OBJECTIVES: Risperidone is a new antipsychotic drug developed to overcome the therapeutic limitation of conventional antipsychotics. It responses to negative as well as positive symptoms by blocking both dopaminergic and serotonergic receptors, causing no significant side effects such as agranulocytosis and seizure. It is, however, not known whether it induces any serious cardiovascular side effects as evoked by other conventional antipsychotic drugs. The aims of this study were to evaluate the effect of risperidone on cardiovascular function, and to discuss the factors affecting the cardiovascular function. METHODS: For 42 patients(22 males and 20 females) diagnosed as schizophrenia, schizophreniform disorder or schizoaffective disorder according to the DSM-IV classification, the cardiovascular fuctions such as heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, PR interval, QRS interval and QT inerval were successively checked before and after 2 weeks and 4 weeks risperidone administration. Furthermore, variables such as body weight, Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale(BPRS), Clinical Global Impression(CGE), Extrapyramidal Symptom Rating Scale(ESRS), Anticholinergic Rating Scale(ARS), serum cholesterol level, serum triglyceride level, serum high-density-lipoprotein level, serum WBC, serum Hb, serum platelet level, prothrombin time and partial thromboplastin time were also analyzed before and after 2 weeks and 4 weeks risperidone administration. RESULTS: 1) Risperidone treatment resulted in a significantly decreased heart rate and increased QT interval after 4 weeks administration(p<0.005 respectively). 2) The scores of BPRS and CGI were significantly decreased after 2 weeks and 4 weeks risperidone adminisration as compared with baseline(p<0.001 respectively). The scores of ESRS and ASRS were significantly increased after 2 weeks and 4 weeks risperidone administration as compared with baseline(p<0.001 respectively). 3) There were positive correlations between heart rate after 4 weeks and total dose(p<0.05). Blood pressure was significantly(p<0.05) correlated with sex(higher in male) and significantly(p<0.05) positive correlated with body weight. QT interval was significantly(p<0.05) correlated with sex(longer in female) and smoking history(shorter in smokers). CONCLUSIONS: Risperidone could induce significant change in heart rate and Q-T interval. Therefore, the cardiovascular safety for risperidone should be reconsidered according to the duration and dosage increase.
Agranulocytosis ; Antipsychotic Agents ; Blood Platelets ; Blood Pressure ; Body Weight ; Cholesterol ; Classification ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Male ; Partial Thromboplastin Time ; Prothrombin Time ; Psychotic Disorders ; Risperidone* ; Schizophrenia ; Seizures ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Triglycerides

No abstract available.
Factor VIII* ; Hemophilia A* ; Humans

PURPOSE: This study was done to examine the effects of lidocaine patch application to decrease pain and fear during blood sugar testing in elderly patients with DM. METHODS: The participants were 56 elderly patients admitted to J geriatric hospital in G city, Korea. Of the elderly patient, 27 were assigned to the experimental group and 29 to the control group. Participants in the experimental group applied a lidocaine patch on the fingertip for 30 minutes before a blood sugar test. The control group applied a plaster on the fingertip. Pain was evaluated using a visual analogue scale and fear using the Procedure Behaviour Check List. The results were compared using paired t-test and t-test. RESULTS: The scores for pain and fear were significantly lower in the experimental group compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: The lidocaine patch was found to be an effective local anesthetic to relieve pain and fear during blood sugar test in elderly patients with DM without any severe adverse events.
Aged* ; Blood Glucose* ; Humans ; Korea ; Lidocaine*

It was reported that many adverse effects occurred to the growth areas of the adolescent player due to repititous strain. The injuries mainly involved in the shoulder and elbow, and named as little leaguers Shoulder and Little Leaguers: Elbow in boy baseball player. But the stress fracture of olecranon epiphyseal plate was rare and reported in a few cases. We reported a case observed in an adolescent Judo Player.
Adolescent ; Baseball ; Elbow ; Fractures, Stress ; Growth Plate ; Humans ; Male ; Martial Arts ; Olecranon Process ; Shoulder

