No abstract available.
Anxiety* ; Depression* ; Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe* ; Temporal Lobe*

BACKGROUND: Pruritus, which is a frequent accompanying symptom of dermatological diseases, is also common during pregnancy, either localized or generalized. It may be related to specific dermatoses of pregnancy. OBJECTIVE: A clinical study was performed to know the exact nature of pruritus in pregnancy. METHODS: Subjects with systemic diseases, or laboratory abnormalities were excluded. People who have had pruritic dermatologic diseases before pregnancy were also excluded. One hundred and fifty five pregnant women were interviewed with physical examinations and followed up to the date of delivery. Pruritus was graded. RESULTS: Pruritus was present in 31.6%. Most affected subjects had mild or moderate severity. The abdomen was the most common site. There was a tendency for the duration of itching to increase with the duration of pregnancy. CONCLUSION: Conclusion: These findings may provide basic and useful data on pruritus during pregnancy.
Abdomen ; Clinical Study* ; Female ; Humans ; Physical Examination ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnant Women ; Pruritus* ; Skin Diseases

No abstract available.
Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic* ; Renal Veins* ; Thrombosis*

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a motivation-enhanced self-management (MESM) intervention for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and to evaluate its effects on female college students with IBS. Methods: The program was constructed to reflect the conceptual framework of the self-determination theory including autonomous motivation enhancement strategy through the satisfaction of psychological needs. The experimental group (n=24) participated in the all eight weekly MESM sessions, and the control group (n=25) received one hour education of IBS. Primary outcome measures were the IBS symptom severity scale (IBS-SSS) and the IBS specific quality of life (IBS-QOL), and assessed at the baseline and at eight and 16 weeks after the allocation. Others were autonomous motivation, self-determined behavior, and psychological distress assessed at the baseline and at eight weeks. Results: The experimental group showed improvement in the IBS-SSS (p<.001) at 16 weeks compared to the control group. They showed markedly more improvement in the IBS QOL (p=.008), but the magnitude of this difference decreased at 16 weeks. The experimental group showed improvements in autonomous motivation (p=.035), self-determined behavior (p=.023), and psychological distress (p=.044) compared to the control group. Conclusion Study results suggest that the MESM intervention for female college students may effectively improve the IBS-SSS and the QOL.

Transient hyperammonemia of the newborn is an overwhelming disease manifestated by hyperammonemic coma in ill premature infant. This recognized metabolic disorder is chiefly characterized by severe hyperammonemia in the postnatal period, a comatous state, absence of abnormal organic aciduria, normal activity of urea cycle enzymes and, usually, complete recovery. The etiology is unknown. Infant had mild respiratory distress that progressed within 48 hours to deep coma requiring ventilatory assistance and had marked hyperammonemia. The degree of neurologic impairment and developmental delay in this disorder depends on the duration of the hyperammonemic coma. So, treatment of hyperammonemia should be initiated promptly and continued vigorously. We report of a preterm infant (34+5 weeks of gestation) presenting with respiratory distress, seizure, coma, and marked elevated plasma ammonia level.
Ammonia ; Coma ; Humans ; Hyperammonemia* ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn* ; Infant, Premature ; Plasma ; Seizures ; Urea

BACKGROUND: Leptin gene is known to be related to obesity in human and animals and complete genetic defect of the gene in ob/ob mouse has been identified. Therefore, ob/ob mouse is widely used as an animal model for the study of etiology and therapy of obesity. The main biological function of leptin was thought to involve in the regulation of food intake and weight gain, however, the regulatory mechanisms by which leptin functions in the weight reduction and lowering the blood glucose level are uncertain. In the present study, retroviral-mediated leptin gene transduction into ob/ob mouse was attempted for the correction of biochemical parameters of obesity. METHODS: Leptin cDNA was inserted into pLXSN retroviral vector (pLXSN-lep) and recombinant leptin expressing retrovirus particles (3 X10 CFU/mL) were produced in psi2 ecotropic packaging cells and subsequent transfection into PA317 amphotropic packaging cells. The leptin expressing recombinant viruses (LER) were transduced into NIH3T3 mouse fibroblasts and insertion of leptin cDNA into chromosomal DNA of PA317 and MH3T3 mouse fibroblasts was confirmed by Southern blot hybridizations. Leptin mRNA and its protein expressed in the cells were identified by Northern blot hybridization and Western blot immunodetection method, respectively. LER were injected I. P. into ob/ob mice, and body weight, food intake, serum leptin level and blood glucose level were measured. RESULTS: Expression of leptin was identified in PA317 and NIH3T3 mouse fibroblasts transduced with LER. Leptin content in sera of mice transfused with LER was drastically increased after 1 week and decreased to the almost basal level at 3 weeks after the transfusion. The body weight as well as food intake of ob/ob mouse transduced by LER decreased for the first 3 weeks and slightly increased thereafter. The reduction of both body weight and food intake in ob/ob mice transduced with LER was observed with the concomitant increase of serum leptin level, indicating that retroviral-mediated transduction of leptin gene in ob/ob mouse in vivo produced a biologically active leptin protein and released it into blood circulation. CONCLUSION: A transient expression of leptin cDNA in ob/ob mice by a retroviral-mediated transduction was performed and further studies are required for long term expression of the gene in vivo.
Animals ; Blood Circulation ; Blood Glucose ; Blotting, Northern ; Blotting, Southern ; Blotting, Western ; Body Weight ; DNA ; DNA, Complementary ; Eating ; Fibroblasts ; Humans ; Leptin* ; Mice ; Mice, Obese* ; Models, Animal ; Obesity ; Product Packaging ; Retroviridae ; RNA, Messenger ; Transfection ; Weight Gain ; Weight Loss ; Zidovudine*

