PURPOSE: We studied to evaluate the effect of percutaneous catheter drainage (PCD) in liver abscess. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed clinical data (presence of fever, WBC count), radiological findings (computed tomography, ultrasonography and abscessogram) and correlated them with treatment period. Percutaneous drainage of liver abscess were performed in 19 patients under fluoroscopy guide during recent three years. RESULTS: Eighteen patients (95%) were cured, and one patient underwent surgery because of peritonitis caused by PCD procedure. Average treatment period was 17 days. CONCLUSION: In the treatment of liver abscess, PCD is thought to be safe and effective.
Catheters* ; Drainage* ; Fever ; Fluoroscopy ; Humans ; Liver Abscess* ; Liver* ; Peritonitis ; Retrospective Studies ; Ultrasonography

No abstract available.
Benzalkonium Compounds* ; Dermatitis, Contact*

Fungi have been recognized as a significant cause of external otitis and it may be the primary pathogen or be part of a mixed infection. In the immunocompromised host, fungus is capable of producing infection in inner ear or middle ear. Otomycoses are most frequently caused by Aspergillus spp. and Candida sap. There are few reports that Aspergillus species other than A. fumigatus, A. niger and f. flavus have caused chronic otitis media. We report two cases of chronic otitis media caused by Aspergillus ferrous in Korea. One case is a 7-year-old girl who had recurrent serous otorrhea and otalgia for 4 years, was reattended otolaryngology clinics with otorrhea of 3 days durations and another is a 6-year-old girl who had serous otorrhea for 2 months and 3 day fever, was attended otolaryngology clinics with them. Microscopic appearance and colony morphology from ear discharge cultures revealed A. ferrous. The infection responded well to topical ketoconazole therapy. This report should help to raise medical personnel's awareness of such human opportunistic fungal ear infections.
Aspergillus* ; Candida ; Child ; Coinfection ; Ear ; Ear, Inner ; Ear, Middle ; Earache ; Female ; Fever ; Fungi ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Ketoconazole ; Korea ; Niger ; Otitis Externa ; Otitis Media* ; Otitis* ; Otolaryngology ; Otomycosis

Two hundred twenty premature infants who were inhalated 02 and under 2500mg birth weight or under 37 weeks of gestational age were examined from January 1990 to June 1991. We performed clinical analysis and results were as follows. 1. Thirty one infants (14.1 %) were diagnosed as retinopathy of prematurity. 2. Male patients were 17 (54.8%) and female patients were 14 (46.2%). There was no significant difference in incidence between male and female (X2=0.01, p>0.05). 3. The first examination was performed at 2.4 weeks cf life in average, and the retinopathy of prematurity was diagnosed at 4.8 weeks in average. 4. Stage 2 was detected in 10 patients (32.3%) and stage 3 was detected in 6 patients (19.4%). 5. Plus sign was found in 2 patients (19%) with stage 2 and 6 patients (100%) with stage 3. 6. The incidence of retinopathy of prematurity was highly associated with low birth weight (<1200gm), small gestational age (<30 weeks), and oxygen concentration (>or=60%). 7. Other associated possible risk factors were hyperbilirubinemia, idiopathic respiratoty distress syndrome, anemia, apnea and transfusion.
Anemia ; Apnea ; Birth Weight ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Hyperbilirubinemia ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant, Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Male ; Oxygen ; Retinopathy of Prematurity* ; Risk Factors

Dihydropyridine (DHP) calcium channel blockers (CCBs) have been widely used to treat of several cardiovascular diseases. An excessive shortening of action potential duration (APD) due to the reduction of Ca2+ channel current (I(Ca)) might increase the risk of arrhythmia. In this study we investigated the electrophysiological effects of nicardipine (NIC), isradipine (ISR), and amlodipine (AML) on the cardiac APD in rabbit Purkinje fibers, voltage-gated K+ channel currents (I(Kr), I(Ks)) and voltage-gated Na+ channel current (I(Na)). The concentration-dependent inhibition of Ca2+ channel currents (I(Ca)) was examined in rat cardiomyocytes; these CCBs have similar potency on I(Ca) channel blocking with IC50 (the half-maximum inhibiting concentration) values of 0.142, 0.229, and 0.227 nM on NIC, ISR, and AML, respectively. However, ISR shortened both APD50 and APD90 already at 1 microM whereas NIC and AML shortened APD50 but not APD90 up to 30 microM. According to ion channel studies, NIC and AML concentration-dependently inhibited I(Kr) and I(Ks) while ISR had only partial inhibitory effects (<50% at 30 microM). Inhibition of I(Na) was similarly observed in the three CCBs. Since the I(Kr) and I(Ks) mainly contribute to cardiac repolarization, their inhibition by NIC and AML could compensate for the AP shortening effects due to the block of I(Ca).
Action Potentials ; Amlodipine ; Animals ; Antihypertensive Agents ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Calcium Channel Blockers* ; Calcium Channels* ; Calcium* ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Inhibitory Concentration 50 ; Ion Channels ; Isradipine ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; Nicardipine ; Purkinje Fibers ; Rats

