BACKGROUND: The present study was performed in order to identify the possible future location of the Department of Emergency Medicine and future demand for and supply of manpower through a survey of the heads of Kwangju City and Chollanam-do hospitals. The survey covered the degrees of recognition and understanding, the necessity, the future prospects, and the direction of development of the Department of Emergency Medicine. METHODS: A total of 33 large-scale general hospitals were selected in county districts having more than 200 sickbeds as of November 1999. Among them, the heads of 29 hospitals responded to the survey. The survey had a total of 31 questions, including 6 questions on the status of the emergency room. Six(6) questions concerned the degree of recognition of the Department of Emergency Medicine. Six(6) questions concerned the degree of understanding of the Department of Emergency Medicine. Six(6) questions concerned the necessity for the Department of Emergency Medicine, and 7 questions concerned the future prospects and direction of development. The results of the survey were analyzed. RESULTS: 1) As to the question of the degree of recognition, the Department of Emergency Medicine was known to all. That is, 50% of the respondents were well aware of the department, and 50% a little. Nineteen(19) respondents(65%) answered that it was convenient to have the Department of Emergency Medicine in a university hospital, among which 16 respondents(55%) answered that it was because of the rapid treatment of emergency patients. 2) As to the question of the degree of understanding, particularly, the areas of medical examination and treatment by the Department of Emergency Medicine, 15 respondents answered that it was for the treatment of patients who needed to receive emergency treatment, while 12 respondents answered that it was for the diagnosis and treatment of all patients who visited the emergency room. Only 7 respondents(24%) answered positively as to the possibility of the Department of Emergency Medicine using thrombolysis medicine. 3) All except for one respondent had a positive view on the necessity for the Department of Emergency Medicine, and all except for 3 respondents wanted to have specialized doctors in emergency medicine work at the corresponding hospital. As to the type of schedule, 10 hospitals(34%) wanted to have only night shifts, and 11 hospitals(38%) wanted to have both day and night shifts. Most hospitals, needed two or more workers in the field. 4) As to the question of the direction of development, many respondents were of the opinion that the hiring of specialized doctors in emergency medicine would not be of greatly help to the finances of the hospital due to increased labor costs. It seems that improvement of the medical system to improve hospital financing is a required prerequisite for the development of the Department of Emergency Medicine. Also, 21 respondents(83%) were of the opinion that it would take a considerable amount of time to activate the Department of Emergency Medicine with respect to the future prospects of the department. CONCLUSION: It was shown in the present survey that the heads of hospitals in Kwangju City and Chollanam-do recognized the Department of Emergency Medicine in a positive way, but it was necessary to establish both a delivery system for emergency medicine and collaboration with and support by other medical areas for its future development. It was estimated that in the future, more than 55 doctors specializing in emergency medicine would be needed as medical manpower for the general hospitals in the districts.
Appointments and Schedules ; Cooperative Behavior ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Diagnosis ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Medicine* ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Emergency Treatment ; Gwangju* ; Head ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Jeollanam-do*

Thermography is a sensitive and reliable method for diagnosis of radiculopathy. Skin temperature alterations of the involved dermatome named thermatone are diagnostic for sensory root involvement in radiculopathy which can be demonstrated by thermography. Digital infrared thermographic imaging system using computer is development and could measure thermal difference more exactly without hazards or discomforts to patient. Authors present 186 cases of thermographic evaluation in herniated lumbar disc disease by digital infrared thermographic imging system and the results are evaluated with literature review.
Diagnosis ; Humans ; Radiculopathy ; Skin Temperature ; Thermography

