This review-article is aimed at shedding a light upon the nature of age-associated changes in the human skeletal system. When the anatomical, physiological and biochemical consequences of bone aging are considered together with the hardening, drying and the diminished repair capabilities of the elderly, it can be seen that fractures assume greater importance as a clinical problem in the geriatric population. Older people start out with a deficit of cortical bone, making them more fracture prone and once fractures occur, the necessary treatments (immobilization, use of casts, etc.) accelerate the rate of bone loss. In addition, aged individuals stand a higher risk for complications of the hospital and enforced bed rest that may ensue. The problems resulting from bone loss in the elderly may be partially alleviated by providing adequate health service support which should include consideration of the following points : 1. Age, sex and general health status ; 2. Habits and inclinations towards physical activities ; 3. Nutritional and endocrine background ; 4. Presence of any specific bone diseases, including osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, osteomalacia and ankylosis ; 5. Psychosocial adaptability and other behavioral elements.
Aged ; Aging ; Ankylosis ; Bed Rest ; Biology* ; Bone Diseases ; Health Services ; Humans* ; Motor Activity ; Osteoarthritis ; Osteomalacia ; Osteoporosis

Bilateral diaphragmatic paralysis(BDP) is a rare disorder, which can be secondary to spinal cord injury, motor neuron disease, myopathy, noninfectious polyneuropathy, infection, iced saline cardioplegia performed during cardiac surgery, or idiopathic causes. there may be typical presentations such as dyspnea, paradoxical respiratory movement, and hypercapnic respiratory failure. It needs to exclude above secondary causes to consider idiopathic bilateral diaphragmatic paralysis. We report a 51-years-old man who presented with idiopathic bilateral diaphragmatic paralysis combined with acute pancreatitis. We couldnt, find out the association of these two clinical conditions. The patient was improved by mechanical ventilation.
Dyspnea ; Heart Arrest, Induced ; Humans ; Motor Neuron Disease ; Muscular Diseases ; Pancreatitis* ; Polyneuropathies ; Respiration, Artificial ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Respiratory Paralysis* ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; Thoracic Surgery

The reliability of emergency ultrasonographic(US) detection of hemoperitoneum and solid organ injury in blunt abdominal trauma was evaluated retrospectively. From October 1,1995 to August 31,1996,90 patients were included in the study. Ultra- sonographic findings showed a sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 97.6%, 97.9%, and 98.1%, respectively, in detecting intraabdominal fluid collection. We believe that US in an emergency center is a quick, safe screening method in the evaluation of blunt abdominal trauma. In our department, US has replaced diagnostic peritonaeal lavage(DPL) and computed tomography(CT) as the screening study of first choice.
Emergencies* ; Hemoperitoneum* ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Ultrasonography*

The study was the clinical analysis of 509 patients with pure ocular injuries who visited to Chonnam University Hospital Emergency center from July 1, 1996 to June 30, 1997 retrospectively. Clinical data survey including sex and age distribution, causes of trauma, injury site, ocular disease, and surgical intervention was done. Most of ocular injury patients were male. 3rd and 4th decade who were socially active were nearly 50%. Direct and indirect injury from foreign body was the most common cause of ocular injuries followed by fist blow, traffic accident, falling down, and sport injury. Cornea was the most common ocular injury site (209 patients, 41.1%). The incidence of the traumatic ocular disease showed corneal erosion (117 patients, 22.9%) and then eyeball perforation, traumatic hyphema etc. by frequency of order. Eyeball perforation was the most common ocular injury which needed a emergency surgical intervention. As a results, emergency physicians have to pay attention to the cornea in case of any type of ocular injuries and eyeball perforation which caused by direct and indirect injury from foreign body.
Accidents, Traffic ; Age Distribution ; Cornea ; Emergencies ; Foreign Bodies ; Humans ; Hyphema ; Incidence ; Jeollanam-do ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Sports

Jimson weed, also known as Datura stramonium, is a member of the Solanaceae family. Jimson weed was used by American Indians for medicinal and religious purposes. All parts of the Jimson weed plant are poisons, containing the alkaloids atropine, hyoscyamine and scopolamine. So, it is caused by these components to make a anticholinergic toxicity within 6h after ingestion. Initial manifestations include dry mucus membrane, blurred, vision, thirst, difficulty swallowing and speaking, and photophobia, and may be followed by hyperthermia, confusion, agitation, combative behavior, hallucination, urinary retention, seizure and coma. We experienced two patients who developed combative behavior and agitation with pupil dilation caused by Jimson weed. They discharged with improvement after supportive for 2days.
Alkaloids ; Animals ; Atropine ; Coma ; Comb and Wattles ; Datura stramonium* ; Deglutition ; Dihydroergotamine ; Eating* ; Fever ; Hallucinations ; Humans ; Hyoscyamine ; Indians, North American ; Membranes ; Mucus ; Photophobia ; Plants ; Poisons ; Pupil ; Scopolamine Hydrobromide ; Seizures ; Solanaceae ; Thirst ; Urinary Retention

