A burn of indeterminate depth is defined as a partial-thickness burn whose preferred management is difficult to select and whose prognosis is difficult to predict. The authors tried to determine the differences in the early morbidity and the late morbidity of early autograft and non-operative conventional therapies for burns of indeterminate depth less than 30% TBSA. The morbidity results were compared between 66 early autograft patients and 75 non-operative conventional therapy patients. In early morbidity, the early autograft group had a shorter average hospitalization, lower hospital cost, less wound contamination and sepsis, and less use of systemic antibiotics, such as cephalosporin and aminoglycoside, but more use of blood products than the non-operative conventional therapy group. The time away from work showed no significant difference when the two groups were compared. When long- term follow up was compared, the non-operative conventional therapy group showed superiority to the early autograft group in cosmetic outcomes, as wound surface character and blister formation. The joint function motion exhibited no difference between the two groups. We conclude that in otherwise healthy patients with dermal burns of indeterminate depth less than 30% TBSA, early autograft is the preferred form of treatment in early morbidity.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Autografts ; Blister ; Burns* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hospital Costs ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Joints ; Prognosis ; Sepsis ; Skin* ; Transplants* ; Wounds and Injuries

This study aims to investigate visual tracking task of Koreans to the various visual stimuli by measuring the horizontal saccadic reaction times. The measuring system consists of eye monitor using infra-red reflection technique, oscillographic recorder and forehead-chin fixation devices. The visual stimuli generated by target function generator displayed simple-step, pulsestep and double-step stimulus patterns. The results revealed that the sacoadic reaction time showed no significant changes between the size of target displacement within horizontal 20 degrees. Furthermore, no significant changes between the particular direction of stimulus could be found. The nominal value of reaction time was 259 +/- 25 msec.
Reaction Time

This is a review and clinical analysis of 1420 cases of burn patients who were treated at the Department of surgery, Hanil Hospital during 6 years from 1991 to 1996. The following results were obtained. 1) The age group distribution showed that the highest incidence of burn patients was in the between 30 and 39 years old.(323 cases, 22.8%). 2) The highest incidence of burn in the seasonal distribution was in the winter(383 cases, 26.9%). 3) The most common cause of the burns was scalding by hot liquids(444 cases, 31.2%). 4) The most frequent period of interval between accident and the arrival at the hospital was within 24 hours or less(1122 cases, 79.0%). 5) The most frequent duration of treatment was within 2 weeks or less(620 cases, 43.7%). 6) Most patients were affected less than 10% of burn(783 cases, 55.1%). 7) Second degree was most frequent burn depth(583 cases, 41.1%). 8) In 336 cases of burn wound culture, the main organism were Pseudomonas aeruginosa 231 cases(68.7%), Staphylococcus aureus 183 cases(41.0%), and others. 9) Operation was performed in 483 cases(34.0%). Skin graft 471cases, escharotomy 132 cases, fasciotomy 26cases, amputation 13 cases, primary repair 29cases. The most frequent period of skin grafting was between 3 to 4 weeks(253 cases). 10) The complication of burn were wound infection 435 cases(25.4%), UTI 96 cases(6.7%), others. 11) The overall mortality rate was 8.7%(124/1420) and the most frequnt cause of death was sepsis in 58 cases(46.8%).
Amputation ; Burns* ; Cause of Death ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mortality ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; Seasons ; Sepsis ; Skin ; Skin Transplantation ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Transplants ; Wound Infection ; Wounds and Injuries

