The pathophysiology of functional gastrointestinal disorder(FGID) is not completely understood, but the importance of the 'Brain-Gut Axis(BGA)' model in FGID is being increasingly recognized. The BGA model is a bidirectional, hard-wired and homeostatic relationship between the central nervous system(CNS) and the enteric nervous system(ENS) via neural, neurohormonal and neuroimmunological pathways. In addition, the BGA model would provide a rationale for the use of psychotropics on FGID. The authors experienced two cases in which duloxetine, a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, was effective in relieving FGID symptoms as well as psychiatric symptoms such as depression and hypochondriacal anxiety. Therefore we discuss the vignettes from the perspective of BGA theory. Duloxetine showed efficacy in these two patients by reducing visceral hypersensivity (bottom-up regulation) and by relieving depression and anxiety(top-down regulation).
Anxiety ; Depression ; Gastrointestinal Diseases ; Humans ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome ; Thiophenes

BACKGROUND: Vibrio vulnificus(V. vulnificus) is a pathogenic, marine, halophilic, Gram negative bacillus which causes fulminant infection in humans through skin wounds. or the ingestion of raw seafoods or Most cases are reported sporadically in summer in the south-western coastal area of Korea. OBJECTIVE: We studied the distribution of V. vulnificus in sea water, fishes, shellfish and sea mud from May to October in 1996 and the relationship between regional distribution and environmental factors. METHODS: We collected the sea water, sea mud, fishes and seafoods from May to October in Kunsan, Daechun, Moochangpo, Puan, Youngkwang and cultured it in Thiosulfate-Citrate-Bile salt-Sucrose(TCBS) agar, Cellobiose-Polymyxin B-Colistin(CPC) agar, and Sodium dodecyl sulfate- Polymyxin B-Sucrose(SPS) agar. At the same time we investigated environmental factors such as temperature, pH, salinity, turbidity, dissolved oxygen(DO), NO3 of sea water. RESULTS: Twelve strains(2.17%) of V. vulnificus were isolated from a total of 552 specimens. The V. vulnificas isolation rate from sea mud was higher than in sea water and shellfish. Areas where V. vulnipcus was isolated were Kunsan and Daechun. It was isolated during June, July and August. The Isolation rate was higher with CPC agar than TCBS, SPS agar. When V.vulnificus was isolated at Kunsan, the environmental factors of sea water noted were as follows: temperature, 25.3C; turbidity, 121Formazine turbidity units; salinity, 12.2%; DO, 7.3mg/L; pH, 7.37 and NO3, 1.18mg/L. CONCLUSION: CPC agar is the best medium of the three above used for the isolation of V. vulnificus from environmental samples. V. vulnificus was highly isolated in the Kunsan area because of the high water temperature and turbidity, low salinity and weak alkali state of the sea water in comparision with other areas. We suggest that high temperature and turbidity, low salinity and weak alkalinity of sea water are very important environmental factors for the growth of V. vulnificus.
Agar ; Alkalies ; Bacillus ; Eating ; Fishes ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Jeollabuk-do ; Korea* ; Polymyxins ; Salinity ; Seafood ; Seawater* ; Shellfish ; Skin ; Sodium ; Vibrio vulnificus* ; Vibrio* ; Water ; Wounds and Injuries

PURPOSE: To investigate audiometery and characteristics related to tinnitus in tinnitus patients. and to understand the relationship between the discomfort of tinnitus and the quality of life. Methods: The subjects were 110 patients with tinnitus. The data were collected using tinnitus handicap questionnaire. quality of life, and pure tone audiometry, which measured hearing level in dB and frequency in Hz matching of tinnitus. RESULTS: Majority of tinnitus patients (75.5%~81.8%) had normal auditory sensation. but 82.7% of patients indicated that they have heard tinnitus frequently. or always, and the major sounds of tinnitus were wing, wung, wang, The matching sounds of tinnitus had various range in hearing level(dB) and frequency(Hz). Tinnitus patients reported moderate levels of the discomfort of tinnitus and the quality of life, and there were negative correlation between the discomfort of tinnitus and the quality of life(r=-.314, p .00l). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that special attention is needed for tinnitus patients because the physical. psychological. and social impacts of tinnitus could be decrease their quality of life, Specialized nursing intervention considering specific conditions related to tinnitus is required to solve various health problems of tinnitus patients.
Audiometry ; Hearing ; Humans ; Nursing ; Quality of Life* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Sensation ; Social Change ; Tinnitus*

A practical and convenient method of rearing Eucyclops serrulatus in a microculture environment is described. A complete life cycle of E. serrulatus was maintained in a narrow space on a microscope slide glass on which a cover glass of 22 x 40 mm in size was mounted at a height of 0.8 mm. The culture medium was constituted by bottled mineral water boiled with grains of Glycine max (soybean). Chilomonas paramecium, a free-living protozoan organism, was provided as live food. Growth of nauplii hatched from eggs to the first stage of copepodite took an average of 7.7 days, and the growth of copepodite 1 to the egg-bearing adult female took an average of 20.1 days in the microculture cell with an average life time of 44.7 days. Continuous passage of copepods was successfully maintained as long as sufficient medium and food were provided. The microculture method enables an in situ microscopic observation on the growth and developmental process of helminth larvae experimentally infected to copepods as well as of copepod itself. Furthermore, it does not require anesthetization and, therefore, minimize the amount of stress exposed to copepods during the handling process.
Protozoa ; Male ; Female ; Culture Techniques/*methods ; Culture Media ; Copepoda/*growth & development ; Animals

Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacterial Infections ; Dental Caries ; Drainage ; Head ; Humans ; Incidence ; Ludwig's Angina ; Neck ; Penicillins ; Periodontal Diseases ; Suppuration ; Surgery, Oral ; Tracheostomy

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND: Acute abdominal pain is one of the most common problems in the family practice but the differential diagnosis of acute abdominal pain is difficult in first encounter. When family physicians are encountered with patients with acute abdominal pain in the ambulatory care settings, t,hey have to make a decision for management of acute abdominal pain such as admission, referral, discharge or follow-up without any definite diagnosis. If it is possible to predict the course or prognosis of acute abdominal pain by using certain data about patients, it will be helpful to make a decision for the management of acute abdominal pain. So we tested the hypothesis that acute abdominal pain with intermittent pain nature and normal simple abdomen X-ray finding is not serious and shows favorable outcome. METHODS: 126 patients with acute abdorninal pain were enrolled from Feb. to Aug. in 1995 at the emergency department of Kyungju hospital, Dongkuk University. 116 patients showed normal simple abdomen X ray finding and among them 94 patients were discharged and 21 patients were admitted. 92 patients were contacted in 1 week by phone call and they reported the outcome of their acute abdominal pain. RESULTS: Among 92 study populations, 44 patients were male and 48 patients were female. 72 patients complained intermittent abdominal pain and 21 patients complained continous abdominal pain. Frequencies of tentative diagnosis at emergency department were 45 acute gastroenteritis, 26 unknown, 14 functional gastointestinal disorders, 4 acute gastritis, 2 pelvic inflammatory diseases, and 1 ureter stone. Outcomes of patients with intermittent abdominal pain were more favorable than those with continous abdominal pain. CONCLUSIONS: If the patients with acute abdominal pain have intermittent pain nature and normal simple abdomen x ray finding, they will show favorable outcome and can be managed at ambulatory care settings.
Abdomen ; Abdominal Pain ; Ambulatory Care ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Family Practice ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastritis ; Gastroenteritis ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Humans ; Male ; Pelvic Inflammatory Disease ; Physicians, Family ; Prognosis ; Referral and Consultation ; Ureter

No abstract available.
Dendritic Cells, Follicular*

The purpose of this paper is to study the effects of anti-inflammatory agents on the blood-aqueous-berrier in experimentally induced uveitis. 10% solution of sodium fluorescein was injection intravenously in the ear vein of rabbits (0.25 ml/kg) and fluorescein curve was drawn after the method of Amsler and Huber. Experimental uveitis was induced by the injection of 0.2 ml of human serwn into the vitreous body. After uveitis had been induced. three kinds of anti-inflammatory agents-Prednisolone, Benzyron and Methotrexate-were Biven oralIy. In control animals in which no uveitis was induced, no changes in fluorescein curve were demonstrated before and after the administrations of drugs. In animals with uveitis, maked increases of the blood-aqueous barrier were noted. When Benoyron and Prednisolone were given to these animals, normaliration of the fluorescein curves were demonstrated. Methotrexate had no effects on the fluorescein curves in uveitis animals, showing no improvements in the permeability of uveal vessela. This ineffectiveness seemed to be due to the resistance of rabbits to methotrexate.
Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; Blood-Aqueous Barrier ; Ear ; Fluorescein ; Humans ; Methotrexate ; Permeability ; Prednisolone ; Rabbits ; Uveitis* ; Veins ; Vitreous Body

One hundred seven consecutive patients aged 3 years to 34 years with simple ventricular septal defect were prospectively investigated with 2-dimensional Doppler echocardiography to assess the echocardiographic criteriae in defining the anatomic site of the VSD. The anatomy was confirmed in all patients at operation. Two-dimensional Doppler echocardiography correctly categorized the site and extension of VSDs in 104 of 107(97%). All doubly committed subarterial VSDs were correctly diagnosed as an area of discontinuity beneath the pulmonary valve in the parasternal short-axis plane taken at the aortic root level. Forty eight of 49 perimembranous VSDs with infundibular extension showed an area of discontinuity beneath the right aortic cusp in the parasternal long axis plane of the left ventricle. Of 17 perimembranous VSDs with trabecular extension, 16 had an area of discontinuity around the medial papillary muscle in the short axis plane taken at the level of high left ventricular outflow tract(LVOT). All 5 perimembranous VSDs with inlet extension showed an area of discontinuity adjacent to the septal leaflet attachment in the short axis plane taken at the level of high LVOT. One muscular trabecular VSD was categorized correctly by the short axis view and the apical 4-chamber view. Thus, these 2-dimensional Doppler echocardiographic criteriae are a simple and reliable in identifying the anatomic site of VSDs.
Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Bays ; Classification* ; Echocardiography ; Echocardiography, Doppler* ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular* ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Papillary Muscles ; Prospective Studies ; Pulmonary Valve