BACKGROUND: Detection of causative allergens in respiratory allergy patients is important for diagnosis and selection of treatment modality. Allergen sensitization depends on the genetic susceptibility and environmental exposure to allergens. MATERIAL AND METHOD: In this study, we tried to find causative inhalant allergens in respiratory allergy patients who underwent skin prick test with common 55 inhalant allergens and RAST at Chungbuk National University Hospital in Chungbuk district. We also evaluated the changes of causative allergens because the environment here may be quite different, since the main population lives in the urban area and industrialization began later than in the other cities and districts. RESULTS: The major allergen was house dust mite, and its sensitivity rate did not change annually. Other indoor allergens such as cockroach, and animal dander including cat and dog showed similar trends. But the sensitization rate to tree and weed pollen except grass had significantly increased since 1995. Among pollens, the increase of sensntization to weed pollen was more marked. Ratio of sensitization rate to double or triple kinds of allergens also increased. CONCLUSION: Taken together, house dust mite is still the major allergen, but rate to pollen sensitization, especially to weed pollen has increased rapidly and significantly. It is suggested that causative allergens in repiratory allergy patients has begun to shift to pollen recently.
Allergens* ; Animals ; Cats ; Chungcheongbuk-do* ; Cockroaches ; Dander ; Diagnosis ; Dogs ; Environmental Exposure ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Poaceae ; Pollen ; Pyroglyphidae ; Skin

No abstract available.
Alcoholics* ; Humans ; Skin*

Nosocomial infections surveillance is the basic activity of infection control programs, and many countries conduct surveillance using various methods. We convinced that each country should conduct an adequate and efficient surveillance system depending on their situations. Here we reviewed the recent nosocomial surveillance systems of other countries. As many countries have succeeded in reducing hospital infections, we expect that Korean Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System would contribute to nosocomial infection prevention and health promotion in Korea through an active surveillance at the national level.
Cross Infection* ; Health Promotion ; Infection Control ; Korea*

No abstract available.
Rabbits* ; Regeneration*

No abstract available.
Arm* ; Free Tissue Flaps*

Fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) is often accompanied by a myriad of neurologic complications, which are associated with high morbidity and mortality. Although appropriate neuromonitoring is recommended for early diagnosis and to minimize secondary brain injury, individuals with FHF usually have a high chance of coagulopathy, which limits the ability to use invasive neuromonitoring. Jugular bulb venous oxygen saturation (JvO₂) monitoring is well known as a surrogate direct measures of global brain oxygen use. We report the case of a patient with increased intracranial pressure due to FHF, in which JvO₂ was used for appropriate brain oxygen monitoring.
Brain Edema ; Brain Injuries ; Brain* ; Early Diagnosis ; Hepatic Encephalopathy ; Humans ; Intracranial Pressure ; Jugular Veins ; Liver Failure, Acute* ; Mortality ; Oxygen Consumption ; Oxygen*

Dedifferentiated chordoma is a rare pathologic entity presenting an additional sarcomatous component in otherwise classical chordoma. It has been also emphasized that this neoplasm is classified as a distinct entity because of its different clinical settings and aggressive behavior. Dedifferentiation is a peculiar phenomenon but its histogenesis has remained controversial. A 50-yera-old man developed a huge tumor mass in the retrorectal, presacral area, featured with two histological components. The one was a typical chordoma accounted for approximately 60% of the mass and the other was made up of highly cellular, plemorphic, undifferentiated tumor cells, reminiscent partly to the cells of plemorphic malignant fibrous histiocytoma. Ultrastructural features and immunoreactivity against cytokeratin, S-100 protein and alpha-1-antichymotrypsin in both portions support that histologically different components of this neoplasm derive from the same origin. To our knowledge, this is the first case of dedifferentiated chordoma in Korea.
Male ; Humans

Authors' presented an interesting case, 19 years old boy, who was been suffered from retinal periphlebitis of both eyes which thought to be induced by Barre Syndrome. This patient also has pulmonary tuberculosis and visual symptoms of Barre Syndrome in this case were ocular pain and visual disturbance that appeared and disappeared suddenly due probably to irritation of the ventral nerve roots (C5 to T1) with also irritation of sympathetic fibers contained in them.
Adrenergic Fibers ; Humans ; Male ; Phlebitis* ; Retinaldehyde* ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary ; Young Adult

No abstract available.

Intraperitoneal adminstration of radioisotopes is suggested to treat the metastatic ovarian cancer in the pertioneal cavity. Administering beta-emitting radioisotopes into the pertioneal cavity allows the maximum energy delivery to the cancerous cells of the pertioneal wall surface while sparing the normal cells located in deep site of the peritoneal wall. In this study, dose estimates of the peritoneal wall are provided to be used for prescribing the amount of 166Ho-chitosan complex administered. The 166Ho-chitosan complex diffused in the peritoneal fluid may attach to the peritoneal wall surface. The attachment fraction of 166Ho-chitosan complex to the peritoneal wall surface is obtained by simulating the ascites with Fischer rats. Both volume source in the peritoneal fluid and the surface source over the peritoneal wall surface are counted for the contribution to the peritoneal wall dose. The Monte Carlo code EGS4 is used to simulate the energy transfer of the beta particles emitted from 166Ho. A plane geometrical model of semi-infinite volume describes the peritoneal cavity and peritoneal wall. A semi-infinite plane of 10 micrometer in thickness at every 1 mm of depth in the peritoneal wall is taken as the target in dose estimation. Greater han 98 percents of attachment fraction has been observed from the experiments with Fischer rats. Given 1.3 microcurie/cm2 and 2.4 microcurie/ml of uniform activity density, absorbed dose is 123 Gy, 8.59 Gy, 3.00 Gy, 1.03 Gy, and 327 Gy at 0 mm, 1 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm, and 4 mm in depth to the peritoneal wall, respectively.
Ascites ; Ascitic Fluid ; Beta Particles ; Energy Transfer ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Peritoneal Cavity ; Radioisotopes ; Rats, Inbred F344