Advance in fiberoptic endoscopy have improved diagnostic capabilities and management in patients with gastric polyps and increased experience with endoscopic polypectomy offers the most simple and safe method in removal of gastric polyps. Sixty six endoscopic gastric polypectomies was performed in 59 patients who visited Chonnam National University Hospital from 1980 to 1989 The results obtained were as follows. 1) The most patients were in the seventh decade followed by fifth, fourth decade. The ratio of male to female was 1: 1.95. 2) The common clinical symptoms with which patients presented were epigastric discomfort (54. 2%), epigastric pain (44.1%), indigestion (16.9%), nausea and vomiting (13.6%) and hematemesis (3.4%). The associated diseases of gastric polyp were chronic superficial gastritis (28.8%), chronic atrophic gastritis (13.6%), benign gastric ulcer, gastric caecer, cancer of ampulla of Vater. 3) The number of patients with single gastric polyp wa 47 (79.7%), and that of multiple gastric polyps was 12 (20.3%). The most common location of gastric polyps was gastric antrum (66.6%) follawed by gastric body (27.3%) and gastric fundus (6.1%). 4) The removed polyps were mostly 1.0 cm to 2.0 cm in size and in the gross findings by Yamadas classification, type IV (48.5%) was most common. 5) Histogical examinations revealed that 49.6% of remoyed polyps were hyperplastic polys and 18. 7% of those were adenomatous polyps. Only one case of adenomatous polyp had contaied focally malignant change of mucosa. 6) Almost all cases were in the absenee of significant complications, but three patients showed bleeding at the site of polypectomy, which controlled by conservative means.
Adenomatous Polyps ; Ampulla of Vater ; Classification ; Dyspepsia ; Endoscopy ; Female ; Gastric Fundus ; Gastritis ; Gastritis, Atrophic ; Hematemesis ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Jeollanam-do ; Male ; Mucous Membrane ; Nausea ; Polyps ; Pyloric Antrum ; Stomach Ulcer ; Vomiting

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of airway hyperresponsiveness induced by isocyanate at one petrochemical industry complex in Yeochon, Korea. METHOD: Questionnaires, allergic skin prick test, toluene diisocyanate (TDI)-specific IgE, and non-specific airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) were studied in 73 exposed workers and 27 control subjects. Methacholine challenge tests were done and bronc hial responsiveness (BR index) was defined as log (% fall of FEV1)/ log (last concentration of methacholine +10). RESULTS: Twenty-three workers (31.5% ) had respiratory symptoms, 21 had nasal symptoms, and eight had skin symptoms. Exposed workers with respiratory symptoms (n=22) had significantly higher BR index than those without them (0.82+/-0.06 vs 0.60+/-0.02, p<0.05). Exposed workers tended to have higher BR index than controls (0.67+/-0.03 vs 0.62+/-0.02). Three exposed workers had PC20 methacholine <2.0 mg/ml. There were no significant differences in atopy score between exposed workers and controls (p>0.05). Specific IgE antibodies were found in 19.7% of exposed workers. FEV, showed a significant negative correlation with BR index (r =-0.25, p<0.05). Poor correlation was noted between BR index and atopy, smoking status, or exposure duration. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that workers exposed to isocyanates are at higher risk of airway hyperresponsiveness.
Antibodies ; Immunoglobulin E ; Isocyanates* ; Korea ; Methacholine Chloride ; Plants* ; Prevalence ; Skin ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Toluene 2,4-Diisocyanate ; Surveys and Questionnaires

The optic nerve do not easily sever because of its anatomic status in the orbit. The purpose of this study is to investigate electron microscopic findings in the proximal portion of the severed optic nerve which remained in the orbit for about 4.5 months. Thirty seven-year-old woman showed the protruded eyeball and deep skin laceration following traffic accident. Computerized tomography and MRI demonstrated the complete severance in her left optic nerve. Her eyeball containing the proximal portion of the severed optic nerve was enucleated at about 4.5 months after traffic accident. Eletron microscopic findings showed several macrophages, fibroblast, and dense collagen fibers, which mean the fibrosis histopathologically. The fibrosis was the main pathologic outcome in the proximal portion of the severed optic nerve. We suggest that the process of the fibrosis could result from the incorporation of the fibroblast within the meninges around the optic nerve and the proliferation of the fibroblast within fibrovascular septa of the pia mater which extend into the optic nerve.
Accidents, Traffic* ; Collagen ; Female ; Fibroblasts ; Fibrosis ; Gliosis ; Humans ; Lacerations ; Macrophages ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Meninges ; Optic Nerve* ; Orbit ; Pia Mater ; Skin

