used widely in the dermatologic area for a long time, the mechanism and side effects have been overlooked. A low-frequency ultrasound device has many benefits on the cosmetic dermatology area by thermal effect, vibration effect, and increase of transdermal delivery of lipophilic drugs or cosmetics. However, there have been reports of dermatitis, dyspnea, dizziness, and burns after treatment with ultrasound. Therefore, the use of this device should be under a doctor's supervision.
Acoustics ; Burns ; Contracts ; Cosmetics ; Dermatitis ; Dermatology ; Dizziness ; Dyspnea ; Hearing ; Humans ; Organization and Administration ; Transducers ; Ultrasonics ; Vibration

BACKGROUND: We hypothesized that the direction of the J-tip of the guidewire during insertion into the internal jugular vein (IJV) might determine its ultimate location. METHODS: In this study, 300 patients between the ages of 18 and 99 years who required central venous catheterization via IJV in the emergency department enrolled for randomization. IVJ catheterization was successful in 285 of 300 patients. An independent operator randomly prefixed the direction of the J-tip of the guidewire to one of three directions. Based on the direction of the J-tip, patients were allocated into three groups: the J-tip medial-directed group (Group A), the lateral-directed group (Group B), or the downward-directed group (Group C). Postoperative chest radiography was performed on all patients in order to visualize the location of the catheter tip. A catheter is considered malpositioned if it is not located in the superior vena cava or right atrium. RESULTS: Of the total malpositioned catheter tips (8 of 285; 2.8%), the majority (5 of 8; 62.5%) entered the contralateral subclavian vein, 2 (25.0%) were complicated by looping, and 1 (12.5%) entered the ipsilateral subclavian vein. According to the direction of the J-tip of the guidewire, the incidence of malpositioning of the catheter tip was 4 of 92 in Group A (4.3%), 4 of 96 in Group B (4.2%), and there were no malpositions in Group C. There were no significant differences among the three groups (p = 0.114). CONCLUSIONS: The direction of the J-tip of the guidewire had no statistically significant effect on incidence of malpositioned tips.
Catheterization ; Catheterization, Central Venous ; Catheters* ; Central Venous Catheters ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Heart Atria ; Humans ; Incidence ; Jugular Veins* ; Radiography ; Random Allocation ; Subclavian Vein ; Thorax ; Vena Cava, Superior

To find the medical insurance utilization of workers when suffering from low back pain, an analysis was made toward the data of medical insurance benefits matched with the general characteristics of 10,183 workers, who were registered continuously from 1993 to 1995 at a medical insurance cooperation for industrial workers. The results were as follows; 1. The period prevalence of the medical insurance utilization for low back pain for 3 years from 1993 to 1995 was calculated as 17.1% for male workers and 19.4% for female workers. Most common cause of utilization was other dorsopathies including the herniation of lumbar discs. 2. The utilization rate increased significantly as the present age and the age joining the company got older(p<0.001). As the duration of employment got longer, the utilization rate of the male showed the tendency to increase and that of the female increased significantly(p<0.05). Among male workers employed at cement and concrete manufacturing companies showed higher utilization rate and among female laborers showed significantly higher utilization rate than clerical workers(p<0.01). 3. Annual utilization rate for low back pain didn't show any difference, but the portion of other dorsopathies among cause of utilization showed the tendency to increase from 1993 to 1995. 4. The mean number of claims for outpatient medical care for low back pain differed significantly by age, working duration, type of industries, income level(p<0.05), and the mean of total visiting days for care of low back pain differed siginificantly by working duration. In conclusion, considering the fact that the medical insurance utilization for low back pain increased annually and other dorsopathies including the herniation of dorsopathies were increasing, an effective preventive or management program for low back pain toward worker employed at industries were required.
Employment ; Female ; Humans ; Insurance Benefits ; Insurance* ; Low Back Pain* ; Male ; Outpatients ; Prevalence

Background/Aims: This study examined the clinical features and prognosis of patients with mucinous gastric carcinoma (MGC), non-mucinous gastric carcinoma (NMGC), and signet ring cell gastric carcinoma (SRC). Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed, enrolling 65 patients with MGC from January 2007 to December 2016.During the same period, 1,814 patients with histologically proven gastric cancers underwent curative or palliative operations. One hundred and ninety-five NMGC patients were selected as the 1:3 age- and sex-matched control groups. In addition, 200 SRC patients were identified. This study evaluated the demographic features of the patients, pathologic features of the tumor, and the predictive factors, such as the recurrence-free survival and overall survival. Results: The recurrence rates were significantly high in MGC than in NMGC or SRC (both p<0.01). The proportion of early gastric cancer was lower in the MGC group than in the other groups (p<0.01). In addition, metastatic lymph nodes were found more frequently in the MGC group (p<0.01), and the proportion of initial pT4, M1 stage, was highest in the MGC group. The recurrence-free survival and overall survival in the MGC group were significantly lower than those in the NMGC or SRC. Subgroup analysis showed that patients with the same American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage of each cancer group showed a similar prognosis. Conclusions MGC frequently presents an advanced stage with an unfavorable prognosis compared to NMGC or SRC. On the other hand, MGC of the same AJCC stage had a similar prognosis to NMGC and SRC.