Meningioma is the most common neoplasm of central nervous system which is hardly diagnosed by cytologic examination. However, preoperative cytologic diagnosis can be easily made in the case of extracranial meningioma, especially in head and neck lesion. We recently experienced a case of fine needle aspiration cytology of meningioma in submandibular area of a 24 year-old male patient. The smear revealed high cellularity in the clean background. Individual tumor cell of nests or syncytium had round or oval nuclei with fine chromatin and moderate amount of lightly stained cytoplasm with indistinct mar- gin. Characteristic cellular whorls, intranuclear inclusions and scattered psammoma bodies made it easy to diagnose a meningioma.
Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Carcinoma, Small Cell ; Central Nervous System ; Chromatin ; Cytoplasm ; Diagnosis ; Fanconi Syndrome* ; Giant Cells ; Head ; Humans ; Intranuclear Inclusion Bodies ; Male ; Meningioma ; Neck ; Salivary Glands ; Young Adult

No abstract available.
Arthroplasty* ; Knee*

Henoch-Schonlein purpura is a common pediatric disease presenting most frequently with skin, gastrointestinal, joint and renal manifestations. But in cases are infrequently only severe gastrointestinal manifestations. It is hard to diagnose promptly and exactly. Clinical manifestations and laboratory findings were observed and analyzed in 20 cases with Henoch-Schonlein purpura which were considered as acute abdomen, hospitalized at Kyung Hee university Hospital during the period from December, 1982 to September, 1992. The following results were obtained; 1) The age distribution of Henoch-Schonlein purpura had a peak incidence between 7 to 9 year old. And male preponderance was observed with male to female ratio of 2.33 to 1. 2) The most prevalent season for the initial presentation of Henoch-Schonlein purpura was in fall: in 10 cases (50%). 3) The frequency of each type of clinical manifestations showed 20 (100%), 20 (100%), 18 (90%), 8(40%) cases for skin, gastrointestinal, joint and renal manifestation respectively in order of frequency. 4) The common previous illness were URI, 40 cases (50%) and allergy, 2 cases (10%). 5) The onset time of skin manifestation from admission were 1 to 4 days (75%0, 5 to 8 days (15%), 9 to 12 days (10%) explolaparotomies were done the last 2 cases. 6) In all cases, X-ray study (100%), abdominal sono (50%), Meckels scan and colon study (5%) respectively were done. 7) Hematologically leukocytosis over 10,000/mm3 was observed in 80% of cases and increase in ESR over 20 mm/hr in 65% of cases. Coagulation studies, immunologic and complement level revealed the result within normal range in most of the cases. 8) Among 8 cases with renal involvement, all cases had both hematuria and proteinuria. 9) Most cases were recovered within 4 weeks but in 4 cases, renal biopsies were done because of relapse. The results were Meadow classification grade I (1 case), II (1 case), IVa (2 cases). After renal biopsy, steroid pulse therapy was started.
Abdomen, Acute* ; Age Distribution ; Biopsy ; Child ; Classification ; Colon ; Complement System Proteins ; Female ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Incidence ; Joints ; Leukocytosis ; Male ; Proteinuria ; Purpura, Schoenlein-Henoch* ; Recurrence ; Reference Values ; Seasons ; Skin ; Skin Manifestations

No abstract available.
Sturge-Weber Syndrome*

Growth under conditions of iron-restriction and the production of siderophore was examined in Vibrio mimicus ATCC 33653. This strain grew and multiplied in the presence of the high-affinity iron chelators ethylenediamine-di (o-hydroxyphenylacetic acid). Chrorne azurol S (CAS) agar and solution were used to detect the production of siderophore under these condition. Siderophore could be detected in the iron-rcstricted culture supernatants. The siderophore was extracted from iron-restricted culture supernatants by phenol-chloroform-ether method and purified by Dowex ion-exchange and Sephadex G-25 gel filtracton chromatography. The purified siderophore was confirmed by paper chromatography and HPLC. The Purified siderophore enhanced the growth of V. mimicus when the bacterium was grown in iron limited medium. Injection of both the siderohore and the bacteria to mice resulted in more rapid death than that of the only bacteria. However, the siderophore did not show lethality to mice and any toxicity to cell line like HeLa and U937.
Agar ; Animals ; Bacteria ; Cell Line ; Chelating Agents ; Chromatography ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Chromatography, Paper ; Iron ; Mice ; Vibrio mimicus* ; Vibrio*

