No abstract available.
Diagnosis* ; Echocardiography*

No abstract available.

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Ameloblastoma* ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle*

BACKGROUND: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are among the most important threats to patient safety. When hospitalized children face these threats, there is morbidity, mortality, prolonged hospitalization, and increased healthcare costs. Research on local healthcare epidemiology is necessary to enhance collective knowledge and evidence formanaging this problem. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of databases of patients who were diagnosed with HAIs at Chung-Ang University Hospital (CAUH) from 2007 through 2011. Cases were selected from the microbiology registry databases. The data on prevalence of HAIs in various wards and its annual trends were compared to previously reported nationwide data. Moreover, we analyzed the patterns of antibiotic susceptibility results for HAI pathogens. RESULTS: A total of 181 HAIs were identified in 122 patients. The HAI rate among pediatric patients at CAUH was 2.4/1,000 person-hospital days. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) (53 episodes, 29.3%) were the most common, followed by pneumonia (33 episodes, 18.2%). Staphylococcus aureus was found to be the most common gram-positive organism, whereas Escherichia coli was the most common gram-negative organism. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) comprised 84% of the S. aureus infections. Imipenem resistance was detected in 58.8% and 55.0% of Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates, respectively. CONCLUSION: Between 2007 and 2011, UTIs were the most common type of HAIs, and MRSA was the most common pediatric HAI pathogen, both in the general ward and intensive care unit at the CAUH. Further research on the epidemiology and pathogenesis of HAIs is necessary and prevention measures should be implemented to prevent HAIs in children.
Acinetobacter baumannii ; Child ; Child, Hospitalized ; Delivery of Health Care ; Escherichia coli ; Health Care Costs ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Imipenem ; Intensive Care Units ; Methicillin Resistance ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Patient Safety ; Patients' Rooms ; Pneumonia ; Prevalence ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; Retrospective Studies ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Urinary Tract Infections

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of intermittent mechanical traction with spinal decompression therapy (SDT), using the newly introduced device DRX 3000(R), in patients suffering from low back pain associated with lumbosacral disc herniation documented on MRI. METHOD: Thirty-five patients with low back pain with or without lower extremity radiating pain were prospectively enrolled in this study. They were all diagnosed with lumbosacral disc herniation according to physical examinations and MRI. Patients over age 60 years or those with previous spinal surgery, spondylolisthesis, severe osteoporosis, rheumatic diseases, hypertension, and other serious medical problems were excluded. Patients were randomly assigned to intermittent mechanical traction group (15 patients) or SDT group (20 patients) and compared visual analog pain scale (VAS) pre- and post-treatment. RESULTS: There was a significant improvement in VAS in SDT group compared to intermittent mechanical traction group. The mean reduction in VAS for intermittent mechanical traction group equaled 1.93+/-0.83 (from 6.4+/-1.28 to 4.5+/-1.22) while the mean reduction in VAS in SDT group equaled 4.35+/-2.21 (from 6.9+/-1.86 to 2.6+/-1.43) (p=0.0006). CONCLUSION: Spinal decompression therapy can be used as an effective treatment for discogenic low back pain without serious complications.
Decompression ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Low Back Pain ; Lower Extremity ; Osteoporosis ; Pain Measurement ; Physical Examination ; Prospective Studies ; Rheumatic Diseases ; Spondylolisthesis ; Stress, Psychological ; Traction

No abstract available.
Humans ; Pneumoconiosis*

PURPOSE: Three-dimensional(3D) magnetic resonance(MR) projection imaging was evaluated as a noninvasive alternative to direct cholangiography for the assessment of its reliability in patients with obsructive jaundice. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A heavily T2-weighted gradient-echo sequence(PSIF) was used for 3D MR projecion imaging of the biliary system in five healthy volunteers and 25 patients with obstructive jaundice. The 3D images of the bile ducts were formed by stacking consecutive coronal MR images obtained with a fast imaging method to a maximum-intensity projection algorithm. RESULTS: In the volunteers, MR cholangiography could demonstrate the anatomy of the biliary tract in only two subjects. The extrahepatic and intraheparic bile ducts were well visualized in 23 patients with obstructive jaundice. The leve of obstruction and the grade of dilatation were dipicted with MR cholangiography in all cases. And the cause of obstruction could be determined with MR cholangiography in 18 cases, MR cholangiography was successful in two patients in whom ERCP failed. The gallbladder or dilated pancreatic duct not demonstrated by means of direct cholangiography was demonstrated with MR cholangiography in six cases.
Bile Ducts ; Biliary Tract ; Cholangiography* ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Dilatation ; Gallbladder ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Jaundice ; Jaundice, Obstructive* ; Pancreatic Ducts ; Volunteers

We herein describe a case of a 55-year-old healthy woman with localized primary thymic amyloidosis presented as a mediastinal mass, found incidentally by chest radiography. Computed tomography revealed a 4.1 cm soft tissue lesion with nodular calcification in the left anterior mediastinum. The resected specimen was a well-defined lobulating mass with calcification. Microscopically, the mass was consisted of amorphous eosinophilc hyalinized substances involving the thymus and intrathymic lymph nodes. These eosinophilic substances showed apple-green bi-refringence under polarized light after staining with Congo red. In immunohistochemical study, they were positive for kappa and lambda light chains and negative for amyloid A. There was no evidence of systemic amyloidosis in clinical investigations. A final diagnosis of localized primary thymic amyloidosis was made.
Amyloid ; Amyloidosis ; Congo Red ; Eosinophils ; Female ; Humans ; Hyalin ; Light ; Lymph Nodes ; Mediastinum ; Middle Aged ; Thorax ; Thymoma ; Thymus Gland

No abstract available.
Cactaceae* ; Dermatitis* ; Humans ; Leprosy*