BACKGROUND: Recently, clinical use of fresh frozen plasma(FFP) has increased in all blood transfusion activity. But inappropriate uses of FFP may be serious problem due to adverse transfusion reactions, viral transmission, and economic aspects. The aim of this study is to justify clinical indication of FFP by receiving the inappropriate use of them. METHODS: Analyzing hospital records of 115 patients transfused with FFP at Kyung Hee Medical Center from January to April 1998, retrospectively, we investigated the purpose of transfusions, the volume of transfused FFP, and the results of pre- and post-coagulation tests. RESULTS: The most common purpose of transfusions of FFP was plasma volume replacement after surgical operation. Coagulation tests of pre- and post-transfusion were performed 85% and 47%, respectively. Fifty-seven patients(88%) transfused FFP have shown normal results in pre-coagulation tests, and the volume replacement with FFP was done inadequately in 62 cases(54%). CONCLUSION: We conclude that, in order to eliminate side effects due to inappropriate use of FFP, and protect patients, it is necessary to make guidelines of FFP transfusion, educate hospital staffs regularly, and perform pre- and post-coagulation tests routinely for the patients who need FFP transfusion. (Korean J Blood Transfusion 10(1): 5-12, 1999)
Blood Group Incompatibility ; Blood Transfusion ; Hospital Records ; Humans ; Plasma Volume ; Plasma* ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: According to the statistics announced by the Ministry of Unification, the number of North Korean refugees living in South Korea has increased by 200 on average monthly in 2010. The number of refugees increased only by 300 annually until 2000. The total number of refugees as of February 2012 was 20,956. This study aims to investigate the psychobiology of the North Korean refugees who consulted psychiatric clinics among those living daily life in South Korea. METHODS: The subjects of this study were 85 North Korean refugees that consulted psychiatric clinics from January 1, 2005 to July 2011. This study obtained demographic and psychiatric information in a retrospective approach. RESULTS: Among the 85 North Korean refugees, 75 (88.2%) were females and their average age was 48 years of age. A total of 16 (18.8%) were admitted to a clinic and among the inpatients, 4 were admitted twice and two were admitted three times. As for the claimed symptoms of outpatients, insomnia was shown in 47 (55.3%) patients, headaches in 37 (43.5%), anxiety in 20 (23.5%), depression in 19 (22.4%), etc. The major symptoms represented by inpatients were insomnia in 14 (87.5%) patients, depression in 12 (75%), and headaches in 8 (50%), etc. CONCLUSION: The most frequent psychiatric symptoms of North Korean refugees living in South Korea were insomnia and headaches. It suggests that when performing psychiatric diagnosis and treatment of North Korean refugees, we have to take into consideration the fact that they claimed the physical symptoms more than the emotional ones. Also, from the aspect that most symptoms of North Korean refugees were insomnia, more profound research on sleep is required in the future.
Anxiety ; Depression ; Female ; Headache ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Mental Disorders ; Outpatients ; Refugees ; Republic of Korea ; Retrospective Studies ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders

Factor VIII inhibitors are produced during or after coagulation factor VIII (FVIII) therapy in hemophilia A patients. These inhibitors are usually detected by a modified Bethesda assay or an enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In this study, we used the Bethesda assay to determine the incidence of FVIII inhibitors in 75 fresh plasma samples obtained from 50 hemophilia A patients, and then used ELISA and the Bethesda assay to determine the titres of these inhibitors after the samples had been frozen and thawed. The samples from the screening Bethesda assay were centrifuged and stored at -70degrees C in accordance with the assay guidelines. Subsequently, these samples were thawed and analyzed using ELISA and the Bethesda assay. The incidence of inhibitors in hemophilia A patients was 20.0%. Among the 35 inhibitor-positive samples identified in the screening Bethesda assay, 16 were positive in ELISA while only 4 were positive in the repeated Bethesda assay. In this study, the ELISA technique showed a higher sensitivity than the Bethesda assay in the detection of FVIII inhibitors in samples that were subjected to freezing and thawing procedures; this was because the Bethesda assay could not identify the FVIII inhibitors that were degraded after freezing and thawing.
Blood Coagulation Factor Inhibitors/*analysis ; *Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Factor VIII/*antagonists &inhibitors/metabolism ; Hemophilia A/*blood/diagnosis ; Humans ; Immunologic Tests ; Male

No abstract available.
Aged ; Amiodarone/*adverse effects/therapeutic use ; Anti-Arrhythmia Agents/*adverse effects/therapeutic use ; Hepatitis, Alcoholic/diagnosis/etiology ; Hepatitis, Chronic, Drug-Induced/*diagnosis/etiology/pathology ; Humans ; Male

