No abstract available.
Sparganosis*

No abstract available.
Amniotic Fluid* ; beta-Endorphin* ; Female

No abstract available.
Pregnancy* ; Purpura*

PURPOSE: Retrospective study was done to evaluate the causes of priapism lasting for over 24 hours induced by intracavernous vasoactive agents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirteen patients of priapism lasting for 24-60 hours, induced by intracavernous vasoactive drugs, were retrospectively evaluated using medical records or by telephone interviews. Injected vasoactive drugs, providers of the drugs, purpose of the injection, reasons leaving the priapism untreated so long, treatment modalities of the priapism, and change of potency after the treatment were evaluated. RESULTS: Only 2 patients (15.4%) were self-injected to treat erectile dysfunction by doctor's prescription. The others, who received the drugs without doctor's prescription, had injections to enhance their potency (46.1%, n=6) or to treat premature ejaculation (15.4%, n=2). The drugs injected were papaverine (23.1%, n=3), papaverine and phentolamine (23.1%, n=3) or prostaglandin E1(7.7%, n=1), but unknown in 6 (46.1%). The reasons of leaving the priapism untreated were mostly due to lack of no knowledge about the priapism (53.8%, n=7). Aspiration and irrigation with alpha-agonist of corpus cavernosum were applied to all patients. Four patients who did not respond to the treatment underwent shunt operations. All the patients complained of weakened potency after the priapism. CONCLUSIONS: Priapism lasting for over 24 hours induced by intracavernous vasoactive drugs were mostly due to abuse or misuse of the drugs and resulted in weakened potency. To avoid this disaster, the drugs should be given to patients by doctor's prescription with full explanation about the side effects of the drug.
Disasters ; Erectile Dysfunction ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Male ; Medical Records ; Papaverine ; Phentolamine ; Premature Ejaculation ; Prescriptions ; Priapism* ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether physicians' practice was adequate for the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis in patients with proximal humeral fracture over the age of 50 years, which is one of major osteoporotic fractures. METHODS: A retrospective nation-wide cohort study was performed using data collected in 2010 by the Korean Health Insurance Review Agency. The incidences of fractures around the hip, spine, and proximal humerus in patients more than 50 years of age, the frequencies of diagnostic bone density scan for osteoporosis, and the prescription for the osteoporosis medication were analyzed and compared. RESULTS: A search of database identified 48,351 hip fractures, 141,208 spine fractures, and 11,609 proximal humeral fractures in patients more than 50 years of age in 2010. Among these patients, 12,097 (25.0%) of hip fractures, 41,962 (29.7%) of spine fractures, and 1,458 (12.6%) of proximal humeral fractures underwent diagnostic bone density scan (p < 0.001); 4,773 (9.9%) of hip fractures, 27,261 (19.3%) of spine fractures, and 639 (5.5%) of proximal humeral fractures were managed with at least one medication approved for the treatment of osteoporosis (p < 0.001). Furthermore, 1,217 (2.5%) of hip fractures, 7,271 (5.2%) of spine fractures, and 188 (1.6%) of proximal humeral fractures received diagnostic bone density scans as well as osteoporosis medications (p < 0.001). Younger patients (50–69 years of age) were less likely to be evaluated and managed for osteoporosis relative to older patients (≥ 70 years of age) (p < 0.001); and men were less likely to be evaluated and managed for osteoporosis relative to women (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Current physicians' practice pattern may be inadequate for the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis in patients of proximal humeral fractures over the age of 50 years. Additional study and educational programs are necessary to improve this care gap, beginning with physicians who are responsible for the fracture treatment and shoulder diseases.
Aged ; Bone Density ; Bone Density Conservation Agents/therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Osteoporosis/complications/diagnosis/drug therapy/epidemiology ; Retrospective Studies ; Shoulder Fractures/*complications/*epidemiology

OBJECTIVES: Advance directives (AD) are designed to protect patients’ autonomy and self-determination, which mean the end of life care planning should precede before loss of their decision ability. We aimed to analyze our experience of AD at field of oncology, focusing on preference of end-of-life care and outcome in advanced cancer patients. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted on advanced cancer patients who underwent AD at the department of Oncology of Hanil General Hospital, between April 2013 and January 2014. AD are composed of decision about end of life care (resuscitation, ventilator, artificial tube feeding) and determination of proxy. RESULTS: Among 23 patients who were recommended AD during study period, 19 patients (83%) successfully underwent AD. The median age was 67 years (range, 50 to 95 years) and male was predominance (84%) was observed. Most of them (90%) have not heard of AD in the past. With regard to decision of end-of-life care, decision for resuscitation and ventilator were selected only by 1 patient (5%), respectively, while 10 patients (52%) decided to receive tube feeding. Among 5 patients who underwent AD during chemotherapy, there was neither transfer to other hospital for anti-cancer treatment nor follow up loss. CONCLUSION: AD might be applicable in advanced cancer patients at field of oncology, including also patients treated with palliative chemotherapy.
Advance Directives* ; Drug Therapy ; Enteral Nutrition ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Male ; Proxy ; Resuscitation ; Retrospective Studies ; Terminal Care ; Ventilators, Mechanical

