BACKGROUND: To comparatively analysis the epidemiological changes in the acute drug intoxication between 1980s and 1990s. METHODS: We reviewed retrospectively the medical records of the patients with acute drug intoxication in the emergency department of the Inha hospital from June 1986 to April 1987 and from June 1996 to May 1997. And we performed comparative analysis between two result. RESULTS: The ratio of the acute drug intoxication in the emergency medical center was reduced significantly in 1990s against 1980s. Sexual ratio and prevalent age group has no significant interval changes between 1980s and 1990s. The prevalent seasons were Spring in 1980s and Summer in 1990s but has no significance. The most commonly used drugs was rodentides in 1980s and hypnosedatives in 1990s and shown significant interval changes. The most common motive was suicidal attempts in both 1980s and 1990s, but significantly reduced. After emergency treatment the rate of curative-discharge has improved and the rate of admission has decreased significantly in 1990s against 1980s. The most critical agent was agricultural chemicals in both 1980s and 1990s. The mortality rate has no significant interval changes. CONCLUSION: There were some significant interval changes of the acute drug intoxication in prevalence rate, commonly used drugs, ratio of suicidal attempt and curative-discharge rate between 1980s and 1990s. New education programs far preventing acute drug intoxication and strict legal control of drugs are important and necessary.
Agrochemicals ; Education ; Emergencies ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Emergency Treatment ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Mortality ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Seasons

BACKGROUND: Dizziness is a common complaint in patients presenting to the emergency room and that has various pathologic causes. This study investigate the clinical differences in dizziness between the central origin and the peripheral origin and to provides the clues far diagnosis and proper treatment. METHODS: We analysed 290 patients with dizziness during 12 months period prospectively, who visited in ED, Inha University Hospital from Jan. 1997 to Dec. 1997. We analysized sex ratio, characteristics of the dizziness, associated past illness, associated symptoms, severity, results of the special radiologic study, nystagmus type, and causes of central origin and peripheral origin dizziness. RESULTS: Male to female ratio was 1:1.4 in central origin(n=165) and 1:2.0 in peripheral origin(n=125). Most common age group was 11th decade in both groups. According to the characteristics of the dizziness, rotation sense was the main complaint of the peripheral origin dizziness. Most common past illness was hypertension in both groups. MRI has diagnostic priority than CT scan in central origin dizziness. Types of nystagmus has some significant differences between two groups. CONCLUSION: Dizziness may represented as a sign of significant pathological neurologic status especially in central origin. So we must precisely evaluate the patient history, neurologic examination of the inner ear and CNS, and special radiologic study incliding MRI.
Diagnosis ; Dizziness* ; Ear, Inner ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Neurologic Examination ; Prospective Studies ; Sex Ratio ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

We successfully closed the isolated patent ductusarteriosus(PDA) in 2 female patients using the Rashkind Double-Disc Occlusion system. nonsurgical closure of PDA usin plug was introduced by Porstmann in 1968 through transfemoral artery catheter and using umbrella by Rashkind in 1977 througth venous site. There has been continued improvement and simplification of the equipment as well as in the implantation technique. Nowaday, a multicenter study was conducted to test the safety and effectiveness of this interventioal method in States. Successful closure rate was high but some problems were reported such as embolization, abnormal deployment and residual shunt. Residual shunt was visualized by aortography in our both cases immediately after intervention but continuous murmur could not be heard in both cases. Oxygen step-up disappeared immediately after occluder implantation in both cases. Complete occlusion was expected with thrombus in near future.
Aortography ; Arteries ; Catheters ; Ductus Arteriosus, Patent* ; Female ; Humans ; Oxygen ; Thrombosis

Bottoming out is the term used to describe the inferior displacement of a breast implant after breast augmentation that results in increased distance between the nipple areolar complex and the inframammary fold. Conventional techniques for correcting bottoming out involve capsulectomy and capsulorrhaphy via an inframammary fold incision that is prone to cause large scar and increases the patient's burden. However, using an endoscopic approach via the axilla, we are able to correct bottoming out, resulting in a smaller scar and shorter recovery time. In this article, we present a novel and simple method to correct bottoming out using endoscopy and electrocauterization.
Axilla ; Breast Implants ; Breast* ; Cicatrix ; Endoscopy ; Nipples

We experienced one case of severe pituitary dwarfism in a 10 years old female girl. Magnetic resonance image (MRI) revealed transection of the pituitary stalk stalk with the formation of high intensity ectopic posterior lobe located at the median eminence and agenesis of an anterior lobe of pituitary gland. The serum growth Hormone (GH) response to clonidine and L-dopa revealed severe GH deficiency. The patient had responses to TRH, normal TSH and partial prolactin response, respectively. There was not response LH and FSH to GnRH. The morning cortisol concentration and serum T4 concentration were decreased below the normal range. These findings and no hyperprolactinemia suggested the presence of a vascular connection between the pituitary gland and hypothalamus, which is not visible on MRI. Sofar, the primary cause of idiopathic pituitary dwarfism in many patients is injury to hypothalamus by perinatal insults. In this patient, there was no history of perinatal insults and postnatal head trauma but transection of the pituitary stalk. We report a case of severe pituitary dwarfism due to agenesis with brief review of related litereature.
Child ; Clonidine ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Dwarfism, Pituitary* ; Female ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; Growth Hormone ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Hyperprolactinemia ; Hypothalamus ; Levodopa ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Median Eminence ; Pituitary Gland* ; Pituitary Gland, Anterior* ; Prolactin ; Reference Values