No abstract available.
Erythropoietin* ; Humans* ; Renal Dialysis*

The tibiofemoral angle is widely used for the diagnosis and treatment of knee problems, especially in degenerative joint disease of the knee. Among the various methods of measurement of tibiofemoral angle, Bauers method is being used most frequently. But measurement by Bauers method has seemed to show wide individual differences. Therefore we designed a ruler which can be used very easily for the measurement of the tibiofemoral angle with little differences between persons who measure the angle. To testify the advantages of our method, we selected 4 orthopedic surgeons and let them measure the tibiofemoral angles of 60 knees of 30 patients by Bauers method and by our method using the ruler. And 20 orthopedic surgeons measured tibiofemoval angles of 2 left knees by Bauers method and by our method using the ruler. The values of the tibiofemoral angle by two methods were compared and analyzed statistically. There was no significant differences between mean values. But, the tibiofemoral angles by our new method showed little differences among measurers. (P < 0.05)
Diagnosis ; Humans ; Individuality ; Joint Diseases ; Knee ; Linear Energy Transfer ; Methods ; Orthopedics ; Surgeons

BACKGROUND: V. vulnificus infection is found between May and October when the man who has hepatic disorder or immunity disorder eats raw shellfish and it causes the systemic symptoms such as sudden fever, chilling, shock and stupor and local skin lesions like blob and necrosis. This disease has 46~61% of fatality rate in spite of intensive treatment. This study conducts the examination of history, epidemic study, ingesting raw fish and bacteriologic investigation in the patients with similar clinical symptoms to the above and examines the diagnostic correlations. METHOD: It is conducted with 31 cases who admitted at emergency medical center of Chosun University Hospital from May of 1995 to September of 1998 and are suspected to have V. vulnificus infection. It analyze bacteriologic examination, the survey of residence, eating raw shellfish, hepatic disorder, alcohol drinking habits and skin lesion. RESULTS: 1)the rate of male and female is 15.5:1 and in the age, 18 cases are in fifties, seven ale in fifties and six are over sixties. 2) Clinically, V. vulnificus is detected in 20 of 31 cases which is suspected to have V. vulnificus i18c1ion and it is not detected in 5 cases. Other bacteria are detected in 6 cases and they include staphylococcus aureus, pseudomonas species, beta hemotytic streptococcus and E-coil. 3) In local distribution, Kohung has 10 cases, Shinan and Mokpo have six, Haenam and Kangjin have aye, Yongkwang and Muan have five, Naju and Yongam have five and Kwangju has one. 4) Eating fishes and raw shellfishes is found in 31 cases. In the kind of shellfishes, eating raw clam is 10 cases, raw thin-shelled surf calm is 8 cases, raw oyster is 5 cases and sliced raw fish is 4 cases and pickled sea floods ate 4 cases. 5) The cases with hepatic disorder are 23 and 15 Gases with heavy alcohol dunking Carrier are included. The cases with Diabetic Mellitus are four and those with pulmonary tuberculosis are two. Two cases have not basal diseases. 6) On the opinion of skin lesion, 20 cases show vesicular necrosis, 7 cases have dendriform erythema, 3 cases have papule and one case doesn't show clear skin lesion. CONCLUSION: When V. vulnificus infection is detected, it is fatal and those who have hepatic disorder or heavy alcohol drinking habit must avoid eating fishes and shellfishes raw in summer. It is important to have emergency treatment for the patient whose V. vulnificus infection is suspected. It is considered that the administration of initial antibiotics is effective by generalizing the clinical symptom, epidemic opinion and patient history even before the results of bacteriologic confirmed.
Alcohol Drinking ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacteria ; Bivalvia ; Eating ; Emergencies ; Emergency Treatment ; Erythema ; Female ; Fever ; Fishes ; Floods ; Gases ; Gwangju ; Humans ; Jeollanam-do ; Male ; Necrosis ; Ostreidae ; Pseudomonas ; Shellfish ; Shock ; Skin ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Streptococcus ; Stupor ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary ; Vibrio vulnificus* ; Vibrio*