BACKGROUND: This study aimed to estimate the clinical outcome and identify the characteristics of a group of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis who completed anti-tuberculosis therapy with the First-line drugs in spite of having positive smear results with negative sputum culture results over the previous six months. METHOD: A retrospective chart review of 21 patients who fulfilled the above criteria between 1995 and 1999 was performed. The laboratory data as well as the clinical data of the patient with positive smear results and negative culture results over a six months period were reviewed. RESULTS: The negative conversion of sputum culture results was achieved within 1.3±1.2 months and the negative conversion of the sputum smear results was accomplished during 9.5±3.3 months. Chest X-rays at 5 months following the institution of anti-tuberculosis therapy from all patients revealed improvements. Four out of 21 patients(19%) relapsed during the follow up, 15.2±13.4 months after administering anti-tuberculosis therapy for 13.3±3.1 months. Relapses were confirmed from between 3 months and 4 months after the treatment completion. Only one of the four relapses had no past history of anti-tuberculosis therapy and the others had prior treatment twice (p<0.01). The period of anti-tuberculosis treatment was extended to a mean of 4.6±2.6 months in 12 patients. However, prolongation of anti-tuberculosis therapy had no affect on the relapse rate (odds ratio, 95% CI 0.18, 2.15). CONCLUSION: Prolongation of therapy with the First-line drugs is not necessary for patients with persistently positive smear results over 6 months and negative culture results. A patient who has had prior anti-tuberculosis therapy more than twice should be paid the closest attention.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Sputum* ; Thorax ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

PURPOSE: Moyamoya disease is a primary vascular disease characterized by stenosis that is followed by occlusion of the intracranial portion of the internal carotid artery and other vessels of the circle of Willis. Since there has not been any specific reports about clinical manifestation in children, we plan to study on clinical manifestation through these patients who have moyamoya disease. METHODS: We have reviewed our case of moyamoya disease in patients admitted to Yonsei University College of Medicine and analyzed their age & sex distribution as well as clinical manifestations, together with brain CT and angiographic findings. RESULTS: The results were as follows: 1) Fifty cases of moyamoya disease were encounted during a 10-year period. 2) The male to female ratio was 1:2.3 and mean age was 6.3 years old. 3) The most common chief complaint on admission was hemiparesis followed by convulsion. 4) 42 patients(84%) showed infarction on brain CT and only 5 patients(10%) showed hemorrhage. Most common lesion was frontal lobe. 5) Bilateral occlusion of the internal carotid arteries was most common site of lesions on cerebral angiography.
Brain ; Carotid Artery, Internal ; Cerebral Angiography ; Child ; Circle of Willis ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Female ; Frontal Lobe ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Infarction ; Male ; Moyamoya Disease* ; Paresis ; Seizures ; Sex Distribution ; Vascular Diseases

Rehmannia glutinosa is a perennial medicinal plant belonging to the family Scrophulariaceae with more than 300 species known in the world, especially in temperate regions. Its roots have been used widely in Korea for medicinal purposes. However, it is commonly infected by various pathogens during storage, causing great damage to the roots, and impedes the intensive farming of the crop. Therefore, an attempt has been made to isolate and screen a resistance gene against the pathogen Fusarium oxysporum using differential display. We treated salicylic acid (SA), and isolated a resistance gene that responds to SA. As a result, we found that SA was involved in plant defense mechanism in pathogenicity tests with SA treated and non-treted plants, and we isolated a partial PR-la gene through differential display polymerase chain reaction (DD-PCR) method.
Fusarium ; Humans ; Korea ; Plants ; Plants, Medicinal ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Rehmannia* ; Salicylic Acid* ; Scrophulariaceae ; Virulence

Tsutsugamushi disease is an acute febrile disease caused by Rickettsia tsutsugamushi, and which has been reported with increasing frequency thorough the nation since 1986. We experienced 21 cases of Tsutsugamushi Disease diagnosed with serologic test occurring in Taegu city and Kyungpook province during October-November, 1989. The results of survey are as follow. 1) Of 21 cases, 12 (57%) were males and 9 (43%) were females, and the peak incidence was the 4th decade. 2) The outbreak was in October to November and the peak incidence was in October. 3) The most frequent symptoms were fever and chill (100%), myalgia (95%), headache (90%), Eschar and rash were observed in 18 patients (86%) and the eschar was detected in all over the body, especially thorax (33%) and lower extremity (22%). 4) Laboratory features were SGOT elevation (83%), SGPT elevation (61%), LDH elevation (67%), leukocytosis (38%). 5) Indirect immunofluorescent antibody test was done in 18 patients and the antibody titer was above 1:320 in all patients. 6) The chloramphenicol, tetracycline or doxycycline regimens were very effective and mean duration of defervescence from initiation of therapy was 1.3 days. 7) The complication such as meningitis or shock, was not seen.
Alanine Transaminase ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Chloramphenicol ; Daegu ; Doxycycline ; Exanthema ; Female ; Fever ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Headache ; Humans ; Incidence ; Leukocytosis ; Lower Extremity ; Male ; Meningitis ; Myalgia ; Orientia tsutsugamushi ; Scrub Typhus* ; Serologic Tests* ; Shock ; Tetracycline ; Thorax

