In spite of vigorous efforts to enhance appropriateness of blood usage in surgery, it is recognized that there are still not a few overuse and misuse of blood products in Korean hospitals. To assure appropriate use of blood, continuous monitoring and controlfling blood orders, particularly for surgical operations, should be implemented. The indicator of 'ratio of crossmatching to transfusion' (C/T ratio) has been focalized on in this regard. The authors investigated C/T ratio for eight hospitals, evenly distributed in their geographical location as well as size. Only elective surgeries operated from March 1 to May 31, 1995 were included for analysis. Standardized survey format was distributed, and retrospective reviews of medical records were performed by volunteer surveyors from each hospital after two sessions of pre- survey education. The results were as follows. Average C/T ratio, for all hospitals and all surgeries, was 1.76. Differences in C/T ratio by sex, months, clinical departments, blood components were not significant. However, the ratio showed increasing tendency with ages. The C/T ratio on the average was not higher, compared with the recommended guideline. However, due to study' s limitations ini standardization of survey method and verification of data, we could not conclude that current status of appropriateness of blood use is satisfactory. In addition, to pervasively use the C/T ratio as a quality indicator for blood use management, supplementary measures, such as standardization of data, should be adopted.
Surveys and Questionnaires ; Education ; Medical Records ; Quality Indicators, Health Care* ; Retrospective Studies ; Volunteers

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to examine the relationship among cognitive function, nutrition screening initiative (NSI) score, and food intake status. METHODS: A total of 409 subjects aged over 60 years were recruited from the Yongin dementia prevention and control center. Mini Mental State Examination Dementia Screening (MMSE-DS) method was used to assess the cognitive function of the subjects. Information on health related behaviors and food intake was collected by face to face interview using a structured questionnaire. The questionnaires included the NSI DETERMINE checklist, food intake sheets by 24 hr recall method and by semi-quantified food frequency questionnaire. RESULTS: Subjects were divided into low cognitive or normal groups according to the MMSE-DS result. The prevalence of low cognitive function in the subjects was 25.7%. The low cognitive group exercised less and had higher nutritional health risk than the normal group. The low cognitive group had lower consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acid and higher tendency of thiamin, riboflavin, and iron deficiency. The low cognitive group had less frequency of eating mackerel, pepper, tangerine, and watermelon and higher frequency of eating white rice and cookies than the normal group. CONCLUSION: The results of this study imply that the cognitive function of elderly is related to exercise behavior, nutritional health risk, and food and nutrient intake status.
Aged* ; Checklist ; Citrullus ; Cognition* ; Dementia ; Eating ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Iron ; Mass Screening ; Methods ; Perciformes ; Prevalence ; Riboflavin

To find out the suppressive effect of natural extract Curcuma xanthorrhiza on IL-1beta and MMP-2 derived from periodontal ligament cells through in vitro study and to confirm its effect on plaque and gingivitis through clinical study, Curcuma xanthorrhiza containing toothpaste was used and following results were produced. 1. In vitro study, type IV collagenase MMP-2 production was inhibited dose-dependently in the group treated with Curcuma xanthorrhiza compared to the control group. 2. In vitro study, the production of IL-1beta which is one of the inflammatory mediators associated with periodontitis was inhibited dose-dependently in the group treated with Curcuma xanthorrhiza. 3. On the third week, the plaque index of the groups treated with or without Curcuma xanthorrhiza containing toothpastes were both increased significantly compared to the baseline(p<0.05). 4. On the third week, the gingival index of the group treated with Curcuma xanthorrhiza containing toothpaste was not significantly different from baseline. However, the group treated without Curcuma xanthorrhiza containing toothpaste showed a significant increase of gingival index at shielded area(p<0.05). 5. The gingival index of the group without Curcuma xanthorrhiza containing toothpaste showed a significant increase in the sites without tooth brushing when compared to sites with tooth brushing(p<0.05). However, there was no significant difference for the group with Curcuma xanthorrhiza containing toothpaste in sites either with or without tooth brushing. 6. The Bleeding on probing for the group without Curcuma xanthorrhiza containing toothpaste showed no significant difference even when tooth brushing was done. However, for the group with Curcuma xanthorrhiza containing toothpaste, bleeding on probing was significantly reduced compared to baseline when tooth brushing was done(p<0.05).
Collagenases ; Curcuma* ; Gingivitis* ; Hemorrhage ; Periodontal Index ; Periodontal Ligament ; Periodontitis ; Tooth ; Toothpastes

BACKGROUND: Propofol can be used to provide general anesthesia or sedation. The objectives of this study were to assess propofol as sedative agents for outpatient GI endoscopy, amnestic effects, hemodynamic state and oxygenation during the procedure. METHODS: From April and June 2000, 50 patients scheduled outpatient gastrointestinal endoscopy were enrolled in this study. 30 healthy outpatients requesting sedation at diagnostic gastroscopy were received a bolus dose of propofol 2.5 mg/kg and compared with 20 patients with non-sedation. Pulse rate, blood-pressure and arterial oxygen saturation was monitored. RESULTS: Statistically significant decrease in arterial oxygen saturation were observed since 5 min after endoscopy in patients receiving propofol (p=0.006). Patients receiving sedative endoscopy, pulse rate during endoscopy was significantly increased compared with propofol group (p=0.009). Patients receiving propofol are more tolerable than patients with non-sedative endoscopy (p=0.001), therefore all patients receiving propofol wanted the same sedative endoscopy in their next endoscopy. CONCLUSION: Propofol is believed to be a useful, safe sedative agent for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with satisfactory sedation and conditions. However, due to its untoward effect of hypoxia, careful monitoring is recommended.
Anesthesia, General ; Anoxia ; Conscious Sedation* ; Endoscopy ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal* ; Gastroscopy ; Heart Rate ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Outpatients ; Oxygen ; Propofol*

Methylation events play a critical role in various cellular processes including regulation of gene transcription and proliferation. Recently, RUNX3 gene, one of TGF-beta-Smads signaling transduction pathway genes, showed strong tumor-suppressor activity by regulation of epithelial proliferation and apoptosis. To elucidate the potential etiological role of the RUNX3 gene in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), we have analyzed the methylation status of 5' CpG island of the RUNX3 gene in a series of 73 HCC tissues and 11 liver cell lines. Expectedly, promoter methylation of RUNX3 gene was found in 2 (2.7%) of 73 corresponding normal liver, whereas 30 (41.1%) of 73 HCCs and 4 (40%) of 10 liver cancer cell lines showed hypermethylation of the gene, respectively. There was no significant difference between promoter hypermethylaion and clinicopathologic parameters of primary HCC samples, including histologic grade, microvascular invasion, and clinical stage. Interestingly, demethylating agent 5-aza-2-deoxycytidine induced reactivation and more potent expression of RUNX3 gene in HCC cell lines. Our findings indicate that promoter hypermethylation of RUNX3 gene may occur as an early event in the development of HCC and that methylation may be a major mechanism for inactivation of RUNX3 gene in HCC.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Azacitidine/analogs & derivatives/pharmacology ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/*genetics/metabolism ; *DNA Methylation ; DNA, Neoplasm/drug effects/*metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms/*genetics/metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Promoter Regions (Genetics) ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't