BACKGROUND: Rocuronium administration is associated with a severe burning pain during injection. However, the mechanistic cause of the pain has not been well established. The purpose of this study was to determine whether adjusting the pH of the rocuronium with NaHCO3 would ameliorate the pain. METHODS: We examined mixtures using microscope after NaHCO3 was mixed with rocuronium to exam solubility. Sixty of 80 patients scheduled for elective gynecologic surgery were randomly allocated to one of three groups as follows: group 1 (rocuronium only, n = 20), group 2 (rocuronium 50 mg/5 ml mixed with 0.9% NaCl 3 ml, n = 20), group 3 (rocuronium 50 mg/5 ml mixed with NaHCO3 3 ml, n = 20). All patients received 0.6 mg/kg of rocuronium over 10 sec and were asked to assess pain using a visual analogue scale (VAS) followed by injection of propofol 1.5 mg/kg and fentanyl 100 mcg. The onset and duration of rocuronium were measured in three groups. Twitch responses to cumulative incremental doses of rocuronium were measured in another 20 patients, allocated to group A (rocuronium only, n = 10) or group B (rocuronium 50 mg/5 ml mixed with NaHCO3 3 ml, n = 10). RESULTS: Over 24 hours, no precipitation or particles were found after mixing NaHCO3 with rocuronium. The VAS was significantly lower in group 3 (0.5+/-0.9) than in group 1 (5.4+/-3.2) or in group 2 (4.9+/-2.1) (P < 0.05). Eighteen of 20 patients in group 3 had no pain and only 2 had mild pain, but all patients in groups 1 and 2 had mild to severe pain. There were no differences in onset or duration between the three groups and in twitch responses between group A and B. CONCLUSIONS: NaHCO3 mixed with rocuronium attenuates rocuronium injection pain, and there were no problems or complications.
Burns ; Female ; Fentanyl ; Gynecologic Surgical Procedures ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Propofol ; Solubility

OBJECTIVE: The abacus, first used in Asian countries more than 800 years ago, enables efficient arithmetic calculation via visuo-spatial configuration. We investigated whether abacus-trained children performed better on cognitive tasks and demonstrated higher levels of arithmetic abilities compared to those without such training. METHODS: We recruited 75 elementary school children (43 abacus-trained and 32 not so trained). Attention, memory, and arithmetic abilities were measured, and we compared the abacus with the control group. RESULTS: Children who had learned to use an abacus committed fewer commission errors and showed better arithmetic ability than did controls. We found no significant differences between children with and without abacus training in other areas of attention. CONCLUSION: We speculate that abacus training improves response inhibition via neuroanatomical alterations of the areas that regulate such functions. Further studies are needed to confirm the association between abacus training and better response inhibition.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Case-Control Studies* ; Child ; Cognitive Science ; Humans ; Mathematics ; Memory

Differential diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis from other pulmonary fungal infections including mucormycosis is important because the treatment is pathogen-dependent. Clinically, invasive aspergillosis is often discriminated from other mold infections on the basis of typical histopathologic features in the biopsy specimen. However, biopsy alone is not always complete because different fungal species can display similar histopathologic features. Surrogate markers or molecular-based assays can be useful when the results of conventional diagnostic modalities are conflicting. Here, we present a case of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis histologically mimicking mucormycosis, which was confirmed by fungal polymerase chain reaction.
Aspergillosis ; Biomarkers ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Fungi ; Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis* ; Lung Diseases, Fungal ; Mucormycosis* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction

Primary rectal lymphoma is a rare disease among the gastrointestinal (GI) lymphoma. In particular, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) transformed from mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma is often the primary type of GI lymphoma, mostly in stomach or duodenum, but has never been reported in rectum. Here we report an unusual case in which a 75-year-old male patient diagnosed with DLBCL transformed from MALT lymphoma in the rectum. The patient was diagnosed as rectal DLBCL transformed from MALT lymphoma as Lugano stage II2 and was treated with chemotherapy (R-CHOP) with CD-20 monoclonal antibody (rituxaimb). Complete remission of multiple lymphadenopathy and mass forming ulcer of the rectum was achieved after 6 cycles of R-CHOP. He has been free from disease for 12 months.
Aged ; B-Lymphocytes* ; Drug Therapy ; Duodenum ; Humans ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Lymphoid Tissue ; Lymphoma ; Lymphoma, B-Cell* ; Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone* ; Male ; Rare Diseases ; Rectum ; Stomach ; Ulcer