PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy, on the basis of CT findings, of high dose methyl prednisolone for treating acute lung injury that was induced by oleic acid injection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 30 healthy rabbits (1.8-2.2 kg) were included in this study. Group I included 10 rabbits in which 0.2 mL oleic acid was injected through their ear veins. Group IIa included 10 rabbits in which 30 mg/kg methyl prednisolone and 0.2 mL oleic acid were intravenously injected at the same time. Group IIb included 5 rabbits in which 30 mg/kg methyl prednisolone was injected 6 hours prior to the 0.2 mL oleic acid intravenous injection. The other 5 rabbits (Group III) were injected intravenously with 30 mg/kg methyl prednisolone without the oleic acid. After that, 30 mg/kg methyl prednisolone per every 12 hours was injected in the non-sacrificed rabbits of Group II and Group III. Nonenhanced Chest CT scans were performed prior to and 30 minutes, 4 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours, and 72 hours after the intravenous injection of oleic acid or methyl prednisolone. We randomly sacrificed one rabbit of groups I, II and III 30 minutes, 4 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours and 72 hours after CT scanning. The distribution, extent, and pattern of the lesions on the CT scan were analyzed. The analyzed pattern of the lesions was ground glass attenuation, consolidation and interstitial thickening. Pathologic correlation was then done. RESULTS: The main CT findings of Group I were peripheral, wedge shaped, ill-defined ground glass attenuations and/or consolidations. The pathologic findings of Group I were interstitial or intraalveolar edema, intraalveolar hemorrhage and coagulation necrosis. Diffuse ground glass opacities with interstitial thickening were noted in 20% (n=2/10) of Group I and in 60% (n=9/15) of Group II at the 30 minute CT; however, there was no statistical difference between the two groups (p=0.09). Consolidations with air bronchogram were noted in 22.2% (2/9) of Group I and in 38.5% (5/13) of Group II at the 4 hour CT. The main pathologic findings of consolidations were intraalveolar hemorrhage and coagulation necrosis. There was no statistical difference in the extent of the lesions between Group I and Group II (p=0.20, 0.14, 0.59 and 0.46 at 4, 24, 48 and 72 hours, respectively). The CT findings of Group IIa and Group IIb were not significantly difference. The CT findings of Group III were normal in all 5 rabbits. CONCLUSION: Because there was no significant difference for the extent of lung injury induced by oleic acid between the group treated with high dose methyl prednisolone and non-treated group on CT scans, high dose steroid therapy for acute respiratory distress syndrome and pulmonary fat embolism may not be effective in the acute stage.
Acute Lung Injury ; Ear ; Edema ; Embolism, Fat ; Glass ; Hemorrhage ; Injections, Intravenous ; Lung Injury* ; Lung* ; Necrosis ; Oleic Acid ; Prednisolone ; Rabbits* ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult ; Steroids* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Veins

No abstract available.
DNA* ; Humans* ; Papilloma* ; Respiratory System*

PURPOSE: The prognosis of non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL) in elderly patients seems to be poorer than that in patients aged less than 60 years. This may be due to the lower tolerance for combination chemotherapy in the elderly. Aggressive combination chemo-therapy, which is the treatment of choice in intermediate and high grade NHL of adulthood, may be associated with unpredictab1y severe and lethal toxicity and worsened quality of life in the elderly. We investigated the treatment responses, toxicities and prognostic factors of NHL in elderly patients treated with combination chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We treated 116 elderly (>60 yrs) patients with NHL between January 1986 and June 1996 with adriamycin-containing regimens, such as CHOP (cyclo- phosphamide, adriamycin, vincristine, prednisolone), BACOP (bleomycin, adriamycin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisolone), and mBACOP (methotrexate, bleomycin, adriamycin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisolone). Patients in this study ranged from 60 to 81 (median 67) years of age. Fifty-five percent of patients were in stage I or II and the rest (45%) were in stage III or IV. The histologic grade was predominantly (91%) of intermediate and high grade type. RESULTS: The treatment responses were complete (CR) in 55% and partial (PR) in 25%. The median durstion of CR was 32 (3-132) months. The CR rate was significantly higher in patients treated with RDI (relative dose intensity) > 75% than that in the patients treated with RDI < 75% (p 0.003), but there was no significant difference in CR rate between treatment regimens (p-0.38). At a median follow up of 48-months (range, 12 to 132 months), the estimated 5-year ovetall survival was 46%. Ann Arbor Stage (I, II vs III, IV), ECOG performance (0-1 vs 2-3), RDI (>75% vs <75%) and the treatment response were important prognostic factors in the univariate analysis, and the treament response (CR vs non-CR) was the only independent prognostic parameter in the multivariate analysis. The most frequent and severe toxicity associated with chemotherapy was infection with or without neutropenia. The rate of severe infection was significantly decreased in the patients supported with G/GM-CSF but not in the dose-reduction group (RDI<75% vs >75%). CONCLUSION: Our data suggests that achievement of the CR after combination chemotherpy is the most important prognostic factor in the elderly patients with NHL. Suboptimal chemotherapy (RDI<75%) reduced the complete remission rate without reducing the likelihood of developing severe toxicities. Optimal chemotherapy with supportive cares involving the use of hematopoietic growth factors may be needed to improve the treatment response and the survival in the elderly patients with aggressive NHL.
Aged ; Bleomycin ; Cyclophosphamide ; Dimethoate ; Doxorubicin ; Drug Therapy ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hodgkin Disease* ; Humans ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neutropenia ; Prognosis* ; Quality of Life ; Vincristine