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND: The nature of operation alters the volume of distribution at steady state (Vdss) of drug. The hepatic extraction ratio of midazolam (0.3~0.7) could be influenced by hepatic blood flow (HBF), and hepatic enzyme activity. The pharmacokinetics of intravenous midazolam were determined in patients undergoing lung surgery. METHODS: Midazolam, 0.2 mg/kg, was administered to five patients undergoing lung surgery at 30 minutes after induction of anesthesia. Anesthesia was maintained with O2-enflurane for one lung ventilation. Blood samples from artery were drawn at increasing intervals for 12 h. Plasma midazolam concentrations were measured by gas chromatography. Computer simulations of the times required for 20%, 50%, and 80% decreases in midazolam concentrations were performed. RESULTS: A three compartment model best described the concentration versus time data. The volume of the central compartment (Vc) and volume of distribution at steady state (Vdss) were 4.3 2.8 l and 59.9 20.1 l, respectively. The elimination half-life was 3.4 2.2 h. Simulations indicate that under all the situations, the concentrations would decrease more rapidly in our patients in spite of similar Vdss and elimination half-life of patients undergoing minor gynecological surgery. CONCLUSION: The elimination half-life was in the range of previously reported values. The shorter recovery time is apparently due to relatively faster redistrubution, and relatively greater capacity for redistribution.
Anesthesia ; Arteries ; Chromatography, Gas ; Computer Simulation ; Female ; Gynecologic Surgical Procedures ; Half-Life ; Humans ; Lung* ; Midazolam* ; One-Lung Ventilation ; Pharmacokinetics* ; Plasma

No abstract available.
Glomus Tumor*

BACKGROUND: Clonidine, which is known to have analgesic and sedative properties, has recently been shown to be an effective preanesthetic medication in humans. The drug may cause side effects, including bradycardia and hypotension. This study was conducted to evaluate the ability of intravenous atropine to increase the heart rate (HR) in awake adults receiving clonidine preanesthetic medication. METHODS: We studied HR responses to intravenous atropine in 45 patients assigned randomly to either a control group, who received no medication (group 1, n=15), or clonidine groups, who received oral clonidine of 2~2.5 mcg/kg (group 2, n=15), or 4.5~5 mcg/kg (group 3, n=15) 90 min before scheduled induction of anesthesia. When HR and blood pressure had been confirmed to be stable in operating room, all patients received incremental doses of atropine, 2.5, 2.5 and 5 mcg/kg at 2-min intervals. The HR and mean arterial pressure were recorded at 1-min intervals. RESULTS: Before atropine injection, the HR decreased significantly (P<0.05) in group 3. The increases in HR in response to a cumulative dose of atropine 10 mcg/kg were 21+/-8, 17+/-7 and 7+/-5 beats/min (mean+/-SD) in group 1, 2 and 3, respectively (P<0.05). The positive chronotropic response to intravenous atropine was attenuated significantly only in group 3 (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded that oral clonidine of 4.5~5 mcg/kg decreased HR significantly, and blunted the increase in HR after intravenous atropine in awake adults although oral clonidine of 2~2.5 mcg/kg did not.
Adult* ; Anesthesia ; Arterial Pressure ; Atropine* ; Blood Pressure ; Bradycardia ; Clonidine* ; Heart Rate* ; Heart* ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Operating Rooms ; Preanesthetic Medication

The muscle glycogen is an important energy source for muscle contraction especially in prolonged exercise. One of the important factors for improvement of physical performance in athletes is the storage of extra-amount of glycogen (supercompensation) in liver and muscles. During 120 minutes treadmill exercise (intensity of exercise was approximatly 80% VO2max), the glycogen concentration was significantly decreased to 36% in liver and 46% in muscles after 60 minutes exercise. At 90 and 120 minutes of exercise, the level of glycogen concentration of liver and muscles statistically were not different from the levels of the 60 minutes exercise. The repletions of glycogen in the liver and muscles in overnight fasted control(C) and 120 minutes treadmill exercise(E) groups during l80minutes after glucose ingestion were investigatect. ln the liver, the concentration of glycogen in C and E groups were markdly increased till 120 minutes after zlucose ingestion, hut the levels of concentration at 180 minutes were decreased comparing to the levels of 120 minutes in both groups. In the muscles, the repletion of glycogen at 60, 120 and 180 minutes of C and E groups were significantly increased comparing to 0 minute of respective groups in the soleus and plantaris muscles. In soleus(SOL), the repletion of glycogen in all of the E groups was significantly higher than that of the respective C groups. However, the repletion of glycogen in all of the E groups of plantaris was revealed higher tendency comparing to respective C groups. Mean repletion rates of glycogen in liver and muscles after glucose ingestion were highest during the first 60 minutes in all groups and the rates of E groups were 2-3 times than those of respective C groups. These results suggest that the glycogen supercompensation in the muscle be provided with decrement of glycogen concentration by exercise, increment of glucose uptake by muscuiar contraction itself and increased insuJin level, and the activation of glycogen synthetase by insulin.
Animals ; Athletes ; Eating* ; Glucose* ; Glycogen Synthase ; Glycogen* ; Humans ; Insulin ; Liver* ; Muscle Contraction ; Muscles ; Rats*

No abstract available.
Amniotic Fluid* ; beta-Endorphin* ; Female