No abstract available.
Dendritic Cells*

PURPOSE: The effects of telephone intervention on self-care practices and quality of life for gynecological cancer patients under chemotherapy was investigated. METHODS: A non-equivalent control group pre-test post-test quasi-experimental design was used. The subjects were women cancer patients who had received less than two chemotherapy sessions at C university hospital of Chonnam province(26 in the experimental group: 25 in the control group). The patient's self-care practices(Na & Lee, 1999; Jang, 2004) and quality of life(Lee & Jo, 1997) were measured three times. using a questionnaire. The data was analyzed by Repeated Measures ANOVA, the Friedman test, and the Mann-Whitney test using the SPSS window version 12.0 program. RESULTS: This study showed that the score of self-care practices and quality of life for the experimental group under telephone counseling were higher than those of the control group. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that a telephone intervention as supportive nursing care for women cancer patients under going chemotherapy was effective for self-care practices and qualify of life during the recovery period. Futhermore, this study also suggests that telephone counseling can serve as a continuing nursing supportive intervention for women cancer patients for the upcoming stages of further chemotherapy.
Adult ; Female ; Genital Neoplasms, Female/drug therapy/*nursing/radiotherapy ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Models, Nursing ; Patient Education as Topic ; *Quality of Life ; *Self Care ; Specialties, Nursing ; Telephone ; Time Factors

No abstract available.
Mycobacterium chelonae* ; Mycobacterium* ; Skin*

During the reproductive period, human endometrium undergoes a pattern of cyclic change. Human endometrium undergoes a complex pattern of proliferation, secretory activity, and menstruation over an approximately 28 days period. Proliferative activity is highest during late proliferative phase under influence of estrogen, and minimal activity in the late secretory and menstrual phase. To study a possible change of telomerase activity during menstrual cycle, telomerase activities in normal and hormone treated endometrium were tested using telomerase repeat amplification protocol(TRAP) assay. Telomerase activities were detected in 9 of 10 proliferative endometrium(90%), and maximal activity was shown in late proliferative phase. Only 3 of 10 secretory endometrium(30%) revealed weak activity. However telomerase activity was not detected in menstrual phase endometrium(N 2) and senile endometrium(N=3). Four of tamoxifen treated endometrium(N 4) and 1 of provera treated endometrium(N 3) Levels of telomerase activity of treated endometrium(N 4) and late proliferative endometrium(N 6) were as high as them of detected in endometrial cancer and hyperplasia. Above findings reveal that telomerase activity of endometrium is changed according to menstrual cycle, And the level of telomerase activity is related to proliferative activity of endometrium that is dependent on the status of female sex steroid hormone and tamoxifen treatment.
Endometrial Neoplasms* ; Endometrium* ; Estrogens ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Medroxyprogesterone Acetate ; Menstrual Cycle ; Menstruation ; Reproduction ; Tamoxifen ; Telomerase*

Heterotopic pregnancy is the coexistency of intrauterine and extrauterine pregnancy. The incidence of heterotopic pregnancy is about 1 to 30,000 pregnancy in a natural cycle. However, the frequency of heterotopic pregnancy has steadily increased because of rising incidence of pelvic inflammatory disease, pelvic surgery and the development of ovulation induction and assisted reproduction. Because heterotopic pregnancy is difficult to diagnose and it has high morbidity and mortality rate, one should always take this into consideration and should conduct careful and thorough gynecologic evaluation. We have experienced a case of heterotopic pregnancy in a 29-year old woman who presented with acute abdominal pain in a natural cycle and report this case with a brief review of literature.
Abdominal Pain ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mortality ; Ovulation Induction ; Pelvic Inflammatory Disease ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Heterotopic* ; Reproduction