A total of 48 cases of tuberculous lesion in the lymph nodes (43 cases), lung (3 cases) and soft tissue (2 cases), was subjected to fine needle aspiration cytology(FNAC). The age of the patients ranged from 19 to 77 year-old (average 33.6 years in age) and the male to female ratio was 1: 4. Thirty-four cases (70.8%) demonstrated distinct granulomatous reaction with or without caseation necrosis, nine cases (18.8%) showed no granulomas, but large amount of necrotic debris with numerous polymorphonuclear cells and histiocytes, and five cases (10.4%) revealed acellular material only. The overall AFB positivity in smears was 62.5%. In areas associated with granulomatous reaction and necrosis, AFB positivity was 55.8%, while it was 80.0% in cases with acellular necrotic material. There were 2 cases of parasitic infestation which could not be easily differentiated from tuberculosis based on aspiration smears only.
Aged ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Child* ; Female ; Granuloma ; Histiocytes ; Humans ; Lung ; Lymph Nodes ; Male ; Necrosis ; Tuberculosis ; Vesico-Ureteral Reflux*

Polydactyly is one of the most common congenital anomalies of the foot, but there are few papers on polydactyly of the foot reported in Korea. Forty-six supernummerary toes in thirty-semen patients were operated at Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Korea University Guro Hospital, from May 1985 to May 1995. A clinical review was performed on these cases and the results were as follows : 1. Of the 37 patients, the proportion of unilateral involvement to bilateral was 28(76%) to 9 (24%). 2. Of the 46 toes, postaxial type was a majority involving 35 toes(76%) followed by the preaxial type 7 (15%) and central type 4(9%). 3. In anatomical pattern, Wassel's type IV and Stelling and Turek's type II were the most common ones in 7 toes of preaxial type and 39 toes of central and postaxial types. 4. The excellent results could be made by individualized reconstructive methods performed before walking age.
Classification ; Foot* ; Humans ; Korea ; Plastics ; Polydactyly* ; Toes ; Walking

BACKGROUND: Brief episode of coronary artery occlusion (i.e., ischemic preconditioning) makes the heart more resistant to injury from a subsequent ischemic insult. Although a great deal of effort has been made in studying ischemic preconditioning, the underlying mechanism of ischemic preconditioning and its effect on hypothermic insult has not been elucidated. This study was performed to see whether ischemic preconditioning protects against the depression of cardiac contractility induced by hypothermic cardioplegic arrest/reperfusion. And recently, adenosine was known to have some correlation with the mechanism of preconditioning. If so, does this effect remain after the blockade of adenosine receptor by 8-phenyl theophylline? METHOD: Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley rat weighed 250-350g were used and divided into three groups. Rat hearts were removed rapidly, and each isolated heart paced with a rate of 180/min was perused by modified Krebs-Hensleit buffer(KHB) solution on a Langendorff apparatus far an hour. After obtaining baseline data including left ventricular pressure(LVP), dp/dt, and coronary flow, cardiac arrest was induced by perfusion of 0degrees C crystalloid cardioplegic(St Thomas) solution. After that, all hearts were stored in the same St Thomas solution at salute temperature far 2 hours. In group I (control group), the hear was reperfused by KHB solution. In group II(preconditioning group), the heart was subjected to two 2-minute episode of global ischemia followed by 5 minute reperfusion with KHB solution(preconditioning) before cardiac arrest. In group III(phenyl theophylline group), the heart was subjected to preconditioning procedure and 8-phenyl theophylline at 10muM in concentration was added to KHB solution at time of reperfusion. Observing parameter was obtained in each group at 10, 20, 40 and 60 minutes after starting reperfusion and compared statistically by use of one way ANOVA test(STASTICA, release 4.5). P-value less than 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Although depressed LVP, dp/dt, and Coronary flow were seen in all groups during the reperfusion period, the preconditioned group showed more effective recovery of LVP than that of the control group, especially at 10, 20 and 40 minutes(p<.05). We failed to demonstrate the difference between the phenyl theophylline group and the control group(p=NS). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that ischemic preconditioning has protective effect on recovery state of hypothermic cardioplegic arrest/reperfusion. Its protective effect was limited during early reperfusion stage and was blocked by adenosine blocker.
Adenosine ; Animals ; Coronary Vessels ; Depression ; Heart Arrest ; Heart* ; Ischemia ; Ischemic Preconditioning* ; Myocardium* ; Perfusion ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, Purinergic P1 ; Reperfusion ; Theophylline

No abstract available.
Epilepsies, Myoclonic* ; Neuroblastoma*

We present two patients with a cerebral palsy who developed cervical myelopathy long from term involuntary movements. Frequently instability with a premature onset of spondylosis of the cervical spine is found in an athetoid cerebral palsy patient. These structural abnormalities appear to be related to the athetoid motion of neck in a cerebral palsy. The combination of a disk degeneration and listhetic instability with a narrow canal predisposes these patients for the relatively rapid progression to a devastating neurological defect. Early surgical management is a treatment of choice for the cervical myelopathy associated with an athetoid cerebral palsy.
Cerebral Palsy* ; Dyskinesias ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration ; Neck ; Spinal Cord Diseases* ; Spine ; Spondylosis