Cardiac injury is fatal in most cases. To save the life of patient with cardiac injury prompt treatment is necessary. For this to know the situation that fatal cardiac injury has occurred is mandatory. We report an unusual case of penetrating cardiac injury by a foreign body - wire - which has occurred during the work of lawn mower.
Foreign Bodies* ; Humans

Among 8, 350 patients seen in the department of ophthalmology, Yonsei University Medical Center from August 1, 1968 to July 31, 1971 there were 2,313 who were seen because of refractive error. These were selected for classification and special statistical study. We reported two similar studies of 2,004 patients having errors in refraction among a total of 9,716 patients seen from August 1, 1958 to July 31, 1961 and 1,919 patients having errors in refraction among a total of 8,796 patients from August 1, 1965 to July 31, 1968 seen in the same department in 1962 and 1968 respectively. The finding of the more recently studied groups are compared with the studies made in 1962 and 1968. 1. 2,313 out of 8,350 patients seen in the department of ophthalmology had errors in refraction (27.7%). 2. 2,949 cases (63.8%) had refractive errors of the myopic type. 626 cases (13.5%) were hyperopic. The others had a simple and a mixed astigmatism. 3. 61.2% of the total group studied had astigmatism. 4. The highest incidence of refractive errors was found between 11 and 20 years of age The older patients had a low incidence. 5. Among the total number of refractive errors 56.3% were found to be in myopic patients who had less than a -3.00 diopters error. 16.8% were found among hyperopic patients who had less than a +3.00 diopters error. 6. Among the three types of astigmatic error seen 1,507 cases (53.2%) were "with the rule", 872 cases (30.8%) were "against the rule", and 456 cases (16.0%) were "oblique". 7. 6.9% of the total refractive errors were those of different types of anisometropia. The most commonly seen type was that of compound myopic anisometropia. The next type seen was simple myopic anisometropia and the least frequently seen type was compound hyperopic anisometropia. 8. When the results of the present study were compared with those found in 1962 and 1968 there are no significant difference between these three groups.
Academic Medical Centers ; Anisometropia ; Astigmatism ; Classification ; Humans ; Incidence ; Ophthalmology ; Refractive Errors ; Statistics as Topic

Anatomy of the pancreaticobiliary ductal system is so variable that one should think of its normal anatomy as nonexistent. But exact location of the termination of the common bile duct in important to the biliary surgeon when performing transduodenal exploration of the common bile duct, to the physician and radiologist when diagnosing pancreaticobilijary disease by ERCP. We report a case of Lnomalous termination of the common bile duct into thii. duadenal bulb diagnosed by ERCP and operative cholangiogram.
Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Common Bile Duct*

Herpes zoster is an acute, self-limited disease of infectious origin. It is characterized by grouped vesicular lesions on an erythematous base distributed over several dermatomes as well as single. In some cases the patients can be found to have an identifiable risk factor such as old age, malignancy, irradiation, chemotherapy, immunosuppresive therapy and trauma. The majority of cases are self-limited and resolved completely. However it may have serious complication. We reviewed 369 cases of herpes zoster to determine the distribution of lesions, incidence of postherpetic neuralgia, associated disorders, and the age. 134 cases (36.1%) of 369 cases with herpes zoster were associated with chronic disorders. The complications of herpes zoster were developed in 71 cases (19.2%) and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) was the most commom complication. The frequency and severity of postherpetic neuralgia were proportional to age. There was a predilection of the involvement in thoracic dermatomes, lumbar dermatomes and ophthalmic division of trigeminal nerve in decreasing order of frequency. The incidence and duration of postherpetic neuralgia are significantly related to age.
Drug Therapy ; Herpes Zoster* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Neuralgia, Postherpetic ; Risk Factors ; Trigeminal Nerve