Asthama is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airway with recurrent airflow obstruction. Chronic airway inflammation is invariably associated with injury and repair of the bronchial epithelium, which results in structural and functional changes known as remodeling Inflammation, remodeling, and altered neural control of the airway are responsible for both recurrent exacerbations of asthma and more permanent airflow obstruction. Asthma exacerbations may be caused by a variety of risk factors including allergens, pollutants, foods and drugs. Prevention of exacerbation aims to reduce the exposure to these risk factors to improve the control of asthma and reduce medication needs. Although no cure for asthma has yet been found, it is resonable to expect that in most patients with asthma, control of the disease can and should be achieved and maintained. Patient education involves a understanding of why and how to manage asthma and how to prevent asthma exacerbation. Medications for asthma can be administered in different ways, including inhaled, oral and parenteral. The major advantage of delivering drugs directly into the airways via inhalation is that high concentrations can be delivered more effectively to the airways, and systemic side effects are avoided or minimized. Therapy should be selected on the basis of the severity of a patient's asthma. According to the GINA guideline 2002, for intermittent asthma, no daily medication is reconmmended for the vast majority of patients. A rapid-acting inhaled β2-agonist may be taken as needed to relieve asthma symptoms. The occasional patient with intermittent asthma, but severe exacerbations, should be treated as having moderate persistent asthma. Patients with mild persistent asthma require controller medication every day to achieve and maintain control of their asthma. Treatment with an inhaled glucocorticosteroid is preferred. Sustained-relase theophyline cromolynes or a leukotriene modifier are other options. The preferred therapy for moderate persistent asthma is regular treatment with a combination of inhaled glucocorticosteroid and a long-acting inhaled glucocorticosteroid and a long-acting inhaled β2-agonist twice daily. Sustained-release theophyline or a leukotriene modifier are alternatives to the β2-agonist in this combination therapy. An alternative to combination therapy is a higher dose of inhaled glucocorticosteriod. The primary therapy for severe persistent asthma includes inhaled steroids at higher doses plus a long acting inhaled β2-agonist twice daily. Any available medications including oral steroid may be added to control asthma symptoms. Once control of asthma is achieved and maintained for at least 3 months, a gradual reduction of the maintenance therapy should be tried.
Allergens ; Asthma* ; Cromolyn Sodium ; Epithelium ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Inhalation ; Patient Education as Topic ; Risk Factors ; Steroids

A controlled study was carried out in 50 patients with perennial bronchial asthma to assess the efficacy and safety of budesonide turbuhaler. Subjects have suffered from cough, wheezing, dyspnea and chest tightness and showed either 15% of reversibility in FEV after bronchodilator inhalation or airway hyperresponsiveness to methacholine(PC20 < or = 25mg/ml.) Patients were randomized to treatment with budesonide turbuhaler or terbutaline turbuhaler for 8 weeks after 2 weeks of run-in period. Budesonide turbuhaler was effective for cough, wheezing, dyspnea and chest tightness. It improved peak expiratory flow rate and FEV1. Budesonide turbuhaler was tolerated well and the laboratory tests showed no abnormality. It is suggested that budesonide turbuhaler is effective and safe in the management of bronchial asthma.
Asthma ; Budesonide* ; Cough ; Dyspnea ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Peak Expiratory Flow Rate ; Respiratory Sounds ; Terbutaline ; Thorax