No abstract available.
Liver* ; Radioactivity* ; Radionuclide Imaging*

BACKGROUND: With increase of antibiotics use and invasive procedures, infections caused by multi-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MRAB) are increasing. Recently, we experienced the outbreak of- nosocomial infections caused by MRAB resistant to imipenem and cefoperazone/sulbactam in intensive care units (ICU) and general ward. We analyzed the clinical characteristics of the infected patients and antibiotic susceptibility of the organisms. And surveillance cultures and IRS-PCR were performed to find out the transmission route. METHODS: We collected data from physical examination and clinical records. We performed surveillance cultures of environment, patients not infected with MRAB in ICU, and hands of health care workers. RESULTS: Between November 1996 and June 1997, 49 strains of MRAB were isolated from the 26 patients hospitalized in Kangnam St. Mary' s Hospital. The lower respiratory infection (13 cases) was the most common infection and sputum was the most common sources (47.1%). All strains of MRAB showed the same genotype. In disk diffusion test, all strains were resistant to piperacillin, gentamicin, amikacin, ceftazidime, cefoperazone/sulbactam, aztreonam, imipencm, ciprofloxacin. From the surveillance cultures, the genotypically identical strains were isolated from ventilator Y-piece, the floor of ICU, and hands of health care workers. It suggested that this strain was transmitted through ventilatory device or hands of health care workers. We instructed all the health care workers to wash hands, to disinfect hospital environment completely. Since July 1997, no further case has occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Since A. baumannii could be transmitted through ventilatory devices and the hands of health care workers, it is important to wash hands and to disinfect hospital environment completely.
Acinetobacter baumannii* ; Acinetobacter* ; Amikacin ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Aztreonam ; Ceftazidime ; Ciprofloxacin ; Cross Infection* ; Delivery of Health Care ; Diffusion ; Genotype ; Gentamicins ; Hand ; Humans ; Imipenem* ; Critical Care Units ; Patients' Rooms ; Physical Examination ; Piperacillin ; Sputum ; Ventilators, Mechanical

The effect of persistant mild hyperglycemic hyperinsulinemia on the development of the insulin resistance in rats was studied in vivo. Also, the characteristics of the insulin resistance compared with the insulin resistance of STZ diabetic rats. Persistant mild hyperglycemic hyperinsulinemic rat model was produced by ingestion of glucose polymer for 8 days. The glucose disappearance and infusion rate was measured by hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp to"Imique at steady state of blood glucose and insulin levels. The clamped level of blood glucose was 100 mg/dl, and the clamped levels of insulin were 70 pU/ml (physiologic condition) and 3000 pU/ml (supramaximal condition). Hepatic glucose producticon rate was calculated using measured data. And the glycogen synthetic capacity of skeletal muscle(soleus) and liver was measured after 2 hours of hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp study. The glucose disappearance and glucose infusion rate in glucose polymer group was decreased in the both physiological and supramaximal insulin level compared to the rate of the normal control group. The rate of STZ diabetic group wase lowest at supramaximal insulin level among two another experimental groups. The hepatic glucose production rate of glucose polymer group was decreased compared to normal control but increased in STZ diabetic group.
Animals ; Blood Glucose ; Eating ; Glucans ; Glucose ; Glucose Clamp Technique ; Glycogen ; Hyperinsulinism* ; Insulin Resistance* ; Insulin* ; Liver ; Models, Animal ; Rats*

No abstract available.
Brain Injuries* ; Brain* ; Disability Evaluation* ; Humans ; Perfusion* ; Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime* ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

BACKGROUND: This study aimed at identifying the effects of improved methods of endotracheal suction and hand washing on incidence of nosocomial pneumonia (NP) in the neurosurgical ICU. METHOD: Repeated training of nurses about hand washing and adherence of the single use of suction catheter and sterile normal saline of endotracheal suction was provided. Then hand washing compliance of nurses before and after training was investigated. and the incidence of NP in all patients hospitalized for more than 72 hours in the neurosurgical ICU was investigated from Sep 1, 2000 to Jan 31, 2001 (2nd surveillance). The NP rate of that period was compared with the incidence of the 1st surveillance period, from Sep 1, 1999 to Jan 31, 2000. The data were analyzed with chi-square-test. Fisher's exact test and logistic regression analysis by SAS 8.0. RESULT: The proportion of hand washing performance increased from 15.6% to 46.8%. The rates of NP per patient during 1st surveillance and 2nd surveillance were 10.3%, 3.9%(p=0.01) patient-days rates of NP were 10.0 cases/1,000 patient days, 4.1 cases/1,000 patient days(p=0.04), and ventilator-days rates of NP were 67.6 cases/1.000 ventilator days, 16.2 cases/1,000 ventilator days(p=0.00) respectively. Out of 29 isolates, 18 were methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, which was the most frequently isolated microorganism. The risk factors associated with incidence of NP were age, length of stay, Glasgow coma scale, diabetes mellitus, duration of intubation, insertion of endotracheal tube, duration of tracheostomy, presence of tracheostomy, duration of ventilator, use of ventilator, and insertion of nasogastric tube. CONCLUSION: These results showed that single use of suction catheters and sterile normal saline and increased compliance of hand washing were important factors to decrease the incidence of NP.
Catheters ; Compliance ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Glasgow Coma Scale ; Hand Disinfection* ; Hand* ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Intensive Care Units* ; Critical Care* ; Intubation ; Length of Stay ; Logistic Models ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; Pneumonia* ; Risk Factors ; Suction* ; Tracheostomy ; Ventilators, Mechanical

No abstract available.
Scalp*