BACKGROUND: Oxygen concentrators are convenient to operate and economical for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, oxygen concentrators are not manufactured domestically and the COPD patients are currently treated with imported oxygen concentrators. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of domestically developed prototype oxygen concentrator before clinical application, the efficacy and safety of the domestic oxygen concentrator were evaluate by comparing with the imported one. Meterial and METHODS: The clinical tests were performed on 36 hyperhydrosis patients from April 1999 to August 1999. Domestic and imported oxygen concentrators were in turn applied to the same patient, who inspired oxygen for 60 minutes at a rate of 3 liters per minute through nasal prong. The oxygen concentrator, which was applied first, was randomly allocated. The arterial partial oxygen pressure (PaO2) was estimated to compare the efficacy; and the carboxy hemoglobin(COHb), pH, arterial CO2 partial pressure, pulse rate, blood pressure, and respiration rate to compare the safety before and after applying each oxygen concentrator. A student t-test was used to analyze the results. RESULTS: In respect to efficacy, the difference in the change of PaO2 before and after the application between two concentrators was not statistically significant. In respect to safety, the differences in the changes of COHb, pH, partial pressure of arterial CO2, pulse rate, blood pressure, respiration rate between two concentrators were also not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: The domestically developed oxygen concentrator, showed satisfactory efficacy and safety when compared with the imported one.
Blood Pressure ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Oxygen* ; Partial Pressure ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; Respiratory Rate

Since 1856, Mayer13) coined the term “osteotomy” for a tibial resection for an angular deformity, various shapes and designs of osteotomies in long bone or pelvis have been popularized to treat the malunion, osteoarthritis of hip and knee, bow leg, L.C.P., or C.D.H. etc. The purpose of corrective osteotomy for tibia is so different from that of upper extremity because it must be restored the weight bearing alignment, and equalize or minimize the leg length discrepancy. We respectively reviewed 14 cases with various angular deformities on tibia who were treated at Dept. of Orthopaedic Surgery, Catholic Medical College from Jan. 1976 to Dec. 1984. The results obtained were as follows: 1. Causes of angular or rotational deformities of tibia were malunion in 11, bow leg in 2 and partial closure of distal tibial epiphysis in l. 2. Ten cases of tibial deformities exceeded over the 10° of medial or lateral angulation and 15° of anterior or posterior bowing were corrected for normal weight-bearing alignment in lower leg. And a rotational deformity may be so disabling to walk as to require surgery. So four cases of tibial angular deformities combined with more than 20° of external rotation and 5° of internal rotation were corrected for normal good looking walks. 3. The maximum length that can be gained by an opening wedge osteotomy was near the point of maximum angluation, but it could be changed by the cause of deformity and patient's age. We've done 4 cases of opening and 10 cases of closing wedge osteotomy. 4. Angular deformity in one plane due to fracture in children under 10 years of age may be corrected spontaneously by growth, but deformities due to bow leg or epiphyseal injury cann't be expected any spontaneous correction of deformity by growth. So three cases of tibial deformities due to bow leg or epiphyseal injury in children were corrected in earlier after recognition of that deformities because of possible damage to articular cartilage and the combined rotational deformities. 5. A slight deformity if the angulation involves near a joint, knee or ankle could be seriously disabling and so must be correctcd earlier. 6. Functional results of the corrective wedge osteotomy in angular and rotational deformities of tibia were excellent, good, fair in 4, 7 and 3, respectively.
Ankle ; Cartilage, Articular ; Child ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Epiphyses ; Genu Varum ; Humans ; Knee ; Knee Joint ; Leg ; Numismatics ; Osteoarthritis, Hip ; Osteotomy ; Pelvis ; Tibia ; Upper Extremity ; Weight-Bearing

No abstract available.
Emergencies* ; Emergency Service, Hospital*

No abstract available.
Emergencies* ; Humans

No abstract available.
Neck*

This study was done in 8 cases of leptomeningeal carcinomatosis which were confirmed by positive C.S.F. cytology at Yonsei University Medical Center from August 1987 to September 1989. We found following results through investigating the clinical features and prognosis of leptomeningeal carcinomatosis. 1. Primary site was stomach in 4 patients, lung in 3 patients, rectum in 1 patient 2. Positive Cytology was 6 patients at initial CSF study, and 2 patients at second CSF study. 3. Median diagnostic interval from diagnosis of primary tumor was 76 days. 4. Frequent neurologic symptoms were headache, nausia and vomiting, and frequent neurologic signs were nuchal rigidity and weakness of lower extremities at this study. 5. Median survival interval from diagnosis of leptomeningeal carcinomatosis was 7 days without treatment, 31 days (15 days-45 days) with radiation therapy, and over 115 days (80 days-over 156 days) with radiation therapy and intrathecal MTX. Two patients were living when this study was completed.
Academic Medical Centers ; Diagnosis ; Headache ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Lung ; Meningeal Carcinomatosis* ; Muscle Rigidity ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Prognosis* ; Rectum ; Stomach ; Vomiting

