Since the book "Final Exit: The Practicalities of Self-Deliverance and Assisted Suicide for the Dying" was published in 1991, there has been a worldwide increase in the number of cases of suicidal asphyxiation using helium gas. However, no domestic reports have been published thus far. Recently, we encountered a case of asphyxial suicide by inhalation of helium from inside a plastic bag. Subsequently, we reviewed the records of the Scientific Crime Analysis System of National Police Agency of Korea. There were 17 cases of helium-associated asphyxial suicides between January 1, 2000 and June 30, 2012. The average age of the deceased was 30.6 years with a male to female ratio of approximately 5:1. Thirteen of 17 such deaths occurred in the victims'houses. In all cases, the method of death involved placing a plastic bag over the head with a hose attached to helium tanks. In 6 of 17 cases, the decedents had psychiatric disorders such as depression. As neither characteristic signs of death nor conventional methods for detecting helium gas exist, a thorough investigation of the death scene and the decedents'environment is extremely vital for confirming death due to helium asphyxiation.
Crime ; Depression ; Female ; Head ; Helium ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Korea ; Male ; Plastics ; Police ; Suicide ; Suicide, Assisted

To test if exposure history to rifle fire or cannonade training during military duty can induce hearing loss, history of personal military service and history of gunshot exposure were asked to 228 male college students with self-administrative questionnaire. Otoscopic examination and Rinne's test were performed if any abnormal finding was detected by pure-tone audiometry. Average hearing threshold levels of 500 Hz, 1,000 Hz, 2,000 Hz, 4,000 Hz and threshold levels at 4,000 Hz were calculated for 112 students who were remained after exclusion of cases with history of ear disease, of ototoxic drug administration, and of neuropsychiatric disease, and mean of those were compared between group of students who have completed military duty (completed group) and group of those who have not (not-completed group), and between group exposed(exposed group) and group unexposed to gunshot sound(unexposed group). Mean of average hearing threshold level and mean of threshold levels at 4,000 Hz of completed group and those of exposed group were higher than those of not-completed group and unexposed group, respectively. Proportion of cases that average threshold level was greater than 40 dB of threshold levels at 4,000 Hz was greater than 50 dB were higher also in completed group and exposed group than in duty not-completed group and unexposed group, respectively. Multiple linear regression analysis including age, duration of military service, degree of gunshot sound exposure as independent variables and average hearing threshold level as dependant variable, was performed in order to estimate the effect of age on hearing, and any considerable effect of age on hearing could not be found. In conclusion, hearing impairment can be induced by rifle fire or cannonade training.
Audiometry, Pure-Tone ; Ear Diseases ; Fires ; Hearing Loss ; Hearing* ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Male ; Military Personnel* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

No abstract available.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast*

BACKGROUND: There have been no studies of airway management strategies for difficult intubation and cannot intubate, cannot ventilate (CICV) situations in Korea. This study was intended to survey devices or methods that Korean anesthesiologists and intensivists prefer in difficult intubation and CICV situations. METHODS: A face-to-face questionnaire that consisted of a doctor's preference, experience and comfort level for alternative airway management devices was presented to anesthesiologists and intensivists at study meetings and conferences from October 2014 to December 2014. RESULTS: We received 218 completed questionnaires. In regards to difficult intubation, the order of preferred alternative airway devices was a videolaryngoscope (51.8%), an optical stylet (22.9%), an intubating laryngeal mask airway (11.5%), and a fiber-optic bronchoscope (10.6%). One hundred forty-two (65.1%) respondents had encountered CICV situations, and most of the cases were identified during elective surgery. In CICV situations, the order of preferred methods of infraglottic airway management was cricothyroidotomy (CT) by intravenous (IV) catheter (57.3%), tracheostomy by a surgeon (18.8%), wire-guided CT (18.8%), CT using a bougie (2.8%), and open surgery CT using a scalpel (2.3%). Ninety-eight (45%) of the 218 respondents were familiar with the American Society of Anesthesiologists' difficult airway algorithm or Difficult Airway Society algorithm, and only 43 (19.7%) had participated in airway workshops within the past five years. CONCLUSION: The videolaryngoscope was the most preferred device for difficult airways. In CICV situations, the method of CT via an IV catheter was the most frequently used, followed by wire-guided CT method and tracheostomy by the attending surgeon.
Airway Management ; Bronchoscopes ; Catheters ; Congresses as Topic ; Education ; Intubation* ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Korea* ; Laryngeal Masks ; Methods ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Tracheostomy