Background/Aims: This study examined the clinical features and prognosis of patients with mucinous gastric carcinoma (MGC), non-mucinous gastric carcinoma (NMGC), and signet ring cell gastric carcinoma (SRC). Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed, enrolling 65 patients with MGC from January 2007 to December 2016.During the same period, 1,814 patients with histologically proven gastric cancers underwent curative or palliative operations. One hundred and ninety-five NMGC patients were selected as the 1:3 age- and sex-matched control groups. In addition, 200 SRC patients were identified. This study evaluated the demographic features of the patients, pathologic features of the tumor, and the predictive factors, such as the recurrence-free survival and overall survival. Results: The recurrence rates were significantly high in MGC than in NMGC or SRC (both p<0.01). The proportion of early gastric cancer was lower in the MGC group than in the other groups (p<0.01). In addition, metastatic lymph nodes were found more frequently in the MGC group (p<0.01), and the proportion of initial pT4, M1 stage, was highest in the MGC group. The recurrence-free survival and overall survival in the MGC group were significantly lower than those in the NMGC or SRC. Subgroup analysis showed that patients with the same American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage of each cancer group showed a similar prognosis. Conclusions MGC frequently presents an advanced stage with an unfavorable prognosis compared to NMGC or SRC. On the other hand, MGC of the same AJCC stage had a similar prognosis to NMGC and SRC.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the rate of first-line eradication and the rate of second-line eradication of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) from 2001 to 2010 in a single institute in Seoul. METHODS: Among the 2,717 patients who received H. pylori eradication treatment from 2001 to 2010 at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital, the medical records of 1,466 patients who satisfied the condition of execution of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, positive H. pylori eradication results at 6~8 weeks after eradication therapy were reviewed retrospectively. Then the first-line and second-line eradication rates and the eradication rates according to endoscopy findings were also compared. RESULTS: The first-line eradication rate was 77% H. pylori eradication rate for the last 5 years was continuously increasing and no sign of decline was observed even for the whole 10 years. The rates of eradication related to endoscopic findings showed statistical significance (P<0.001) of 79.8% and 70.1% each for peptic ulcer and non-ulcerative gastric diseases, respectively. CONCLUSION: In this study, no decrease in tendency of first-line eradication rate could be found. In addition, the patients with the non-ulcerative gastric disease seemed to show significantly lower eradication rate. This finding suggests eradication treatment may be affected by the category of gastric diseases, and careful considerations should be taken assessing the effects and needs for the H. pylori eradication treatment.
Endoscopy ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal ; Female ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Helicobacter* ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Peptic Ulcer ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul* ; Stomach Diseases

BACKGROUND: Transcather arterial embolization has been established as an effective means to control hemoptysis, especially in patients with decreased pulmonary function such as postpneumonectomy patients and those with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. We evaluated the effect of arterial embolization and analysed the correlation of the clinical and angiographic characteristics and investigated the clinical course and outcome after arterial embolization in the patients with significant hemoptysis. METHOD: 58 patients with massive or recurrent hemoptysis underwent transcatheter arterial embolization for the treatment of hemoptysis from April 1992 to Sept. 1993. RESULTS: Most common cause of hemoptysis was pulmonary tuberculosis(34 cases, 58.3%). Embolized vessels responsible for hemoptysis were 56 bronchial arteries and 32 nonbronchial systemic arteries. Initial most common angiographic findings were hypervascularity and shunt. Initial success rate of hemoptysis control revealed 81.1%. However, 15 of 58 patients(25.9%) showed recurrence of hemoptysis after transcatheter arterial embolization. The complications(18 cases, 31%) such as chest pain, fever, voiding difficulty, atelectasis, paralytic ileus and unwanted embolization were occured. CONCLUSION: Transcatheter arterial embolization is useful and relatively safe treatment modality for immediate bleeding control of patients with massive hemoptysis or inoperable cases. The further evaluation of the long term results according to the embolized material and underlying pulmonary disease will be required.
Arteries ; Bronchial Arteries ; Chest Pain ; Fever ; Hemoptysis* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction ; Lung Diseases ; Pulmonary Atelectasis ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; Recurrence

Foreign bodies in the upper esophagus should be removed as soon as possible to avoid serious complications. These foreign bodies can penetrate the bowel wall and cause severe complications. The peristalsis of the esophagus is not strong enough to prevent it from retaining swallowed objects. Hence, perforation from a foreign body is more likely to occur in the esophagus than in the rest of the gastrointestinal tract. A razor blade is a rare foreign body of the esophagus. Its sharpness and large size make it difficult to remove. A razor blade was very firmly impacted in the esophageal wall in our case, and the razor blade had not moved from the upper esophagus. A standard overtube has limitations to remove a razor blade inside the overtube's lumen. We report here on a case of using a wedge resected overtube made it possible to successfully extract a razor blade and no serious complications occurred after extraction of the razor blade.
Esophagus ; Foreign Bodies ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Peristalsis