Congenital hypertrophic pyloric stenosis is the most common intra-abdominal disease required surgery during the first few months of life. The expression of pyloric stenosis is dependent upon the genetic influence of ancestors affected with the disease, as well as unknown environmental influences in the postnatal period. Pyloric stenosis has been reported in multiple sibs in a family, which suggests the genetic influence on the expression of this disease. Until now, the genetic influence is thought a sex-modified polygenic or multifactorial background which facilitates the expression of a common dominant gene. We experienced a case of congenital hypertrophic pyloric stenosis in a two siblings. The siblings suffered projectile vomiting for 2~4 days at 16 days old of age and 15 days old of age. After we confirmed the diagnosis by upper gastrointestinal series and abdominal sonogram, the Fredet-Ramstedt pyloromyotomy was done successfully. This case suggests the genetic influence on the expression of this disease.
Diagnosis ; Genes, Dominant ; Humans ; Pyloric Stenosis ; Pyloric Stenosis, Hypertrophic* ; Siblings* ; Vomiting

We report a case of 34-year-old woman who had left main coronary artery disease and treated with medication only. She was presented with severe chest pain. Isolated left main coronary disease was demonstrated on selective left coronary angiography. There was no regional wall motion abnormality on echocardiogram with normal global LV systolic function. We considered the lesion as a varient of Takayasu's arteritis. So with anti-anginal medication, treatment started with steroid therapy. After then there was no chest pain. We performed follow-up coronary angiography after 1 month and 3 month in which revealed improved left main lesion. Since then there was no subjective symptom and Thallium-201 SPECT revealed no significant ischemic finding. We think that this case's underlying disease is may be Takayasu's arteritis which has isolated left main stenosis without systemic involvement and improved with medical treatement only.
Adult ; Chest Pain ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease* ; Coronary Disease ; Coronary Vessels* ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Takayasu Arteritis ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon

We found an error in this article. The author's name should be corrected as following: from "Younsuk Koh" to "Younsuck Koh".

BACKGROUND: Critical care physician staffing is a crucial element of the intensive care unit (ICU) organization, and is associated with better outcomes in ICUs. Adult ICUs in Korea have been suffering from inadequate full-time intensivists and nurses because of insufficient reimbursement rates (<50% of the original critical care cost) from the National Health Insurance System. Recently, full-time intensivists have been introduced as a prerequisite for adult ICUs of tertiary hospitals in Korea. The purpose of this study was to examine the perception of intensivist staffing among critical care program directors regarding the barriers and solutions when implementing an intensivist model of critical care in Korea. METHODS: An email survey of critical care program directors in designated teaching hospitals for critical care subspecialty training by the Korean Society of Critical Care Medicine was performed. The survey domains included vision, culture, resources, barriers, and potential solutions to implementing intensivist physician staffing (IPS). RESULTS: Forty-two critical care program directors were surveyed. A total of 28 directors (66.7%) responded to email queries. Of these, 27 directors (96.4%) agreed that IPS would improve the quality of care in the ICU, although half of them reported a negative perception of relevant clinical colleagues for the role of full-time intensivists and poor resources for IPS in their hospitals. Increased financial burden due to hiring full-time intensivists and concerns regarding exclusion from the management of their critically ill patients in the ICU, together with loss of income for primary attending physicians were stated by the respondents to be major barriers to implementing IPS. Financial incentives for the required cost from the health insurance system and enhancement of medical law relevant to critical care were regarded as solutions to these issues. CONCLUSIONS: Critical care program directors believe that intensivist-led critical care can improve the outcome of ICUs. They indicated the financial burden due to IPS and underestimation of a full-time intensivist's role to be major barriers. The program directors agreed that a partnership between hospital leaders and the Ministry of Health and Welfare was needed to overcome these barriers.
Adult* ; Critical Care ; Critical Illness ; Electronic Mail ; Hospitals, Teaching ; Humans ; Insurance, Health ; Intensive Care Units ; Jurisprudence ; Korea ; Motivation ; National Health Programs ; Personnel Staffing and Scheduling ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Tertiary Care Centers