PURPOSE: This study was designed to evaluate the accuracy of ultrasound in detecting and estimating the size of pneumothorax METHODS: This was a prospective study with convenience sampling, based on researcher availability. Inclusion criteria were chest pain, sudden dyspnea, and chest trauma. Bedside ultrasound examination was performed to determine the presence of "lung sliding" and "comet tail" artifacts in order to rule out pneumothorax and the location of "lung point" when pneumothorax was detected. RESULTS: There were 97 patients enrolled; The cause of pneumothorax was spontaneous in 64 cases and traumatic in 33 cases. The Pearson correlation coefficient between ultrasound estimates and pneumothorax size by Collins method on erect chest X-ray was 0.874 (p<0.000), and the coefficient between ultrasound estimates and pneumothorax size on computed tomography was 0.820 (p<0.000). CONCLUSION: Ultrasound is more sensitive and specific than supine chest X-ray and even erect chest PA for the diagnosis of pneumothorax. Ultrasound allowed skilled physicians to approximate the size of pneumothorax accurately with good correlation with results obtained by both computed tomography and erect chest X-ray.
Artifacts ; Chest Pain ; Diagnosis ; Dyspnea ; Humans ; Pneumothorax* ; Prospective Studies ; Thorax ; Ultrasonography*

PURPOSE: Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is a device that activates the sensorimotor cortex through electrodes attached to the surface of the skin. However, it is difficult to expect positive changes if the recipient is not attentive to the motion. To complement the perceived cognitive limitations of FES, we attempted to investigate the changes of sensorimotor cortex activity by simultaneously providing action observation with FES. METHODS: Electroencephalogram was measured in 28 healthy volunteers. Relative band power over the sensorimotor cortex was analyzed and compared in three conditions: during rest, during FES alone, during action observation with FES. RESULTS: The results showed significant differences in each relative band power. Relative alpha power and relative beta power were the lowest by application of FES combined with action observation, while the relative gamma power was the highest. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that combining FES with observation could be more effective than FES alone in neurorehabilitation.
Complement System Proteins ; Electric Stimulation* ; Electrodes ; Electroencephalography ; Healthy Volunteers ; Neurological Rehabilitation ; Sensorimotor Cortex* ; Skin

BACKGROUND: Three-dimensional echocardiography has good feasibility and real image display in dynamic and spatial cardiac structures. So we designed this study to assess both the feasibility and potential role of three-dimensional echocardiography for the evaluation of cardiac structures and adjacent relationships. METHOD: We studied 25 patients with various heart structures. Cross-sectional images of specific interesting region were acquired from multiplane transesophageal echocardiography and reconstructed to three-dimensional images by TomTec image processing system. These images were presented in volume-rendered dynamic display for assessing of additonal informations. RESULTS: Three-dimensional reconstructions of usual viewpoints and interesting cut planes were possible in all patients. When compared with standard two dimensional images, additional informations were provided in all reconstructed cases. Among these images, mitral valve morphology, aortoseptal continuity and interatrial septum were the structures for which three-dimensional echocardiography were most useful. CONCLUSION: Although it was preliminary datas which needs large-scale randonmized prospective studies, three-dimensional echocardiograpy may be most potent and promising methods in evaluating anatomic and functional assessment of heart structures.
Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional* ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal ; Heart ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Mitral Valve

Following irradiation with 2.45GHz microwave, pituitary hormonal changes in rabbits were observed. A 30 rabbits (New Zealand, White, Male) were used for the experiments, 10 for each experiment immediately following one two and four weeks after irradiation with amount of 2.4 Joule/cm2, 4.8 Joule/cm2 and 7.2 Joule/cm2 respectively. The following are the results of the study as a conclusion. The secretion of cortisol hormone increased immediately after the exposure and then decrease to below that of the control group until two weeks afterwards, followed by recovery phase with secretion level approaching that of the central group in 4 weeks. Lutenizing hormone showed a tendency of increase from the first week of exposure, rather than immediately after, lasting up to over four weeks, In the irradiation group for 30 min, however, the increase began immediately after the exposure. The secretion of of growth hormone showed an insignificant, increase after the second and fourth weeks over the control group. The duration of exposure did not have much effect on the hormonal secretion. Thyroid stimulating hormone showed a different pattern changes: increase of immediately after exposure, decreased in two weeks, and then approaching the level of the control group after four weeks.
Growth Hormone* ; Hydrocortisone ; Microwaves* ; Pituitary Hormones ; Rabbits* ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyrotropin

BACKGROUND: Although tetanus infections have diminished dramatically since the advent of tetanus vaccination, this disease has not disappeared. Those 60 years and older are still very much at risk for this infection. Thus, we investigated the tetanus antibody titers in people 60 years and older in Korea. METHODS: Our subjects included those visiting eight emergency departments from March 2009 to February 2010 after an injury with stable vital signs and without acute disease. Samples obtained were tested using the tetanus immunoglobulin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. The resultant tetanus antibody titers were analyzed. RESULTS: The number of subjects enrolled was 462. The mean titer was 0.09+/-0.14 IU/mL. Twenty-two percent of the subjects had a safe titer level (>0.1 IU/mL). Males and urban subjects had higher tetanus antibody titers than did females and suburban subjects. Subjects living in Incheon, Gangwon-do, Chungcheong-do, and Jeju-do had lower titers. CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed that Koreans 60 years and older did not have a protective mean level of tetanus antibody titer and that 78% of the subjects did not have a seroprotective level after tetanus exposure. Therefore, a national effort to administer tetanus vaccination to elderly Koreans is needed.
Acute Disease ; Aged ; Emergencies ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; Korea ; Male ; Tetanus ; Vaccination ; Vital Signs