This study was undertaken to clarify the effects of glucocorticosteroids on intraocular pressure and the combined effects of acetazolamide and glucocorticosteroid on ocular pressure. Male and female rabbits, weighing 1.7-2.2kg, were divided into 5 groups: 1) saline-treated group, 2) hydrocortisone (0.5 %)-treated group, 3) prednisolone (0.5 %)-treated group, 4) fludrocortisone (0.1% )-treated group, 5) dexamethasone (0.1% )-treated group. Drugs were instilled 4 times a day for 3 weeks, and ocular pressure was checked in each group on second and third week. Following 3 weeks instillation of glucocorticoids, ocular pressure was checked in each animal at 15, 30, 60, and 120 minutes after intravenous administration of acetazolamide (10mg/kg). Under 0.5% tetracaine anesthesia, facility of outflow and flow rate of the aqueous humor were also measured with a tonometer. The results of the experiments were as follows: 1) The mean ocular pressure rose significantly in all glucocorticoid-treated groups, and the rise was especially marked in the dexamethasone-treated group. 2) The mean facility of outflow of the aqueous humor decreased significantly in the dexamethasonetreated group, but it remained with little change in the other glucocorticoidtreated group. 3) The ocular pressure-lowering action of acetazolamide was suppressed significantly at 30 minutes after the treatment with acetazolamide in the hydrocortisone and prednisolonetreated groups, but it was not suppressed in the fludrocortisone and the dexamethasonetreated groups. 4) The flow rate of the aqueous humor was suppressed significantly (36.2 %) at 30 minutes after the treatment with acetazolamide in the control group, but it was not suppressed significantly in g]ucocorticoid-treated groups.
Acetazolamide* ; Administration, Intravenous ; Adrenal Cortex Hormones* ; Anesthesia ; Animals ; Aqueous Humor ; Dexamethasone ; Female ; Fludrocortisone ; Glucocorticoids ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Intraocular Pressure* ; Male ; Prednisolone ; Rabbits ; Tetracaine

No abstract available.
Asthma*

Meigs' syndrome consists of an ovarian fibroma, or fibroma-like benign tumor, associated with fluid in both abdomen and chest. Characteristically, the ascites and hydrothorax disappeared and do not recurred following removal of the ovarian tumor. The authors presented a case of Meigs' syndrome that was cured by surgical removal of ovarian tumor and resulted in normal pregnancy outcome in 27-year-old pregnant woman with a brief review of literatures.
Abdomen ; Adult ; Ascites ; Female ; Fibroma ; Humans ; Hydrothorax ; Meigs Syndrome* ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnant Women ; Thorax

BACKGROUND: To date, a laparoscopic gastrectomy has been performed by a small number of surgeons around the world, but the laparoscopic approach has been extended to Billroth I and a total gastrectomy. To evaluate the validity of the procedure, we present the results of six patients who underwent a gastrectomy using a laparoscopic technique. METHODS: First, two patients had a totally intra-abdominal laparoscopic B-II gastrectomy, and one of two also had a bilateral truncal vagotomy. The rest had a laparoscopic-assisted gastrectomy. One patient had concurrently an open reduction and an internal fixation with a K-wire for a patellar fracture. Indications were (a) gastric outlet obstruction due to peptic ulcer disease in five patients and (b) duodenal ulcer bleeding in one patient. RESULTS: Except for one patient who had stump leakage, which was solved by conservative therapy, there were no complications or operative mortality. The operating time and the cost were less for the patients who had their operations later in the series and who had laparoscopic-assisted operation. CONCLUSIONS: These forms of laparoscopic gastric surgery for patients with complications of peptic ulcer disease may be useful from the standpoint of minimal access, rapid recovery, less pain, and good cosmesis.
Duodenal Ulcer ; Gastrectomy* ; Gastric Outlet Obstruction ; Gastroenterostomy ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Mortality ; Peptic Ulcer ; Stomach Diseases* ; Vagotomy, Truncal

No abstract available.
Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic*

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Audiometry*

Despite the substantial amount of asthma-related information available on the internet, little is known about the quality of such information. We assessed asthma-related information on the Korean internet intended as an educational material for asthma patients. By entering the key word, 'asthma', into 4 popular search engines, 32 web sites were identified and categorized with respect to authorship. The core asthma educational concepts and Health On the Net Code of Conduct principles were used to evaluate informational value and justifiability of unreliable information. Eight of 32 web sites were categorized as western physician, seventeen as oriental physician, four as commercial, and three as others. The mean number of core asthma educational concepts on the whole web sites was 2.7 out of 8. By type of authorship, 1.7 on the commercial sites, 2.1 on the oriental physician sites, 3.5 on the western physician sites, and 5.0 on the others sites in decreasing order. One of the western physician sites, two of the commercial sites, and all of the oriental physician and others sites contained unreliable information. However all of them except one site failed to satisfy our criteria of justifiability. Asthma-related information currently available on the Korean internet is highly variable in quality and lacks core asthma educational concepts and justifiability.
Asthma/*diagnosis/*therapy ; Health Education ; Human ; Internet ; Korea ; Medical Informatics ; Patient Education/*methods ; Quality Control