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Many studies have shown that coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery prolongs the life of patients with left main coronary artery disease (LMCD). Recently, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been applied to treat LMCD, with good clinical results. However, a significant portion of patients decline any revascularization therapy, so receive medical treatment only. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long term clinical outcome in these patients with LMCD, according to the treatment strategies. SUBJECTS AND MEHTODS: The clinical outcomes of 281 consecutive patients, with significant LMCD, between January 1997 and December 2000, were evaluated. The patients were divided into three groups, according to their initial treatment strategies;1) CABG, 2) PCI and 3) medical treatment. The mean follow-up duration was 37.4+/-14.9 months. RESULTS: The 1- and 3-year survival rates in the CABG group (97.4+/-1.5% and 95.6+/-1.9%) were significantly higher than those of the medical group (89.8+/-3.9% and 76.1+/-5.9%;p=0.03). The survival rates in the PCI group (one year and 3-year survival rate, 98.1+/-1.3% and 93.8+/-2.5%) were similar to those of the CABG group (p=0.93). The incidence of 3-year MACE in the medical group (40.7%) was higher than those of the CABG (10.5%, p<0.001) and PCI groups (20.4%, p=0.007). There was no significant difference between the CABG and PCI groups (p=0.06). CONCLUSION: In patients with LMCD, a CABG remains the standard therapy for prolonging survival and lowering the incidence of MACE. PCI offers similar survival benefits in selected patients. Medical treatment is associated with a significantly higher mortality and MACE. Active revascularization therapy should be the treatment of choice for the patients with LMCD.
Angioplasty ; Coronary Artery Bypass ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Disease* ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mortality ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Survival Rate ; Transplants

Epidermal keratinocytes are important sources of a wide variety of cytokines that include the endothelin-1 (ET-1). Glucocorticoids have been shown to inhibit the production of several cytokines. However, their effect on ET-1 synthesis by keratinocytes is still unknown. It has been reported that ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation stimulates both the synthesis and release of ET-1 and it was observed that ET-1 secretion by HaCat cells increased with increasing UVB exposure. In this study, the effects of glucocorticoid on ET-1 production were evaluated using cultured HaCat keratinocytes. The results showed that dexamethasone suppressed basal re-lease of ET-1. In addition, it strongly inhibited the UVB-mediated augmentation of ET-1 production. Furthermore, lincomycin slightly enhanced the inhibitory effect of dexamethasone on ET-1 synthesis.
Cytokines ; Dexamethasone* ; Endothelin-1 ; Glucocorticoids ; Keratinocytes* ; Lincomycin

BACKGROUND: In animal models of cerebral ischemic-reperfusion has been shown to have a beneficial effect. The object of this study is to compare the effect of pathologic findings between normotheimic and moderate hypothermic group. METHODS: We investigated the effect of moderate hypothermia induced 1 hour after transient(10 min) both carotid artery occlusion on the extent of ischemic-reperfusion cell damage in Mongolian Gerbil model. The terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase (TdT) -mediated biotin-16-dUTP nick-end labelling(TUNEL staning) are used to detect apoptosis. RESULTS: 1. We suggest that Core body temperature is down to moderate hypothermia(30-32degrees C) beyond 10 minite by selective bain cooling method in Mongolian Gerbil model. 2. By light microscopy, ischemic-reperfusion damage were detected in the hippocampal CA1 pyramidal layer on the 3 day after transient ischemic insult, which showed chrosomal condensation and cytoplasmic eosinophilia. Ischemic-reperfusion cells were increased in the CA1 region on the 5 day. Apoptotic cells of the CA1 neurons seen by TUNEL staining than ischemic neurons seen by Hematoxylin-eosin staining were investigate 3 and 5 days after ischemic-reperfusion insult. CONCLUSION: We suggest that is not neuroprotective effects of Intraischemic(1 hour) moderate hypothermia in Gerbil brain global ischemic-reperfusion model.
Apoptosis ; Body Temperature ; Brain* ; Carotid Arteries ; Cytoplasm ; DNA Nucleotidylexotransferase ; Eosinophilia ; Gerbillinae* ; Hypothermia* ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Microscopy ; Models, Animal ; Neurons ; Neuroprotective Agents*

No abstract available.