Crohn's disease is a rare inflammatory bowel disease in Korea which requires a differential diagnosis with intestinal tuberculosis. In the early stages of Crohn's diseaae, the combiation of bowel wall edema and spasm produces intermittent obstructive manifestations, so the usual subjective symptoms were appeared long standing diarrhea, low grade fever and abdominal pain and distension. We recently experienced a case of Crohn's colitis with repeated bowel obstruction in female adult who underwent surgical resection.
Abdominal Pain ; Adult ; Colitis ; Crohn Disease* ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Diarrhea ; Edema ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases ; Korea ; Spasm ; Tuberculosis

Crohn's disease is a rare inflammatory bowel disease in Korea which requires a differential diagnosis with intestinal tuberculosis. In the early stages of Crohn's diseaae, the combiation of bowel wall edema and spasm produces intermittent obstructive manifestations, so the usual subjective symptoms were appeared long standing diarrhea, low grade fever and abdominal pain and distension. We recently experienced a case of Crohn's colitis with repeated bowel obstruction in female adult who underwent surgical resection.
Abdominal Pain ; Adult ; Colitis ; Crohn Disease* ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Diarrhea ; Edema ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases ; Korea ; Spasm ; Tuberculosis

Obstruction of the common bile duct (CBD) by direct extension of a tumor is occasionally found in patients with a hepatic neoplasm, but a bile duct tumor embolus caused by intrabiliary transplantation of a free floating tumor is a rare complication of a hepatocellular carcinoma. A patient of ours was recently observed with a fragment of tumor from a primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) that obstructed the distal CBD. A-46-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with a distal CBD mass, measuring 1.2x1.5 cm, found by a biliary computed tomography (CT) scan. Four month prior to his admission, he had undergone a right hemihepatectomy for a HCC accompanied by direct intrahepatic bile duct invasion, without obstructive jaundice. On admission, there were no abnormal findings in the physical and laboratory examinations. An Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and papillotomy had been performed, which showed an irregular shaped filling defect in the distal CBD. Endoscopic nasobiliary drainage (ENBD) was carried out for biliary decompression. Partially extracted soft tissue from the CBD by ERCP revealed a HCC. On performed a pylorus- preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy, a 1cm sized tumor remnant was found attached to the mucosa of the intrapancreatic portion of the bile duct, but without any invasive growth into the submucosa. The tumor may have been an intrabiliary transplantation from the HCC in the right lobe through the bile duct. When an obstructive mass is found in the distal CBD, tumor embolus should be considered, and a radical pancreaticoduodenectomy can be adopted as a safe and effective treatment modality.
Bile Ducts ; Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Common Bile Duct* ; Decompression ; Drainage ; Embolism* ; Humans ; Jaundice, Obstructive ; Liver Neoplasms ; Mucous Membrane ; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating ; Pancreaticoduodenectomy

Human mouth environment is known to include a variety bacteria, including Streptococcus spp., Staphylococcus spp., Actinomyces spp., Lactobacillus spp., Candida spp., Enterobacteriaceae, et al. Human oral microorganisms can cause dental caries, gingivitis, periodontitis, respiratory tract infection, and cardiovascular disease. Thus, right denture cleaning is essential to oral and general human health. The aim of this study was to evaluate the bactericidal effect of a sodium dichloroisocyanurate-based effervescent tablet (Aos Denti Germ, Aos Company, Chungbuk, Korea) against oral microorganisms. A total of 5 species Streptococcus spp. (Streptococcus anginosus, Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus oralis, and Streptococcus sobrinus), Actinomyces oris, Candida albicans, and Escherichia coli were used in this study. All strains were exposed to the distilled water prepared with effervescent tablet. After the exposure, the mixture of strains and effervescent tablet was inoculated onto blood agar or MacConkey agar plate and cultured at 36℃. All strains were killed immediately on exposure to effervescent tablet. The results suggested that effervescent tablet could be used as an effective denture cleanser for dental hygiene.
Actinomyces ; Agar ; Bacteria ; Candida ; Candida albicans ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Chungcheongbuk-do ; Dental Caries ; Denture Cleansers ; Dentures* ; Enterobacteriaceae ; Escherichia coli ; Gingivitis ; Humans ; Lactobacillus ; Mouth ; Oral Hygiene ; Periodontitis ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; Sodium ; Staphylococcus ; Streptococcus ; Streptococcus mitis ; Streptococcus mutans ; Streptococcus oralis ; Water