Fifteen cases of genital warts were examined for the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) using polymerise chain reaction (PCR). HPV6/11 DNA were found in all cases of genital warts. The PCR based methods described here provide a sensitive, accurate means of detecting genital HPVs.
Condylomata Acuminata ; DNA ; Humans* ; Papillomaviridae* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction*

Contact Urticaria is a wheal-and-flare response to chemicals applied to the skin. Contact urticaria due to bee sting therapy has never been reported in Korea. A 45-year-old male was seen for erythematous plsques and patches with the duration of 3 days. Histologicall, the skin biopsy specimen showed necrosis and dyskeratotic cells in the epidermis. Collagen degenerati in and perivascular lymphocytic infiltrates were seen in the upper dermis.
Bees* ; Biopsy ; Bites and Stings* ; Chronic Pain* ; Collagen ; Dermis ; Epidermis ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Necrosis ; Skin ; Urticaria*

No abstract available.
Antibodies, Monoclonal* ; Herpesvirus 4, Human* ; Humans* ; Tetanus Toxoid* ; Tetanus*

BACKGROUND: Common and effective treatments for calcific tendinitis involve needling procedures. However, it has been widespread practice to refer patients with calcific tendinitis, which is a predominantly orthopedic condition, to radiology department. The purpose of this study was to compare clinical and radiological outcomes after ultrasound-guided needling for calcific tendinitis between the orthopedics and radiology department. METHODS: Seventy-seven shoulders (Group 1) and 38 shoulders (Group 2) treated in the radiology and orthopedic department, respectively. A fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon and a musculoskeletal radiologist each performed the procedure of ultrasound-guided needle decompression with subacromial steroid injection. Clinical outcomes was evaluated using the visual analogue scale for pain (pVAS) and the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) shoulder score before treatment and at each follow-up. The pre- and post-needling size and shape of the calcific deposits were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: We analyzed a total of 56 shoulders for Group 1 and 32 shoulders for Group 2. The mean age and sex ratio of the patients no significantly different. We found that the mean decrease in the diameter of calcification between pre- and post-needling was 9.0 mm for Group 1 and 13.1 mm for Group 2; the difference was significantly larger in Group 2 than in Group 1. Both groups showed improved pVAS and ASES scores after needling but the extent of these improvements did not differ with the type of operator. CONCLUSIONS: Needling decompression performed by orthopedic surgeons could a viable option for the treatment of calcific tendinitis.

No abstract available.
Adaptive Immunity ; Animals ; Cell Line* ; Rats*

No abstract available.
Herpesvirus 4, Human*

BACKGROUND: To describe the fast experience of case-leased advanced cardiac life support(ACLC) course in Korea. METHODS: We have given case-based ACLC course to 13 nurses(6 emergency nurses, 4 coronary care unit muses, 3 professors) and 17 physicians(4 emergency physicians, 12 emergency residents, 1 intem). We performed the case-based ACLS course according to 1992 American Heart Association guidelines and recommendations for advanced cardiac life support by american ACLS instructors(1 pulmonologist, 4 critical care nurses). We performed final theoretical written test and 2 times written survey (immediate and 100th day after the course) about the course. RESULTS: On final written test, all practitioners answered at leasts 70% of the questions correctly. There was no significant difference between nurses and physicians(86.2+/-3.6 of physicians and 82.5+/-6.8 of nurses, p=0.06). 90%of participants considered that case-based advanced cardiac life support was acceptable. 100th day after the course, 93%of participants answered that ACLS course have been helpful on his/her job and also want retraining of ACLS course. 70%of participants considered that ideal ACLS training committee in Korea is the Korean Society of Emergency Medicine. CONCLUSION: Case-based ACLS course is a useful educational method far physicians and nurses in Korea. In the future, we should organize Korean resuscitation committee and then make guidelines for ACLS, and then continuously educate physicians and nurses.
Adult* ; Advanced Cardiac Life Support ; Alprostadil ; American Heart Association ; Coronary Care Units ; Critical Care ; Emergencies ; Emergency Medicine ; Humans ; Korea* ; Resuscitation