No abstract available.
Intestinal Obstruction*

No abstract available.
Gestational Age* ; Humans ; Infant*

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this prospective study is to define the effect of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) on the concentration of thyroid hormones and metabolites. METHODS: Blood samples were obtained from 15 patients undergoing open heart surgery at 1) pre-induction, 2) after heparinization, 3) during CPB, 4) 2 hours after CPB, 5) 24 hours after CPB and 6) 48 hours after CPB. Thyroid stimulating hormone, albumin, thyroxine (T4), free thyroxine (FT4), triiodothyronine (T3), free triiodothyronine (FT3) and reverse T3 (T3) were measured. RESULTS: Concentration of T3 significantly decreased after infusion of heparin and maintained at the decreased level until postbypass 24 hours. Concentration of FT3 significantly increased after heparin administration but maintained at a control level during CPB and decreased after postbypass 24 , 48 hours (p<0.05). Reverse T3 increased at 24 and 48 hours after CPB (p<0.05). Thyroxine decreased during CPB and return to control level after CPB. Free thyroxine did not change significantly. Thyroid stimulating hormone was significantly depressed at 24 hours after CPB (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This result suggest that the thyroid function is depressed until 48 hours after CPB and it seems to be associated with abnormal metabolism of thyroid hormones.
Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Heart* ; Heparin ; Humans ; Metabolism ; Prospective Studies ; Thoracic Surgery* ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Hormones ; Thyrotropin ; Thyroxine ; Triiodothyronine

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) currently infects more than 400 million people worldwide and they are at risk of developing chronic liver disease, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The immune response to HBV- encoded antigens is responsible both for viral clearance and for disease pathogenesis during HBV infection. While the humoral antibody response to viral envelope antigens contributes to the clearance of circulating virus particles, the cellular immune responses to the envelope, nucleocapsid, and polymerase antigens were known to eliminate virus in infected hepatocytes through cytolytic as well as noncytolytic mechanisms. Liver injury could be initiated by an immune response against HBV, but mainly resulted from HBV non-specific lymphocytes and macrophages. There are growing evidences that T helper 1 memory T cells play a predominant role in suppressing viral replication mainly by IFN-gamma through noncytolytic antiviral mechanism. Elucidation of the immunological and virological basis for HBV infection may yield effective immunotherapeutic and antiviral strategies to terminate chronic HBV infection.
Humans ; Hepatitis B virus/*immunology ; Hepatitis B Antigens/immunology ; Hepatitis B/*immunology

PURPOSE: This study aims to identify the relationship between marital intimacy, depression, and menopausal symptoms, and to provide basic data for the health promotion of middle-aged women. METHODS: A sample of 231 middle-aged women was recruited from four cities in Korea. The survey was conducted with participants using self-reported questionnaire from July 9 to November 11, 2011. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, and Correlation Analysis. RESULTS: There were differences of marital intimacy scores that were statistically significant in educational background (F=6.88, p=.001), religion (t=3.96, p<.001), own job (F=4.47, p=.012), own salary (F=3.01, p=.019), spouse's salary (F=6.72, p<.001), ownership of residence (t=4.00, p<.001), leisure with spouse (t=-5.05, p<.001), current treatment of disease (t=2.22, p=.027), and current disease (t=2.53, p=.012). Marital intimacy was correlated with depression (r=-0.61, p<.01) and menopausal symptoms (r=-0.39, p<.01). CONCLUSION: Marital intimacy in middle-aged women is closely related to both depression and menopausal symptoms. The nursing program that improves marital intimacy will be useful to promote the health of middle-aged women.
Depression ; Female ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Korea ; Leisure Activities ; Marriage ; Menopause ; Middle Aged ; Ownership ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Salaries and Fringe Benefits ; Spouses

No abstract available.
Osteomyelitis*