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Histiocytoma, Malignant Fibrous*

No abstract available.
Cesarean Section* ; Female ; Pregnancy

No abstract available.
Cesarean Section* ; Female ; Pregnancy

PURPOSE: We investigated the direct labeling method of antibody with 99mTc and 188Re and examined the stability and function of these labeled compounds in in vitro and in vivo. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Disulfide bond of nonspecific human IgG was reduced to -SH group by 2-mercaptoethanol. Stannous ion was used to reduce 99mTc and 188Re. The stability of 99mTc-IgG and 188Re-IgG was estimated upto 24 hrs. Biodistribution was evaluated in abscess bearing rats at 4 and 24 hr post-injection of 99mTc or 188Re labeled IgG. RESULTS: The number of -SH group per reduced IgG molecule was 2.34. The labeling yield of 99mTc-IgG and 188Re-IgG were 90% and 95%, respectively. The stability of 99mTc-IgG at 1, 4, 6 and 24 hr was 91%, 83%, 78%, 7% and that of 188Re-IgG, high uptake was found on kidney, blood, stomach and abscess (9.42+/-0.68, 1.43+/-0.24, 0.86+/-0.18, 0.72+/-0.10 %ID/g, respectively). The uptakes at 24 hr were kidney, abscess, stomach, and blood in descending order. In case of 188Re-IgG, high uptake at 4 hr post injection appeared on kidney, blood, abscess and stomach (3.92+/-0.62, 1.32+/-0.08, 0.88+/-0.01, 0.26+/-0.06, respectively). The upatkes at 24 hr were kidney, abscess, blood abd stomach in descending order. The abscess to blood uptake ratio of 99mTc-IgG was 0.5 at 4 hr and 2.02 at 24 hr and that of 188Re-IgG was 0.67 and 1.29. CONCLUSION: 99mTc-IgG and 188Re-IgG and 188Re-IgG canbe labeled efficiently with direct labeling method. However, 99mTc-IgG and 188Re-IgG, labeled with direct method, was unstable. Further study in needed to enhance the stability of the antibody labeling.
Abscess ; Animals ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Kidney ; Mercaptoethanol ; Rats ; Stomach

PURPOSE: To investigate the Doppler ultrasonographic parameters of a carotid ultrasound (CUS) for the stenosis of the intracranial internal carotid artery (IICA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The authors evaluated 15 patients with normal extracranial ICA, the common carotid artery (CCA), and stenosis of IICA (patient group). The control group consisted of 22 patients with normal findings on a magnetic resonance angiography (control group). All subjects were subjected to a CUS, whereas subjects from the patient group underwent a cerebral angiography. The following parameters were investigated: peak systolic velocity (PSV) and end diastolic velocity (EDV) in ICA, PSV in CCA, resistive index (RI) in ICA, and PSV ratio. Stenosis was measured following an angiography and was graded as follows: normal (0-24%), mild (25-49%), moderate (50-69%), and severe (70-99%). Next, the CUS findings, which reflected the IICA stenosis, were investigated. RESULTS: Of the 74 ICAs, 52 were normal (44 ICAs in the normal group and 8 ICAs in the patient group), 10 had mild stenosis, 8 had moderate stenosis, and severe 4 had severe stenosis. As the stenosis grade increased, PSV and EDV in ICA as well as PSV in CCA, decreased (p value < 0.05); however, the PSV ratio and RI remained unchanged. CONCLUSION: As stenosis of IICA increases, PSV and EDV of ICA and PSV of CCA decreases following a CUS.
Angiography ; Atherosclerosis ; Carotid Artery, Common ; Carotid Artery, Internal ; Carotid Stenosis ; Cerebral Angiography ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Copper ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Angiography ; Ultrasonography, Doppler